we are no different…1 Cor. 10:1-11 (NLT)

¹ I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago.

Paul was concerned that the Corinthian believers were unaware of their spiritual history. He wants to eradicate their ignorance, and replace it with historically accurate truth. The following historical facts he considers crucial to their present walk:

All of them

were guided by a cloud

that moved ahead of them,

and all of them

walked through the sea

on dry ground. ²

In the cloud

and in the sea,

all of them were baptized

as followers of Moses.

³ All of them ate the same spiritual food,

⁴ and all of them drank the same spiritual water.

For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them,

and that rock was Christ.

Paul considers it significant that they were “all” guided by the same cloud, walked through the same sea, and traveled the same ground. They were all “baptized” into the same group as followers of Moses, ate the same “spiritual food” and drank the same “spiritual water”. Their source for all of this was….drum roll please….Christ!

How shocking this would have been for a Jewish believer to comprehend. Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the Church, was also the source of life for Israel thousands of years prior to His birth! They had the same Jesus we do. They were eerily similar to a “church”. They had a community with shared experiences and teaching – and where did it get them?

⁵ Yet God was not pleased with most of them,

and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Ouch! Could Paul possibly have been more harsh? They (the Jewish slave escapees from Egypt) were quite similar to us (believers in Corinth/Kirkwood). And the punch line is --- they were NOT acceptable to God. Somehow, they disqualified themselves.

⁶ These things happened as a warning to us,

so that we would not crave evil things as they did, ⁷

or worship idols as some of them did.

Yikes, their deaths became our object lesson. Their God is my God. Their disobedience my disobedience. Why am I not more afraid that their fate could become mine?

As the Scriptures say,

“The people celebrated

with feasting and drinking,

and they indulged in pagan revelry.”

Shouldn’t I be trembling? My carnal cravings also lead to death. Here are take-home lessons Paul shouts out:

⁸ And we must not engage in sexual immorality

as some of them did,

causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

Purity – a theme we have seen before in 1 Corithains. Absolutely essential for a child of God. God does not accept our immorality or our excuses. Are you failing morally? Get help! Are you struggling with a sexual addiction or fantasy? Seek counsel. The battle is not won alone. Losing this battle is not an option.

⁹ Nor should we put Christ to the test,

as some of them did

and then died from snakebites.

Testing God – a sin of unbelief. How big is my faith? Some of Israel’s faith was small enough to deserve venomous snakebites. Perhaps I should focus on growing my faith and increasing my dependence on God.

¹⁰ And don’t grumble as some of them did,

and then were destroyed by the angel of death.

Complaining – another theme of 1 Corinthians that seeps from many pages. Learn to be content! Stop being negative and muttering about how poor your life is. Do you think the angel of death is dead? I don’t think Paul believed that!

¹¹ These things happened to them as examples for us.

They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

You mean we are not all that different? That is exactly Paul’s point.

Catching (not casting) Crowns…1 Cor. 9:24-27

²⁴ You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. ²⁵ All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. ²⁶ I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! ²⁷ I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. --- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message)

What are you doing in your life right now that is putting you on track for a heavenly gold medal? Are you investing heavily in a person, missionary, Christian organization? Are you praying regularly and passionately for God to intervene in a crucial situation? Are you volunteering your time to serve Christ? Is there something, anything, in your life that merits a gold medal?

The Apostle Paul was convinced that he was running in a competition. He was not satisfied with the silver or bronze – just as most Olympic athletes scorn any medal other than the coveted gold. If you’ve been watching the Beijing 2008 Olympics, you even saw an athlete throw his bronze medal down and walk away. Paul too wanted to win the 1^st place prize (vs. 24).

Some people run for fun. Others run to win. Put Paul in the latter camp. He appeals to us to do the same: “Run in such a way that you may obtain it (the prize)” (vs. 24b). Olympic athletes run to win a medal they can’t take with them when they die. Christians run to win a medal that is “imperishable”.

Last night some high-profile runners were disqualified from the men’s 200 meter race after finishing 2^nd and 3^rd. Why? They ran out of their lanes!

Paul was extremely concerned that he might be disqualified. Rigid personal discipline is how Paul kept himself from elimination (vs. 27).

The greatly admired and respected Apostle Paul took extreme risks for Christ. He ran to win. He was competing for a permanent crown. He did whatever it took to remain in the race and stay in his “lane”. What are you competing for? Are you running for fun, or to win?

Iowa Testimonies

This video tells a bit of our story from Cedar Falls, Iowa. Annie, Sommer, Dani, Brittany, and I spent a week (July 28-Aug 2) volunteering with Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief - and it was life-changing!!!

Incarnation evangelism... 1 Cor. 9:19-23

Perhaps one of the most misquoted and misunderstood portions of the New Testament. People often use this paragraph to justify all kinds of behavior. What exactly was Paul talking about when he penned the following?:

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

Is Paul saying that we can become like the people we are trying to reach? This is the typical interpretation. (This is why ministries are using all sorts of questionable methods to win people to Christ.)

I don't believe Paul is saying that at all! In fact, he tries quite clearly to state otherwise: "...not being without law toward God..." (vs. 21). This idea of using any means to win people to Christ is not a new idea - Paul mentioned it in Romans 11:13-14. Yet before we jump on the "end justifies the means" bandwagon, some thought is needed.

