Faithful Living

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What we do matters. The choices we make matter. Paul therefore both urges us to resist temptation and promises that God will support us as we strive to be faithful.

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1 Corinthians 10:1–13 ESV

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [1]

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Introduction

What we do matters. The choices we make matter. In our focus scripture Paul urges us to resist temptation and promises that God will support us as we strive to be faithful. What is faithful living? what does it look like?

Telemachus

#1. Telemachus

Williams Carey was best known for penning the original translations of the Bible into Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, and Sanskrit, and parts of it into 29 other languages and dialects.Carey was co-founder of Serampore College and a member of the Baptist Missionary SocietyOne Famous Quote of William Carey is: “I can plod, I can persevere to any definite pursuit.”

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-most-influential-christian-leaders-of-all-time/#ixzz5j2Xf3Lkz

That idea was embodied by a monk named Telemachus. We don’t know when Telemachus was born, but we know he died on January 1, 404 AD, because on January 1, 404 AD, there was a gladiatorial match taking place. Now, Christians usually avoided these gladiatorial matches, but Telemachus’ conscience was so bothered that this match was going on after Rome had converted to Christianity that he went to the gladiatorial match. In the middle of it, he jumped down into the arena and separated the gladiators and said, “Don’t do this. Don’t kill each other. You can’t do this. This is murder.” There are different variations of the story, but the earliest account we have says that “the crowd was so incensed that he interrupted their entertainment that they stoned him to death.” He gave up his life to prevent murder in the arena, and he was killed by the audience.

Connection to the Word

When the emperor heard about this, his conscience was so affected by it that he issued an immediate ban on all gladiatorial combat, and there was never another gladiatorial match in Rome — because of Telemachus. A monk put his life on the line. His example and his courage in standing up for the truth, for the idea that human beings have a right to live and murder therefore is wrong, changed an aspect of Roman culture that had existed for hundreds of years.

Connection to the word

Faithful living is having our eyes, our goals on those of God. Telemachus was not focused on himself when he jumped into the arena that day, he was focused on the name and reputation of God. If Christianity is the religion of Rome then Romans should be living like they are Christians. That is no different for us today, is it? If we are followers of Christ then we should be living, as Christ lived. Paul said it this way, he spoke of living in such a way that was “pleasing to God.” Or if we wanted to say it negatively as in our focus scripture living in such a way that “displeased God” as most of the Israelites did in the wilderness.

1 Corinthians 10:1–5 ESV

God was with the Israelites, his provision and protection covered them as a cloud.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Exodus 13:21 ESV

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

God was not pleased with most of them

Exodus 14:13–15 ESV

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

Exodus 14:13–16 ESV

Exodus

Exodus 14:

Exodus 14:26–31 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

If the wilderness generation failed by rejecting the hidden Christ who sustained them in their journey, how much more will the Corinthians, fail if they reject (test) a revealed Christ?

Exodus

Exodus 14:

Exodus 17:1–7 ESV

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Moses and Aaron are disqualified - Not from Salvation but from God’s blessing of entering the promised land

Exodus

Numbers 20:1–7 ESV

And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Numbers 20:1-7

Numbers 20:8–12 ESV

“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Numbers

Moses and Aaron are disqualified - Not from Salvation but from God’s blessing of entering the promised land

The failures of the Israelite people is our same failures of self-discipline - Connection to Lent.

Failure of Self-Discipline and indulgence

Idolatry - Exodus 32

Sexual Immorality - Exodus 32

Testing God - Numbers 21:6

Complaining - : 3-41

Paul is urgently and passionately asking for the Corinthians to remember how the Israelite failed to live faithfully and disappointed God

· Is God’s Power to save People

· Reveals God’s Righteousness

Righteousness:

· God always does what is Just and Right

· God is faithful to his promises

Condition:

· All Nations are trapped (Sin, Idolatry, Guilty of Enmity against God)

· Israel is not saved by the Law, in fact because they are God’s chosen people and were given the law they are (More Guilty) then all the other nations

