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“Jesus Christ The Sure Foundation for a

Troubled Church”

Saturday, August 4, 2007

1 Corinthians chapter 10:1-7

“Lessons from the Old Testament”

“…don’t be idolaters…” vs 7

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AWESOME NEWS: Get the Teaching online!

www.EverLastingStrength.org

Isaiah 26:4

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Chapter 1-6 “Issues” Review

• Chapter 1 Idolatry of Famous Teachers• Chapter 2 Idolatry of Worldly Wisdom• Chapter 3 Idolatry prevents spiritual growth• Chapter 4 Absent fathers leaving a hole in

the heart• Chapter 5 idolatry through the generations• Chapter 6a Idolatry leads to the courtroom, • Chapter 6b Idolatry in the bedroom

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Chapter 7-8 “Answers” Review• Chapter 7 Lifetime Covenants• Chapter 8 Idolatry’s hooks

- Partying, drunkedness, feasting, music, worship, orgies

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A study in contrasts:chapters 9 & 10

• Chapter 9– Present– Paul denies himself that the Corinthians can live

• Chapter 10– A look backward– Israel’s self indulgence lead to death

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Corinthian society was filled with idols!!

• Greek - Olympics - Athletic idols• Port City Enslaving Prosperity $$$$ idol• Corinthianize = Sexual immorality - idols• University - Worldly Wisdom - Gnostics

San Francisco +

New Orleans +

Las Vegas =

Corinth, Greece, AD 56

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Read 10:1-14

Read the whole passage (10:1-14)

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Old Testament Story Pictures

• Red Sea - salvation baptism in water• Desert - dying to self, dying to slavery,

learning obedience• Promised Land - Overcoming life,

strongholds destroyed, Abundant life• Jordan - second baptism, empowerment

under Yshua (Moses, Law cannot take you in).

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CompareIsrael & Corinthians

• Both recently born

• Both in desert

• Both receiving fresh Scripture

• Both looking back to slavery

• Both waiting for the return of their leader

• Both complaining, grumbling, testing God, idolatry and sexual immorality

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…and that Rock wasChrist. (10:4)

• In Exodus 17 Moses is told to strike the Rock once: the Law broke the Rock and water flowed.

• In Numbers 20 Moses is told to speak to the Rock and water comes out, but Moses struck it twice

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What can we learn from Moses’ life?

1. God was not pleased with Moses because he violated the pattern.

2. God made him die in the desert.

3. God prevented Moses from going into the Promised Land.

4. Luke 9:30 has Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus on what appears to be Mt Hermon “in glory” Luke 9:31.

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It is possible to displease God in your life and yet be saved.

1. God was not pleased with Moses because he violated the pattern.

2. God made him die in the desert.

3. God prevented Moses from going into the Promised Land.

4. Luke 9:30 has Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus on what appears to be Mt Hermon “in glory” Luke 9:31.

5. Moses was saved eternally.

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Now these things were our examples…

• What follows are four stories that are examples

• Please do not forget the story of Moses while you read these

– Consequences– Grace

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…to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted

(10:6)vs 7 idolatry – 3k people died

vs 8 sexual immorality - 23k people died

vs 9 testing God - killed by snakes

vs 10 grumble - killed by destroying angel

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vs 14 - “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”

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…to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted

(10:6)vs 7 idolatry – 3k people died

vs 8 sexual immorality - 23k people died

vs 9 testing God - killed by snakes

vs 10 grumble - killed by destroying angel

…

vs 14 - “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”

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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. (10:7)

Look phrase by phrase

Look word by word (Greek/Hebrew)

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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. (10:7)

Look phrase by phrase

Look word by word (Greek/Hebrew)

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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. (10:7)

Look word by word (Greek/Hebrew)

Reproduced by courtesy of The Chester Beatty Library © The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (near Cork)

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Idol (Gk eido): a “seen thing”puffed up on air

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You obsess and value something that is worthless

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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. (10:7)

Look phrase by phrase

some of them? some of whom?

written where?

written by whom?

what was written?

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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*. (10:7)

Look up OT quotes!

Be familiar with the OT so you know the stories

Read the whole Bible: all 66 books regularly

*See Exodus 32:6

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Turn to Exodus 32

• Israelites are free from the Egyptians

• They are in the desert

• They wait at the foot of Mt Sinai

• Moses has been gone for many days

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Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people

gathered together to Aaron,

• Idolatry values seen over unseen

• Idolatry is impatient

• Idolatry looks around rather than looking up

• Idolaters gather together

• Idolaters look to men

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and said to him, "Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what

has become of him.” 32:1

• Idolaters talk first• Idolaters talk rather than listen• Idolaters want men to make them gods• Idolaters want gods they can see rather than

the God they cannot• Idolaters want gods rather than God• Idolaters cannot wait for the unseen• Idolaters twist Scripture

