I Cor. 10:1-13

To be tempted is not a sin, to succumb to temptation is a sin. Succumbing to temptation is not the real problem, but a symptom of the real problem. The real problem is a lack of dedication to God, Bible reading, worship at home and at church, respect for God’s people and God’s leaders, and a yielding of our bodies, our ambitions, our thoughts, our desires, our necessities to the leadership of the most holy and righteous God. The real problem is that we are selfish (because we want to do our thing), self-centered (because we really believe the world revolves around us), and proud (everything we are and everything we think, everything we have is better than what everybody else has. If only people would listen to us, we have the answer).

Verse 1 - 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;

I. If we are going to be able to overcome common temptations, we must understand what everybody else is going through.

II. Under the cloud:

A. They were covered from the heat of the sun during the day, because the cloud covered them.

1. The desert is very hot during the day because there is no shade to get under.

2. The desert is very cold during the night because there is nothing to hold the heat generated during the day.

3. The cloud covered the Israelites during the day and the pillar of fire gave them protection, heat, and light during the night.

B. All passed through the sea.

1. They all went through the same thing, seeing the miracles of God in delivering them from the Egyptians, while the Egyptians died in the Red Sea.

Verse 2 - And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

I. Baptized unto Moses.

A. There came a time when the Israelites must make a decision about whether to leave Egypt or go with Moses.

1. This is a public statement.

2. It might be possible to hide a persons personal beliefs before plague # 10 came along, but after that, each person had to make a public testimony concerning what he believed about Christ.

II. We must also make a public proclamation about our belief in Christ.

A. Romans 6:1-3 – This is what baptism is all about.

1. Baptism doesn’t save us, but it is a public display to all the world that Jesus has saved us.

B. Galatians 3:27 declares that baptism is a putting on of Christ.

1. Like the Israelites had to publicly proclaim they were following Moses, not Pharaoh, we must publicly proclaim we are following Christ, not the world.

Verse 3 - And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

I. All believed the same doctrine, because they were all taught the same doctrine by Christ himself.

A. Sat in the same worship services together.

II. Believers have spiritual and material food provided for them by God.

A. When we tithe, God can do more with the 90% we have left over than we can with the 100% we had before we tithed.

B. Christ is the rock that followed them, giving them shade and water.

1. When Moses stuck the rock the second time, he actually struck Christ, because Christ is the rock, see verse 4.

Verse 4 - And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

I. All of them drank of the same spiritual rock.

A. That rock was Christ, and is Christ for us today.

Verse 5 - But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

I. Christ was not pleased with many of them, not all of them.

A. Will he be pleased or displeased with us.

B. His pleasure or displease will be found in how we are able to handle the four common temptations that come upon us.

C. Many believers do not remain faithful because they complain when hard times comes.

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

I. Paul gives four things that are evil the Israelites lusted after, and we will lust after to our own destruction.

A. Idolatry.

B. Sexual sins.

C. Tempting Christ.

D. Murmuring (complaining)

II. All of these evil things are caused by some things:

A. Not appreciating what God has already given us.

B. Not believing God will provide those things we need.

C. Not trusting God when we don’t get those thing immediately.

Verse 7 - 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.

I. Definition of idolatry.

A. Physical or material image or form representing a reality or being considered divine and thus an object of worship.

B. Note that the people sat down – a deliberate act.

1. They knew what they were doing.

2. They had waited on Moses, and he didn’t appear when they thought he should, therefore they made the golden calf, sat down and worshipped it.

C. I Samuel 15:23 – Samuel told Saul, "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."

1. I Samuel 13 – The beginning of the end of Saul was when he would not wait for Samuel to come and administer the proper sacrifices, therefore he "forced" himself and offered the sacrifices himself.

2. The next time Saul rebels, Samuel is commanded by God to not weep for him, but to do what God tells him to do.

D. Saul’s problem is impatience – he wouldn’t wait like God told him to wait.

1. This is our major problem with idolatry.

2. We won’t wait like God wants us to wait.

3. We want to see results immediately, and when we don’t see the results we want to see immediately, we go to something or somebody other than God to get the results we want.

E. I Samuel 29 – Saul finally went to a witch to find out. He got to the point that he didn’t care who he got an answer from, he just had to get an answer.

