1 Corinthians 10:1-14

Well, it's a joy to be with you this morning as we open God's Word together.

Would you open up to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

! We're going to be looking at verses 1 through 14.

I experienced heavy fatigue, a strong fever, a long-lasting running nose.

But the worst of all my symptoms was that I experienced a complete loss of both my taste and my smell.

So eventually, most of my symptoms had subsided after about a week.

But my smell and my taste lagged behind.

So today, if I wake up and I'm having a good day, there may be about 70% of my function of smell and taste working.

And that's a really good day.

But on the bad days, it's only about 20%.

It is a very alarming thing to lose trust in these senses.

Countless decisions that I rarely thought about depend on these abilities.

But the new reality for me is that I can no longer trust my own evaluation of food or smell.

You see, I can't tell if cookies in the oven are burnt.

And I can't tell if a diaper needs to be changed.

Well, thankfully, we have passed that season as parents as of just a little while ago.

But one thing is very important for us to think about.

So in the light of me losing this sense, I've had to retrain my own mind to not trust what I perceive to be natural to me.

So when I wake up in the morning, there's no meter that says,

Ernie, you're going to feel this amount of taste or this amount of smell.

Rather, I am completely unaware until I start tasting food.

So this morning, we are going to be reminded of something that is similar,

but has a greater impact on how we perceive what is natural to us.

See, there's a malfunctioning part of our being according to God's word,

and the consequences are much more significant than what food do I allow myself to digest.

The Bible is clear that what has gone astray is actually that which comes from within.

You see, it's our own hearts that have been impacted by the allure and the embrace of sin.

The Bible is filled with all sorts of warnings about the nature of a drifting heart.

Jesus said what defiles a person is what comes forth from out of the heart.

And this is what our daily experiences teach us as well.

We respond to our circumstances based on the things that we value inside of our hearts.

We plan for the future based on the treasures that we store up in our hearts.

And we even choose our entertainment based on the things that we find beautiful and delightful to our hearts.

And when the heart goes astray from the Lord,

it knows no other direction but to set its course towards the ever-active pursuits and the desires of the flesh.

Listen to a few warnings before we get to our passage.

Jeremiah 17 verse 9 says,

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it's beyond cure.

Who can understand it?

Matthew 15 verse 19,

Matthew 15:19

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander.

And finally, in 1 Peter 2, we read this,

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh,

which wage war against your soul.

So, this morning, as we open God's word,

we are called to sober reflection, brothers and sisters.

We are called to consider our own hearts

and their potential for drifting to the lesser pleasures

rather than the all-satisfying worth of God that we experience through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Okay, let's go ahead and read our passage in 1 Corinthians 10 this morning.

God's word says this,

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,

that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

and all ate the same spiritual food,

and all drank the same spiritual drink.

For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them,

and the rock was Christ.

Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not pleased,

for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now, these things took place as examples for us.

That we might not desire evil as they did.

Do not be idolaters as some of them were.

As it is written,

the people sat down to eat and to drink,

and they rose up to play.

We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did,

and 23,000 fell in a single day.

We must not put Christ to the test,

as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents.

Nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Now, these things happened to them as an example,

but they were written down for our instruction,

on whom the end of the ages has come.

Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands

take heed lest he fall.

No temptation has overtaken you

that is not common to man.

God is faithful.

And he will not allow,

he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability,

but with the temptation,

he will also provide the way of escape

that you may be able to endure it.

Therefore, my beloved,

flee from idolatry.

Let's pray.

Oh, Father, we love you this morning.

We express our dependence by humbly listening to your word.

Lord, we need direction so that you would satisfy our hearts.

Lord, our hearts know no greater treasure

and no greater value than what we see

when we experience the love that you've shown to us in Christ.

And so this morning,

would you bring fresh clarity to our minds?

Would you help us to guard against the deceitful way of the heart?

And we pray that, God,

you would revive our hearts

and give us new courage

for walking in obedience.

In Jesus' name, amen.

