WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:04.429 Broadcaster Paul Harvey told a version of this 00:00:04.429 --> 00:00:06.830 following story on his radio program many years 00:00:06.830 --> 00:00:12.509 ago. There was no man who was a great admirer 00:00:12.509 --> 00:00:16.890 of democracy and public education. So close to 00:00:16.890 --> 00:00:20.329 his heart did he hold both institutions that 00:00:20.329 --> 00:00:22.929 he tried to bring them together into one grand 00:00:22.929 --> 00:00:27.350 experiment. A public college where students would 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:31.190 practice self -governance. There would be no 00:00:31.190 --> 00:00:35.210 regulations. The goodwill and judgment of the 00:00:35.210 --> 00:00:39.990 students would suffice. After years of planning, 00:00:40.149 --> 00:00:44.609 the school was finally opened. The old man was 00:00:44.609 --> 00:00:49.149 overjoyed. But as the months went by, students 00:00:49.149 --> 00:00:52.149 proved time and time again that they were not 00:00:52.149 --> 00:00:55.109 the models of discipline and discernment the 00:00:55.109 --> 00:00:58.710 old man had envisioned. They skipped classes. 00:00:59.149 --> 00:01:04.090 They drank to excess and wasted hours in frivolous 00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:08.469 pursuits. One night, 14 students disguised by 00:01:08.469 --> 00:01:12.670 masks and animated with wine went on a rampage 00:01:12.670 --> 00:01:16.030 that ended in a brawl. One struck a professor 00:01:16.030 --> 00:01:19.689 with a brick. Another used a cane on his victim. 00:01:21.010 --> 00:01:24.549 In response, the college's trustees convened 00:01:24.549 --> 00:01:29.340 a special meeting. The old man, now 82 years 00:01:29.340 --> 00:01:33.239 old and very frail, was asked to address the 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:37.659 student body. In his remarks he recalled the 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:41.000 lofty principles upon which the college had been 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:46.219 founded. He said he had expected more, much more, 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:50.420 from the students. He even confessed that this 00:01:50.420 --> 00:01:55.019 was the most painful event of his life. Suddenly 00:01:55.019 --> 00:01:58.959 he stopped speaking. Tears welled up in his failing 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:04.359 eyes. He was so overcome with grief that he sat 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:10.780 down, unable to go on. His audience was so touched 00:02:10.780 --> 00:02:13.060 that at the conclusion of the meeting, the 14 00:02:13.060 --> 00:02:15.439 offenders stepped forward to admit their guilt, 00:02:16.099 --> 00:02:19.580 but they could not undo the damage that had already 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:23.580 been done. A strict code of conduct and numerous 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:26.460 onerous regulations were instituted at the college. 00:02:27.210 --> 00:02:32.750 The old man's experiment had failed. Why? Because 00:02:32.750 --> 00:02:35.509 he took for granted the one essential ingredient 00:02:35.509 --> 00:02:42.810 necessary for success. Virtue. Only a virtuous 00:02:42.810 --> 00:02:46.550 people can secure and maintain their freedom. 00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:51.550 A short time later on the 4th of July the old 00:02:51.550 --> 00:02:57.650 man passed away. Engraved on his tombstone, are 00:02:57.650 --> 00:03:00.710 the simple words that reflected the success and 00:03:00.710 --> 00:03:07.349 failure of his most important experiments. Thomas 00:03:07.349 --> 00:03:11.150 Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:18.009 and father of the University of Virginia. And 00:03:18.009 --> 00:03:21.990 now as Mr. Harvey says, you know the rest of 00:03:21.990 --> 00:03:26.800 the story. What we see in that story is that 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:31.280 freedom has its privileges, but without self 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:37.680 -discipline it leads to disaster. Freedom has 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.780 its privileges, but without self -discipline 00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:45.500 it leads to disaster. That is not only true on 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:49.300 a university campus, it is true in the spiritual 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:53.210 realm as well. I invite you to open your Bible 00:03:53.210 --> 00:04:01.030 with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. After warning 00:04:01.030 --> 00:04:04.150 us that we can abuse our spiritual freedoms and 00:04:04.150 --> 00:04:09.349 conduct ourselves so as to suffer disqualification 00:04:09.349 --> 00:04:14.650 in our usefulness to God, the Apostle Paul now 00:04:14.650 --> 00:04:18.149 goes on to point out in the history of Israel 00:04:18.149 --> 00:04:24.310 an illustration. of this very tragedy. For the 00:04:24.310 --> 00:04:27.529 Israelites also enjoyed spiritual privilege, 00:04:28.850 --> 00:04:31.449 but they ultimately wasted their privileges. 