1. God‘s people will often go away from God to anything that will give them the answer they want.

II. The example given is found in Exodus 32:6.

A. God’s people often go astray when they don’t understand what their leaders understand.

1. Exodus 32:1 states, "And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount…" God didn’t do what the people thought he should do when they thought he should do it.

2. Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving instructions from God on building the tabernacle and receiving laws from God.

3. The people didn’t have a clue what Moses was doing, why he was doing it, or what God had on his mind for them.

4. Therefore, they wandered from God, and partied instead of worshipping.

5. If they truly understood the future, and what God had for them, they would not have had to had a party to have a good time.

B. God’s people were short-sighted.

1. Psalms 103:7 - They saw the works of God, but never saw his ways.

Verse 8 - Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

I. This whole topic is not talking about sexual sins, it is talking about fulfilling the temporary, wicked desires of the flesh.

A. I Cor. 9:23-27 and the verses preceding.

1. Paul is saying he does everything he does to win souls, and to advance the kingdom of God.

2. He doesn’t do what his flesh wants him to do, he does what is eternal, what God wants him to do.

B. I Cor. 9:16 gives the reason Paul preaches the gospel.

1. Verse 24 - He is running a race, and he intends to win (by the grace of God, of course.)

2. Matthew 25:21 - He wants to hear his master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

3. II Tim. 4:6-8 – "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

a. We need to so live our lives that we are able to willingly face Almighty God at the judgment, knowing what the he will say to us.

b. Don’t kid yourself as some do, who have "forgotten" their earthly wickedness.

II. Sexual sins are a great problem for God’s people.

A. Sexual sins is not the problem, it is a symptom of the real problem – a lack of dedication to God and his will for our lives.

B. It is not that sex is wrong, but sex used wrongly is sin.

1. Satan is able to use sex, a natural, normal part of our lives, in a wrong way to get us to disobey God, and obey him.

2. Satan is able to use our appetite for food, work, pleasure, and every other material thing to get us to disobey God, and obey him.

3. Satan even uses our desire to worship as a means of getting us to not worship God and worship him.

4. Satan makes worshipping God slow, old fashioned, not according to our desires, so we will worship him.

5. Many people have said, "I like this church better" when the doctrines of that church are false.

a. People should be saying, I like this churches programs, activities and such better than the programs, activities of this other church because that is what they really mean.

b. Some people judge the worthiness of a church based on their own thoughts, rather than the thoughts of God.

c. To find the truth, it is important to ask, "What does the Bible say?" not "What do I, or you, think?"

C. Numbers 25 - The example given refers to the time when Balaam desired to curse Israel for money.

1. The time period is shortly before the death of Moses, and just before Israel will enter into the promised land.

2. Balaam did not curse Israel, but because he went to Moab and considered cursing Israel, Israel went to Moab.

3. When leaders go astray in one area, God’s people often go astray in another area.

4. If the public prophets of God think they can get away with sin, the people believe they can get away with all kinds of sins.

D. "The Lord will not be prevailed with by Balaam's charms to ruin them; try if they will not be prevailed with by the charms of the daughters of Moab to ruin themselves."

1. "None are more fatally bewitched than those that are bewitched by their own lusts."

2. James 1:14 – "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." See the context of this scripture.

3. The worship of Baal-Peor involved prostitution, and all sorts of sexual perversions. Spiritual fornication and physical fornication are combined.

4. Give the people what they want mentality.

5. This same principle is evident in religion today – Find out what the people want and preach it with conviction!

E. Matthew 5:27,28 – Jesus said that to look on a woman to lust after her in your heart is committing adultery.

1. I know there is a difference in the result of this "mental" adultery and actual physical adultery.

2. But they are both sins in the sight of God.

III. The result of sin.

A. I Cor. 10:8 - 23,000 died that day; Numbers 25:9 - 24,000 died in the entire plague.

1. Hebrews 13:4 – "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

B. How many homes, lives, families, ambitions, hopes, dreams and eternities have been ruined by the illicit use of sex?

C. How many homes, lives, families, ambitions, hopes, dreams and eternities have been ruin by the worship of false gods?

Verse 9 - Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

I. The Old Testament passage is Numbers 21.

A. Numbers 21:4 – The people was much discouraged because:

1. of the way – the region was very rocky and mountainous.