So as you may be aware,

Paul, in the book of 1 Corinthians,

is addressing the church from the early 50s,

from the city of Ephesus that he's writing from.

This happened during his third missionary journey,

and for around 18 months,

the gospel was proclaimed to this city by Paul,

along with Aquila and Priscilla

and the good news of Jesus Christ,

crucified, risen, and resurrected,

was received by this New Testament church.

But much like our context in America,

the surrounding culture of Corinth was corrupt

with materialism, positioning for prominence,

and pagan practices of sexuality.

The Corinthians, greatly influenced

by their surrounding culture,

invited significant compromise into the body.

In fact, some of the strongest words of the New Testament

are directed towards these Corinthians,

who were also divided by quests

for worldly prominence and gain,

and compromised by their pursuit of the flesh.

You see, they had lost their ability

for resisting the flesh,

so much that Paul says at the beginning

of chapter 3 of this book.

He says,

But I, brothers, could not address you

as spiritual people,

but as people of the flesh,

as infants in Christ.

Their infancy was defined

by their fleshly association.

And while these types of strong words

are all throughout 1 Corinthians,

we are reminded that even

in the dangerous state of drift,

Paul expresses great confidence

in the grace of God

that served as the anchor of hope

for this church.

See, though they are weak in their practice,

the grace of God is abundantly sufficient

to lead them in paths of righteousness

for His name's sake.

In chapter 1, Paul writes this,

I give thanks to my God always for you

because of the grace of God

that was given you in Christ Jesus.

that in every way you are enriched in Him

in all speech and in all knowledge.

So, we pick up in chapter 10

as Paul provides words of warning then

for this church.

And they follow three basic points

that we will consider this morning

in our gathering.

Here are the three points

if you're taking notes.

Number one,

our shared history

of misdirected hearts.

Number two,

drifting hearts in action.

And number three,

how God's faithfulness

overcomes the tempted heart.

In consideration of our first point,

our shared history

of misguided hearts,

Paul directs us

towards a brief history

of God's people

in the post-Egypt

exilic wandering

in the wilderness.

Why does Paul want the Corinthians

to remember the exile experience?

Well, it's more than just

a historical knowledge

that Paul is after.

He begins to answer this question

in verse 1 of our text.

He says this,

For I do not want you

to be unaware, brothers,

that your fathers

were all under the cloud.

Paul appeals to the Corinthians

by calling them

to a state of alertness.

They have struggled

resisting sinful patterns

because they have been careless,

they have been groggy,

they have been unconcerned

and far from alert.

The phrase which Paul uses

in verse 1,

I do not want you

to be unaware,

is captured in some translations

a little differently.

And he says in these translations,

I want you to be aware.

But I think the former

is actually more helpful

because the same root word

which we derive

the word agnostic from

is the one that Paul uses.

And to be an agnostic,

as we know,

means to be without knowledge.

So Paul does not mean

just an intellectual knowledge,

like I said already.

Rather, the knowledge

that he speaks of

is the type that recognizes

warnings from the past.

See, the danger of the past

is meant to awaken

the Corinthians,

and it's also intended

to waken us up,

and particularly

any of us

who are prone

to slumbering.

We also see that

in order to move

from knowledge

towards application,

the Corinthian church

is called to identify

the fathers

with themselves.

This is really important

for us to recognize

because by way of

our identification

as God's people,

we are called

to do

the same.

These are

our fathers,

and these

are our brothers,

and also

our sisters

who were called

to wander

in the wilderness

because of unbelief.

It's helpful

to remember

that the Corinthian church

was not Jewish

by lineage,

just like we are.

Paul is saying

that there is

a union

that we share

with God's people

which transcends

bloodlines.

So,

their training

is our training,

their failures,

are our failures,

and the same ones

that our hearts

will be inclined

towards.

It's like

when we go

to the doctor

and for your

annual checkup,

the doctor

provides a long

list of questions

about the history

of health

in your family.

So,

if he discovers

that there

is a genetic line

that traces cancer

back a few generations,

then he is going

to provide

some very firm

warning and directions

about how to guard

against that danger.

