What’s Your Idol: Who’s Your God
Cory Griffith
Unity in Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Cor 9:24-27
1 Cor 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Where did we fail, I want you to be aware…remind you of where we came from.
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
Many of the people Paul was speaking to were Jewish. They knew the history, but Paul is reminding them of what happened to God’s chosen people…
3 and all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
So far, so good, right. Paul states here that they were led by the cloud and they got water from the Rock, not once. but twice. Once at the beginning, Exodus 17:1-7, and again Numbers 20:1-13. The first time Moses struck the rock and water came out, the second time he was supposed to speak to the rock, but he hit it instead and lost his entrance to the promised land.
Why?
Why?
Why is Paul reminding them of this? If you are not asking the question, you might miss the point of what he is saying. Remember what I said last week? When you walk through the door you need to turn your brain on. God wants you to think and Paul is doing the same to the Corinthian church. Some were not aware of the stories, but most were and came from a jewish background.
What does that mean?
They would have attended synagogue every Saturday and would have heard the stories and been reminded. Paul is reframing the story in light of where they live. Corinth was a center for several cults, Aphrodite or Venus, Demeter - the goddess of fertility and agriculture, Poseidon, and Helios among many in the city. The city was overrun with sexual immorality due to the cults and is why Paul writes what he does.
Look with me at the next passages.
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Looking at our heritage, we don’t always do well with what God commands…many of those who went through the wilderness dieD. Death was the result of their lack of obedience. God was not happy with them.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Paul is referring to when Moses came down the mountain the first time, with the tablets and they had made a golden calf and were basically doing all kinds of immoral sexual acts. Exodus 32.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Paul is referring to another situation. Remember God told them not to intermarry with the other nations that their women would lead them into sin. Numbers 25:1-9. Here, some claim as a contradiction. Paul said 23,000 and Numbers says 24,000. So what’s the number. The total number is 24,000. 23,000 most likely died by the plague and 1,000 by the Levites killing the men who had done this. Read it and you can see for yourself. What you may miss is that the tribes who were watching the Israelites were coming out close to their territory. They were bringing women who were not dressed very modestly. They were worshipping idols and many of the men fell into that.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Paul gives another example here. Numbers 21. Serpents who bit the people and they died a miserable death. The people were impatient and they spoke against God and Moses. You would think they would learn. Nahushtan…
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Another example from Numbers 11. They complained and were murmuring and God destroyed parts of the outer camp.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Idolatry is spiritual adultery. Learn from past failures so you can enjoy future success.
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Can you eat that meat sacrificed to idols? Can you use your freedom to do anything you want?
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(All temptations are common. You go through trials, not temptations, to learn endurance, but in temptations you always have a way of escape, God is faithful in all)
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
I think that is pretty plain and Paul lays out the why, very clearly.
15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
This is what I tell my folks at work. You are adults, you know what to do. Listen to what I say and what I do and you will be able to see if what I say is true.
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
We are covered under Christ. He wants us to obey him. Jesus said it plainly in John,
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Paul is following through and making the argument of why we should obey, keep away from evil things like sexual immorality.
Why do we come to church?
Why do we come to church?
18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
Again, here is a reference to Israel showing God’s favor and how he protected them through the sacrifice. The blood of the lamb covered over their sins. Now through Christ our sins are washed away. We should be grateful and obey him by staying away from the shameful practices some indulge in.
19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
What is Your Idol: Who is Your God
What is Your Idol: Who is Your God
I know that food/meat offered to idols doesn’t mean anything because idols are nothing. I can buy meat for $0.25 pound at the local pagan meat market or for $3.50 a pound at Smiths.
How much is my soul worth?
How much is the soul of another person worth?
What if buying that cheap meat meant that I was agreeing with demons.
That is what Paul is insinuating here. I can’t worship Jesus plus. It is Jesus or another.
Who can save my soul?
Paul has stated earlier that buying meat at the pagan meat market won’t kill you, but the undertone earlier is that you shouldn’t. Here he states plainly, “I do not want you to be participants with demons.”
Do you flirt with demons? Oijay boards, fortune tellers, shamans, burning sage, incense, reiki…all of those are flirting with demons and there are more. Do you know what you are doing when you get into something. Look into its origins. Some practices like meditation were stolen from God and turned to wrong purposes. Transcendental meditation is bad. Meditating on the word of God, is great. It just means quiet contemplation. The previous one opens you up to demons.
22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Who is Paul?
He is an apostle to the gentiles. In this sense he has authority given to him by God to make claims and they are authoritative. You don’t have to like them, but please realize when he wrote, he spoke with the authority of God. It is no longer just a good book, but it is God’s direction.
So…What is your idol and who is your God?
Some cults worship another Jesus than the one in the Bible. Some have been so bold as to change the Bible to suit their beliefs. They claim to follow Jesus, but their Jesus is not God. Ours is.
So…What is your idol and who is your God?
Do you love Him enough to obey Him?
Will you stay away from the things He, Jesus, directs you to or will you only give him lip service and worship another idol or god?
You can start by giving your life to Him. Repent and be baptized for the kingdom of God is at hand.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent, turn away from the life you have been living and follow Jesus. If you have not been baptized, you should be. It doesn’t save you, but it does proclaim that you are part of God’s family.
What’s Your Idol and Who’s Your God?