00:04:33.610 --> 00:04:39.410 And he says the same thing can happen to us if 00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:44.910 we live self -indulgently. I begin reading in 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:49.399 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 1. I do not want you 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:53.459 to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were 00:04:53.459 --> 00:04:56.800 all under the cloud and all passed through the 00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:00.540 sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the 00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:04.819 cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:07.680 food and all drank the same spiritual drink, 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:10.480 for they were drinking from a spiritual rock 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:14.279 which followed them, and the rock was Christ. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:21.860 Nevertheless, With most of them God was not well 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:26.759 pleased For they were laid low in the wilderness 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:32.279 Now these things happened as examples for us 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:36.259 that we should not crave evil things as they 00:05:36.259 --> 00:05:41.779 also craved and Do not be idolaters as some of 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:45.519 them were as it is written the people sat down 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:50.620 to eat and drink and stood up to play. Nor let 00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:54.279 us act immorally as some of them did, and twenty 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:58.899 -three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try 00:05:58.899 --> 00:06:02.720 the Lord as some of them did, and were destroyed 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:08.259 by the destroyer. Nor grumble. I skipped a verse 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:10.139 there, didn't I? Let's go back to verse 9. Nor 00:06:10.139 --> 00:06:12.639 let us try the Lord as some of them did, and 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.920 were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble. 00:06:16.189 --> 00:06:19.430 as some of them did and were destroyed by the 00:06:19.430 --> 00:06:23.550 destroyer. Now these things happened to them 00:06:23.550 --> 00:06:27.310 as an example and they were written for our instruction 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:31.649 upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, 00:06:32.529 --> 00:06:36.250 let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he 00:06:36.250 --> 00:06:40.009 fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such 00:06:40.009 --> 00:06:44.389 as is common to man and God is faithful. who 00:06:44.389 --> 00:06:46.930 will not allow you to be tempted beyond what 00:06:46.930 --> 00:06:50.889 you are able, but with the temptation will provide 00:06:50.889 --> 00:06:54.670 the way of escape also that you may be able to 00:06:54.670 --> 00:06:58.689 endure it." I believe what Paul is telling us 00:06:58.689 --> 00:07:01.569 in these verses that we've read is the spiritual 00:07:01.569 --> 00:07:07.670 privilege brings responsibility to use it for 00:07:07.670 --> 00:07:13.610 the good of others. Israel also enjoyed wonderful 00:07:13.610 --> 00:07:17.170 privileges. Paul outlines them for us in verses 00:07:17.170 --> 00:07:20.649 one through four. To sum them up, it is this 00:07:20.649 --> 00:07:24.649 that Israel was chosen by God out of the nations 00:07:24.649 --> 00:07:30.649 of the world to bless the other nations. Israel 00:07:30.649 --> 00:07:36.889 enjoyed freedom from bondage in Egypt, that she 00:07:36.889 --> 00:07:43.509 might go on to inherit the promised land. All 00:07:43.509 --> 00:07:47.250 of them were led by the cloud out of the bondage. 00:07:49.990 --> 00:07:52.389 That reminds us of the fact that we too have 00:07:52.389 --> 00:07:57.589 been led by God out of sin to himself. He has 00:07:57.589 --> 00:08:01.589 delivered us from bondage to freedom. And as 00:08:01.589 --> 00:08:05.670 in their case, so in ours, it begins with the 00:08:05.670 --> 00:08:10.370 application of the blood of the Passover lamb. 00:08:12.589 --> 00:08:17.410 All of them passed through the Red Sea, which 00:08:17.410 --> 00:08:20.649 speaks to us of our death with Jesus Christ and 00:08:20.649 --> 00:08:25.170 then our resurrection in Him as well, by which 00:08:25.170 --> 00:08:29.870 we were delivered from self and Satan and given 00:08:29.870 --> 00:08:35.830 new life in Him. All of them were identified 00:08:35.830 --> 00:08:41.539 with Moses as it were through baptism. The water 00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:44.279 was above them in the clouds the water was around 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.960 them in the sea picturing going through baptism 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:55.879 Which besides being a physical act Figured to 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:58.759 look figuratively points toward identification 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:04.860 They were identified with Moses as their God 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:11.470 appointed leader We have been baptized into Jesus 00:09:11.470 --> 00:09:15.669 Christ, as Paul will say in chapter 12, and therefore 00:09:15.669 --> 00:09:20.289 we have been identified with Him, with the Son, 00:09:20.850 --> 00:09:25.169 