2. of remembering Egypt – They only remembered the good things of Egypt, not the bad things. (selective memory!)

3. of God’s provision – God provided plenty of food for them, but they wanted what they wanted, not what God gave them.

B. Tempting Christ always involves two things: Receiving the blessings of God, then complaining because there is doubt that God is with you. The examples I give in this outline are integrated into the message.

1. Example # 1.

a. Numbers 21:1-3 – God answered the prayer of Israel and gave them victory over the armies of the Canaanites.

b. Numbers 21:4-6 – Israel complained because of the hard way they were in, therefore God sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people and many died.

2. Example # 2.

a. Deuteronomy 6:3-15 – God gives instructions to Israel concerning how they are to remember all the good things God has done for them in provision.

b. Deuteronomy 6:16 – God tells Israel they should not tempt him, as they did in Massah. Israel is to remember the good things God has done for them in providing for them, and never forget. When Israel forgets the good things God has done for them, that is tempting God.

3. Example # 3.

a. Exodus 16:1-36 – God provided manna and quail for Israel when they complained at a lack of food. God was merciful to them, not just that he gave them manna, but he also provided quail, which is a bonus.

b. Exodus 17:1-7 – Israel traveled to Rephidim, where they complained because there was no water to drink. God gave them water from the rock when Moses struck it, symbolizing the crucifixion of Christ. Verse 7 states that Moses called the place Massah because it was there that Israel tempted the Lord. A very amazing thing here is that the cloud that led Israel by day and the pillar of fire that led them by night was still there.

4. It makes me ashamed to understand what tempting the Lord is. We often tempt the Lord and done even realize what we are doing. May God have mercy on our unworthy souls, and our unworthy lives.

II. Tempting Christ is defined as:

A. The word "tempt" as in Deut 6:16, "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah" Massah has reference to Israel not believing God will do what he said he would do. By their actions and words, Israel believes that God is not with them, nor will he provide for their daily necessities.

1. The context of Deut 6 reveals that this kind of temptation comes when we have received every good thing from the Lord, but fail to see the hand of God’s deliverance in our present "tough" situation.

2. See Deut. 6 for all the good things that God had done for Israel.

3. An example of tempting God:

a. See Exodus 17:2, "Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?"

b. Exodus 17:7, "And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?"

III. Exodus 7:1-7 The story of Massah.

A. Right after Israel received manna from God, they pitched in Rephidim, but had no water.

B. They tempted the Lord, and chided with Moses.

1. Chide means they complained to Moses.

2. They had a confrontation with him.

3. They were the adversary of Moses.

C. Israel didn’t pray about the situation, asking God to give water.

1. Israel didn’t ask God if they were to do anything to get water.

2. Israel didn’t ask God if they had sinned, therefore didn’t have water.

D. Verse 4 – Israel was ready to kill Moses.

E. Verse 7 explains that tempting God is wondering whether God is with them or not.

1. If we would be honest, we have all tempted God.

2. We have all wondered if God is with us or not, especially when times get tough.

3. We seldom stop to think that our problems are caused by our own sinfulness.

4. There are some problems that just come along, but even in these problems, God is trying to teach us something.

IV. Matthew 4 – When Satan tempted Christ, he wanted him to believe God would not provide that which was physically necessary.

A. Satan does the exact thing to us.

1. James 1:14 – "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

2. Temptation comes to us because of that which is inside us, not that which is outside us.

3. If we can only understand this point, we are well on our way to overcoming temptations.

V. The result of tempting God.

A. God sent fiery serpents among the people, and much people died.

Verse 10 - Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

I. Murmuring means to complain or grumble, saying God is not with us, we shall die, we shall not make it this time, so forth.

A. Definitions of the word "murmur."

1. The New Testament translated "murmur" means to grumble.

2. The Old Testament word translated "murmur" means "to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain):--abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night)." So this is talking about a continual complaining because nothing is ever right with them. They always want something changed so they will like it better, but when it is changed, they still don’t like it.

B. I think it is really important to understand the difference between continually grumbling and being uncertain of the future but trusting God in that uncertainty.

1. It is one thing to complain at your circumstances,

2. but it is another thing to trust God when things aren’t going the way you want them to go.

