Sermon Tone Analysis

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve really been flying through the book of 1 Corinthians.

Two weeks ago we looked at chapters 5 through 7.

Last week we looked at chapters 8 through 10.

And this morning I was all set to pick up in chapter 11, but something in chapter 10 caught my attention.

Something I thought was worth hitting the pause button on and looking into more deeply before we move on to the next chapter.

So having looked at 3 chapters at once the past two weeks, today we’re going to zoom in and take a look…at just 3 verses.

The reason I thought this was worth focusing on more in-depth is that these three verses have actually had a pretty profound effect on the Christian church in the modern age in ways that I don’t think are fully appreciated.

In fact, these three verses have created a whole new theology in the church, a common way of looking at life and faith that dramatically impacts our understanding of God and our relationship with him.

So that said…let’s dive in.

Let’s listen again to our New Testament reading from 1 Corinthians 10, using a different translation called the New International Reader’s Version.

Paul has just finished talking about the Israelites from the Old Testament who died in the desert during the Exodus without ever having reached the Promised Land.

He’s using them as an example of how God’s people don’t always stay “on course” in their walk with God.

Let’s hear what Paul has to say:

Those things happened to them as examples for us.

They were written down to warn us.

That’s because we are living at the time when God’s work is being completed.

So be careful.

When you think you are standing firm, you might fall.

You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are.

God is faithful.

He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take.

But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out.

Then you will be able to deal with it.

As I’ve shared a number of times in the recent weeks, being a Christian in the city of Corinth was hard.

It was hard because Corinth was a port city with all sorts of pagan temples and cults devoted to false gods, and that created some theological confusion for the Christians of Corinth.

It was also tough because Corinth was a city filled with temptations.

In fact, back in that time the city’s name actually became synonymous with a lewd and licentious lifestyle.

If you were prone to all sorts of hedonistic tendencies, you were said to be “Corinthianising.”

How would you like that?

How would you like your city’s name to be synonymous with sin?

In the States we have a city like that.

In fact, it’s nickname is “Sin City.”

Does anyone know what city that is? (Vegas)

And the city of Las Vegas capitalizes on its reputation.

Their entire marketing campaign for the city is built on the assumption that you’re going to do all kinds of shameful things while you’re there, and the motto let’s you know it’s okay because “What happens in Vegas…stays in Vegas.”

Corinth was that bad and actually worse.

And Paul writes these words to both warn them and encourage them.

He warns them not to give into temptation, and then he encourages them by reminding them that God will not allow them to be tempted “beyond what they can bear.”

He’s shooting down the argument of those who say, “I couldn’t help myself.

The temptation was just too strong.”

Paul’s saying, “No temptation is going to come your way that you aren’t able to say ‘no’ to.

When temptation appears God will always give you a way out of it.”

You’ll never be tempted beyond what you can bear.

Now earlier I said that these verses have had a profound effect on the Christian church in the modern age.

But not in the way Paul intended.

Paul is teaching on a very specific subject here: temptation.

But what’s happened is that the modern church often takes the principle of Paul’s teaching and then applies it to all of life, especially in times of suffering and frustration and disappointment.

And what we end up saying goes beyond temptation to more of a general, “God will never give us more than we can handle.”

Which…let me say right from the start…is ultimately true, in a sense.

There is no situation we encounter in life that God isn’t able to see us through.

But there’s a very real danger here.

And it has to do with our perspective.

It has to do with our understanding of God…who he is, and how he works.

And perhaps…most importantly…how he desires us to grow in faith and trust and dependence on him.

So what I’d like to do this morning is unpack a little bit this idea that “God never gives us more than we can handle” and see how our understanding of it can be sharpened and clarified in a way that avoids the danger.

Because the danger is this: you and I are going to encounter situations in life where it definitely feels like more than we can handle.

It’s inevitable.

It’s part of being human.

And when that happens…when those situations feel overwhelming and we feel like we’re being crushed under their weight…we can start to wonder if something is wrong with us.

And we find ourselves in a place where we want to say to God, “Lord…you promised you wouldn’t give me more than I can handle…but I can’t handle this.”

What do we do in those times?

How do we respond?

There’s a perfect example for us to think about in our Old Testament story of King Jehoshaphat.

It’s a story that comes from a time when it seems the people of God were constantly at war with their enemies.

And one day the situation gets worse than ever before…because now their enemies are forming a coalition.

Three different tribes of Judah’s enemies band together to attack the city of Jerusalem.

And the size of the army is overwhelming.

And in verse 3 we see the King’s reaction.

I don’t think the New International Version captures it all that well.

It says, “Alarmed…Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD.”

“Alarmed” doesn’t do the Hebrew word justice.

What it says is simple: “Jehoshaphat…feared.”

He was afraid.

And with good reason.

This is the scariest, most overwhelming situation he’s faced as Judah’s king.

And he’s scared.

So what does frightened King Jehoshaphat do?

I think what happens next is one of the most amazing stories in the whole Old Testament.

With a terrifyingly huge army bearing down on his people…the King…holds a prayer meeting.

For all the Hebrew people.

Verse 4 tells us: “The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”

Later on, in verse 13, we get an interesting detail that even wives and children were present…which is a pretty remarkable thing for those days.

So the King leads this enormous crowd in prayer, and it’s the content of his prayer which is so helpful for us when we face our own situations that seem overwhelming and too much to bear.

Let’s hear some of that prayer again, also from the New International Reader’s Version of the Bible:

“Lord, you are the God of our people who lived long ago.

You are the God who is in heaven.

You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.

You are strong and powerful.

No one can fight against you and win…You gave this land forever to those who belong to the family line of your friend Abraham.

They have lived in this land.

They’ve built a temple here for your Name.

They have said, ‘Suppose trouble comes on us.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a punishing sword, or plague or hunger.

We’ll serve you.

We’ll stand in front of this temple where your Name is.

We’ll cry out to you when we’re in trouble.

Then you will hear us.

You will save us.’

“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir…They are coming to drive us out.

They want to take over the land you gave us as our share.