as our spiritual leader. The Israelites ate of 00:09:25.169 --> 00:09:29.049 manna in the wilderness. There's pictures of 00:09:29.049 --> 00:09:32.710 our partaking of Christ spiritually through His 00:09:32.710 --> 00:09:37.389 Word. We find in him the supernatural sustenance 00:09:37.389 --> 00:09:42.529 for our spiritual lives and the Israelites drank 00:09:42.529 --> 00:09:46.929 water from the rock Which it says followed them 00:09:46.929 --> 00:09:49.190 through the wilderness now Paul may have based 00:09:49.190 --> 00:09:52.289 that statement upon a rabbinical tradition in 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:56.629 that day Now when Moses struck the rock the first 00:09:56.629 --> 00:09:59.830 time and then traveled on the rock followed them 00:09:59.830 --> 00:10:03.110 it rolled after them in the wilderness There 00:10:03.110 --> 00:10:07.710 is no record of that actually being true. But 00:10:07.710 --> 00:10:10.610 what Paul is saying here is that there was in 00:10:10.610 --> 00:10:14.789 fact a rock, a spiritual rock that followed them 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:22.029 and that rock was Jesus Christ. You and I draw 00:10:22.029 --> 00:10:25.230 upon the water of the Holy Spirit for our life 00:10:25.230 --> 00:10:28.690 and enablement. The rock was struck and gave 00:10:28.690 --> 00:10:31.950 its water. Jesus Christ was struck as the rock 00:10:32.190 --> 00:10:37.610 and poured forth the Holy Spirit for us. God 00:10:37.610 --> 00:10:40.230 cared for all of the physical blessings of Israel. 00:10:42.309 --> 00:10:44.710 Typically speaking, God cares for all of the 00:10:44.710 --> 00:10:47.610 spiritual needs that we have by our spiritual 00:10:47.610 --> 00:10:51.009 blessings. And notice that all of them enjoyed 00:10:51.009 --> 00:10:54.029 it. In fact, five times he uses the word all 00:10:54.029 --> 00:10:57.509 to emphasize the point. It doesn't mean that 00:10:57.509 --> 00:11:01.889 all of the Israelites were saved. As a nation 00:11:01.889 --> 00:11:04.029 they were delivered, but it wasn't the same as 00:11:04.029 --> 00:11:06.350 personal salvation. They had to be saved the 00:11:06.350 --> 00:11:09.990 same as we by personal faith. But nonetheless, 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:13.509 they all enjoyed the same spiritual blessings 00:11:13.509 --> 00:11:17.409 that God gave to them. And so it is with believers 00:11:17.409 --> 00:11:21.289 in this age. We all have the same spiritual blessings. 00:11:21.769 --> 00:11:25.210 For example, in chapter 12 he says, for by one 00:11:25.210 --> 00:11:30.399 spirit we were all baptized into one body. We 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:37.919 were all made to drink of one Spirit. And so 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:41.200 Paul's point here is this. Israel had wonderful 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:48.620 blessings. Israel had spiritual privilege. And 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:52.799 so do you as a Christian. Indeed, he says, he 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:55.820 implies at least, that the spiritual privilege 00:11:55.820 --> 00:11:59.000 that you and I know is far exceeds anything. 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:04.600 any Jew in Israel ever knew. But then we come 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.840 not only to see the privileges that Israel had, 00:12:09.379 --> 00:12:11.960 but the problems that Israel encountered also, 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:16.559 beginning in verse 5. Notice in verse 5, it begins 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.879 with nevertheless, or but. It is a very strong 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:25.799 adversity. Paul is here saying in the strongest 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:28.740 of terms, all of these blessings were theirs. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:37.320 But something happened. He says with most of 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.700 them, not with all of them, but with most of 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:44.960 them, the majority, God was not well pleased. 00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:50.740 He says they were laid low in the wilderness. 00:12:51.720 --> 00:12:55.159 They were strewn about. They were spread over 00:12:55.159 --> 00:12:59.480 the wilderness. When we saw the pictures from 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:02.740 the storm the other day, we were able to see 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:08.919 trees and homes sadly strewn by the wind. The 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:13.100 storm had blown them down. Some very dramatic 00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:15.759 pictures of that. And that's what Paul is painting 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.940 here. He says they were strewn in the wilderness. 