Good to learn from the past
Be United! Book of 1st Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 44:59
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Handout
Handout
Old Testament Examples
Old Testament Examples
History, we can learn from history, both good things and bad things. Paul in our passage today uses Israel’s history to teach some important lessons to Corinthian church.
Philospher, professor, poet, writer Jorge Agustin Nicolas Ruiz de Santyana y Borras - aka George Santayana after leaving Harvard wrote many quotes, this one you may be familiar with.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” -George Santayana
Question: what does it mean if you do not remember the past you are condemned to repeat it mean?
Some food for thought.
Christianity is wrapped up in history
From a broken relationship in the garden
To a promised relationship to Abram
To a prophesied fulfillment in Isaiah and the other prophets
To the gospel being fulfilled in Christ
To the birth of the church on Pentecost
To the Catholic fracture
To the reformation movement
To the restoration movement
To the perversions you can see today (Faith only; NAR, etc.)
Your life is wrapped up in history
Your family history that is your heritage, your example (good or bad)
Personal history, experiences that have helped mold you to who you are today or motivate you for changes to be who God wants you to be.
We would be smart to learn from history
(Transition) - Paul is going to use history, Israel’s history to show the Corinthian church what was and what is. So, today a few things I want us to learn from our passage.
History lesson for the church of Corinth (10:1-5)
Histories Examples and temptation (10:6-12)
Application so not to repeat history (10:13)
History lesson
History lesson
Paul uses history to make some points, contrasts so when he gets to the issues at hand (temptation) it will be easy to see history, present and hope in the following section.
You will notice that this passage starts off with the word “moreover” which is very close to the word “therefore” and that is a link between what was said and what is going to be said. Some versions do not start that way, but I think you will see why NASB, KJV, ASV do. Paul is still addressing the food issue (chpt 8) that was much more. As we get into our passage today you will see under the surface there is lingering problem, sin, sin of over-confidence. On the surface the contract, but under the surface is just as important here too.
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Paul calls attention to remembrance (v.1) (Exo13:21)
Question: Paul is calling them to remember, but also tells them why to remember in (v.1), what is the reason?
Remember so they are not unaware
Israel was delivered out of bondage under the cloud of protection from God. The pillar lead them on the way.
21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
Question: According to (v.2) what happened to them all?
They were baptized into Moses in cloud and in the sea (v.2)
While the scripture says they were baptized into Moses, God’s chosen leader to the people who would be under the law, we are baptized into Christ the One who fulfilled the law. I want to draw a few more minor points from this section.
In (v.3-4) they ate and drank the same spiritual food and drink
Then there is the interesting statement at the end (v.4) the spiritual Rock is Jesus. (expand on the rock in which we stand)
God was not well pleased with the (v.5)
They had the privilege of the spiritual food from God (manna) we have it too in the taking of the bread of remembrance when we take the supper. They had the spiritual drink, so do we when we take the cup of the new covenant. Even though they had everything provided God was not well pleased with them all. We can know that God was not pleased with all in the Corinthian church either when they were partaking of God’s blessings in an unworthy manner (1Cor11:17-18; 27-28) and that self-examination was in order. Israel had self-confidence as God’s chosen people, The Corinthians thought because they were one with Christ everything was OK. Today we can see that some come under the belief “once saved always saved” or “God’s undeniable grace.”
(Transition) As we continue to look at our passage this morning and use history to paint the picture for our learning. We will see that privilege did not today either.
Histories examples and temptation
Histories examples and temptation
Israels history shows the great priveledge they had, yet they yielded to self-confidence, and to temptation. In looking at the Corinthian church, they too did the same. Our aim is to learn from history, so, let’s look together.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
What did you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Question: Look at (v.6) what was the reason Paul is using history?
Paul uses history as an example, to know what we should not do.
Paul then goes through and lists some failures to temptations that Israel (historically) fell short in, and we can look at the list and know so did the Corinthians did too, or were at possible to.
Things noted:
Don’t lust over evil things (v.6)
Evil things do not need to be sinister do they? in 1Jn2:16 it says “lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, boastful pride of life.”
what can we lust over today? Are there worldly things that can be a stumbling block?
In context for them yes, meat sacrificed to idols (8:4-5, 13)
Exercising Christian liberty can be a stumbling block or a hindrance to someone (9:12)
Don’t be idolaters (v.7)
Israel even when God was providing everything, turned to idolatry (Exo32:6) with the golden calf, the Corinthian church had many idols all around them in the different temples of the world. These they came out of but are still tempted by them. Idolatry wants to take you out in Exo32:28 it took out 3000 in one day who fell to idolatry
Question: not on your sheet, but what is an idol in your own words?
Anything or anyone that you put before God.
Name a few things that can be an idol today that necessarily may not be evil in the eyes of man or even a Christian?
Don’t commit sexual immorality (v.8)
Don’t do this or commit other immoral behavior, you can read in Num25:1-9, 31:16 about 23,000 who died from that.
Paul said no sexually immoral person will enter the kingdom of heaven 1Cor6:9-10
In the midst of crooked and perverse generation like the church at Philippi and Corinth we can face sexual immorality too, without even leaving our home.
Don’t tempt Christ (v.9); Don’t complain (v.10)
The people could easily try to tempt, test Christ, just as the people complained and tested Moses and this is found in Num21:4-9- not on your outline, first let me give you the verses we have then where it is taken crom
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Now, when the Corinthians heard that, those who were previous Jews would know where it came from, history.
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”
6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
STOP: EXPAND and tie into Jn3:14-15
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
Sorry, could not resist.
Now back to the passage, are there things we can do that we a testing, trying God? They tried, tested God through Moses for God was providing to them and did not like the provision. They thought they were going to die, they complained they thought they were were going to be killed at the hands of the Amorites (Deu1:27) There were many who were taken out by the destroying angel in the OT. when they rebelled, could be Num16, or in Num14 where all the spies complied and died in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb.
These things were for our example (v.11)
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Question: Beside being an example, what more do we learn from (v.11)?
For our instruction.
(Transition) so history given for them, history given for us, for our instruction and it came with a warning, remember Paul is addressing over-confidence as an underlying issue, look now what he has to say in (v.12)
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Be careful how you stand, lest you fall. (v.12)
Paul drives home the point that you need to be vigilant. Many a battles have been lost because man trusted in their resources and not God’s. We need to trust God has his ways and not ours, God and His power and not our own, it is not power that saved us, it is His through the washing and regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Tit3:4-7)
So, lessons learned from history, be watchful, be diligent, temptations will come, including pride and they can take you out. We need to be careful
God is faithful (1Cor10:13; Deu7:9; 1The5:24; Heb10:23)
God will make a way when we are tempted even when the temptation is our own doing, our temptations are not original either, they are common to man.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
God was faithful to Isreal and will be to us today
9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Question: what are the conditions and the promise here in Deu7:9?
(below not on screen, not on handout; use as a discussion point)
Condition is you need knowledge which brings faith
Faith that God is a promise keeper to those who love Him and keep his commands.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
One day judgment is coming, don’t be caught off guard, be sure to be about the Masters business.
One more passage
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
Be about the Masters business is holding to our faith, our hope to our assurance of God’s faithfulness to us when we do!
We can learn from history so it does not repeat it self.
(prayer) (Exit)