Flee Idolotry in all its Froms.
Disciples Making Disciples: Inner and Outer Lives • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Intro
Well, I want to start by saying its good to be back. It feels like forever since I’ve been with everyone. Last time I was here we were in Nazareth. I came down with a severe headache and fever, went to the Dr. on Saturday morning to get some meds so that I could preach on Sunday and he said there is no way he’d allow me around people even though, he said, it was probably just a sinus infection. I called up Mike and asked him to preach and he did a phenomenal job and I wanted to say that in front of everyone because he did a weeks worth of study inside of less than 24 hours. I can tell you that’s not easy. The shortest notice I had was a call on Sunday morning from my pastor at 6 a.m. to tell me I was up for the 8 o’clock service. Its not a fun one. Then Amanda came down, went to the Dr. and guess what, Covid. Hooray. So it tricked its way through our house. Thankfully we are all on the mend and grateful to be with you today. Thank you so much to our church family for all the prayers, sweet corn, phone calls and well wishes.
As Mike discussed last week the great hall of faith in Hebrews 11 and the charge to us that we run this race with endurance, knowing that the one who set our race in motion is God almighty himself. He is the one who sets the race that I run versus the one Mike does, or you do. Your race is yours, mine is mine, even though for this season we get to run together, our races don’t look the same. Some people’s races will encounter great material blessings, others will deal with great strife. Some people’s race will lead them into arenas of great influence and fame, while many will not. But Moses ministry didn’t look like Abrahams, or Paul’s, or Cephas, or Mike, or Juston. We all have our race to run and we have to be the one who runs it. Paul encouraged the church and us to remember that our race has been hand picked and given to us by God to run and we must run it as if we intend to with the prize. To win. As Mike said in Hebrews “run it with endurance”.
Tension
This week we will continue into chapter 10 with Paul as he seeks to open their eyes to the sin that seems to easily entangle them. Some sin is easy to see but others we seem to go nose blind too.
Have you ever heard that term, “nose blind”? It comes from the phenomenon that happens apparently over time that you can be around things that are truly terrible smelling and over time you nose will stop being alarmed by it. That you can eventually, like ever pig farmer I’ve ever met, turn and look at your grandson and say, “that's the smell of money.” Some sin is obvious to us and we smell it a long ways off, while others we have become nose blind too because we are around it all the time or, if we are honest, its an old friend that we see nothing wrong with. Let’s join Paul as we talk about Idolatry today. But before we do, let’s pray for insight and guidance this morning.
Prayer
Exposition
1 Corinthians 10:1–22 (ESV)
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.
Verses 1-4 Paul gives a brief history lesson that he will use to discuss his main concern. In verse one he brings up the Jewish history of ancestors who were there and saw the pillar of cloud and crossed through the red sea. Both of these miracles were done for the Hebrews as they were freed from their imprisonment under the Egyptians. It would be seen as a spiritual pedigree for some Jews to be able to draw back their physical linage to a family member who was there but even so, they all know have spiritual linage with those that were once rescued from captivity.
In verse 2 he talks about them being “baptized into Moses” and into the cloud and in the sea as a symbolic gesture. In the same way baptism symbolically ties us in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, these men were “baptized” into the Moses and his salvation from the Egyptians.
verses 3 and 4 talk of spiritual nourishment in the metaphors of food and drink. All of them ate this same spiritual food, they drank the same spiritual drink. Paul ties the provision of this food, these teachings, these truths to the Rock that followed them, that is Christ. Mike’s use of chapter 11 in Hebrews seems to have helped us bring this full circle. Just as Paul uses Moses as an example here, the author of Hebrews does the same thing, using the heroes of the faith to make his point: they were all justified by faith in God not by their works. In chapter 12 of Hebrews the work is done to attach that faith to the person and work of Christ. Paul does the same thing here. For those who would like to go back to their old Jewish pedigrees and feelings of spiritual significance, they must realize that all roads lead back to Christ. He is the rock from which all this spiritual nourishment flows.
Paul uses the picture of the Hebrew people to set up, as David Lowrey explains, 5 blessings that they share with the Corinthians.
1. All the liberated Israelites enjoyed supernatural guidance and protection
1. All the liberated Israelites enjoyed supernatural guidance and protection
(insinuated by the pillar of cloud. Similarly, the Corinthians had experienced God’s guidance and protection. Luke 1:79 “79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”” 1 Peter 1:5 “5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
2. All Israelite passed through the sea and experienced a miraculous deliverance from those who sought to take their lives.
2. All Israelite passed through the sea and experienced a miraculous deliverance from those who sought to take their lives.
The Corinthians too has seen this deliverance Galatians 1:4 “4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”
3. Israelites were baptized into Moses, their spiritual head and the Corinthians had been baptized into their spiritual head Christ.