3. We should always trust God, knowing he will work everything out correctly.

4. In bad circumstances, we should never complain about the circumstances, although it is not wrong to ask God for relief, or to ask God to give us better circumstances, or to ask God to fix whatever is wrong.

C. Complaining is doubting God.

1. Faith is believing God will do when there is no evidence (other than the word of God – his promises) that he will do it.

2. Complaining would be the opposite – not believing God in the circumstances around you.

D. We often complain when God doesn’t do what we think he ought to do, when we think he ought to do it.

II. There is no example given in I Corinthians 10 because there are many examples of Israel complaining and God allowing Satan to destroy them, killing that generation in the wilderness because God was tired of hearing them complain.

A. It seems to me that Numbers 14 is a very clear example of God destroying Israel with the destroyer.

1. There are many situations and circumstances which led up to the events of Numbers 14 and God’s final earthly judgment upon this generation.

2. Examples of how Israel’s unbelief led to their decision in Numbers 14 is as follows:

a. Exodus 15:24. See my notes below.

b. Exodus 16:2. See my notes below.

c. Exodus 17:3. See my notes below.

3. Let us never doubt – God will do exactly to us what he did to Israel, if we complain and aren’t satisfied to trust God in bad circumstances.

B. Characteristics of murmuring.

1. They complained about God’s provision for them.

2. They complained to the men God placed over them, as if the had themselves brought them to this place, and could do anything about their present evil circumstances.

3. They would choose other leaders which would do them better.

C. Examples of murmuring.

1. Exodus 15:24 – The people murmured against Moses, saying, what shall we drink?

a. The water of Marah were bitter.

b. Instead of humbling asking God, they complained (murmured) against Moses.

c. Ex. 15:22 – It had been only three days since Israel saw the Red Sea destroy the army of Egypt.

d. The people forget that Moses doesn’t have anything to drink either.

e. Ex. 15:26 – They receive a great promise from God.

f. Ex. 15:27 – They come to a place where there is a well of water for each tribe.

2. Exodus 16:2 – Two months and 15 days after Israel left Egypt, they murmured against Moses and Aaron, believing they would all starve to death.

a. Israel could not "see" with their eyes of flesh how God would provide for them, so God gave them manna every day, and as an extra, he gave them quail on that day.

1) This passage teaches so clearly the mercy of God upon his children when they don’t know how to live by faith.

2) God will gently teach them about his provision, by giving them that which they don’t deserve.

3) When God is merciful to us, we need to recognize he is being merciful to us, and not take his mercies for granted.

b. God sent quail – Exodus 16:13.

1) Later God would send quail and smote the people with a very great plague because they didn’t believe – Numbers 11:33.

2) Numbers 11:33 is a perfect example of taking the mercies of God for granted.

3. Exodus 17:3 – The people murmured against Moses because they don’t have anything to drink.

a. This murmuring turned into tempting God because God had just given them good things, which Israel took for granted.

b. Remember that tempting God is complaining to God about bad circumstances when God had just given us good circumstances.

c. Notice the wrath of the people is always against their leaders.

d. Be very careful when you complain that you don’t complain against your leaders unless your leaders are really to blame.

e. Some people never seem to understand that leaders are in the exact same situation as everybody else.

4. Numbers 14:2 – Israel murmurs against Moses and Aaron at the report of the 12 spies. This is the "straw that broke the camel’s back," resulting in the final earthly judgment of God upon this generation.

a. In this situation, all the preceding temptations and judgment are met.

b. Israel is succumbing to idolatry because they refuse to follow God’s direction, desiring instead to return to Egypt.

c. Israel is succumbing to spiritual fornication because they desire the life in Egypt to the life God has for them in the promised land. They are forsaking the promise God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and desire the pleasures of this world for a season.

d. Israel is succumbing to tempting Christ because God has given them many good things in evidence of the blessings to come.

1) They refuse to believe God will take care of them, even though they still see the cloud leading them by day and the pillar of fire by night.

2) They refuse to believe God will bring them into the promised land even though they are still eating the manna God gave them, and drinking the pure water he has supplied for them along the way.

3) They are still living by sight, not by faith. They refuse to believe the promises of God, so they won’t receive the fulfillment of those promises.

e. Israel is succumbing to murmuring (complaining against their leaders) desiring they had died in Egypt, desiring new leaders of their own choosing, who will lead them back to Egypt, which they forget God has destroyed. Things will never be the way they were, but that is what Israel wants.

