Sermon Tone Analysis

Stand for the reading of our passage this morning.

Pray.

Introduction

Nearly 2 ½ months ago we set aside our study in Corinthians to look at the Five Solas of the Reformation and then celebrate the Incarnation.

We now make our way back to this insightful and convicting letter from Paul.

To catch us back up to the context in which we find our particular statement this morning, let me outline for you the immediate preceding context of 1 Corinthians 10.

Divine guidance, protection, and presence.

(1) The cloud led them.

(2) The cloud protected them.

(3) The cloud was the presence of God.

Elite identification.

Paul tells us that the people of Israel were “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor 10:2).

They were associated with and identified with Moses and also committed to Moses as their leader.

The baptism into Moses is set up as a type for what would come later, that being baptism into Christ.

In the same way that Moses was Israel’s deliverer and the people followed him, Christ is the believer’s deliverer and we are to follow him.

Spiritual Nourishment.

(1) Manna was provided.

(2) The rock supplied water.

(3) The rock was Christ.

Israel was delivered from bondage to Egypt and shortly after was baptized into Moses and in the cloud and in the sea.

This baptism was followed by the imagery of communion with Christ in the bread (manna) and the water (from the rock).

The imagery of these two elements (baptism and communion) remained with them through their wilderness wanderings until they reached the promised land.

This order of events is magnificently similar to the experience of the New Testament believer.

We are delivered from bondage to sin, baptized into the body of Christ (and physically baptized), experience communion with Christ in the Lord’ Supper.

And these two elements (our baptism in Christ, and communion with Christ) are present with us until we reach our promised land – heaven.

Prompted by these amazing realities, Paul pauses for a moment and with the heart of a shepherd urges these beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Cor 10:14).

What are we to do? Flee.

What does it mean to flee?

The concepts we find in a lexicon are “escape, shun, vanish, quickly disappear.”[1]

Fleeing requires aggressively moving in the opposite direction.

Too often we treat sin (our specific areas of temptation) with little more than a passing wave of the hand.

We kick the dirt and shake our fist but don’t actually move any further away from our sin.

We wish it was gone from our lives, but do little to distance ourselves from it.

Don’t try to find a comfortable spot close to the action.

Get out of there.

Dramatic.

Fleeing is going to cost you.

Consider what fleeing may have meant for the Corinthian believer.

Relationships likely were sacrificed or hindered.

Typical activities within their normal peer groups may have been sacrificed.

Really awkward moments may have been the order when with family and friends.

Their choice to flee could have resulted in real challenges, embarrassment, awkwardness, and relational hardships.

In the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is talking with his disciples about the temptation to sin.

He shares some rather dramatic advice.

Jesus point is not to be taken literally, but instead is to be understood to teach that when we are confronted with a temptation to sin, we are to take drastic measures in fighting against it.

Fighting sin, fighting idolatry, is not something we do passively or flippantly.

It is going to demand a cost, but a cost that will be well worth the reward.

In the context of dramatic, consider Paul’s advice in chapter eight to the stronger believer.

If we come to realize that a weaker brother might stumble into sin against his own conscience, Paul concludes in 1 Corinthians 8:13, “if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

This could be dramatic, a willingness to give up a right for the spiritual health of a brother.

Ongoing Action.

This command to flee is a present imperative and communicates ongoing action.

There is never a point where you will cease fleeing.

Too often in our Christian lives, we come to the point where we’ve addressed an issue or beat a problem, so we begin to slack off.

We may think, “I’m safe now.

I’ve overcome.”

This command doesn’t really allow for that kind of thinking.

There is never a moment where we make concession with our idolatrous lusts, those things our sinful hearts treasure.

Balanced.

I hesitate to make this point, but the overall context of 1 Corinthians seems to demand it.

While fleeing is to be active and dramatic, the rest of the chapter indicates that this dramatic and active battle against idolatry must be balanced with normal life.

In this same chapter (vs.

23-30), after having told them to flee idolatry, he tells them to buy “whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience;” and two verses later he says, “If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.”

In this passage Paul gives two principles, that we’ll later discuss in more depth, that must be considered when balancing our dramatic and active fleeing from idolatry.

(1) Consider other people.

Immediately after telling the recipients to just eat whatever is set in front of them, he tells them to not eat it if the person mentions that the food has been offered in sacrifice.

We are to avoid eating it for their conscience.

We are to be considerate to them.

(2) Whatever we do, eat or not, do all for the glory of God.

What are we to flee from?

Idolatry.

What is idolatry?

Let me offer a simple definition for idolatry and then we’ll work to a deeper understanding.

Stuart Scott offers a helpful definition in his book The Exemplary Husband.

“An idol is anything that we consistently make equal to or more important than God in our attention, desire, devotion, and choices.”[2]

This definition would indicate that idols extend well beyond the sort that are made with hands and physically reside in a “holy place.”

Idolatry is much more than offering incense to or bowing before an object of some kind.

Idolatry is any passion, idea, philosophy, habit, hobby, etc. that has become the source of primary concern or loyalty, specifically equal to or above a trust and loyalty to Christ.[3]

Idolatry in light of synonymous biblical terms.

The additional terms throughout Scripture offer us a more robust understanding of idolatry.

The Old Testament refers to concepts such as craving, lusts, and idolatry of the heart.

The New Testament adds to lusts and idolatry, terms such as enticing desires, slaves to various passions, and entanglement.[4]

Idolatry in Ezekiel 8:5-18.

Both the Old and New Testaments tie idolatry to the heart.

The clearest passage to do so is found in Ezekiel, chapters 8-14.

Consider with me the setting of Ezekiel 8 which leads to God’s statement about idolatry of the heart in Ezekiel 14.

In chapter 8, the elders of Judah are sitting with Ezekiel and desire to receive counsel from God through him.

While they are sitting with him, an angelic being lifts him “between earth and heaven” (Ezekiel 8:3) and takes him to the temple in Jerusalem.

Before we look further into this, let me add that I don’t think that Ezekiel was taken physically to Jerusalem and saw the things that are described.

I believe he saw a vision of what was either going on literally or more likely symbolically.

Ezekiel is taken to Jerusalem in the vision.

Imagine with me for a minute that I am Ezekiel.

God turns to me and says, "Ezekiel, look toward the north."

So I looked toward the north and I saw to the north of the altar gate an idol at the entrance.

I was disgusted with the sight.

God informed me that I would see much greater abominations (Ezekiel 8:5-6).

He took me to the entrance of the court and I saw a hole in the wall.

God told me to dig through the wall, so I did.

I dug until I found an entrance and I entered into the court and saw carved on the walls forms of every creeping thing and beasts alongside of the idols of Israel.

In front of those idols were the seventy elders of Israel worshipping them in the dark, assuming that God could not see them.