00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:23.440 And if you had followed Israel through those 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:26.600 40 years, you would have encountered funeral 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:31.240 after funeral as the most of them who displeased 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:33.980 the Lord died in the wilderness and never got 00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:40.480 to the promised land that God had for them. God 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:45.919 was not well pleased with them. That is the verb 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:49.399 form of the word disqualified in verse 27, which 00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:53.919 is an adjective. With most of them they were 00:13:54.059 --> 00:14:00.679 disqualified, is what Paul says. And he says 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:06.500 they were laid low, blown away in the wilderness. 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:13.659 But what happened? Well, he says that we should 00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:19.899 not crave evil things as they also crave. That 00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:24.360 is Israel lusted after what God did not see fit 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:29.320 to provide. God provided wonderful manna from 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:33.200 heaven for them to eat, but they wanted meat. 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:36.740 Or they wanted the leeks and the garlics and 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:42.539 the onions of Egypt. They wanted what God had 00:14:42.539 --> 00:14:45.460 not seen fit in His goodness and providence to 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:48.200 provide for them. Therefore those things, although 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:53.500 not evil in themselves, became evil. They desired 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:56.340 what God had not provided and he says don't do 00:14:56.340 --> 00:15:03.080 that. Let's not do that Verse 7 he says and do 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:06.759 not be idolaters as some of them were I remind 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:11.860 you again of Corinth a city of idols Idolatry 00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:13.740 was a part of the way of life. It was part of 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:16.740 the culture of Corinth and apparently some of 00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:21.179 the Corinthians Were returning to idol worship 00:15:22.950 --> 00:15:25.230 even though they were professing Christians. 00:15:25.809 --> 00:15:29.149 And so Paul says, and do not be idolaters as 00:15:29.149 --> 00:15:33.669 some of them were, perhaps having in mind that 00:15:33.669 --> 00:15:35.970 golden calf that was made in the wilderness. 00:15:37.769 --> 00:15:39.909 You remember when Moses did not come down in 00:15:39.909 --> 00:15:43.789 a timely fashion as the people measured it, that 00:15:43.789 --> 00:15:48.500 they convinced Aaron to make a golden calf. Like 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:51.399 the golden calf that was down in Egypt now. They 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:53.879 didn't name it after the same God as in Egypt 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:57.360 They said this golden calf will stand for Jehovah 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:01.840 But yet God was very displeased with that and 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:04.039 yet we hear people today say well We don't worship 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:08.460 the idol we worship what it represents God is 00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:12.240 not pleased with that God does not want the worship 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:18.009 of an idol Says the people sat down to eat and 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:22.029 drink in their feasting and then rose up to play 00:16:22.029 --> 00:16:26.429 Which is a euphemism for sexual orgy that was 00:16:26.429 --> 00:16:30.049 a part of idol worship and so often it is That 00:16:30.049 --> 00:16:32.950 is the immorality is connected with idol worship 00:16:32.950 --> 00:16:36.370 as it was in Corinth as we've talked about in 00:16:36.370 --> 00:16:41.250 the past And then these same people who had the 00:16:41.250 --> 00:16:43.990 spiritual privileges it says acted immorally 00:16:44.110 --> 00:16:47.110 He says, let us not act immorally as some of 00:16:47.110 --> 00:16:54.049 them did. And 23 ,000 fell in one day. Immorality 00:16:54.049 --> 00:16:57.169 was a part of Corinth as well. Remember we talked 00:16:57.169 --> 00:16:59.570 about the fact that to live an immoral life was 00:16:59.570 --> 00:17:04.809 to Corinthianize in that day. The very word Corinthian 00:17:04.809 --> 00:17:08.390 had been changed to a verb to describe what it 00:17:08.390 --> 00:17:10.390 meant to be an immoral person and to act that 00:17:10.390 --> 00:17:14.579 way. And some of them were going back to the 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:18.579 immoral activities often associated with the 00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:22.779 idol worship. And he says, let us not act immorally. 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:27.660 Let us not commit fornication as they did. Verse 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:30.400 9, he says, let us not try the Lord. That was 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.180 another problem Israel had. They put the Lord 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:38.619 to the test. They pushed God to the limit. And 00:17:38.619 --> 00:17:41.000 it says, some were destroyed by the serpents. 