WHAT WE CAN ALL DO
1 Corinthians 10:1-13; 31-33
1 Corinthians 8-10 all dealt with the subject of whether or not Christians should eat meat sacrificed to idols.
The Christians there were saying that they knew God was real and these idols were nothing, so why not go ahead and enjoy the meal.
Paul spent these three chapters teaching them the principles proper use of our Christian liberty.
While we do not live in a society where eating meat sacrificed to idols is much of a problem, we do face some similar conflicts.
We have to struggle with:
· Whether or not drinking a beer with a friend is a problem
· Whether or not going to the movies is really a problem[1]
· Whether or not wearing immodest clothing is a problem
And the same principles apply to them as did to the problem in Corinth with meat.
There are three things in this chapter I want to point out to you:
*I. WE ALL CAN FALL
1 Corinthians 10:1-12 (KJV)
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Paul used Israel in the wilderness as an example.
A. All of the children of Israel had gone through the same salvation experiences
· They all had followed the cloud out of Egypt
(the cloud was a divine manifestation of God)
· They had all be baptized in the sea
(they all had gotten across the Red Sea on dry ground.)
· They all ate and drank of the same spiritual provision
(which Paul said wasChrist.)
B. But God was not pleased with all of them.
1 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Just because you are saved does not mean you are pleasing to God.
And just because you are saved does not mean God has to bless you in this life.
God overthrew those He was not well pleased with.[2]
C. The same sins, which they did, we do today
· Lustingafter evil
· Idolatry
· Fornication
· TemptingChrist[3]
· Murmuring
1 Corinthians 10:12
Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall
Any Christian can fall into sin. And any Christian can come to the place where they so displease the Lord he removes his blessings from them and overthrows them.
Don't take your relationship with Christ for granted. You cannot lose your salvation, but you can lose your fellowship with God.
On the other hand;
*II. WE CAN ALL STAND
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
While it is possible for any Christian to fall into sin and out of fellowship with Christ,it is not necessary.
God has provided for us all the means to stand for Him.
A. No temptation is unique.
One of the most common things I have to counsel around is the statement, "Pastor, my case is different."
When we go through a difficult time in life, it is very common for us to think we are the only person who has ever gone through this particular thing.
We excuse our sins in trials because we think we have a special case.
The truth is that none of has ever gone through any type of trial that not only has been gone through before,,, but has been gone through regularly.
Many of the others who have gone through what you are going through have done it without falling into sin
So you don't have to either.
B. God is faithful
The next question that generally comes up when a person is going through difficulties is... "Where is God? Why is He letting me go through this?"
Most of the time I cannot tell you exactly why God allows us to go through trials and temptations....
I can say this much:
God is good and God is faithful. He has not forsaken you. He still loves you and some day, even if that day is not until you are in heaven, you will be able to praise the Lord for this trial and see how it was for your good.
C. There is a way of escape
But notice that God does not say He gives us a way of escape so we can avoid the temptation.
He gives us a way of escape that we can bear the temptation.
They say that during those days when so many Christians were being tortured and killed for their faith, that the dying saints would testify in their persecutions as not even feeling the pain.
They would be tied to stakes and set on fire, most of the time by a slow burning, so they were slowly roasted to death.
But they would stand there as they were burning and sing, and pray, and even preach sermons.
God did not allow them to escape the fire; he gave them an escape so they could bear the fire.
*III.WE CAN ALL SET THE SAME PRIORITIES
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (KJV)
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Paul said that his first priority was
A. To do all to the glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Eating drinking or whatever, Paul wanted to do it to God's glory.
That means we will only eat certain things, and we will only eat them certain ways because we want to eat in a way that is to the glory of God.
And if eating something, or drinking something is not to the glory of God.
Paul wasn't going to do it.
He was like Daniel who purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's meat and wine.
Could these Corinthians eat that meat that was sacrificed to idols and still be saved? Yes, but it would not be to the glory of God.
Can a Christian go to a bar and have a drink with the boys? Yes. But it would not be to the glory of God.
Do all to the glory of God.
B. Give none offence
Acts 24:16
And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.(KJV)
We ought to try to live our lives in such a way that we do not offend anybody, saved or unsaved.
Now, that does not mean that we will not tell them what they need to hear.
Sometimes it is not possible to keep from offending.
But we do not have to purposely offend. If I know something I say or do will offend, and I do not have to say or do it... I ought not say or do it.
C. That they may be saved
Nothing is more important than seeing people get saved.
If I have to start doing things I have never done before to get people saved, so be it.
If I have to quit doing something I have always done, even if it is not wrong, in order to see people get saved, that is fine too.
Paul said he didn't seek his own profit. He didn't do the things that would be the most profitable to him personally.
He did the things that would led to the most people getting saved.
We all can do that.
And, by the way, if we would do that, the question of what we could and couldn't do would never again be an issue.
[1]I recently heard an independent Baptist evangelist say from the pulpit that he did not believe there was anything wrong with going to movies. He went to movies, he enjoyed that and it did not convict his conscience. But then he said that he understood that many Christians do have a problem with it so he did not talk about going to them on social media.
[2]He killed them.
[3]This is when they said they did not like the Manna from heaven, they did not like what God had met their needs with.