Temptation - Part 1 - 1 Corinthians 10:13

0:00Thank you! is a lamb unto my feet and delight unto my path. Welcome to Searchlight, a survey through Scripture with Pastor John Corson. It is our desire to bring you a systematic study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter book by book.

1:06Are you frustrated with temptations? Does giving into your fleshly desires just seem too well-tempting? Today we are going to get some godly perspective on the subject of temptation. Our study comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 10, where the Apostle Paul is giving us some very important information about temptations. With our study here now is Pastor John. Now 1 Corinthians chapters 8, 9 and 10 deals with Christian liberty. The Apostle Paul makes that fabulous proclamation. All things are lawful unto me. Gang we are truly set free from the rules and the regulations of religiosity. And I'm real thankful for that fact. We are

2:07the freest of all people. And in chapters 8, 9 and 10, Paul is sharing with the Corinthian congregation about their liberty in Christ. Now in chapter 10, in the first 12 verses, Paul though in light of Christian liberty gives a word of caution, a word of caution. And then in verse 13, he gives a word of comfort. He gives a word of caution though first because he says, although you are free, be careful. For there was another group in history who was also set free, who had real liberty. That group, the Jewish people, oh you know the story, they were in Egypt for 400 years. They were in bondage. They were forced to bake bricks under the brutal blistering

3:14sun. They were in awful, horrible, brutal conditions. They cried out to the Lord and we are told they're an exodus that the Lord raised up a deliverer. One who would lead them out as they were being set free. That man's name was Moses. And the Lord miraculously worked through Moses as Moses led out three million Jews, led them out of Egypt on their way to a land of promise, a good land, a land that flowed with milk and honey, a land that is representative for you and me of the land the Lord wants us living in the spirit filled life. Now for you Bible students, you know that Egypt is a type of the world. Once we were enslaved in Egypt, brutal conditions serving the task

4:20master of this world system of Satan and of our own fleshly inclinations. And we were in bondage, we cried out to the Lord and the Lord set us free through a deliverer, a greater than Moses, Jesus Christ. And now we are free. Our sins are forgiven and forgotten. He's led us out of this Egyptian worldly system. And he wants to take us into the land of promise, the spirit filled fruitful abundant life. We're free, but Paul is declaring a word of caution for you, a word of caution for me. The people of Israel were also set free, but that generation, three million in number, man, they didn't make it in to the land of promise because they abused their liberty. And consequently, all three million with the exception of

5:28Joshua and Caleb were wiped out in that wilderness. Paul says, learn a lesson. Don't repeat the mistake of Israel who having been set free, messed up and missed out in moving into the land of promise, you see. Now, how do they mess out? Or how do they mess up, pardon me, and mess out? Paul says, well, first of all, in chapter 10, they were lusting after evil things, verse six. They were lusting after meat. God was providing for them manna every day. But you see, they wanted something else. They wanted something more. They wanted meat. And finally, the Lord let them have their way and sent them quail. And they scarfed it down so hedonistically that they began to blow it up. It began to be barfed out. And it came out of their nostrils. We are told in the Psalms quite literally. And they

6:33died by the thousands. That's what lust does. You see, lust is never satiated. It's never satisfied. You just want more and more. And Paul says, be careful, a word of caution. You're free. All things are lawful unto me. But don't be lusting after more and more. Be satisfied with what you have in the chronicle yesterday. Interesting article. Some newly rich people talking specifically of lottery winners who'd never before been sick have come down with the whole string of maladies after they've made or won their money. So common is this phenomena among newly rich people that psychiatrists have now come up with a term for it. Affluenza. I like that. You see, getting a lot but wanting more and diving into their fleshly indulgences, they're becoming sick people quite literally. And

7:38that's what the word warns you and me to avoid. Hey, you're free. But don't indulge your fleshly lusts. You see, secondly, he says not only do these people miss out on the promised land because they messed up lusting, but also idolaturizing verse seven. That is they made a golden calf. And again, you know the story. They made a golden calf and they danced around it nakedly. And the Lord wiped out thousands of them because of their idolatry. They're misusing liberty. You say, hey, no problem for us today. We don't have golden calves. No, we have the Chicago bulls. You see a lot of people don't take time for the word or won't come to church because they're dancing around the bulls watching the bulls play. We idolize sports stars and movie celebrities. We don't have time for the Lord. It's not

