1 Corinthians 10: 1-13

God’s Warning

Let’s go back a bit and add some context to this passage. This is part of a letter Paul is writing to the church of Corinth.

Paul is writing them because things aren't going as planned for the church. You see around 50AD Paul’s travels took him to Corinth where he started a church. After a year and a half he continued his journey. 1 Corinthians was written around 55AD. The letter was mostly a letter of rebuke because Paul had gotten reports of shenanigans going on at Corinth. Now you may be like me and wonder why did Corinth have such problems? Why did they have a reputation of being such a sinful place that you would have to mix Los Vegas, L.A and Tijuana Mexico together to come up with something similar.

Well Corinth was situated from day one to be a hot spot for sin. You see Corinth was a port city. You have the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic gulf. These two Gulfs are separated by a 4 mile stretch of land. This is where Corinth is. Now trade ships at the time could either sail out of the Gulf of Corinth around a large portion of Grease, through the Ionian sea down into the Mediterranean Sea. A voyage that would take weeks or they could take a shortcut Through Corinth into the Saronic Gulf and wright into the Mediterranean Sea. The didn’t have the technology at the time to make a lock system to take ships from one body of water to another body that didn’t have the same elevation of water. today we use massive pumps to pump water in and out of a lock system allowing ships to pass from one body of water to another. But that did not stop them from finding a way. They came up with what they called The Diolkos. it was a crude paved railway used to portage ships across Corinth. It was first used around 600BC and lasted the middle of the first century. This made Corinth a very strategic site. It also meant that it was always full of soldiers and merchant sailors taking a few days rest as their ships were move across land. And I'm sure in their mind it was much needed time to blow off some steam after being at sea for who knows how long. We really don’t need any more of a description to know that was a rowdy bunch. The City of Corinth was never shy of having a plethora of temptation and sinners.

I guess God knew the people of Corinth needed him so he sent Paul. I don't know about you but I’ve got a list in my head of conversations I want to have with people in heaven. One of the people I have several questions for is Paul. I’d like to know what he was thinking when it was reveled to him that Corinth was next on his list to visit and start a church.

Back to to todays text. We are studying a letter by Paul rebuking the church of Corinth. Some of us may be asking the same question some of the members of the church of Corinth were asking at the time. That question would be something to the effect of. I know Paul started this church but why should we listen to him now?

Paul address this in the very first paragraph of this letter. Lets go back to 1st Corinthians 1. Paul addresses the letter the way that they did at the time. Back then the wrote a letter the way we would introduce a speaker today. It was who was writing and their qualifications. So 1st Corinthians starts off with Paul called to be a apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. Now like maybe some of you I just read that and the only thing I got out of it was that Paul was writing this letter. it wasn’t until I heard someone break the first 14 words of that down and made me go WOW. Paul the apostle, Now the word apostle is very important in his description of himself. Why? What is an apostle? Paul talks about of what being an apostle in 1st Corinthians 15. The Greek word for apostle is Apostolos, now we just translate Apostolos to apostle but for the Greek the word Apostolos means personal messenger. Paul is a personal messenger for Christ Jesus! Why because it is Gods will. Can imagine singing a letter like that? Sincerely Erick Schmelzer; personal messenger of Christ Jesus because it is Gods will. When it comes to the writings of an apostle of Christ brothers and sisters we better listen.

1 Corinthians 10:1–13 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. He is referring to when Israel came out of Egypt they passed through the red sea and while they were in the desert God was with them. In the for of a cloud providing much needed shade by day and by fire at night. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Christ was with them the entire time. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” What dose it mean to be an Idolater? Simply put it is a person that worships idols or someone that excessively admires something. Now we may not know anyone worshiping an idol, But we wouldn’t have to look far to see someone that excessively admires something. if your wondering you could safely define that as something you do thats not your job that takes up several hours of your day and you look forward to. Today it looks more like playing video games for a few hours a day, or watching tictok a few hours a day. Maybe glued to the news networks several hours a day. You may not say to yourself thats these are idols but if they are taking up a few hours of each day and you would miss it if you were not able to do it then your actions are speaking louder than your words ever could.

Paul goes on to say. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Paul is giving us example after example of how Israel had Gods favor but rejected it through sinful behavior and ultimately were destroyed.

How do we avoid having the same fate as most of the Israelites had?

Well we have to do what God has commanded us to do. We have to love each other. Brothers and sisters this is not the kind of love that I like to do.

This is the kind of love that allows one of us to look at the other and lovingly rebuke them.

I’ve got a great wife. I have been truly blessed with her. She has rebuked me in the past .( give an example of her rebuke and my reception of it.)

Why doesn't she do this more often? Because of my defensiveness. It’s not because i don’t need it. It’s because my pride gets in the way of accepting it.

She’s not rebuking me because she wants to shame me. She dose it because despite how I may receive it She loves me enough to know I really don’t want to be the type of person my actions may be making me. I have to put my ego in the back seat and allow her love for me help make me a better person.

That’s were each and everyone of us needs to start. With ourselves. If a loved one is trying to tell you something that your doing or have said is not something God would approve of, We have got to be self-aware enough to stop the instant defensiveness that wants us to instantly start going tit for tat and point out something the other is “doing wrong” ending the conversation with 2 people that are both mad and hurt. If you can’t rely on a partner that has willing agreed they want to spent their entire time on earth to help make you the person God has created you to be, a person you can be proud of because you are making God all mighty proud then friend you are living a loveless life. you are achieving a 2 on the scale of 1 to 100 happiness scale.

Our goal to do what is commanded of us is to not only be able to have that kind of deep loving relationship with our significant other, But to have that kind of relationship with each other. That is iron sharpening iron. that is truly loving each other.

Everyone of us should have their eyes wide open right now. Probably thinking that a step that is impossible. Correcting my own behavior, allowing myself to be able to receive and give love in that kind of way is too much for me. Well you are wrong. Back to the text. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

With God’s help you are able, Yes you can. Not because I say so but because Paul said so and Paul is the personal messenger of Christ Jesus, why because it is God’s will.