3. Israelites were baptized into Moses, their spiritual head and the Corinthians had been baptized into their spiritual head Christ.
4. Isrealites enjoyed spiritual food, bread from heaven in the form of manna and the Corinthians had their own too.
4. Isrealites enjoyed spiritual food, bread from heaven in the form of manna and the Corinthians had their own too.
John 6:31–34 “31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.””
5. The spiritual drink
5. The spiritual drink
enjoyed by the Isrealites in the wilderness Exodus 17:6 “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.” The Corinthians now had access to the wellspring of spiritual water than would never run dry through Christ.
However, if you were really impressed, still, with that old life of apparent value, Paul has some sobering words.
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.
Paul makes the point that many of us have had made towards us over the years: “The Golden years were rarely as golden as you remember them to be.” High school was not as great as you remember, you were probably only half as cool, and, in their cases, their spiritual pedigree matters far less than they could really understand. Those that they draw their significance too, way back in their family tree were all men and women who abandoned God. Paul’s list of 5 blessings gives way to a systematic list that Paul calls out the 5 failures of the past that we can carry into the future if we aren’t vigilant of ourselves. We will call this the “as some of them did” list.
Paul’s first one is alluded too here in verse 6, the cravings of the people for the pleasures of Egypt, summarized in their cry in Numbers 11:13 “13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’” . God gave them the meat but while it was still stuck in their teeth he cursed them with a plague. They named the cemetery there where they were buried “Kibroth Hattaavah” which means “Graves of craving.” This directly hearkens to the issues in the Corinth church he just discussed in chapter 8.
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.”
Secondly, some Israelites participated in Idolatry, famously seen in the golden calf incident. The Corinthians had become more than just eating meat in pagan temples. They were children of God now and should have nothing to do with such worthless and God-dishonoring practices, that at best are a waist of time, and at worst lead others down a path of bondage and slavery to false gods and pagan influence.
8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
This third failure was in the area of sexual immorality. Israel’s cheating on their Lord was characterized as “whordom” in Number 25:1-2 and ended with 24k people’s deaths. Now Paul’s use of 23 instead of 24 here. Some commentators give the explanation that Paul uses the phrase “in a single day.” But at that time, Israel and Moses were mourning the deaths of those executed by the judges, or killed in an ongoing plague. Meanwhile Phineas was dispatching an Israelite man and a Moabite woman in their last act of immorality. In this case, the 24k is most likely meant as a summary figure. Some claim one number counts leaders and Paul’s does not. We don’t know. But the image is clear and the lesson clearer still. Don’t follow in these footsteps brothers.
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
In Numbers 21:4-6 we are told the circumstances of the Corinthians 4th failure. The Isrealites, on their trek to Canaan, had presumed to question the plan and purposes of God. As a result they were killed by snakes. For a church that was filled with people who claimed to know better the wisdom, will, and purposes of God than do his apostles, such a lesson could save them if they’d have ears to hear.
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
The 5th issue is reminded when the people spoke rebelliously against God’s appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron in Numbers 16:41-49. No irony is spared here for the Corinthians that now claim Paul an illegitimate apostle or a sparse leader. They find themselves in exact company with this cautionary tale but Paul would seek to spare them that fate.
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.
Paul gives them and us an important piece of theology that goes in our holster from here on out. One of the primarily ways we can use the bible is as cautionary tales. The Bible teaches and tells us stories of many men and women of God who did amazing things and many that did not. Over the years many have concluded that because the Bible reports of things that are evil or wrong that it endorses it or something. Not at all. In these cases we are to read their stories as cautionary. Learn from their mistakes, shore up your defenses. Look at what they were thinking and trying to do or what led up to their fall. Let those lessons influence you as you make your choices. We have all heard of Solomon being the wisest man who ever lived and how he asked God for wisdom when given the chance to ask for anything yet, in if a pitcher is only as good as his last pitch, Solomon through it straight into the dirt, allowing his pagan wives to influence him into leading the nation away from God. If Solomon was the wisest and he could fall into such folly, then you and I are not exempt. The temptations are the same, ironically Solomon is the one who said “there is nothing new under the sun.” Paul continues this lesson.
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.