To do otherwise

would be disastrous.

So,

what Paul is helping us

to see here

is that without knowledge,

either by a lack

of familiarity

with the biblical past,

or

to be those

who have knowledge

but do not apply

the warnings

of that knowledge

to our heart

situation,

well,

that would be

to embrace

biblical foolishness

and infancy.

Let's continue on

in verses 2 and 3.

It says this,

our fathers

were all

under

the cloud

and all

passed

through the sea

and all

were baptized

into Moses

in the cloud

and in the sea

and all

ate the same

spiritual food.

See,

God's people

had experiences

that would have

seemed

to prevent

them

from falling

away

from faith

in the living

God.

They had

a unified

experience,

didn't they?

The young

and the old,

the strong

and the weak,

none of the people

of Israel

escaped

the powerful

demonstration

of God's

mighty deeds

amongst them.

In fact,

during this period,

God's people

still bore

scars

from slavery

that they were

delivered from.

Their own

eyes had

witnessed

the cries

and the

devastation

from Egyptian

parents

who grieved

when their

firstborns

were struck

down.

They knew

what it was

like to feel

dry grains

of sand

upon their

sandals

in the middle

of the Red

Sea

and to see

the cloud

of the Lord

leave day

after day.

And yet,

these people,

these fathers

of ours,

though unified

died in

experiences

and witnessing

the great

acts of the

Lord wrongfully

trusted in

their experiences

while their

hearts were

absent of

faith.

So,

Hebrews 4,

1,

a familiar

passage,

says,

therefore,

while the

promise of

entering

his rest

still stands,

let us

fear,

lest any

of you

should seem

to have

failed to

reach it.

For good

news came

to us

just as

to them,

but the

message that

they heard

did not

benefit them,

because they

were not

united by

faith with

those who

listened.

And furthermore,

lest we

mistakenly assume

that the

Israelites

failed to

walk by

faith because

they didn't

experience the

same hope in

Christ that

we do,

there's some

clarity that

Paul helps

us to

arrive at

in verse

4.

It says

this,

for they

drank from

the spiritual

rock that

followed them,

and the

rock was

Christ.

See, there

are differences

of opinion

regarding what

Paul here

means regarding

the rock of

Christ.

There was a

rabbinic

tradition that

taught there

was at some

point a

literal rock,

maybe that

bookended the

beginning and

the end of

the exile

experience,

that provided

a literal

fountain of

water.

But I tend

to agree

with some

others who

assert that

this is a

reference to

a type of

the Lord's

supper meal

that is

spiritually

symbolized

during their

time in the

wilderness.

See, this

idea fits well

with Paul's

discussion of

the Lord's

supper later

in the

chapter.

And on

either account,

what is being

communicated here

is one

important thing.

A communal

experience,

even of the

ministry of

Christ, does

not prevent

hearts that

can drift

towards

unbelief if

our hearts

are not

engaged with

the Lord.

It was for

this reason

that Paul says

in verse 6,

nevertheless,

with most of

them God was

not pleased,

for they were

overthrown in

the wilderness.

So let's

take a quick

minute here

to reflect

on the

nature of

our own

hearts.

You little

ones who

are listening,

your experience

growing up

with parents

that love

the Lord,

God's word

says that

experience

is not

enough.

Coming to

church and

being surrounded

by other

believing friends

and adults

will not

save your

soul.

There is a

danger to

our souls

to think

otherwise.

And adults

finding a

church that

has expository

reform teaching

that we

enjoy,

that's a

wonderful gift.

But it is a

terrible

parachute to

rely on.

And it

too can have

disastrous

consequences

if it

exists to

serve your

comforts

rather than

to drive

you to

the hope

of your

salvation,

namely

Christ

himself.

See,

we have

all sat

through

great

sermons

and been

led by

great

Christ-exalting

worship

and yet

have had

hearts

that were

hardened

by the

deceitfulness

of sin.

I certainly

have.

this is a

warning,

brothers and

sisters,

and let

this warning

have its

effect by

awakening us

from a

deep

slumbering

fog and

confidence in

our own

circumstances.