Good News of the Gospel:

· God sent Jesus

· He became what we are

· So, we could become what Jesus is (Justification by Faith)

Paul is

· Justification by Faith

o New Status: Right with God & Forgiven

o New Family: Included in God’s People

o New Future: Transformed Life

· Who is in God’s covenant family?

o Those who have faith in the one who fulfilled God’s promise

Summary of Romans Chapters 1-4 (will help us understand the rest of Romans)

· All Humanity is trapped in sin and needs to be rescued (Ch 1)

· Rescue won’t happen by trying to obey the laws of the Torah (Ch 2)

· God’s righteousness has rescued the world through Jesus (Ch 3)

· God’s goal is to create the faith-based multi-ethnic family of Abraham (Ch 4)

Orientation: Living the Word

1 Corinthians 10:6–11 ESV

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 10:6-

These things are examples of what not to do for us

Focus Scripture:

· Ultimately showing the New Covenant Family based on Faith

· This is the church today

· Focus on the essential issues and let those unite us

This is an urgent matter

· Show grace to each other on the non-essential issues

God still disciplines his people

· This saving faith is simple and for everyone

The end of the ages has come - Reference to Christ who came, and took the sins of the world on himself who died on the cross and rose again.

· We do not need to go searching for it, it is in our hearts and on our lips.

Hebrews 9:26 ESV

for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews

Closing

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 ESV

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10

pride comes before the fall

Humility is a mark of faithful living

"A Charge to Keep I Have" Lyrics

Religious Music

The United Methodist Hymnal Number 156 Text: Katherine Hankey, 1834-1911 Music: William G. Fischer, 1835-1912 Tune: HANKEY, Meter: 76.76 D with Refrain

A charge to keep I have, God to glorify. A never dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.

HHH 62

To serve to present age, My calling to fulfill. O may it all my powers engage To do my Master's will!

1. I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love. I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. Refrain: I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love. 2. I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. (Refrain) 3. I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat what seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet. I love to tell the story, for some have never heard the message of salvation from God's own holy Word. (Refrain) 4. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, 'twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long. (Refrain)

Arm me with jealous care, As in Thy sight to live, And O, Thy servant, Lord, prepare, A strict account to give.

Let us pray!

Help me to watch and pray, And on Thyself rely. Assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die...

Holy Communion

A SERVICE OF WORD AND TABLE II

Communion Liturgy:

INVITATION

Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,

Who earnestly repent of their sin

And seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

CONFESSION AND PARDON

Merciful God,

We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart,

We have not done your will,

We have broken your law,

We have rebelled against your love,

We have not loved our neighbors,

And we have not heard the cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All pray in silence

Leader to people:

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

That proves God’s love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

People to leader:

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Leader and people:

Glory to God. Amen.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

Always and everywhere to give thanks to you,

Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.*

And so,

With your people on earth

And all the company of heaven

We praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.*

By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection

You gave birth to your church,

Delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

And made with us a new covenant

By water and the Spirit.*

On the night in which he gave himself up for us

He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,

Gave it to his disciples, and said:

“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over. He took the cup,

Gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

“Drink from this, all of you;

This is my blood of the new covenant,

Poured out for you and for many

For the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it,

In remembrance of me.”

And so,

In remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,

We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving

As a holy and living sacrifice,

In union with Christ’s offering for us,

As we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,

And on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,

That we may be for the world the body of Christ,

Redeemed by his blood.*

By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

One with each other,

And one in ministry to all the world,

Until Christ comes in final victory,

And we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

Now and forever.

Amen.

And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray;

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

Forever, Amen.

BREAKING THE BREAD

The pastor breaks the bread and then lifts the cup, in silence or with appropriate words.

GIVING THE BREAD AND CUP

The body of Christ, given for you. Amen

The blood of Christ, Given for you. Amen

The bread and wine are given to the people.

DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING

Go forth in peace,

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

And the love of God,

And the communion of the Holy Spirit

Be with you all.

Amen.

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