My favorite question to ask "ends justify means" people is this - I am going to build a bar onto our church. It will surely draw big night time crowds. While people are drinking and having a good time, there will be Christians mingling with them seeking to win them for Christ. Is this right? I have never gotten a "yes"! Why is that? Most people admit boundaries, they simply don't know how to think biblically about these boundaries.

Who is the very best example of being all things to all men, and yet remaining within the boundaries? Jesus! His incarnation allowed Him to serve, love, and free humanity from sin. He took on skin to bring Good News. He became a human, yet He retained His perfection.

Do you allow yourself to mingle with "bad people", also known as sinners? Do you take on their "skin" --- stoop to their level? Do you identify with them on a level you perhaps feel uncomfortable with? Paul did. I call this incarnation evangelism.

I think last weekend we practiced this by being at the Kirkwood Fair. For some, the crowds were perhaps "beneath" you. Perhaps the "carnies" gave you shivers. Did you care about their souls? Many of you did - enough to spend time giving away literature that could change their lives.

That's what incarnation evangelism is all about. It is about putting my preferences and comforts aside for the sake of anther's soul. It is caring more about the lost than my sensitivity.

Perhaps one of the best explanations of this passage comes from Eugene Peterson's Message paraphrase:

¹⁹ Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: ²⁰ religious, nonreligious, ²¹ meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, ²² the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. ²³ I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (The Message)

Jesus wants us to do the same - get out of your church building! Stop staying in the team huddle. Stop drinking other people's medicine - the world needs it more than you do! Go out with the sinners. Befriend them. Eat with them. Go shopping with them. Love them. Don't practice their sin. Love their soul. Share hope with them. Practice incarnation evangelism!

How much does the Gospel cost you?

1 Corinthians 9:15-18 (NLT)
¹⁵ Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. ¹⁶ Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! ¹⁷ If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. ¹⁸ What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.

We have just heard from Will discussing Chapter 8 and the "right to party". Then we heard from Ralph discussing Chapter 9, verses 1-14 and the Paul's authority to be an apostle and expect to be paid. Now we see 9:15-18, and Paul essentially says that although all these rights are his, he gladly takes advantage of none of them.

As I contemplate on this week's text, I find myself asking some rather interesting questions:

• What does the Gospel cost me?
• How serious do I take my Christian calling?
• Am I ever content in keeping the truth to myself?
• What are my motives for helping in ministry?
• Do I find pleasure in sharing Christ with people?

Paul said that he was "compelled" to share the Good News (vs. 16). Do you ever feel compelled to share Christ?

Be Like Paul? 1 Cor. 7:25-40

We are biting a big chunk from 1 Corinthians this week, but this passage is really one main thought. I believe that the major question Paul seems to be answering is: "As parents, what do we do about our single daughters?" His answer speaks to married & unmarried alike:

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (The Message)
²⁵ The Master did not give explicit direction regarding virgins, but as one much experienced in the mercy of the Master and loyal to him all the way, you can trust my counsel. ²⁶ Because of the current pressures on us from all sides, I think it would probably be best to stay just as you are. ²⁷ Are you married? Stay married. Are you unmarried? Don’t get married. ²⁸ But there’s certainly no sin in getting married, whether you’re a virgin or not. All I am saying is that when you marry, you take on additional stress in an already stressful time, and I want to spare you if possible.

²⁹ I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, ³⁰ grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. ³¹ Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.

³² I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you’re unmarried, you’re free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. ³³ Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, ³⁴ leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. ³⁵ I’m trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.

³⁶ If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a “single,” and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It’s no sin; it’s not even a “step down” from celibacy, as some say. ³⁷ On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it’s entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it. ³⁸ Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness.

³⁹ A wife must stay with her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she chooses. She will, of course, want to marry a believer and have the blessing of the Master ⁴⁰ . By now you know that I think she’ll be better off staying single. The Master, in my opinion, thinks so, too.

A few questions:
1) What is this "present distress" or "current pressures" in verse 26?
2) Does Paul view Christ's coming as more immanent than we do? Is this a problem?
3) What are the benefits/drawbacks of marriage?
4) What are the benefits/drawbacks of singleness?
5) What is motivating Paul to recommend singleness?
6) Should we be doing more as a church to promote & celebrate singleness?

No "if only" Living - 1 Cor. 7:17-24

A big thanks to Ralph for teaching class last Sunday! I am sure that you were blessed as he shared his thoughts on this very difficult passage. I have been meditating on it for weeks now, and want to share some of my own questions:

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
¹⁷ Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

¹⁸ For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. ¹⁹ For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.

²⁰ Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. ²¹ Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. ²² And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

²³ God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. ²⁴ Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

When I read Paul’s writings, they either leave me scratching my head or holding my convicted heart. This passage does both – after my initial confusion I am awed and convicted. Does this really apply to me? I think it does – and I believe this applies to you too!

The questions that Paul raises are tough – and our answers will reveal our deepest longings.

Vs. 17 – Have I learned to be content with my current living situation?

Vs. 18 – Do I wish to reverse pre-conversion choices that I now regret?

Vs. 19 – What is the most important thing in life?

Vs. 20 – How should I live today?

Vs. 21-23 – Who do I belong to?

Vs. 24 – Must I remain in my current situation?

Ask yourselves these questions. Be very specific with your answers. We will discuss our thoughts on Sunday.