Point number

two,

drifting hearts

in action.

Verse seven

says this,

do not be

idolaters as

some of

them were,

as it is

written.

The people

sat down

to eat

and to

drink and

they rose

up to

play.

The

circumstances

that Paul

is describing

here point

us back to

the covenant

relationship

between Yahweh

and Israel

established in

the Old

Testament,

particularly

Exodus 24

through 32.

Now this

is a

sobering

scene which

Paul is

referencing.

The people

of God

have agreed

to keep

the covenant

of the

Lord,

and the

covenant

is confirmed

by the

shedding

of covenant

blood.

Just listen

to chapter

24 in

verse 6.

Moses took

half of the

blood and

he put it

in the

basins,

and half

of the

blood he

threw

against the

altar.

Then he

took the

book of

the covenant

and he

read it

in the

hearing of

the people

and they

said,

all that

the Lord

has said,

all that

the Lord

has spoken

we will

do,

and we

will be

obedient.

You can

almost hear

or imagine

the confidence

by which

the people

of God

spoke these

words.

And Moses

took the

blood and

he threw

it on the

people and

he said,

behold the

blood of

the covenant

of the

Lord that

he has

made with

you in

accordance

with all

these words.

So what

happens next

in this

account is

not a

surprise to

most of

you.

Moses

delayed

from

returning

from Mount

Sinai where

he had

encountered

the glory

of the

Lord.

God

and

as he

does

so,

the people

demand

to

Aaron

that

Aaron

would

fashion

for

themselves

idols

out of

the spoil

that God

had previously

given into

their hands.

So in

doing so,

their hearts

are swept

away towards

the desires

of the

flesh.

See,

they have

abandoned

worship of

the one

true God

and they

have

turned

towards

satisfaction

in

food

and in

playful

entertainment.

Paul

continues on

to elaborate

on some

other examples

of the

misguided

heart

amongst

the people

of Israel.

In

verse 8,

he says,

we must

not indulge

in sexual

immorality

as some

of them

did,

and 23,000

fell

in a

single

day.

Now,

how did

23,000

people

fall

in one

day?

Well,

it was

not because

the people

of Israel

were not

properly

trained

for battle.

It was

not because

they didn't

have enough

evidence

that God

was powerful

enough

to destroy

any enemies

in opposition.

No,

rather,

they saw

the attractive

of the

daughters

of Moab,

and they

measured

on the

scale

of human

desire

whether

God's

glory

among

the

nations

or the

fleeting

pleasures

of a

one-night

encounter

was of

more

worth

and value.

See,

that scale

should not

be a

difficult

one

for us

to balance

and measure.

But how

dark

are the

recesses

of the

wayward

heart.

The

warning

here is

a warning

not because

it is

some

far-off

danger

that

happened

to

them,

but rather

a grave

warning

for us

because our

own hearts

can

and at

times do

drift

towards

the lesser

pleasures

of the

world.

Paul

provides

one

additional

example

in our

text

in verses

9 and

10.

He says,

we must

not put

Christ

to the

test

as

some

of them

did

and were

destroyed

by

serpents

nor

grumble

as some

of them

did

and were

destroyed

by the

destroyer.

So we

can remember

many

different

examples

in this

period

in which

the

people

of

Israel

grumbled

and complained.

At the

waters

of Marah,

the people

of Israel

responded

to thirst

with great

grumbling

and it

was just

three days

after walking

through

the middle

of the

Red Sea.

In Exodus

16,

in the

wilderness

of sin,

only 45

days removed

from the

Red Sea.

the

people

again

expressed

disdain

to

Moses

and to

the

Lord

and

what

they

said

was

they

were

terribly

desiring

the

Egyptian

meat

pots

that

used

to

fill

them

and

their

request

to

Moses

or

their

complaint

to

Moses

was that

they

didn't

even

have

a

chance

to

die

in

the

brutal

land

of

captivity.

So

do we

see the

point

that

Paul

here

is

making?

