Learning from Israel's Mistakes
The Essential Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 10 viewsTo begin this journey to being the essential church that is laid out in Scripture — it begins by looking at past mistakes — and not making the same ones
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The healthy church is one — that learns from the mistakes and examples of the past and is intentional not to make the same ones over again
What makes a healthy church?
A healthy church is made when the members — love, encourage, and are accountable to one another
A healthy church is made when we have relationships that are committed
A healthy church is made when we have relationships with people that we don’t necessarily mesh w/ immediately because they aren’t like us
A healthy church is made when we have relationships that are given permission to speak hard words of encouragement or conviction into your life
The question is — do you want to be a healthy church?
If the answer is yes — then there is going to be reform that needs to occur in this specific church
Just because things were done that way — doesn’t mean that was the right way
If the answer is yes — then there is going to be a breadth and depth in our commitment to God and one another
We are going to be meaningful in our relationships — we are going to love those who are different from us
To begin this journey to being the essential church that is laid out in Scripture — it begins by looking at past mistakes — and not making the same ones
READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 and all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
11 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.
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and 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.
Israel provides us many example to learn from — specifically their bad examples
History
History
The apostle Paul planted the Corinthian church during his 2nd missionary journey
As was Paul’s custom — he would begin preaching in the synagogue in whatever city he went into — there was nothing different about Corinth
Paul was assisted by 2 Jewish believers — Aquila and Priscilla — then Silas & Timothy showed — which gave Paul more boldness to proclaim Christ
Many other events unfolded there — you can read those in Acts 18 — however the reason for this letter in the first place was for the all to common act of not being able to break from the culture that the Corinthians were apart of
The church was quite carnal and immature — the church began to favor certain preachers over others — even though we are only to look at a preacher’s faithfulness to God’s Word — the Corinthian church in many ways is the church in the modern era
The Corinthian church was full of worldliness — they had an unwillingness to cut ties w/ the culture — so Paul had to write this letter of correction out of love
This correction resulted in many being disciplined w/in the church — and cast out for their unrepentant attitudes
This letter of correction was sent to blessed people — a blessed church — yet out their blessings — they began to take for granted these privileges — which is where any church would go wrong
Not only should we aspire to be a healthy church — but we should aspire to be obedient to the Lord so that He does not remove His hand of blessing from us
What we examine today should be of great benefit to us — as we are given a fair warning about the possibility of falling from God’s hand of blessing
We start by seeing the…
I. The Explanation of Privileges in Christ (v. 1-5)
I. The Explanation of Privileges in Christ (v. 1-5)
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 and all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Paul just finished exhorting the Corinthians to forego certain personal rights if they would in turn be able to promote the gospel of Christ in chapters 8-9
So he continues in chapter 10 by including examples from Israel’s history — this history that begins in v. 1 — begins the downward spiral of falling from the Lord’s hand of blessing
The believers in Israel — failed to exercise self-control — this immediately exposed them to danger
These privileges are laid out by Paul — these privileges were for all the Israelites
5x Paul says “All” —
All is the key for these privileges
The hand of blessing that came from the Lord — was for all of the nation of Israel
They “all” were under the cloud — “all” passed through the sea — “all” were baptized or immersed into Moses — “all” at the same spiritual food — “all” drank the same spiritual drink
V. 1 = the Israelites were gifted this privilege of being led out of the land of Egypt by supernatural ways — a cloud by day — and a pillar of fire by night
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
"passed through the sea” was the experience of crossing the Red Sea
22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
V. 2 = the Israelites were privileged to be “baptized into Moses” — the word “baptism” means to be immersed
So by being immersed into Moses was the Israelites being immersed in Moses’ leadership — Moses was their leader
Under Moses — they were blessed with having unity w/ the man of God Moses was
V. 3 and 4 = God provide the physical blessing of nourishment — food and water
The Lord gave manna for food
14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.
15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
The Lord also provided water to drink
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Was this Rock a physical rock that moved when Israel moved? — No — Paul is not insinuating that
Paul’s emphasis — this was spiritual — this nourishment was Christ — just Christ is our nourishment to day
The application of these verses comes to us in our salvation transformation and that of the Corinthians
We have all been delivered — entered into guidance under the direction of our Lord — united with Him as one — and our souls are constantly fed
These are all similarities of the transformation that salvation brings
We have all been delivered from the domain of darkness, which is like our Egypt
We have all been led through the waters of escape
We have all been brought to a place where we’re under the direction of God
We have all been baptized into identification with our great leader — the Lord Jesus Christ
That’s the imagery here; that’s the picture here.
We are all together as one people in Christ.
However — this passage takes a turn in v. 5…
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
With most of them God was not pleased — really it was all but 2 that God was not pleased with
Caleb and Joshua — these two men were the only ones who did not die in the wilderness during the 40 yrs of wandering
Dying is given as the word “overthrown” — they were spread out — laid down dead — they killed over — they died and their bodies were strewn throughout the desert
16 ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’
The many blessings — the many privileges that come with being apart of the Family of God — should always drive us closer to the Lord
Yet — in the desert — even after the rescue — the people of God (Israel) began to take advantages of these privileges
By taking advantages of these privileges — it lead them to make choices that benifted them instead of obeying the Lord
What about us? — What about you?