8:38important for us to be in the congregation in the assembly because we have our own golden calf. We live in a culture that is caught up in all kinds of idols. Paul says be careful. Watch out that you don't fall into putting something else or someone else before the Lord. That is idolatry. Then he says also not just lusting for more and having something or someone else more important than the Lord, but watch out verse eight for fornication because they committed fornication verse eight and 23,000 fell in a single day because of the sin of fornication. We're seeing that happen in our society. And it's happening even in Christian congregations in Christian community. People are falling like flies to fornication. Our culture is going crazy. Things are unraveling and really fornication is a huge problem. It robs people of their liberty. It robs them of their sanity. And Paul says watch out a word of caution. Yeah, you're free. But don't abuse your liberty in getting involved with in flirting with sexual immorality.

10:06And then he says a fourth thing which caused them to miss out on the promised land, mess up in their wilderness journeying. They were murmuring verse nine and ten. Tempting Christ murmuring. Now what does murmur mean? The original word in the Greek bummer. That's what it is. Not really. It's the same idea. People just going bummer bummer or murmur, murmur, murmur. This is a bummer. That's a bummer. It's even as it sounds. You're just kind of griping. Just kind of sniveling. Unthankful, ungrateful, complaining, complaining about the boss that you have or the wife that you're with or the house that you live in or the car that you drive. murmur, murmur, murmur, bummer, bummer, bummer. Careful because in so doing murmuring or bummering what you are doing is tempting Christ.

11:10Now they would say what do you mean tempting Christ? We were murmuring against Moses. If you check out the reference, that's true. They were mad at Moses. They wanted to get rid of Moses, but Paul says in reality by complaining about Moses, they were tempting Christ because Christ, the Lord, is the one who allowed Moses to be in the position that he was in. And so if they're complaining or murmuring or bummering about Moses, they're actually tempting, complaining, murmuring about Christ. That's true for you and for me. If I'm mad at my boss or unhappy with somebody I'm linked to or upset with something that I have and I go about bummering, complaining, murmuring in reality I'm tempting Christ. Because he's the one who allowed that person to be in the place over me or he's the one that allowed me to be in the position where I'm working presently or whatever it might be.

12:16So if you're complaining about your boss, about your spouse, about your house or your mouse or whatever, know this. You're actually tempting Christ because he is the one who is allowed that to be. Paul says careful. Here's four things, man, that will keep you out of the fruitful, spirit-filled, promised land. Now when I read this, I go, wow, a word of caution, I hear you, Paul, because I know my vulnerability, you know yours as well, that we are vulnerable to bummering, murmuring or perhaps fornicating or perhaps idolatrising or perhaps lusting for more materially. We have our own vulnerabilities, then Paul, after that word of caution, comes right back with a word of comfort. After a word of warning comes a word of warming, I like that. He warms me, he warms you when he says in this comforting word now, verse 13,

13:27there has no temptation taken to you, but such as is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with that temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. Fabulous, glorious, here's a word of comfort for you. Two things to note here, if you're a note taker. First of all, an enlightening premise, an enlightening premise, and then an encouraging promise. What's the enlightening premise? The enlightening premise is the first part of verse 13. No temptation you're going through is unique just to you. It's common to man, it's common among men. So often people say, well, I'm embarrassed to share that vulnerability or that temptation or that problem because, man, nobody else is going through that.

14:37Nobody else is thinking thoughts like that. Nobody else is struggling with that, not soul. You would be shocked if you knew the temptations of the people sitting right next to you. Temptations are common to every man and temptation in and of itself is not sin. The temptation is not sin, you see. And it's common to every man. People go through every sort of imagination and problem that could be possible. Temptations are common, you're not alone. Now, not only are you not alone as it relates to people, others are going through what you're wrestling with. But even more importantly, not just common to all man, but it's common to the son of man, Jesus Christ. This is what I really like. Jesus has gone through and has been tempted by every single possible temptation without exception.

15:49How do I know that? The book of Hebrews says very clearly, I'll read it to you, you can jot it down. Hebrews chapter 4, it says in verse 15, for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our weaknesses. But he was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. So let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Tempted in all points, he understands. We have a compassionate high priest, Hebrews 2 says, it behoved him in verse 17 of Hebrews 2, listen carefully to be made like his brethren, like us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God and to make reconciliation for the sins of people.