Our

complaints

and our

groaning

over our

temporary

circumstance

!

imply

that

Christ

is not

enough.

Maybe

he appears

to be

enough

to you

when things

are going

well.

But as

soon as

the hunger

pains

begin

or when

the thirst

of hard

circumstances

arrives at

our door,

then the

worth of

Christ

is placed

back

on the

scale

for

testing.

Which

desire

has

greater

supremacy

in our

hearts?

Our

idols

or the

God

who

called

us

out

of the

great

darkness

and into

his

marvelous

light.

So the

heart is

capable

of this

you might

ask.

Yes,

it is.

The

testing of

the Lord's

worth is

not so

far from

us as

we would

hope.

In

these

examples

we're

reminded

to be

aware

of where

our hearts

can go

in all

types of

circumstances.

In

some

circumstances

our hearts

respond to

trials

by turning

to idols

of comfort.

In

others

we respond

to

abundance

with the

idol

of

self

dependence.

And in

other

circumstances

we respond

to God's

great

demonstration

of his

power

with

self

confidence

and pride.

God's

heart

So the

case has

been made

from God's

word this

morning that

the human

heart is

an unreliable

and unstable

foundation

to depend

on.

And it is.

We must

not move

forward so

quickly that

we do not

give weighty

consideration

to the

condition

of our

own hearts.

verse 12

says

therefore

in other

words here

comes the

response that

Paul provides

in light of

all of these

grave warnings.

He says

let anyone

who thinks

that he

stand

take heed

lest he

fall.

So be

vigilant

brothers and

sisters.

Be not

slumbering

and be

not

overconfident

in your

own heart.

Let me

ask you

this.

Where does

your heart

go when

God has

brought

abundance?

Is it

to self

satisfaction?

Does the

guard on

your heart

drop as

if you

have landed

in the

land of

safety

just after

a week

of good

family

devotions?

Do you

at times

excuse

yourself

from

transparency

with the

brothers and

sisters,

the saints

who are

called to

help you

guard against

the deceitfulness

of sin

according to

Hebrews 3?

Or where

do you go

when the

Lord has

removed his

earthly

comforts?

So

brothers and

sisters,

do we have

anywhere to

go for

hope?

Not from

our own

hearts,

but praise

be to

God in

our third

point,

he has

not left

us without

abundant

hope.

How God's

faithfulness

overcomes

the tempted

heart.

Notice

verse 13,

it says

no temptation,

no temptation

has overtaken

you which

is not

common to

man.

God is

faithful,

and he

will not

allow you

to be

tempted

beyond

your

ability,

but with

the

temptation,

he will

also

provide

the way

of escape

so that

you may

be able

to endure

it.

See,

Paul uses

two negating

words in

verse 13

that

essentially

cancel each

other out.

He could have

said a little

differently,

the temptations

which have

come upon

you are

common to

man.

He knows

how many

times the

evil one

has distracted

your heart

from seeing

God glorified

through obedience.

He knows

that this

week it

may have

felt like

500 times

you were

tempted to

drift towards

this temptation

that you

faced.

And it

is very

clear in

this verse

that he

wants us

to know

that he

knows.

You see,

it is because

he knows

that we

can and

we should

have hope.

His

knowledge of

our sin

has compelled

and has

moved his

heart in

such a way

to show

us

compassionate

and gracious

loving

shepherding

care.

Remember

that as

we failed

over and

over in

our

temptations

so much

so that

the Bible

says we

were dead

in the

trespasses

of our

sin.

It was

at that

time that

God sent

forth his

own son.

We know

from this

text a

couple very

important

things.

So let's

take one

more look

at this

phrase

which says

this,

God is

faithful.

See,

Paul has a

very specific

point in

drawing us

to the

faithfulness

of the

Father.

Faithfulness

is a

mark of

consistency.

That's how

we normally

think of

faithfulness.

but it's

also a

picture of

one who

has a

record of

fulfilling

the promises

that have

been made.

