[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 17th of May, 2015.]
Before he became Christ’s Apostle Paul, the Pharisee Saul rigorously studied and practiced Mosaic Law and was well versed in the Old Testament scriptures. Throughout his ministry, Paul made good use of that earlier education and experience, often quoting those old texts and making comparisons from them to his current time. Today’s scripture reading is an excellent example of this.
Listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle’s first letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 10, verses 1 through 13, using the Contemporary English Version of our Bible…
Listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle’s first letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 10, verses 1 through 13, using the Contemporary English Version of our Bible…
1 Friends, I want to remind you that all of our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. 2 This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3 All of them also ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. 5 But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.
6 What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. 7 They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around.” So don’t worship idols. 8 Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about twenty-three thousand of them died. Don’t do shameful things as they did. 9 And don’t try to test Christ, as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. 10 Don’t even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.
12 Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. 13 You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.
--1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (CEV)
Let us pray… Father in heaven, give us this day the daily bread of Your word. May Your servant bring only Your message and may Your children hear only Your voice. In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
A man went to his church one day feeling quite burdened with life’s woes and asked his pastor to pray with him. They walked into the sanctuary and the man knelt at the altar with his pastor by his side. As he prayed, he uttered a familiar request, one the pastor had heard many times: “Lord, please take the cobwebs out of my life.” Just at that point the pastor added, “And Lord, please kill the spider.”
Who’s afraid of spiders? That’s kind of one of those irrational fears, like my fear of all snakes, so strong a fear I don’t even like to see them on TV, where I know they can’t hurt me. But maybe we’ll see where fearing the spiders in that little story is not at all irrational.
As I mentioned before reading today’s scripture, Paul often used occurrences from the Old Testament days to draw comparisons to his contemporary times. In this section of his first letter to the members of the church in Corinth, the Apostle is trying to show those modern day Corinthians just how closely they parallel the people of Israel during the days of Moses and their journey through the wilderness.
One rather interesting point I’d like to note comes right in the first verse. Paul is addressing the folks in Corinth, who are mostly Greek by birth and heritage. Yet he uses the phrase “our ancestors” when referring to those who walked with Moses. This would not have been Paul’s audience, or not the majority of it.
We have to look back to chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 of this letter, in Paul’s opening salutation, when he mentions his friend and fellow Christian Sosthenes as being a co-author…
A man went to his church one day feeling quite burdened with life’s woes and asked his pastor to pray with him. They walked into the sanctuary and the man knelt at the altar with his pastor by his side. As he prayed, he uttered a familiar request, one the pastor had heard many times: “Lord, please take the cobwebs out of my life.” Just at that point the pastor added, “And Lord, please kill the spider.”
Who’s afraid of spiders? That’s kind of one of those irrational fears, like my fear of all snakes, so strong a fear I don’t even like to see them on TV, where I know they can’t hurt me. But maybe we’ll see where fearing the spiders in that little story is not at all irrational.
As I mentioned before reading today’s scripture, Paul often used occurrences from the Old Testament days to draw comparisons to his contemporary times. In this section of his first letter to the members of the church in Corinth, the Apostle is trying to show those modern day Corinthians just how closely they parallel the people of Israel during the days of Moses and their journey through the wilderness.
One rather interesting point I’d like to note comes right in the first verse. Paul is addressing the folks in Corinth, who are mostly Greek by birth and heritage. Yet he uses the phrase “our ancestors” when referring to those who walked with Moses. This would not have been Paul’s audience, or not the majority of it.
We have to look back to chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 of this letter, in Paul’s opening salutation, when he mentions his friend and fellow Christian Sosthenes as being a co-author…
1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, who is also a follower.
2 To God’s church in Corinth. Christ Jesus chose you to be his very own people, and you worship in his name, as we and all others do who call him Lord.
--1 Corinthians 1:1-2 (CEV)
I only bring this up so we can avoid confusion, because it is important to understand that Paul is not trying to say that the people in Corinth have historical roots in Moses and the ancient Hebrews, but that the Corinthians may share some of the same fates as the Israelites.
