FLEE IDOLATRY

Defining Moments

Defining moments exist in all our lives. For example - when did you decide to propose to your spouse or accept their proposal? Did you and your spouse deliberately choose to have children, or were you genuinely surprised when pregnancy was detected? Think about the home in which you live…Did you choose it, or was it merely a coincidence?

As a nation we celebrate certain decisive moments in our history. July 4 marks the official signing of the Declaration of Independence. September 17 marks to date when the United States Constitution was adopted by representatives from the several states.

My generation - and yours - mark dates such as December 7, 1941 and June 6/7 1944 calling to mind pivotal events of WW II. Perhaps 1968 the year of the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr, Robert Kennedy, the riots at the Chicago Democratic National Convention is significant.

Of course 9/11/01 will mark our lives. March, 2020 will always be memorable for the radical nature of the pandemic that costs thousands of lives and destroyed far too many relationships.

And who can forget the late summer and early fall of 2021 and the wildfires devastating property very close to home.

Let me reframe the question. What do these events reveal about how we understand the nature and character of God?

In the passage before us today (as we pick up our study of 1 Corinthians) Paul challenges his readers with a similar question. What does their past reveal about God? Can lessons be learned from the generations that preceded them? Do their actions as individuals and as a community of faith reveal anything about their view of God’s nature and character?

READ 1 Cor 10:1-6, 15-19.

God Acts Powerfully for His People vs 1-6

For 1st century believers their ‘Bible’ was the OT. While reading the entire OT was out of reach for most believers, the ‘big’ events of Israel’s history were the texts which Paul and other early preachers and teachers used.

Among those accounts, the EXODUS event was absolutely essential for both Jew and Gentile to see the power of God at work.

Reviewing the Exodus events we often overlook one important verses:

Exodus 12:38 (HCSB)

An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them...

One scholar notes:

This verse confirms that the Israelites of the exodus (and thereafter) were actually a mixed people ethnically—something that most Christians are unaware of. The verse would best be translated as follows: “A huge ethnically diverse group also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and herds.” To what was Moses referring? To the fact that many other persons who were not descended from Abraham or Israel joined the Israelites as they left Egypt. These people had observed the miraculous work of Yahweh, Israel’s God, and had become convinced that conversion to him and life among his people would represent their best hope for the future. In this regard they were predecessors to Ruth, who declared to Naomi, “Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 303.

In Luke’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28-following) he shares Peter’s recollection of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah:

Luke 9:31 (HCSB)

They appeared in glory and were speaking of His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

The word ‘death’ in our English translations is literally in the original language of the NT: ἔξοδος, exodos.

The Gospel according to Luke (Jesus: The Human Tabernacle of God (9:28–36))

The exodus from Egypt, the foundational episode of redemption and formation of Israel into a people and nation, becomes a prefigurement of Jesus’ passion, through which he redeems people from the power of sin and forms them into the church

Those God delivered from slavery in Egypt - descendants of Abraham and others - are a picture of all God is doing in and through Jesus Christ.

Paul clearly points to the work of the Messiah -

1 Corinthians 10:4 HCSB

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

God Provides Abundantly for His People

Again listen to vs 1-4, 16-17.

As God’s people followed Him in the wilderness they never went without adequate food. God provided for their every need.

We who are followers of Jesus know that God will provide.

Jesus’ promise is crystal clear:

Matthew 6:31–33 HCSB

So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

God’s Purpose in Transforming A People for His Own Possession

The exodus event was not simply that the descendants of Abraham would find relief from centuries of slavery.

Exodus 19:4–6 HCSB

‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

God acted powerfully for His people in order to fulfill the promise He made to Abraham:

Genesis 17:8 HCSB

And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.”

Don’t miss the last phrase: “I WILL BE THEIR GOD”

All that God did - the miraculous deliverance, the abundant provision - was that these people - descendant of Abraham and all those with them - would be His people - a unique and distinct people from the world.

As Paul illustrates in vs 6-10, many in that generation of people having experienced God’s mighty power and presence completely missed the point!

Notice the prevalence of the word ‘some’:

1 Corinthians 10:6–10 (HCSB)

Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play. Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead. Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. Nor should we complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.

Paul reminds the believers in Corinth that they too could be in danger...

1 Corinthians 10:21–22 HCSB

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

In vs 16-17 Paul clearly compares believers - like you and I - to those families God rescued from Egypt.

Through Jesus Christ - whose death, resurrection, and ascension - we have been ‘delivered’ from slavery to sin.

Why then would we revert to idolatry as did some of those whom God had delivered?

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU DO: guard your relationship with God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. If we fail here, we fail everywhere. We may accomplish great and mighty things, but none of those will lead people to the gospel. Only by a), preaching the gospel to ourselves EVERY DAY, and b). Insuring that our walk with Jesus is as close and as intimate as possible, and c) Focusing our eyes on the eternal prize and not just simply the temporal temptations will we escape the lure of idolatry.

I believe the people in our community are searching for a person, or a group of people, whose passion is unbridled, unrestrained, and unencumbered.