1) In effect, Israel does not want God to destroy his enemies. Israel does not want God to establish his kingdom.

2) God will give them what they ask for.

3) This generation will die in 40 years of wilderness wanderings, and the children, whom the parents used as excuses for obedience, will inhabit the promised land.

Verse 11 - 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.

I. These things are our ensamples.

A. Ensamples – types.

B. We will be judged more severely because we have examples in God’s word.

1. The word of God wasn’t in complete in the Old Testament, but the people had the advantage of hearing God speak if they would listen.

2. The word of God (Bible) is complete in our day, so we have the whole of God’s revealed will for fallen mankind.

II. Written for our admonition – note the conjunction "and."

A. Admonition – to call our attention to.

B. A warning of what will happen to us if we do like they did.

III. Upon whom the ends of the world are come.

A. The end of the world will come during the time of the church age.

B. Paul told this to the Corinthian church, which has gone out of existence.

1. Other churches now carry the great commission to all the world.

2. The end of the world will come to the people this letter applies to, particularly the points about temptation.

Verse 12 - Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

I. We may think we are special and our temptations are special, but they aren’t.

A. If we aren’t careful, we will fall, just like Israel fell and died in the wilderness.

1. We can never be sure of our own stedfastness.

2. We can always be sure of God’s stedfastness toward us.

3. He will always give us a way to escape temptations.

4. That way will always be through his word.

Verse 13 - 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.

I. The only way we are going to be overcomers is to understand that everybody goes through these four temptations.

A. Common - human, common to man, after the manner of men.

1. Taken – reached out for you – to get hold of – to seize or remove

2. So Paul is saying that the only temptations we have are those temptations that normally, or ordinarily come upon every man

B. We must learn to stay with Christ through all temptations for he is with us.

II. The Way –

A. Define the problem – where does you particular temptation fit in the four temptations Paul mentioned in verses 7-10.

1. Verse 7 – Idolatry. (you must define what the Bible says idolatry is before you answer.) Not waiting on Christ, not believing his word, doing it our way.

2. Verse 8 – fornication – how does the Bible define fornication?

a. Physical vs. mental – Matthew 5:27,28.

b. Spiritual fornication – the hole in the wall – Ezk. 8:12.

3. Verse 9 – tempt Christ. What is tempting Christ?

4. Verse 10 – murmuring. What does the Bible say murmuring is?

a. God giving good, but us complaining when we don’t continue to receive good.

b. Try counting your blessings instead of complaining about what you don’t have.

c. Don’t blame others when we should be blaming ourselves.

d. We need to be like Job – Job 2:10 – "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."

B. See the result of each of these temptations in the nation of Israel.

1. See the result of individuals in the nation of Israel.

2. Some remained firm for Christ – some failed the test.

C. Determine action to avoid the penalty of God’s judgment. (How to resist temptations.)

1. Doing the following is opening the door of escape so you won’t have to fall into temptations.

2. The way to overcome temptations is found by applying the four common temptations to our lives today.

3. If we look at how Israel failed, we can see how we failed.

4. If we are able to see how Israel failed, we can also see how they should not have failed, then we are able to see how we should not fail.

5. This shows us what we should do.

D. Make application of the word of God to the situation you are in.

1. Idolatry - Wait on the Lord – don’t be like Saul.

2. Fornication - Resist doing what you "feel" you must do – do what you know you should do.

3. Tempting Christ - Do not tempt God by questioning why you don’t have what you think you ought to have.

4. Murmuring - Do not complain about the various situations you find yourself in – submit yourself to God and claim his promises. Don’t blame others.

III. Conclusion.

A. James 1:12-14 – "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

1. These verses explain that temptation is always evil, whether Satan is tempting us, whether we are tempting ourselves, whether we are tempting God.

B. Verse 14 explains we are tempted when we are drawn away of our own lusts and enticed.

1. Lust - a longing (especially for what is forbidden) concupiscence, desire.

2. Enticed – to entrap, delude. Therefore to entice is to fix your mind so on the temptation that you cannot escape.

3. Tempting is not a sin – to sin, or to be enticed (trapped) is a sin.

C. We should be like Job in our temptation. James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."