I believe the most emphatic point of this comparison is when Paul equates the deliverance from sin of believers in Jesus and by their baptism in His name, with the deliverance of the children of Israel from their ordeal as identified by and with Moses in verse 2 of our reading today. The Corinthians have enjoyed a taste of God’s deliverance, and through Holy Communion they’ve also eaten of the same spiritual food and drank of the same spiritual drink as Moses and his followers, which Paul proclaims all came from Jesus, both in his time and in Moses’ age.
But as seen in what happened to some of the Israelites in verses 5 through 10, just because the Corinthian believers acknowledge Jesus as Christ and take Communion in His name, they cannot assume that God will be pleased with each one of them without exception. And of course, since this is God’s word for us, we should take note that we cannot make that assumption either. I believe we are still plagued by one of the major concerns that Paul tried to address in the church at Corinth, one aspect of life then and now that could easily cause us not to act in a manner pleasing to God: falling prey to temptation.
Corinth was a metropolitan city, a major hub of trade and commerce, just like many of our major cities today. And just like today, Corinth played host to all manner of tempting vices and choices people could make in how they lived.
Temptation is something mankind has struggled with since man and woman were first created, when they still dwelt in a beautiful garden called Eden. The serpent tempted Eve and she did not resist. Eve tempted Adam and he did not resist. They sinned against God and we’re all still paying the price to this day. In effect, Adam and Eve tried to test God and the command He had given them. Paul warned the Corinthians not to do that, in verse 9 of our scripture reading, or they might suffer a fate like the Israelites did when they tested God in the dessert. Paul didn’t want the Corinthians, or us, to get all smug thinking we might be able to get away with tempting God, even as we allow ourselves to be tempted in so many ways.
God warns us not to test Him or His patience, and not only from the pen of Paul but also in the words He gave His prophet Malachi, in chapter 3 of his book, verses 14 through 15…
I believe the most emphatic point of this comparison is when Paul equates the deliverance from sin of believers in Jesus and by their baptism in His name, with the deliverance of the children of Israel from their ordeal as identified by and with Moses in verse 2 of our reading today. The Corinthians have enjoyed a taste of God’s deliverance, and through Holy Communion they’ve also eaten of the same spiritual food and drank of the same spiritual drink as Moses and his followers, which Paul proclaims all came from Jesus, both in his time and in Moses’ age.
But as seen in what happened to some of the Israelites in verses 5 through 10, just because the Corinthian believers acknowledge Jesus as Christ and take Communion in His name, they cannot assume that God will be pleased with each one of them without exception. And of course, since this is God’s word for us, we should take note that we cannot make that assumption either. I believe we are still plagued by one of the major concerns that Paul tried to address in the church at Corinth, one aspect of life then and now that could easily cause us not to act in a manner pleasing to God: falling prey to temptation.
Corinth was a metropolitan city, a major hub of trade and commerce, just like many of our major cities today. And just like today, Corinth played host to all manner of tempting vices and choices people could make in how they lived.
Temptation is something mankind has struggled with since man and woman were first created, when they still dwelt in a beautiful garden called Eden. The serpent tempted Eve and she did not resist. Eve tempted Adam and he did not resist. They sinned against God and we’re all still paying the price to this day. In effect, Adam and Eve tried to test God and the command He had given them. Paul warned the Corinthians not to do that, in verse 9 of our scripture reading, or they might suffer a fate like the Israelites did when they tested God in the dessert. Paul didn’t want the Corinthians, or us, to get all smug thinking we might be able to get away with tempting God, even as we allow ourselves to be tempted in so many ways.
God warns us not to test Him or His patience, and not only from the pen of Paul but also in the words He gave His prophet Malachi, in chapter 3 of his book, verses 14 through 15…
14 Here is what you have said: “It’s foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful. What do we get for obeying him and from going around looking sad? 15 See how happy those arrogant people are. Everyone who does wrong is successful, and when they put God to the test, they always get away with it.”
