take heed lest you fall
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1 Corinthians 10:6–12 (NKJV)
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.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
We are to takeheed of our ways, let we stumble and fall.
The people of Israel fell in the wilderness because they were not taking heed to their ways, they stumble and fell over all kinds of things.
They fell, because of sexual immorality, some fell because they tempted God, some fell because they complained, some fell because of idolatry.
We have to take heed to our ways,
Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
This way that we walk in, we must walk with vigilance and alertness less somehow we find ourselves stumbling and falling out of the way.
we must not be cavalier about our walk with God, we can’t be careless.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.
We must not be careless in our walk with God,
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Besides being alert and vigilant, there are things we can do and should do to keep ourselves from stumbling, from falling.
Jeremiah 18:15 (NKJV)
15 “Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and not on a highway,
We can cause ourselves to stumble in our way, by placing things in our lives, or allowing things in our lives that causes us to fall.
Removing from our lives things that causes us to fall
Removing from our lives things that causes us to fall
Ezekiel 14:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
These people have set before them things that will cause them to stumble into iniquity.
There mighty be things that we may deem harmless, that we allowin our lives but are th things that trigger certain evil desires within our lives, certain evil thoughts within us.
We can sometimes surround ourselves with things that can cause us to sin.
Having this things in our lives, we still come to God to enquire of him.
1 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”
4 So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
The people of Israel were o completely destroy the cannanites from the promise land.
God would also help them to drive them out.
However, when the Poeple of Israel began to make covenant with the people of the land, they did not utterly remove them. By doing so, God was no longer going to drive them out, but became a snare and a stone of stumbling to the people of Israel.
Ultimately, the people of israel were removed the this land because of this people which they taught were harmless.
There are things in lur lives that we think are harmless but are actually things that will slowly turn us away from the way of God.
what are we putting before our eyes
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.
8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
God eventually cut off his people from his midst.
there are things that might make us laugh but cause us to sin in the process.
Remove the stumbling stone that is causing you to fall.
2 Let the truth take deep roots within you.
2 Let the truth take deep roots within you.
The parable
Matthew 13:3–6 (NKJV)
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
The interpretation
Matthew 13:20–21 (NKJV)
20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
The stoney ground is the person who stumbles in times of persecution and trials.
Why? because the word preached, The truth of the Gospel has not taken deep roots within him.
If we are not totally convinced of the truth of this doctrine, we will stumble in times of trial and persecution.
We will only endure for a while, and then will come a trial or temptation which will take us out of the way because we had not allowed this truth to take deep roots within us.
There are those who came to faith and believed this Gospel, baptised in Jesus name. They had succesfull ministries but nontheless somehow they fell and left the church and began to embrace false doctrine. Why? because the truth had not taken deep roots within them.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
There is a reason why i preached and repeatedly focus on the preaching of the apostolic doctrine.
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
Do not be envious of the prosperity of sinners
Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;
Concluding prayer
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
One way God keeps us from stumbling is by teaching us,
Today God has taught us, so let us pray that God will help us to remove the stumbling blocks from our lives that is causing us to sin.
Pray that the truth may be deeply rooted within your soul