17:04For in that he hath himself suffered being tempted, he is able to strengthen those who are tempted. Hebrews 2, 17 and 18. Jesus, our high priest tempted in all points. Now, I've told you before, attemptation is not a temptation unless it's a temptation. You put a plate of Brussels sprouts before me and we're not talking temptation. Watch my willpower, no, I will say powerfully, persuasively. But you put a hot fudge Sunday in front of me, now we're talking temptation. Temptation is not a temptation unless it's tempting. Now there are certain sins which I'm tempted to engage in. Other sins I can't understand how anybody could be vulnerable to even thinking about that. It's gross, it's unthinkable, despicable.

18:12But you know what? Jesus was tempted in all points. He was truly tempted, no matter what sin a person is wrestling with, no matter how bizarre or perverted it might be. Jesus does not look upon you, tempted in that sin, saying, what's wrong? You despicable person, he says, I know. I was tempted. I didn't give in. But I was tempted in all points. Amazing. So be encouraged. Here's an enlightening premise. Jesus understands. He really was tempted with the same temptation whatever it is that you're tempted by. It's common to all men and it's certainly common to the son of man, Jesus Christ, you're not alone. It's an enlightening premise. But notice here quickly, not only is it an enlightening premise, but man, it's an encouraging promise. I love this verse.

19:20No temptation is calm, no temptation, no temptation comes unto you except that it's common to man, to every man to the son of man and then comes the encouraging promise. But God is faithful. Oh, you might be fickle. I might be frail, but God is faithful. God is faithful. We might be faltering and falling, but God is faithful. And he will not allow me to be tempted above what I am able. He will not allow that temptation to become too intense. He will not allow that temptation to become too hard. But in every case, this one who relates to me, this one who cares about me is watching over me and says, Johnny, I'm going to make a way of escape.

20:20Sometimes I close my eyes and say, well, I don't see it, but in reality, it's always there for you and for me. Always there will be in the moment of temptation, a way of escape. Absolutely. You say, well, John, that's great as far as it relates to theory that makes a nice comforting theology. But how does that work out practically? How does that flesh out in my situation, rhyme vulnerable to murmuring about my job or lusting after that Lexus or prone towards immorality? How does it work out? How does it flesh out? Listen, gang, whenever you want to know, whenever I need to know how some theology fleshes out, you always look to the one who is the word becoming flesh, Jesus Christ.

21:31It's called the incarnation, the word becoming flesh and dwelling among us as John one tells us. See, we're not talking theology or theory, but we can see it work out practically. Turn with me quickly to Matthew chapter four. And we'll see how this flesh is out. Jesus tempted in Matthew chapter four in a very real and profound way. And yet he shows us the way of escape for you and me when we are tempted in our situations, you see. Now, at the end of chapter three, Jesus Christ, been baptized in the Jordan River. As he came out of the water, he heard a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

22:35Why, how would you like to hear that on the way home today? A voice from heaven saying that you, you specifically are his beloved son or daughter in whom he is well pleased. It must have been a glorious hour for Jesus to hear audibly the voice of his father from heaven saying to him tenderly, I'm well pleased with you son. This is my beloved son. Immediately after that, he is driven into the wilderness or the desert where he is about to be tempted by Satan in a profound and significant way. And we will look at those temptations of Jesus on our next program. Please join us again then as we look at some very practical ways to resist temptation. We'll see you then.

23:38This teaching is also available on the Searchlight website at johncorson.com. You will also find on the website, Pastor John's Books and Other Bible Study Resources. Again, the address of the website is johncorson.com. The Searchlight Radio Program is available as a podcast. This means that you can download the program to your mobile phone, computer, tablet or other mobile device and listen to it at your convenience. For complete information, please check out the podcast page on the Searchlight website at johncorson.com. Searchlight is a listener-supported ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. May the Lord richly bless you.

24:49The Searchlight Radio Program is available on the Searchlight website at johncorson.com. The Searchlight Radio Program is available on the Searchlight website at johncorson.com.

25:49The Searchlight Radio Program is available on the Searchlight website at johncorson.com.