Think of all the privileges and blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us and how we have squandered them
Let’s think corporately — the essential church should see the result of the mistakes Israel made — and not make the same ones
However — time and time again — we see the mistakes of those who came before us and we think nothing of them
I am positive — there are those w/in our church that make choices that are not pleasing to the Lord
I am certain that there are those who break the heart of God
The reality is — we can be on thin ice from losing the privileges of the Lord and He could call us home — so His church can remain pure
This purging of the Israelites was warranted due to their exploitation of the privileges that Christ had given over to them...
II. The Exploitation of Christ’s Privileges (v. 6-10)
II. The Exploitation of Christ’s Privileges (v. 6-10)
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
The main point of Paul’s — to the Corinthians — and to us today — is found in the v. 6
We are to learn from Israel’s mistakes so we do not desire the evil they desired!
This desire of evil — was a longing — a craving of worldliness — things that are contrary to God’s Word
We read very clearly in 1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Even after the deliverance from the slave masters that Egypt was — Israel was not content — and wanted to fall back into slavery of sin
They wanted to seek and desire the evils things of this world — regardless of the privileges that were provided for them by God
They fell into idolatry (v. 7)
In fact — later in this chapter Paul speaks very clearly about what idolatry is…
18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
This is where people are teaming up — w/ the Devil and his demons to oppose God and His Word
They had been rescued from evil — rescued from the life of being a slave of sin — and now were eager to return to such a life
1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
The Israelites began to bow down and worship this idol — this golden calf
Their idolatry led them to even more horrendous acts of sin
8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
What a terrible portrait that has been contrived of Israel — the sexual immorality in which Israel engaged in was that of an orgy — which immediately caused the Lord to kill 3,000 of them in that moment — in all 23,000 died because of this idol worship
Sin upon sin — creates terrible experiences — terrible endings — such ugliness results from sin — especially sin when the one sinning has been rescued from sin’s slavery
The Israelites also tested Christ — Paul says not to do so
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
Not only does Paul say so — Christ commands this of Satan…
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
The Israelites — were practically asking “How much can we get away with?”
Many Christians have this attitude — If I can’t do this or that — then what can I do
These are the wrong questions to be asking as a Christian
The right ones are:
How can I be more like Christ? — How can I pursue a holy lifestyle? — How can I live a life dedicated to the Lord and not myself?
When we begin to crave the things that are evil — or even the things that WE want over the things that God has laid out in His word — we are placing the Lord to the test
Many of the Israelites were brought to their death by serpents — as a consequence of this testing
I do not want to pass over this quickly — let’s refresh our memory or let’s look for the first for some at this testing
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.
5 And the people spoke against God and against 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 worthless food.”
6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
The amount of grace that is saturated in this account is truly unreal
Even in the midst of sin — the testing of the Lord — questioning His provision (yes the Lord indeed brought destruction among some)
Yet — Yahweh provided a way of escape — a way of healing
This God that we serve is unlike any! — So for those w/in the church — remember the God of grace that we serve — do not go on testing the Lord because of your immaturity — seek Him — for He saves to the uttermost
The sins do not stop at testing for Israel — they continue — just like us — our sins continue to grow worse and worse
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
The other sins that have been mentioned such as — committing idolatry — sexual immorality — testing — they seem to severe — then Paul says “grumbling”
What’s the big deal w/ grumbling?
This is complaining — this the Israelites being discontent w/ what the Lord has done for them — they were quite expressive in their complaints
There was unwarranted dissatisfaction being exhibited from the Israelites
2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,
We read in Numbers 16 there was 15,000 that died for complaining
The “Destroyer” mentioned in v. 10 — is the angel of judgment/death — the same one who came through and killed the first born during the 10th plague
The death angel comes and kills the complainers — the grumblers — the murmurers who complained against God
Transition
Transition
In the 21st century — we are so blessed in America to have the freedom of Worship to God — even if it was removed from us — we still have the obligation to worship God regardless of what the government states
Yet — even in the midst of such precious and beautiful blessings — we exploit them just like the Israelites
We whore around with the world — we make idols out of everything we seem to put our hands on — and we are so quick to see how far we can go “without sinning”
We must not forget yes these seem quite severe — but we are a people of complaints
So what about the healthy church?
Simply put — the healthy church is going to be one that doesn’t commit sexual sin outside of the marriage bed — it isn’t going to make gods — it isn’t going to test Yahweh — it isn’t going to complain
You may say “That’s quite difficult” — I say — “NO” for the saved individual seeks to be healthy — they will seek to put to death these sins — these exploitations of the privileges of God
III. The Explicit Warning (v. 11-12)
III. The Explicit Warning (v. 11-12)
11 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.
