FIRST CORINTHIANSFIRST CORINTHIANSHow to Live in a How to Live in a

Pagan WorldPagan World

11stst Corinthians 10:1-14 Corinthians 10:1-14

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,

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

3 all ate the same spiritual food,

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;

10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

New King James Version

Two Mega-ThemesTwo Mega-ThemesIn 1In 1stst Corinthians Corinthians

• Living as Christians in a pagan world.

• Being the Church in a pagan world.

Two Mega-ThemesTwo Mega-ThemesIn 1In 1stst Corinthians Corinthians

• Living as Christians in a Living as Christians in a pagan world.pagan world.

• Being the Church in a pagan world.

Living as Christians in a Pagan Living as Christians in a Pagan WorldWorld

1. God’s People: Living as a Minority Group 1:18-2:16

2. Living as God’s People in a Litigious Society 6:1-8

3. Living as God’s People in a Sexually Immoral Climate 6:9-20

4. Living as God’s People in a Culture of Divorce 7:1-40

5. Living as Free People with a Cause 8:1-9:23

6. Living as God’s People in an Idolatrous Age 9:24-10:33

7. Living Steadfast, Knowing How It Turns Out 15

Living as Christians in a Pagan Living as Christians in a Pagan WorldWorld

1. God’s People: Living as a Minority Group 1:18-2:16

2. Living as God’s People in a Litigious Society 6:1-8

3. Living as God’s People in a Sexually Immoral Climate 6:9-20

4. Living as God’s People in a Culture of Divorce 7:1-40

5. Living as Free People with a Cause 8:1-9:23

6.6. Living as God’s People in an Living as God’s People in an Idolatrous Age 9:24-10:33Idolatrous Age 9:24-10:33

7. Living Steadfast, Knowing How It Turns Out 15

Living as God’s People Living as God’s People in an Idolatrous Agein an Idolatrous Age

9:24-10:33

1.1. Idolatry is not so much about Idolatry is not so much about bending my knee as bending bending my knee as bending my prioritiesmy priorities

2.2. Idolatry can subtly overcome Idolatry can subtly overcome usus

• 10:14 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

• Weymouth “Therefore, my dear friends, avoid all connection with the worship of idols.”

3.3. Yesterday’s experiences do Yesterday’s experiences do not guarantee today’s victorynot guarantee today’s victory

1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, what happened to our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. God guided all of them by sending a cloud that moved along ahead of them, and he brought them all safely through the waters of the sea on dry ground.

2 As followers of Moses, they were all baptized in the cloud and the sea.

3 And all of them ate the same miraculous food,4 and all of them drank the same miraculous water.

For they all drank from the miraculous rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

5 Yet after all this, God was not pleased with most of them, and he destroyed them in the wilderness.

3.1 Yesterday’s experiences can 3.1 Yesterday’s experiences can give us a false sense of give us a false sense of securitysecurity

• 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

4.4. While experiences cannot While experiences cannot protect us from temptation, protect us from temptation, God canGod can

• 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

4.1 The commonality of 4.1 The commonality of temptationtemptation

• 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man…

4.2 The faithfulness of God in 4.2 The faithfulness of God in temptationtemptation

• 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful…

4.3 The limitation by God on 4.3 The limitation by God on temptationtemptation

• 10:13 …but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able…

4.4 The escape route with 4.4 The escape route with temptationtemptation

• 10:13 …but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

5. Idolatry has a spiritual dynamic5. Idolatry has a spiritual dynamic

• 10:20, NAS95 “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.”

Idolatry has a spiritual dynamicIdolatry has a spiritual dynamic

• Deuteronomy 32:17 “They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods…”

• Psalms 106:37 “They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons”

6. Idolatry and the Christian 6. Idolatry and the Christian walk is an unmixable mixwalk is an unmixable mix

• 10:21-22 “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”

7.7. Idolatry is a self-centered Idolatry is a self-centered quest for fulfillment quest for fulfillment

• Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

• Isaiah 55:2, NIV “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”