First Presbyterian Church of
100 North Hillcrest Boulevard
Telephone numbers: (310) 677-5133 Fax (310) 330-8342
Electronic mail: PRESBYTS@SBCGLOBAL.NET
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Rev. Dr. Harold E Kidd
1 Corinthians
10: 1 - 13
EVEN ME
"No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand under
it."
1 Corinthians
10: 13
In our text Paul cautions
his readers to remember the lessons the Israelites learned about God so we can
avoid repeating their mistakes.
"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers (and
sisters), that our forefathers were all baptized under the cloud and that they
all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and
in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual
drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that
rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their
bodies were scattered over the desert.
Paul goes on to say, "Now these things occurred as examples
to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolators, as some of them were; as it is written: The
people sat down toe at and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did - and in one day
twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of tem
did - and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did - and
were killed by the destroying angel."
Then Paul begins his
conclusion on this subject, learning from the history of others by saying,
"These things happened to them as
examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of
the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
do not fall!!"
There are lessons to be
learned from history that we dare not forget.
History proves invaluable in
helping us to understand where we have been. History helps us to be mindful of
our blunders and mistakes in order that we not repeat them. Remembering our
history also helps us to affirm and appreciate our accomplishments in the midst
of challenge and adversity, to encourage us in the living of our present time.
To be mindful that if it had not been for
the Lord on our side where would we be.
The entire book of
Deuteronomy is a book of remembrance. Moses rehearsing God's marvelous works in
the midst of a people's historical faith journey. A people can not know where
they are going, unless they remember where they have been.
Those who fail to heed the
lessons in history are doomed to repeat its
failures. If we have not learned anything as a people of the world from
our mistakes during the dark days and pages of Nazi, Germany, American Slavery,
or the wealth of Catholicism in Latin America against the backdrop of immense
poverty, if we have not learned from our Viet Nams
and Iraqs we are doomed to repeat them. If we do not
learn from the lessons of Rwanda, Ireland, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South
Africa, to name a few, we are doomed to repeat those same mistakes.
The text points out very
clearly that we can learn from our mistakes of the past, and I might add, the
examples, of others, we can learn from those who have come before us. Amen
The Old Testament is the
historical-biblical record of Salvation History. Amen. The word 'testament' means covenant or agreement.
The Old Testament then, is the covenant God made with humanity concerning our
salvation before the coming of Christ. It is the record of Salvation History
prior to Christ. The OT was written for our benefit. It was written to lay the
foundation for God's crowning act of love, in sending us his Son, Jesus.
The Gospel of Matthew begins
with the words, "The book of the
generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham". In
verse 17 Matthew records, "So all
the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David
until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the
carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."
In other words, following
the Fall of humanity personified in the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and
beginning with Abraham… God's unfailing love worked down through 42 generations
of humanity to bring us a Savior, amen, who is Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament is the
historical record of God's unfailing love in the midst of our disobedience and
rebellious nature. God's unfailing love
in the midst of our trials
and temptations. God's unfailing love in the midst of needs. God's unfailing
love in the midst of the darkest hours in the lives of his people. God's
unfailing love in the midst of our one step forward and two steps backward
movement through history.
Perhaps that’s why the
prophet Isaiah in mentioning Jesus, God's fullest expression of love who was to
come, declared in chapter 63 "I will
mention the loving kindness of the lord, and the praises of the Lord, according
to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the
house of Israel." In other words God's unfailing love kept on working
to redeem us in spite of our own continual self-will to err and wander.
And while this is not a
sermon on the OT, Paul uses a page from Old Testament history, to give an
example for believer's living in another time. The depths of God's love in
sending Jesus to redeem us could not be fully understood if we did not have an
Old Testament. Amen.
The Old Testament did not
end on a page of tragedy or hopelessness, nor does Paul. But the Old Testament
was meant to be a bridge to something better. Amen. "In the fullness of time God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption (as God's sons and daughters).
Galatians 4:4
And Paul does not end this
subject on a note of God's judgement. But he goes on to write in verse 13, "No temptation has seized you except
what s common to man." Trials and
temptations happen to everybody. You might think that your situation is
unique or special, but it is not. Others have been where you are. The Psalms
themselves attest to the fact that others have been where you are, and because
of what you or I might be going through this morning, don't feel that God has
singled you out.
And that's one of the
reasons why I love to read the Old Testament because of its rich stories
depicting God's unfailing love in the midst of our sinfulness and broken ness.
There is no experience common to us all which cannot be found in some form of a
story in the Old Testament. And through that story God can speak to us words of
counsel, words of encouragement, words of warning, and words of comfort just to
name a few.
Yes, Paul does not leave is
on a negative note but he affirms, "No
temptation has seized you which is common to man. And God is faithful; he will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." Amen. The word Paul
uses for Temptation is Peirasmos, which has a two-fold meaning. In the
first sense it means trial, being put
to the test, refined as by fire, in the second meaning, it is reference to that
which induces us to sin.
God uses trials to purify
us, make us stronger, to make us spiritually pure as Gold. The devil on the
other hand uses temptation to entice us to commit sin. Experiencing trials and
temptations are unavoidable. Trial and temptation come to everyone. Whether it
be a trial or a temptation they both serve the larger purpose of building us
into Christ-likeness.
And what Paul declares is
that "God is faithful, who will not
suffer us to bear more than we can
handle." So whatever we might be going through, is has been allowed
for our growth in grace and knowledge. Paul is declaring God's faithfulness as
one who himself was constantly living with a Thorn In His Flesh. Help me Holy Spirit.
You see in 2 Corinthians 12,
Paul talked openly about his thorn in the
flesh. And in using the term
flesh, Paul meant his fallen nature. Something God allowed Paul to constantly
live with and by grace to live through. Paul never says what it is. Some have
suggested is was a physical problem Such as ophthalmia
because of his constant problems with his eyes. Some say it was malaria.
Tertullian thought Paul's
thorn was an ailment in his head or ear. Chrysostom thought Paul's thorn was a
particular person like Hymenaeus or Alexander the
metal worker (2 Tim. 2:17; 4:14). Others have suggested it was epilepsy, some
have suggested attacks of depression, others loneliness, others some sexual
misgivings, some have suggested it was a constant enemy such as the Judaizers. Others think it was the memory of his
persecuting the church before he was saved which he could never get over.
But this thorn was given to
prevent him from becoming conceited, puffed up, having an unhealthy sense of
his own importance. This thorn was given to keep him humble, it was given to
keep him on bended knee, it was given to keep him ever clinging to the cross of
Jesus. It was given for Paul's disciplining and chastening. It was given to
manifest the glory of God.
In any case, Paul used a
figure of speech, thorn in the flesh, broad
enough to include any one of us.
Paul describes it as a
weakness. "Therefore, I will boast
all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest upon
me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
strong." When I am weak then I am strong. You see, our weakness
develops us in Christian character, it deepens our worship life with God.
Paul's thorn kept him from
being conceited, it kept others from exalting him beyond that which was
warranted. But Paul's thorn was mainly for him, and yours is mainly for you,
and mine for me. The conclusion of this message is that when you consider
Paul's own personal struggle with his thorn, we can understand and appreciate
even more his statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can
bear up under it."
"Lord, I hear of showers of blessing, Thou art
scattering full and free,
Showers the thirsty souls refreshing, Let some drops
know fall on me!
Even me, Lord, even me. Even me Lord, even me. Let
some drops now fall on me."
Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Sinful though my heart
may be; I am longing for thy favor' Whilst thou art blessing, O bless me!
Even me, Lord, even me. Even me Lord, even me. Let
some drops now fall on me."