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
V 11 begins as a repetition from v. 6 — the consequences that happened to the Israelites are for our example — yet the Apostle Paul goes a step further and says …
“they were written down for our instruction”
Our instructions comes from the teachings of this passage — we are shown what kind of judgment is waiting for those who are idolators
We are shown what kind of judgment is shown for those who are sexually impure — we are shown the judgment of others who treat God w/ contempt
The “our” in “our instruction” is a direct comment to the church in Corinth
It is in direct correlation w/ every local church — why?
Israel was not just a figure of the Christian church — but it was the true church — Israel’s behavior w/in the church was not healthy
The same can be said about the majority of churches today — they are unhealthy because they have not heeded the examples laid out for them
These events were not laid out for the benefit of Israel — but for us
They example of Israel is for the church today — to see warnings of such behavior w/in the church and to recognize the consequence for such atrocious behavior
When Paul states “on whom the end of the ages has come” — He is referencing the last days — the last days before the Lord comes again
There are an array of theories as to when the last days will be — however, in God’s Word we find we are already in the last days
So these examples are for those in the last days — which was for the Corinthians and now us.. again why do we need such examples?
We such examples that bring such an explicit warning to us — because we are prone to view our privileges in Christ in such a way that we take for granted what He has done for us
When we take for granted God’s privileges to us in Christ — we haven’t guarded ourselves against the spiritual warfare that we are in every day
We have been blessed — we have been great privileges — so we feel we are invulnerable — yet we are explicitly warned
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Pride is what stems from one who thinks he or she stands —
All Christians — especially those who believe they are strong — ought not to rely on self — this is something we know — arrogance and pride are wrong
Self-reliance and self-confidence end w/ a great fall every time
Paul was not writing to people who were depending on God with an unshakable faith — but to people who were trapped in a false security
They thought that it was impossible for them to fall — even when they were tolerating things that could very easily have led them away from the securities of faith
When our dependence is on us — individually focused — we will fall
If you haven’t fallen yet — be warned — you will if you do not remove the attention to yourself
Transition
Transition
Even in the midst of straightforward language from Paul — we are given a great encouragement…
IV. The Encouragement in God (v. 13)
IV. The Encouragement in God (v. 13)
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and 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.
We all have temptations that in and of ourselves we are unable to bear — Yet — Paul shares w/ us — we are able to bear them only from God’s grace
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
The point James brings and also Paul — is that in difficult circumstances and temptations of sin — that enter the believer’s life — will either strengthen the Christian as he obeys God — or it will become an invitation to do evil — to sin
Sin is not merely a spontaneous act — sin is the result of a process
In the original language in which the NT was written in — just as child isn’t just born — there is a process — so it is w/ sin
Temptation to sin follows a sequence that when given into — it produces deadly results
While sin does not result in spiritual death for the believer — it can result in physical death
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
I believe I can speak for us all and say — we do not want to be the cause of God’s disfavor on this church
We don’t want to be the reason that God turns away from this church
Do you want to be the reason that God fights against this church?
Yet — the temptations of sin — seem to be so overwhelming — so hard to overcome — hard to survive
But we do not need to live in fear — we do not need to live a life of panic
We can live lives that have been warned from Scripture — and live thoughtfully knowing God is faithful to provide — for no temptation of sin is unbearable
For Christians — sin is not supernatural — or unbearable — simply because Christ has overcome sin and Satan
Individually — the Lord what you are unable to tolerate — so the temptations of sin that come your way are bearable
He wants you to be able to endure the temptation and overcome it through His Son, Christ
For instance…
This is the reason we don’t have more money than we do — or more fame than we do — or more of whatever we don’t have
The Lord knows nothing is superhuman — Everything is resistible
And furthermore — God knows us as individuals, and He knows what we fall easily prey to and He will not allow such things to happen
As a Christian — we will not be tempted beyond our ability — because of the God of grace we serve
What a great encouragement to receive from God!
Conclusion
Conclusion
So what do these examples of Israel have to do with our 21st century church?
The reality as has already been mentioned early — is that we fall in the same boat as Israel
We have been unfaithful to the Lord despite the number of blessings and privileges we have been showered w/
To become the healthy church that God wants for FBO — comes straight from Scripture — we are to be loving, encouraging, and acountable to one another
It is impossible to be that to our fellow brother and sister when we are not faithful tot he Lord
Church is not about YOU — church is the people who have gathered for a specific reason — to worship God
All that goes on at FBO is to seek to glorify God — and so we will not become bent out of shape because so and so did something or such and such isn’t what we think it needs to be
We share in love and encouragement w/ one another — which allows us to provide accountability
You either will live like Israel — or like Christ — you will either be faithful or unfaithful — you will either be God-honoring or self-glorifying
What a tremendous privilege we have to gather together — may we join each week to build health in this church
We aren’t healthy yet — but I know — when we submit to the Lord’s Will — this church will become faithful and healthy because we serve a God Who performs miracles
He makes the dead come alive — and the dark become light!