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:44.980 probably referring to the events of Numbers chapter 00:17:44.980 --> 00:17:49.019 21. And then he says in verse 10, nor grumble 00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:52.579 as some of them did, and they were destroyed 00:17:52.579 --> 00:17:57.200 by the destroyer. They murmured, probably has 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:00.200 in mind what happened in Numbers 16, when there 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:02.900 was murmuring against Moses and against Aaron 00:18:02.900 --> 00:18:06.539 as God's appointed leaders. But the people of 00:18:06.539 --> 00:18:09.839 God murmured and grumbled, and God destroyed 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.759 them. by the destroyer and Paul makes very clear 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:17.480 these things happen to them as an example and 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:23.779 were written for our instruction upon whom the 00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:27.440 messianic age has come that is this age of redemption 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:32.559 in its fullness through Jesus Christ again pointing 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:36.480 to the spiritual privileges that we have that 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:42.880 Israel could only dream of So Paul is again saying 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:46.019 to us, look you have spiritual privilege. You 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:50.339 have all shared in it, but be careful that you 00:18:50.339 --> 00:18:54.380 don't become disqualified in the course of your 00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:59.980 life by wasting your spiritual privileges. Don't 00:18:59.980 --> 00:19:04.240 lust after what God has not provided. Do not 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:10.240 worship idols. Do not act immorally. Do not... 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:13.960 Push the Lord to the limit. Do not murmur and 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:20.859 grumble. And then that brings us to the words 00:19:20.859 --> 00:19:25.359 of verses 12 and 13 where we have the real point 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:28.839 that he's getting to. He says, let him who thinks 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:34.859 he stands take heed lest he fall. There's that 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:37.920 verse in Proverbs that says, pride goes before 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.440 destruction. and a haughty spirit before a fall. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.440 Apparently some of the Corinthians said, look, 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.059 I'm free in Jesus Christ to do what I want to 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:52.059 do. And if I want to go out and be sexually immoral, 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.940 God's grace will cover that. And if I go back 00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:58.319 to the temple and in some way participate in 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:01.259 that stuff, that doesn't really make any difference. 00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:04.480 I'm free. I have spiritual privilege in Christ. 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:10.740 Look who I am. And Paul rebukes that attitude 00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:13.720 of pride and he says, let the one who thinks 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:20.819 he is standing take heed lest he fall. And then 00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:24.579 he says, no temptation has overtaken you but 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:31.720 such as is common to men. Here's a warning. Don't 00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:35.400 be presumptuous. Don't be presumptuous about 00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:38.400 your privileges. Anyone can be disqualified. 00:20:40.589 --> 00:20:44.569 But he says, be encouraged by this. There's no 00:20:44.569 --> 00:20:47.069 temptation that's overtaken you, but such as 00:20:47.069 --> 00:20:50.769 is common to man. By the way, the word temptation 00:20:50.769 --> 00:20:55.650 here is a word that can mean a temptation to 00:20:55.650 --> 00:21:02.269 sin or it can mean being put to the test with 00:21:02.269 --> 00:21:07.470 a view to approval, with no inference of evil 00:21:07.470 --> 00:21:12.500 about it. Which way does Paul mean it? Well, 00:21:12.500 --> 00:21:15.359 I think in the primary sense Paul is talking 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:20.180 here about the test Not about temptation to sin 00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:24.799 But about being put to the test He says there 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:28.039 is no test that has overtaken you but such as 00:21:28.039 --> 00:21:34.589 is human It's part of being human But he says 00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:38.029 God is faithful and that is really the part of 00:21:38.029 --> 00:21:42.890 the verse that he emphasizes