PROPOSITION: We do not take our God very seriouly. We stradle the fence and play with him like he's some rag doll, but be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

I. BE THE CHURCH AND NOT JUST "IN CHURCH"

A. Why do you attend church

1. a simple question you must ask yourself

- Why do you go to church? Have you asked yourself this simple question? It amazes me to the point where I'm almost in dispair that many of the so-call Christians that fill the churches Sunday after Sunday have no idea why they go to church. Many of us who profess faith in Christ don't know who Jesus is, because before Jesus Christ and Christianity can mean anything to you, you must answer this question for yourself. I can't tell you why you're here. Niether can your mother, nor can your father tell you why you're here. Oh, I can tell you why you should be here, but that dosn't mean you're here for that reason.

B. Not every one who says, "Lord, Lord." shall enter the kingdom of heven.

1. lipservice

- We say we love the Lord. We say he's the most important thing in our lives, but is he realy at the center of our lives? We talk a good talk, and we walk a good walk as long as we think someone from church might see us. I realy don't understand the reasoning of most of us. We can read about how good God is, and we hear the preacher tell of all the riches of God's mercies, and we can sing of the magnificene of God's Glory, and yet we still give ourselves completely to Satan, because whoever you obey that's whose servant you are. I'm pretty sure everyone here knows that there are probably more devils than saints in here right now. Not everybody that says, "Lord, Lord." is saved. The songwritter puts it simple enough: We're goin' to know who loves Jesus aft'a while. You can fool me all day long, but when the sun refuse to shine and the moon goes douwn in blood...... .

II. LET'S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE

A. Children of Israel in the wilderness

- The children of Israel in the wilderness were a type of  The Church. What happened to them can be examined and studied for our profit and edification.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

B.Their special privilages

1. they all were delivered from Egypt

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

- Here in this passage the ground work is being laid for the dicussion at hand. before the dicussion can go any further something has to be understood completely. I don't want anyone to left in the dark about what has happened, how it happened, and why it happened. I want it to be known that all (not some, not most, but all) our fathers passed through the Red Sea on dry land. you have to get the situation correct. In Egypt there was nothing but bondage. In Egypt there was nothing but suffering. Egypt is a type of sin. What I mean is that sin has us in bondage. Sin causes suffering and sadness. Sin has a strong hold on manny of our lives. We are helpless against it's forces, just as the children of Israel were helpless at the Red Sea. The Egyptians were on their tails and they were trapped on the banks of the water. They could not fight to defend themselves for they had no weapons, but thanks be to God that  the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. They didn't have swords, nor did they have spears. That's alright, Moses. You have something more migty than any atomic bomb. You have prayer on your side, and you have a strong and a mighty God on your side.

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Go ahead on and walk on dry land. The way has been pathed to safety. All passed through. Even the one that doubted passed through. Even the ones that cried out against God and Moses passed through.  Just as Jesus is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. The whole world has a path to excape the stonghold of sin's bondage. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life.

2 they all were fed with spiritual food and drink

3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

- All ate and drank of the same spiritual blessings. When bread came down from heaven all were able to eat, and when water came from the rock all did drink from that rock. We're told here that that rock was Jesus. We also know from Jesus' own mouth that he also was the bread of life that was rained down from heaven. We all are partakers of the spiritual blessings in one way or another. We have been prayed for at one point or another in our lives. You may have been a baby with a fever not knowing your hand from your foot, and your mother or grandmother or both were deep in prayer for you. You may have been in a car wreck and walk away with just bumps and bruises. You may have been addicted to a drug or drink when God rescued you at your weakest. The point I'm trying to make is: if your here this morning, then you have partaken in a spiritual blessing of God in one way or another.

C. Their Short commings

1. many were not pleasent in God's sight

5      But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

- We see here that evidently having part in the blessings of God does not guarantee that God is pleased with your lifestyle. Eventhough he provided for their every need and watched over them both day and night, he did not allow them to enter into a land of abundance that had been promised.

For some reason God grew very angry with many of the children of Israel that came out of Egypt with Moses. He sware to Moses that their bodies would fall dead before he would allow them to enter into the promised land. What made him have such a harsh attitude towards many of them that he had taken out of Egypt. If their lives were recorded for our benefit, I think it's important that we all understand what made God angry with them.

III. LET'S LEARN FROM THEIR EXAMPLE

A. What they did

1. they commited idoltry

- The children of Israel not only made them a golden calf, but they also gave this calf the credit for delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians. They also had drunken orgies. God got very angry and three thousand men fell that day.

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

2. they comitted  fornication

- When Israel joined herself to the Moabites she commited whoredom and God had 23 thousand exicuted.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

3. they put God to tests and contantly complained about how God did things.

- The children of Israel constantly complained about what God did for them. Always asking him to do something more to prove he was still with them. When they complained about the manna and asked God to give them something different to prove his intentions God sent poisonous snakes and many of them were killed

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

B. Why it caused God to grow angry

1. God is a jealous God

20   But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

21   Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

22   Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

CONCLUSION: ALL THING ARE LAWFUL, BUT NOT ALL THINGS EDIFY

23   All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify

 

2 Tim 2:6

6      The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

not.

 

1 Cor 9:24-27

24   Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25   And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26   I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27   But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

all quotes (KJV)