So Paul

is not

saying that

you in

this verse

have great

abilities to

overcome

temptation,

but rather

that the

one who

has always

kept his

promises will

keep them

again and

he has

promised to

bring help

in your

temptation.

as you

fix your

eyes on

the promise

keeper

himself,

the faithful

one,

God will

lead you

towards the

way of

escape.

The way

of escape

is not

some trap

door that

we are

just to

look really

hard for

in temptation.

No,

the way

of escape

is seeing

God as

the greatest

treasure

that he

is.

It comes

by remembering

that God's

faithfulness

is most

clearly seen

in the work

of Jesus

Christ,

his one

and only

son.

Listen to

these words

of Charles

Spurgeon

describing the

faithfulness of

Christ's own

love for

his people.

He says

this,

there are

no ups

and no downs

in the love

of Christ

towards his

people.

On their

highest table

wars,

he loves

them,

but equally

as well

in their

Gethsemanes.

When they

wander like

lost sheep,

his great

love goes

after them,

and when

they come

back with

broken hearts,

his great

love restores

them.

By day

and by night

in sickness

and in sorrow,

in poverty,

in famine,

in prison,

in the hour

of death,

the silver

stream of

love ripples

at their

side,

never stayed

and never

diminished.

Forever is

the sea of

divine grace

as its

flood.

The sun

never sets

and the

fountain

never

pauses.

See,

as we

behold the

glory of

God in

the face

of Christ,

God's

own son,

our hearts

can taste

what the

superior joy

actually is.

Temptation

towards anger,

temptations

towards lust

and of

jealousy

and of

sexual

perversion,

they lose

all their

appeal

before the

one that

our hearts

were fashioned

to enjoy.

Let me

ask you

this,

have you

assumed

defeat

in the

face

of

temptation?

God

is

faithful.

Have you

neglected

the power

of the

gospel

to lead

you

towards

victory?

God

is

faithful.

Or is

God

calling you

again

to renew

your fight

against

temptation,

remembering

that his

faithfulness

is

enough?

if you

have not

put your

trust in

Jesus,

this hope

may sound

like an

amazing

reality

to be

able to

overcome

the wayward

heart.

See,

the God

of the

universe

understands

the heart

of his

children

and their

inclinations

towards sin,

and yet

he has

not

abandoned

us.

Well,

let me

lovingly

remind you,

if you

have not

put your

faith in

this God

that we

are describing,

then there

is another

picture of

God that

you must

come to

realize.

God is

amazingly

abounding

in loving

care for

his children,

but he is

also just

and he

hates

sin.

See,

he hates

sin so

much that

God has

decreed it

must be

punished.

And the

Bible says

that you

are called

to turn to

your sin

this morning,

acknowledging

your own

guilt before

God,

and to

place all

of your

trust in

the life,

the death,

and the

resurrection

of Christ

to be

able to

be his

son or

his daughter.

This hope

can be

yours this

morning.

But for

the rest

of us,

God is

calling us

to once

again consider

the nature

of our

own hearts.

We can

drift into

slumbering

quite easily,

but we

are to not

forget that

there have

been many

greater

people than

us that

have drifted

away

from the

Lord by

confidence

in their

own hearts.

A closing

word from

Psalm 40

as we

give one

more thought

to this

God that

we can

rejoice in

who helps

us in

our time

of need.

Psalm 40

says this,

verse 1.

I waited

patiently for

the Lord.

He inclined

to me and

he heard

my cry.

He drew

me up from

the pit of

destruction,

out of the

miry bog,

and he set

my feet

upon a

rock,

making my

steps secure.

prayer.

He put a

new song

in my

mouth,

a song

of praise

to our

God.

Many

will see

and fear,

and they

will put

their trust

in the

Lord.

Blessed is

the man

who makes

the Lord

his trust,

and who

does not

turn to

the proud.

Skipping

down to

verse 16.

But may

all who

seek you

rejoice,

and be

glad in

you.

May those

who love

your salvation

continually

say,

great is

the Lord.

As for

me,

I am

poor and

needy,

but the

Lord takes

thought for

me.

You are

my help

and my

deliverer.

Do not

delay my

God.

Let's

pray.