Sermon Notes-"Remember..." based on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Introduction: When you gather with friends and family that you don’t see very often, the conversation can include: Remember when….great victories (we won this game, performance in music, drama) or great losses (difficult seasons because of sickness, trauma, etc., funerals, COVID-19). In our passage today, Paul is remembering when the presence of God was evident through provision and purity.
Review: Last week, Brad’s Message “Back to 1st
Corinthians” had three points: A Measuring of the Church, My Rock (which will
tie into our passage today as well), and the how/who specifically Who is the
Holy Spirit? And Who is the Holy Spirit in you?
(Notice
ALL in first paragraph and SOME is second paragraph)
Provision
(vs. 1-5)
·
Vs. 1-Brothers
and Sisters, I do not want you to be unaware…
o Our God wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants us to know what He is doing.
o The Holy Spirit through Paul is writing down what we
need to remember
·
Vs. 2-The Cloud
o Exodus 13:21-22-“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. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did
not depart from before the people.” -A provision of His leading and a reminder
of His presence with them.
o Another provision connected to God’s glory is found
in:
§ Exodus 40:34-35-“Then the cloud covered the
tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the
cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
§ 1 Kings 8:10-11-Ark of Covenant entered the temple-“And
when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of
the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to
minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the
house of the Lord.”
o Also a provision of His power for protection which
leads us the Red Sea-Exodus 14:19-20-“Then the angel of God who was going
before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud
moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of
Egypt and the host of Israel.”
·
Vs. 2-The Sea
o Exodus 14:21-22-“Then Moses stretched out his
hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong
east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters
were divided. 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.”
·
Vs. 2- Baptized
into Moses (connection to the old covenant)
·
Vs. 3-4-Spiritual
food and Spiritual drink-provision through daily needs through miraculous means
o Bread from heaven-manna & quail-Exodus 16:9-13- “Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole
congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for
he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole
congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and
behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And
the Lord said to Moses, “I have
heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you
shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then
you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”In the
evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew
lay around the camp.”
o Water from Rock-Exodus 17:1-2,5-6- “but there was no water for the people to
drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water
to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do
you test the Lord? And the Lord said to
Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of
Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile,
and go. 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.”
o Communion-Body and Blood-eat my flesh and drink my
blood
§ Paul understands the water and manna to have been
provided by the Spirit, and he also understands the elements of the Lord’s
Supper to be food and drink of the Spirit, who communicates the presence of
Christ to his community.[1]
o Rock who is Christ-tie into Brad’s message last week
about building upon the rock
Purity
(vs. 6-13)
o Vs. 6-What I am about to write is to serve as
“examples for us that we might not desire evil as they did.”
o Vs. 7-Idolatry-Exodus 32:6-Golden Calf
o Exodus 32:1-when the people saw that Moses
delayed…went to Aaron…make us gods to go before us-took their gold and made a
golden calf. Then they said these are your gods who brought you out of Egypt,
Aaron built an altar and made proclamation and declared a feast, offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings. “And the people sat down to eat and drink and
rose up to play.”
o Martin Luther on idolatry- “whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that
is your God[2]
o Vs. 8-Sexual Immorality-23,000 died in one day-Numbers
25:1-9 (involved Baal worship)
o Vs. 9-put Christ (Lord) to the test-destroyed by
serpents-Numbers 21:4-9-“ 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.”
o Vs. 10-Grumble and destroyed by Destroyer-Numbers
16:41-50-“Korah’s rebellion-“Why then do you exalt yourselves above the
assembly of the Lord?” Ground opened up and swallowed them. Those who were left grumbled against Aaron
and Moses-“You have killed the people of the Lord.”
o Vs. 11-An example but written down for “our
instruction”
o What is the purpose of God purifying in the ways
listed in the previous verses?
§ To eliminate areas/things in their lives that were
not for their good and so those things would not fill the places that God wants
to dwell.
o Vs. 12-Let anyone “who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall.”
o Vs. 13-No temptation has overtaken you that is not
common to man.
§ As humans, your temptations are not unusual. You are not the only one dealing with it.
o Vs. 13-God is faithful and won’t let you be tempted
beyond your ability
o I posted a question about this on Facebook this
week. It seems to me that this phrase
“God won’t give you more than you can handle” has been shared with people who
are going through a trial/temptation.
However, if we don’t share the whole verse, we end up creating a
discouraging situation for people. They
believe they are not able to handle what they are going through. But we must keep reading…
o Vs. 13-with the temptation, HE WILL PROVIDE the way
of escape that you may be able to endure
o The goal when facing trials/temptation is not to work
really hard or strive to get through it on our own, but instead to look to our
Rock who will provide a way so that we can endure.
o In some cases God may remove us from the situation
of seemingly unbearable temptation, while in other cases he may provide
strength or other resources within the situation to strengthen his people so
that they may endure the temptation and remain faithful to him.[3]
Response:
I would encourage you to ask God the following
question: Which of these stories from
the life of Israel about provision and purity do you want me to remember this
morning for my own situation?
[1] Ciampa, R. E., & Rosner, B. S.
(2010). The First Letter to
the Corinthians (p. 449). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
[2] Ciampa, R. E., & Rosner, B. S.
(2010). The First Letter to
the Corinthians (p. 459). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
[3] Ciampa, R. E., & Rosner, B. S.
(2010). The First Letter to
the Corinthians (p. 468). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
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