1. 1 Corinthians Take Heed Lest You Fall
Look At The Book!
1 Corinthians
Take Heed Lest You Fall

2. How Do You Feel?
We are a nation concerned about how everyone feels about things.
Most Christian-based groups today seem to address their congregations from a “how do you feel” perspective. Feeling good is doing well.
Christianity really has practically nothing to do with how one feels about things. Rather it is a matter of objective revelation, not subjective feelings.
As such, we might feel like we are doing really well as Christians, but be completely out of touch with God.

3. Theology From Crocodile Dundee
Dundee: Of course it took me a week to crawl this far. I thought I was a goner. I said to meself, "Mick old son, find yourself a nice comfortable spot and lay down and die".
Sue: Weren't you afraid?
Dundee: Of dying? Nah. I read The Bible once. You know God and Jesus and all them apostles? They were all fishermen, just like me. Yeah, straight to heaven for Mick Dundee. Yep, me and God, we be mates.

4. An Infant Church With Adult Troubles
Church at Corinth was less than a year old when Paul began writing to them.
They needed some powerful insights quickly, so Paul pulls no punches.
It’s obvious there is much more to being a Christian than reading the Bible and claiming God as your mate!

5. Illustrations From Israel’s History
Paul pointed the Corinthians to some solid lessons on genuine faithfulness by considering Scripture and the history of the Jews.
Let’s follow his lesson as recorded in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

6. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness….

7. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, cont…
…Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

8. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, final…
…Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

9. In A Spiritually Amazing Place
Paul compares Corinth to Israel during the wilderness wanderings.
The people were constantly in the presence of God.
Through the temple worship.
Through the cloud and pillar.
Through the plagues and Exodus.
Through the Law from Sinai.
Through the Christ who followed them.
Through the Manna which fed them.

10. Yet God Was Displeased With Them
verse 5 – “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well- pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.”
Though they believed themselves to be God’s own people, God was displeased with most of them.
God’s wrath is real, even toward those who believe themselves to be secure.

11. Example 1: Exodus 32:6
Moses was detained by God on Mt. Sinai receiving the stone tablets.
The people, used to idolatry from Egypt, wanted a likeness of their God.
They participated in sexually explicit idolatry of the worst imaginable kind.
“So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.”

12. Result For Their Wickedness
Exodus 32:10, – “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation…. He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’ So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”

13. Example #2: Numbers 25:1-9
The people of God were enticed to worship Baal of Peor.
“While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel….”

14. Numbers 25:1-9, cont….
The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

15. Numbers 25:1-9, final
When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. Those who died by the plague were 24,000.”
The Lord demanded the deaths, and sent a plague
1,000 leaders on the first day
23,000 people on the second day, as per Paul’s statement.

16. Example 3: Numbers 21:5-6
“The people spoke against God and 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 miserable food. The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.”
Irony? They were using their sharp tongues to complain against God, so He sends poisonous snakes to strike the people.

17. A Lot Of Complaining
They were complaining about their lack of food, though the Lord never let them go hungry.
They even complained about the manna God gave them for free from heaven (…we loathe this miserable food).
The fiery serpents killed many of them.
The rest were spared only through God’s merciful intercession by providing the bronze serpent for healing.

18. Example #4 – Numbers 16:41-49
Korah, Dathan, On, and 250 leaders of Israel complain against Moses and Aaron.
The Lord swallows up Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their families and all their households, bringing them alive into the grave and closing the ground over them.
Then the people grumble against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.”

19. Example #4 – Numbers 16:41-49, cont.
44 “…and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!”
The Lord killed 14,700 that day, not counting Korah and company.

20. For Our Example
1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 – “Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved…. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

21. What are we to learn? Not to crave evil things Not to be idolaters
Not to act immorally
Not to try or test the Lord (bargaining with God)
Not to grumble and complain.
The opposite would be good, godly, holy, content, thankful Christians.

22. We Must Take Heed!
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
Don’t overestimate the security of your salvation.
Don’t underestimate God’s provision for your purity and godliness!