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And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your

sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” v 2

• Idolatry despises the golden gift from God: it breaks the gifts

• Idolatry uses the gifts for selfish purposes• Earrings are for servants…• Idolatry devalues your wife• Idolatry tells you to steal from your sons &

daughters

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So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and

brought them to Aaron. vs 3

• The husbands and the fathers now steal from themselves AND their families

• Idolatry gathers

• Beware of priests who are not anointed in oil who take away your worth…

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And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf:

and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. v4

• Idols are man-made• Golden Calf

– Gold - Money– Calf - Fertility – Bull - Power

• 3 gods in one• Idols grow: credit for bringing them up to

freedom

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And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To

morrow [is] a feast to the LORD. v 5

• Idols demands an altar: a place where something dies

• Idols demand something new

• Idolatry imitates the place of worship and the timing of worship

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And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace

offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. v 6

• Idolatry cannot let you rest

• Idolatry demands your service

• Burnt offerings are totally consumed

• Peace offerings bring false peace

• No sin or guilt offerings

• Eating together

• Idolatry often involves drinking

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And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace

offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. v 6

• Playing not praying

• Everyone’s doing it

• 3815 - paizo paheed'-zo – party with singing, dancing, & music

• Money, sex & power - and the worship of pleasure

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And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace

offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. v 6

• Earrings of ownership to God have become a heavy burden

• Idols in your hand prevent you from carrying weapons into the Promised Land

• An altar, worship, and offerings: another unholy trinity

• Playing not preparing for war• Play now: hangover tomorrow

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And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest

out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted [themselves]: v 7

• Idolatry corrupts you

• Your secret, shameful sin is not hidden from God

• Just because everyone’s doing it doesn’t make it right

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8-10 Hurting God’s feelings

• God has feelings

• God gets angry

• God is jealous

• Adultery

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11-14 A picture of Christ

• Moses as a picture of Christ

• Moses intercedes

• Remember Your Promise

• Remember Your Grace

• Remember Your Reputation

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Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your

seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and

they shall inherit [it] for ever. 13

• Abram’s father was an idolater (Jos 24:2)

• Abram’s life as an example of coming out of idolatry

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15-19 Breaking of the Covenant

• Idolatry breaks the covenant

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Reconciliation & Restoration:The path back 20-35

• Wrath is gone

• Consequences remain: death in the desert

• Remember the garden: skins covered the nakedness not the consequences

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Reconciliation & Restoration:The path back 20-35

20 Burn it, grind it, scatter it, and drink it

21-24 The blame game (but see Dt 9:20)

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26-29 surgeon’s sword

30-33 The Law vs. Grace

34-35 Plague of chemotherapy

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A Fruit of Idolatry is Separation

• Separation from God

• Separation from each other

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Idolatry is a Living Sin• Fear leads to more idolatry• Spreads to other areas of your life• Spreads to others• Grows• Spoils your worth• Enslaves you• Kills you• Just like yeast

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Idolatry as a sickness• Distinction: sickness that afflicts vs sickness

that mutates and transfers• Idolatry mutates your spirit and is passed

down• 1Co 5:1 - passed down through generations• Line is preserved until Terah becomes an

idolater ->Abraham-Isaac-Jacob• Read the second commandment

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The Cure for Idolatry

• Sword of the Surgeon

• Plague of Chemotherapy

• Fasting

• Self denial in desert

• Honesty

• Simply water and manna

• Worship of God

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Passover: A Replacement Ceremony!

• Idol feasts– Periodic ritual– Festive Gathering– Feasting– Sexual immorality– Drug abuse– Idol worship– Blood sacrifice– Death for food– Divided families– Meaningless

• Pasover feast – Annual ritual– Festive Gathering– Feasting– Sexual purity– Wine in moderation– God worship– Blood sacrifice– Death for life– United families– Filled with meaning

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Idolatry & Psychology

• Pathological Psychology cannot be discussed apart from a Biblical understanding of idolatry

• Modern Psychology leaves out the Bible because intellectuals have idolized themselves and their knowledge

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Idolatry is all around you• Knowledge - Gives worth to what I know about rather than being

known by Him. A covering for foolishness

• Athletes - Gives worth to seen physical heros that is due to the unseen hero. Gets worth from trying to imitate them. A covering for your missing father

• Money - Gives worth to worthless paper to feel powerful or in control. Gets worth by having more. A covering for unseen poverty

• Sex - Gives worth to seen beauty, takes away to get pleasure, losing worth, A covering for missing manhood

• Power - A sense of control, a sense of worth, an intense pleasure from taking control from others. Manipulation.

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Idolatry is all around you

• Abuse - Takes away worth from another to steal it for yourself, losing worth. A covering for the abuse you received

• Self esteem - Give worth to yourself by what you do. A covering for the missing cross.

• Pleasure - Satisfying an ever-increasing desire. A search for happiness is a cover for lack of Joy. Using God-given pleasure (e.g. eating) in a forbidden way (forbidden tree) is a search for forbidden knowledge.