Here we see the whole picture lined up neatly. The Isrealites did wrong just as the Corinthians have and just as we do because temptation at it’s nature doesn’t ever change. It pulls us towards something we want. Sadly, often, we want things that are terrible for us or God dishonoring. but God, being faithful as he is, will not allow us to be pulled so hard that we cannot find escape. He provides the escape because he is the escape. If drunkenness causes our inhibitions to be compromised think of God’s influence here as the world’s strongest cup of coffee. Seeking him, following him, clinging to him (not all of these false securities that have gotten the Isrealites and the Corinthians into so much trouble) is the way out. In the light of truth lies dry up and disappear. Many have taken the application of this verse out of context declaring the Lord didn’t give them a way out. I was at that party with my friends and I just went back to the drugs again. Where was God when I needed him? Was it in the phone calls your parents sent you all night? The friends who told you not to go to the party all week long. The friend who invited you telling you out rightly that they were going to get you high. Friends, if you’re an alcoholic, don’t get a job as a bar tender. Don’t dive into tempting situations to test your resolve. This passage isn’t about your resolve and if God is real he will supernaturally increase your ability towards self-control. It is speaking to us that if we pursue him as the primary purpose of our lives temptations will not have the pull that he does. If and when they do, he will provide a way out in pursuing him and his will. That’s not a test for us to explore but a promise for us to count on as we pursue him and him alone.
And now we move to the meat and potatoes. All the build up has been leading to hear.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
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.
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Flee from Idolatry. Run from it. Decide to be where it is not. He says this in tender tones although those he says it too don’t care for him in this way. He says this a father talking to his children. Don’t pursue this. I’m telling you this because you have sense and can see what I’m saying here.
When we break the bread and take the cup in the Lord’s super we are participating together in elevating the cause of and death of Christ. We remember what he’s done for us and how he’s changed us. Every time we come to the table its a re-reminder and a time to recommit ourselves to his cause. That’s the purpose of the supper, that we all recommit our unity in Christ and to one another in His mission.
Yet, how could we come to that supper and claim unity in Christ through his death and with his church and then go claim unity and commitment to pagan rituals and feasts too? How can you live under two masters? Don’t you claim Christ is King with one side of your mouth will declared a false god as worthy by your actions at the banquets?
Yeah, thats right, Paul is linking all of these thoughts together because they are all connected. Their desire to eat meat when and how they want in not independent. They should look at how it affects their brothers. Their desire to serve or not serve isn’t their choice alone. Paul himself said he would make himself the slave to all so that some might be won. And here, they cannot just choose to claim spiritual significance through Jewish lineage without heeding the lessons that their failures taught also.
Doing any or all of these things elevates the thing being done to the status of the one its being done in the name of and for his Glory. When you care more about meat than you do God you’re out of whack. When you care more about your paycheck then preaching the gospel you’ve lost your way. when you care more that that guy’s job/family/status/power/race is better than yours. When you care more that people know that your family name is Reuben than you do that your new identity is in Christ you’ve turned your name into an idol.
These implications and applications still echo to us today friends and you shouldn’t think for a moment they don’t.
Application
Let’s call a fairly obvious one first. This week the Olympics kicked off with France’s opening ceremony which literally depicted their own version of the Lord’s super with Jesus and his disciples being replaced with drag queens and LGbtq activists. The internet lit on fire as this expression of idolatry shows us just where we are today. Replace Christ and his message of repent from sin because I’ve come to make a way for you to “love is love” and we are loud and proud whether you like it or not. The irony is not lost that Jesus came to save everyone on that stage from their sin, even while they mock his message which is their only way to salvation. Idolatry.
How about this oldy, Who does or does not sit in the white house doesn’t for a moment change who sits on the throne of creation. Friends, my entire adult life has become dominated by people who have made their political affiliations idols. Don’t let politics influence your faith, make sure that your faith and what the word of God says is the bedrock of your political beliefs. If they ever seem to have a hard time jiving then your politics need to change. If your political beliefs ever make you treat someone lesser than an image bearer of God almighty because they voted a way you disagree with you’ve lost. Repent of the idol of politics and cling to Christ who will offer a way out.
Some live at the altar of money, work, pay, status, and toys that buy them all of that. Amanda and I have some friends that would believe themselves some of the most humble people you’ve ever met but according to every way they portray themselves to the world its all about new vehicles, fancy vacations, weekend globetrotting, their kids branded to the 9’s, and their businesses being the best. And once you see it enough, you start to see these idols for what they are hiding, deep seeded insecurity. Would that they and we would find our value and security in Christ alone. Repent of those idols they aren’t God and they will always let you down and keep you chasing other mirages.
We, like Isreal and Corinth have been given supernatural guidance in protection in Christ. We have experience miraculous deliverance from darkness to light. We’ve been baptized into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. And we’ve tasted the spiritual food and drink offered in Christ. But we are just as prone to their mistakes as we are to their blessings. Beware of the idols that we can see gaining prominence in our lives and be more so vigilant of the ones that you want to play off as if they aren’t really that big a deal. Our favorite idols are often the ones that are hardest for us to leave.
Landing
So what is that idol for you right now? Are their any things, ideas, substances, activities, people in your life right now that seem to nudge Christ off of the throne of your heart? That command more devotion? more attention? More love. Name them and seek Christ’s power to remove them. He excels in slaying false idols and helping you escape the temptations they pose.