--Malachi 3:14-15 (CEV)
Jesus knew we would face great temptation in our lives. He Himself was tempted, over and over again by Satan. Jesus resisted that temptation, but He knew we would struggle. So He wants us to pray to God for help to resist. We often repeat Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew chapter 6 verses 12 through 14…
12 “And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
--Matthew 6:12-14 (NKJV)
I included the first part of that because I have to ask, would we consider not forgiving someone to be a form of succumbing to temptation? For a moment let’s put aside that Jesus warns us that we will be forgiven by God in the same way that we forgive others. If we don’t want to forgive someone because what they did was so hurtful, so horrible, aren’t we allowing ourselves to be tempted by Satan to carry a grudge, to let our anger fester, to wish harm on someone that God created and loves? This is just what we are asking God to deliver us from when we pray as our Lord taught us. We are asking for deliverance from temptation and from the evil one, Satan.
So what tempts us? What are some of our hot buttons? What most easily causes us to act in a way that displeases God? Is it holding a grudge, like I mentioned? Or maybe we just can’t resist spreading some juicy piece of gossip, or passing along some snide comment, or even just believing something bad we hear about other folks.
Do we eat too much, drink too much, want too much? Do we cheat on our taxes, or in our relationships? Do we get caught up in watching internet porn or living a lifestyle that our Bible warns is immoral? What about pride - do we love ourselves far more than we love all others, even more than we love Jesus?
What temptation do we fall prey to? What are our spiders?
Maybe you were wondering how the little story I started out with relates to this message of resisting temptation. The man asked God to clean out the cobwebs in his life; the pastor asked that God kill the spider. Too often we try to clean up the mess we make in our lives without fully dealing with the source of the mess. We’re like doctors who treat the symptoms their patients experience without looking for the underlying cause of the disease.
Why clean out the cobwebs if we leave the spider to create more? Why seek forgiveness of our sin if we don’t stop committing the sin? Why ask for forgiveness if we leave the source of temptation to create more sin?
Lead us not into temptation. We must remove the source of our temptation from our life, or remove ourselves from the source of our temptation when it pops its head up. Kill the spider and you won’t have to keep cleaning up the cobwebs time after time after time.
When we truly examine ourselves and look at those snares the devil places in our path, we may encounter temptations we find humanly impossible to resist. Addictions are forms of temptations that are especially tough to break, whether they addict us in body or spirit, or both. But addictions can be broken, and even the strongest temptations can be resisted.
Jesus told us how, in the prayer He taught us. Paul told us how, in the last verse of today’s scripture reading, verse 13. God gave us the means, the strength to resist Satan’s temptations. All we have to do is pray for His help. But more than that, He will not allow Satan to tempt us more than we can handle! He will show us how to escape temptation if we just ask Him. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one!
Paul includes a warning, in verse 12, that we not get too confident in our own strength to resist, or we just might fall into that or some other temptation trap. But I believe there is a deeper concern in his words, a hidden rebuke to us all. If God will shield us from temptations greater than we can withstand, then we can no longer use our temptations as an excuse for sinning! If we can ask God for help in resisting whatever tempts us the most, then we no longer have grounds for saying the devil and his enticements cause us to sin. We have to face the full responsibility of our actions. It’s easier and ultimately more rewarding to ask for God’s help, and to accept it when given.
So go ahead and clean out the cobwebs. But don’t forget to kill the spider as well.
Amen.
Let us pray… Heavenly Father, no matter what our need might be, You graciously provide a means for that need to be filled. Just as You saw to the needs of the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, You provide for us throughout our lives. You even give us a way to avoid Satan’s snares if we simply ask.
But Father there are just so many of those traps laid all around us. We are bombarded daily, and from all angles, with every manner and type of temptation. Even Paul and those in the city of Corinth could not possibly have dreamed of just how easy it is to find and acquire whatever might delight us, and especially in those actions and behavior that would displease You so much. The internet, the entertainment industry, the people we meet and know and associate with all present us with temptations that are very difficult to avoid. Some, in our own strength, we find impossible to resist. But Father You give us the means to resist if we only ask for Your help. Help us, please Father. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from Satan and his demons. Help us walk away from anything and everything that would cause us to lose Your favor.