God is faithful 00:21:42.890 --> 00:21:47.430 Faithful is God he will not fail you and then 00:21:47.430 --> 00:21:50.410 he tells us what God does in his faithfulness 00:21:50.410 --> 00:21:53.250 He should encourage all of us in the first place 00:21:53.250 --> 00:22:00.509 He limits the intensity of our trials He will 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:06.319 not allow you to be tested Beyond what you are 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:14.299 able. Beyond what you are able. A hundred years 00:22:14.299 --> 00:22:16.460 ago or so in the British Parliament there was 00:22:16.460 --> 00:22:20.220 a law passed which required ships to be marked 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:24.539 with what was called the Plimsoll mark or the 00:22:24.539 --> 00:22:28.819 Plimsoll line. It was named after the British 00:22:28.819 --> 00:22:33.049 legislator by the name of Samuel Plimsoll. who 00:22:33.049 --> 00:22:35.670 saw that there were some greedy merchants who 00:22:35.670 --> 00:22:40.109 would overload ships and thus when the ships 00:22:40.109 --> 00:22:43.329 would get into a storm they would be easily swamped 00:22:43.329 --> 00:22:46.769 and they would sink and so he encouraged parliament 00:22:46.769 --> 00:22:49.710 to pass this law in which they would put a line 00:22:49.710 --> 00:22:53.589 on the ship and when the ship was loaded it could 00:22:53.589 --> 00:22:59.319 be loaded down to that line but no further. because 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:02.259 that was the line of safety whereby the ship 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:08.000 could still make it through the storm. What I'm 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.960 saying is here that God knows where the Pimsel 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:17.039 line in your life and mine is located. And though 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:23.500 we all come into various kinds of trials, God 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:26.539 will not overload us with trials to the point 00:23:26.539 --> 00:23:33.839 that will sink us. He limits the intensity. And 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:38.059 his faithfulness, God also provides for our victory. 00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:42.960 Notice that he says God gives the way of escape. 00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:48.539 Now when you read it in the English, you seem 00:23:48.539 --> 00:23:51.500 to think that God is going to give you a shortcut 00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:56.039 in the trial. That if you just look hard enough, 00:23:56.059 --> 00:23:59.059 you'll find the way to get out of it easily. 00:23:59.289 --> 00:24:01.869 That is not what he's saying. I'm sorry to say. 00:24:03.670 --> 00:24:05.710 He's not saying that God is going to provide 00:24:05.710 --> 00:24:09.289 you an easy, quick way out of the trial. What 00:24:09.289 --> 00:24:13.869 he's saying is that God has provided the end 00:24:13.869 --> 00:24:20.210 to it. That God has provided for the completion 00:24:20.210 --> 00:24:24.769 of it, and that end to it is not through a shortcut. 00:24:26.069 --> 00:24:31.380 It's by enduring right through the trial. to 00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:36.240 God's purpose. God provides for our victory, 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:43.160 for this way of escape. And then he says that 00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:45.579 God in His faithfulness, thirdly, fashions our 00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:47.839 trials deliberately. That's the whole idea of 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:52.960 a test. The idea of a test is that it is intentionally 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:57.980 put upon the person or the object in order to 00:24:57.980 --> 00:25:02.859 find out what is within, to discover the good 00:25:02.859 --> 00:25:08.200 that is expected or, if necessary, to expose 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:13.440 the evil that is within. God in His faithfulness 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:19.400 fashions our trials deliberately. Now in the 00:25:19.400 --> 00:25:23.420 midst of the trials of life, whether it be a 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:27.210 health problem, It be the loss of a job and the 00:25:27.210 --> 00:25:30.869 search for another one, or it be some financial 00:25:30.869 --> 00:25:36.309 difficulty we come into, whatever trial that 00:25:36.309 --> 00:25:40.869 we may encounter, remember that God measures 00:25:40.869 --> 00:25:44.690 the intensity of it and limits it. He already 00:25:44.690 --> 00:25:48.529 has provided a way out at the end of it, so you 00:25:48.529 --> 00:25:51.069 don't have to worry. He's faithful to do that. 00:25:51.940 --> 00:25:56.400 Remember that he has a good purpose in it. It's 00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:01.519 a test for you. In the midst of that trial, you 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:09.440 will encounter temptations. Your flesh or the 00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:11.900 devil will see to it that you have opportunity 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:18.779 to do evil, to react in the wrong way, to do 00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:24.359 the evil thing. to sin. That's what Israel did. 00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:28.880 You see, it wasn't the trials that got Israel 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:34.819 into trouble. It was the sin that Israel turned 00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:38.859 to in the midst of her trials. And for you and 00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:41.059 me, it's not the trials that get us into trouble. 