Father, we know now that when we ask for that help and when You give it, we can no longer make excuses. Jesus gives us the authority and Your Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist temptation and to behave only in ways that please You. Forgive us, Father. We know our sin, and we understand that we must repent of our sin.
Hear us now, Lord, as we seek Your help, as we offer our repentance from our hearts…
And now, Father, please hear us as we pray in the name of Jesus and as He taught us…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
So what tempts us? What are some of our hot buttons? What most easily causes us to act in a way that displeases God? Is it holding a grudge, like I mentioned? Or maybe we just can’t resist spreading some juicy piece of gossip, or passing along some snide comment, or even just believing something bad we hear about other folks.
Do we eat too much, drink too much, want too much? Do we cheat on our taxes, or in our relationships? Do we get caught up in watching internet porn or living a lifestyle that our Bible warns is immoral? What about pride - do we love ourselves far more than we love all others, even more than we love Jesus?
What temptation do we fall prey to? What are our spiders?
Maybe you were wondering how the little story I started out with relates to this message of resisting temptation. The man asked God to clean out the cobwebs in his life; the pastor asked that God kill the spider. Too often we try to clean up the mess we make in our lives without fully dealing with the source of the mess. We’re like doctors who treat the symptoms their patients experience without looking for the underlying cause of the disease.
Why clean out the cobwebs if we leave the spider to create more? Why seek forgiveness of our sin if we don’t stop committing the sin? Why ask for forgiveness if we leave the source of temptation to create more sin?
Lead us not into temptation. We must remove the source of our temptation from our life, or remove ourselves from the source of our temptation when it pops its head up. Kill the spider and you won’t have to keep cleaning up the cobwebs time after time after time.
When we truly examine ourselves and look at those snares the devil places in our path, we may encounter temptations we find humanly impossible to resist. Addictions are forms of temptations that are especially tough to break, whether they addict us in body or spirit, or both. But addictions can be broken, and even the strongest temptations can be resisted.
Jesus told us how, in the prayer He taught us. Paul told us how, in the last verse of today’s scripture reading, verse 13. God gave us the means, the strength to resist Satan’s temptations. All we have to do is pray for His help. But more than that, He will not allow Satan to tempt us more than we can handle! He will show us how to escape temptation if we just ask Him. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one!
Paul includes a warning, in verse 12, that we not get too confident in our own strength to resist, or we just might fall into that or some other temptation trap. But I believe there is a deeper concern in his words, a hidden rebuke to us all. If God will shield us from temptations greater than we can withstand, then we can no longer use our temptations as an excuse for sinning! If we can ask God for help in resisting whatever tempts us the most, then we no longer have grounds for saying the devil and his enticements cause us to sin. We have to face the full responsibility of our actions. It’s easier and ultimately more rewarding to ask for God’s help, and to accept it when given.
So go ahead and clean out the cobwebs. But don’t forget to kill the spider as well.
Amen.
Let us pray… Heavenly Father, no matter what our need might be, You graciously provide a means for that need to be filled. Just as You saw to the needs of the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, You provide for us throughout our lives. You even give us a way to avoid Satan’s snares if we simply ask.
But Father there are just so many of those traps laid all around us. We are bombarded daily, and from all angles, with every manner and type of temptation. Even Paul and those in the city of Corinth could not possibly have dreamed of just how easy it is to find and acquire whatever might delight us, and especially in those actions and behavior that would displease You so much. The internet, the entertainment industry, the people we meet and know and associate with all present us with temptations that are very difficult to avoid. Some, in our own strength, we find impossible to resist. But Father You give us the means to resist if we only ask for Your help. Help us, please Father. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from Satan and his demons. Help us walk away from anything and everything that would cause us to lose Your favor.
Father, we know now that when we ask for that help and when You give it, we can no longer make excuses. Jesus gives us the authority and Your Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist temptation and to behave only in ways that please You. Forgive us, Father. We know our sin, and we understand that we must repent of our sin.
Hear us now, Lord, as we seek Your help, as we offer our repentance from our hearts…
And now, Father, please hear us as we pray in the name of Jesus and as He taught us…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
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