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:45.740 It's the sin that we are tempted to turn to. 00:26:48.059 --> 00:26:52.619 What does the Apostle say here? He says, beware. 00:26:55.220 --> 00:27:01.720 Beware of the sin that tempts you, lest you be 00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:06.759 disqualified as Israel was in the midst of her 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:11.900 trials. This is a serious warning to all of us. 00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:16.819 Yes, we have spiritual privileges in Jesus Christ. 00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:22.309 They are wonderful. They are eternal. But we 00:27:22.309 --> 00:27:27.650 can abuse those spiritual privileges. And in 00:27:27.650 --> 00:27:30.710 the midst of the very trials of life that God 00:27:30.710 --> 00:27:34.269 sends to us and in his faithfulness measures 00:27:34.269 --> 00:27:39.150 and purposes and makes a way out of, we can turn 00:27:39.150 --> 00:27:44.690 aside. And the Apostle Paul says in doing so, 00:27:45.390 --> 00:27:48.869 we're disqualified in our race and we face the 00:27:48.869 --> 00:27:53.420 discipline of God as did Israel. And so that's 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:56.180 why he goes to the Old Testament book of illustrations, 00:27:56.259 --> 00:27:58.180 and he says, now look at Israel. Look at what 00:27:58.180 --> 00:28:04.299 happened to Israel. And take heed. For though 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:06.759 they all had the spiritual privilege with most 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:10.619 of them, well, God was not well pleased. They 00:28:10.619 --> 00:28:14.480 were disqualified. And so he comes back to the 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:17.380 same point that he's been making now for into 00:28:17.380 --> 00:28:20.900 the third chapter. We have wonderful spiritual 00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:23.400 freedom in Jesus Christ. We have been delivered 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:27.539 from the Egypt of our sin and the bondage of 00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:31.519 self. But we have not been delivered to live 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.880 for ourselves. We have been delivered that we 00:28:35.880 --> 00:28:39.819 might enjoy our freedom and bring it to the Lord 00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:43.920 and subject ourselves to His Lordship and live 00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:52.450 in love for the good of others. I don't know 00:28:52.450 --> 00:28:56.930 what trial you may be in today, but I would venture 00:28:56.930 --> 00:29:00.809 to say that close to 99 % of us are in some sort 00:29:00.809 --> 00:29:05.230 of trial. If you're in that 1%, just get ready 00:29:05.230 --> 00:29:10.289 for tomorrow. It's coming. In the midst of the 00:29:10.289 --> 00:29:14.190 trials of your life, believe that God is faithful. 00:29:15.390 --> 00:29:18.500 That He has provided the way. that He has limited 00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:22.140 the intensity of it so that you will not be overwhelmed, 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:25.960 that He has fashioned it for a good purpose, 00:29:27.779 --> 00:29:31.619 and trust His faithfulness. And through that 00:29:31.619 --> 00:29:35.480 you will grow and God will be glorified. And 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:38.380 your spiritual privileges that you have will 00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:41.299 be strengthened and you will be able to use them 00:29:41.299 --> 00:29:44.759 in a more powerful way because of what God is 00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:49.309 taking you through. As we come to the Lord's 00:29:49.309 --> 00:29:53.309 table today, as the Corinthians did, it is important 00:29:53.309 --> 00:29:56.289 for us to examine our lives and to make sure 00:29:56.289 --> 00:29:59.869 that we haven't in some respect turned aside. 00:30:01.670 --> 00:30:04.170 Some of them had gone back to worshipping idols. 00:30:05.150 --> 00:30:07.670 Paul says, you cannot fellowship at the table 00:30:07.670 --> 00:30:10.369 of idols and the table of the Lord. You cannot 00:30:10.369 --> 00:30:14.430 do that. Oh, idols in themselves are nothing, 00:30:14.430 --> 00:30:18.450 he says, but behind idols are demons. And if 00:30:18.450 --> 00:30:20.849 you worship idols, then you are worshiping demons. 00:30:21.009 --> 00:30:23.089 If you partake of the table of idols, you are 00:30:23.089 --> 00:30:25.829 partaking of the table of demons. And you cannot 00:30:25.829 --> 00:30:30.430 do that and come to the table of the Lord. You 00:30:30.430 --> 00:30:32.849 see, he ties communion right into this whole 00:30:32.849 --> 00:30:36.130 thing. And as we come to the Lord's table today, 00:30:36.809 --> 00:30:39.170 it is important for us to look at our own lives 00:30:39.170 --> 00:30:43.849 and to our responses to the trials of our lives. 00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:50.240 and ask God's forgiveness where we have failed, 00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:54.059 and to yield ourselves afresh to Him and say, 00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:57.460 Lord, in Your faithfulness, work out Your purpose 00:30:57.460 --> 00:31:01.460 in the trials of my life today. And as we partake 00:31:01.460 --> 00:31:05.180 of the bread and partake of the cup, these become, 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:08.660 in a sense, a means of grace as we fellowship 00:31:08.660 --> 00:31:13.200 with the Lord, and He encourages and strengthens 00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:19.269 our hearts in their renewal. Let's pray together. 00:31:21.950 --> 00:31:29.930 Father, as we come to the table today, may the 00:31:29.930 --> 00:31:36.890 Holy Spirit examine our hearts and wherein He 00:31:36.890 --> 00:31:41.670 finds that we have responded to temptation to 00:31:41.670 --> 00:31:46.650 sin. We have sought the wrong way out of our 00:31:46.650 --> 00:31:51.230 trials. Help us to acknowledge that and to claim 00:31:51.230 --> 00:31:56.349 your forgiveness. Lord, we do not want to be 00:31:56.349 --> 00:32:02.549 disqualified in our race. Lord, we want to run 00:32:02.549 --> 00:32:05.309 the race and to hear you're well done at the 00:32:05.309 --> 00:32:09.750 end. So as we partake of these elements today, 00:32:10.170 --> 00:32:14.160 get us back on course if that's the need. and 00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:18.539 strengthen us for our race and help us to believe 00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:24.819 that you are faithful and to take your promises 00:32:24.819 --> 00:32:28.119 and the privileges that we have in Christ and 00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:33.420 to employ them in our lives. For this bread we 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:36.279 offer our thanks to you, recognizing that it 00:32:36.279 --> 00:32:39.940 represents the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:32:40.339 --> 00:32:47.539 Amen. And our Lord, for the cup we offer thanks 00:32:47.539 --> 00:32:51.059 as well, recognizing that it represents your 00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:57.420 blood, by which we were redeemed from our bondage. 00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:02.839 And we worship you, our Passover lamb. Amen. 00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:07.579 Jesus said, this cup is the new covenant in my 00:33:07.579 --> 00:33:11.299 blood. Drink it as often as you do in remembrance 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:23.400 of me. And again, today we receive an elders 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:26.119 fund offering through the offering box at the 00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:30.380 back door. If you care to participate in that 00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:32.819 offering, which is a fund that we use to help 00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:36.220 those in need, please do so. And thank you for 00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:41.039 it. God is faithful. Let's remember that in the 00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:44.240 midst of the trials of our lives. I'd like for 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:46.339 us to stand together and just sing and closing 00:33:46.339 --> 00:33:49.250 the chorus. Great is thy faithfulness. We'll 00:33:49.250 --> 00:33:51.130 sing it a cappella. Would you join me please 00:33:51.130 --> 00:33:57.910 as we stand and sing? Great is thy faithfulness. 00:33:58.589 --> 00:34:06.549 Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning 00:34:06.549 --> 00:34:18.000 new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:29.579 hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord 00:34:29.579 --> 00:34:37.909 unto me. God is faithful. I'm glad to see Raoul 00:34:37.909 --> 00:34:40.590 and Marge Berg here with us this morning, missionaries 00:34:40.590 --> 00:34:43.269 that we have been privileged to partner with 00:34:43.269 --> 00:34:45.190 for many years. Raoul, would you come please 00:34:45.190 --> 00:34:49.050 and dismiss us in prayer? We welcome you both 00:34:49.050 --> 00:34:53.329 this morning. God bless you, brother. Good to 00:34:53.329 --> 00:34:59.010 see you. Shall we bow? Our Father and our God, 00:34:59.070 --> 00:35:01.929 as we look to you this morning, our hearts are 00:35:01.929 --> 00:35:05.809 strangely moved. has realized the significance 00:35:05.809 --> 00:35:10.030 not only of this weekend, the independence of 00:35:10.030 --> 00:35:12.969 our nation as we celebrate it, but the fact that 00:35:12.969 --> 00:35:16.409 we have independence in Jesus Christ. As we yield 00:35:16.409 --> 00:35:20.090 our lives to the working of your spirit in our 00:35:20.090 --> 00:35:22.929 hearts, we can be more than conquerors through 00:35:22.929 --> 00:35:25.909 him who loved us. Thank you for this time together. 00:35:26.150 --> 00:35:29.670 We ask now that I spare a go with each one as 00:35:29.670 --> 00:35:33.170 we leave this place. May we keep in mind the 00:35:33.170 --> 00:35:35.429 words that have been shared with us this hour. 00:35:36.090 --> 00:35:38.289 In Jesus' name I pray, amen.