SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2014
THEME: PRIORITIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Unit II – Living as a Community of Believers
“A CUP OF WARNINGS FROM A LOVING FRIEND”
Sunday School lesson No. VIII – July 20, 2014
Presented by Rev. Frank A. Davis, III
Lesson Text: I Corinthians 10:12-22
Motto Text: I Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
I Corinthians 10:21, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.”
Required Reading: I Corinthians 10:1-22
Reliable Resources: Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament; Standard
Lesson Commentary; Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; MacArthur Study Bible Notes; Libronix Electronic Library
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Quoting Dr. Warren Wiersbe: “Paul reminded the experienced believers who were strong in the faith that they had better not grow overconfident in their ability to overcome temptation. ‘Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:12). Paul used the nation of Israel as his example to warn the mature believers that their experience must be balanced by caution.” He gave them warnings as a loving friend, be careful of what cup they were drinking from. 1 Corinthians 10:21(NLT), “You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.” Beloved, Paul’s message to the struggling church at Corinth mirrors the message needed for the lukewarm Church of our day. Revelation 3:14-16 (NKJV), “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
Anticipated Power Points:
· Warnings from the Cup of History. I Corinthians 10:1-4
· Warnings Concerning the Cup of Hypocrisy. I Corinthians 10:5-12
· Warnings to Focus on the Cup of Him (Jesus Christ). I Corinthians 10:13-22
LESSON OUTLINE
I. Warnings from the Cup of History. I Corinthians 10:1-4
Paul continues his answers to the Corinthians concerning eating or fraternizing with others at pagan temples (8:1-6). Dr. Wiersbe writes, “Paul warned that privileges were no guarantee of success (vv. 1-4). Israel had been delivered from Egypt by the power of God, just as the Christian believer has been redeemed from sin…Israel was identified with Moses in their Red Sea ‘baptism,’ just as the Corinthians had been identified with Christ in their Christian baptism. Israel ate the manna from heaven and drank the water God provided, just as Christians nourish themselves on the spiritual sustenance God supplies. John 6:63 (NKJV), ‘It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.’
However, these spiritual privileges did not prevent the Jews from falling into sin. There are dangers to maturity as well as to immaturity, and one of them is overconfidence. When we think we are strong, we discover that we are weak. The strong believer who eats in the pagan temples may find himself struggling with an enemy who is too strong for him. Paul in the opening verses of this chapter is trying to establish that history has no successful effect on those who are overconfident to drink from its cup of learning!”
Beloved, which cup are you drinking from today?
II. Warnings Concerning the Cup of Hypocrisy. I Corinthians 10:5-12
Wiersbe: “Paul issued a second warning: good beginnings do not guarantee good endings (vv. 5-12). The Jews experienced God's miracles, and yet they failed when they were tested in the wilderness. Experience must always be balanced with caution, for we never come to the place in our Christian walk where we are free from temptation and potential failure. Remember, all of the Jews twenty years old and upward who were rescued from Egypt, except for Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness during their years of wandering (Num. 14:26ff).
We can hear some of the ‘strong’ Corinthians asking, ‘But what does that have to do with us?’ Paul then pointed out that the Corinthian church was guilty of the same sins that the Jews committed. Because of their lust for evil things, the Corinthians were guilty of immorality (1 Cor. 6), idolatry (1 Cor. 8; 10), and murmuring against God (2 Cor. 12:20-21). Like the nation of Israel, they were tempting God and just ‘daring Him’ to act.
NOTE: Paul certainly knew his Old Testament, and his readers would recognize the events referred to. The ‘lusting’ is found in Numbers 11:4ff, the idolatry in Exodus 32, and the fornication in Numbers 25. The Israelites often tempted God, but perhaps Numbers 21:4-6 was the reference Paul had in mind. For their complaining, see Numbers 14 and 16.
This kind of sin is serious and God must judge it. Not only did some of these rebels immediately die (see 1 Cor. 11:29-31), but those who remained were not permitted to enter the Promised Land. They were saved from Egypt but were not privileged to claim their rich inheritance. Paul was not suggesting that his readers might lose their salvation, but he was afraid that some of them would be ‘castaways’ (1 Cor. 9:27), disapproved [gk. ADOKEMOS] of God and unable to receive any reward.
ILLUSTRATION: I heard about a pastor who gave a series of sermons on ‘The Sins of the Saints.’ One member of the church, apparently under conviction, disapproved of the series and told the pastor so. ‘After all,’ she said, ‘sin in the life of a Christian is different from sin in the life of an unsaved person.’ ‘It is,’ the pastor replied. ‘It’s worse!’ We must not think that because the Jews were under the Law that their sins were worse than ours and therefore dealt with more severely. Sin in the church today is far more serious, because we have Israel's example to learn from, and we are living ‘at the end of the ages.’ To sin against the Law is one thing; to sin against grace is quite something else.”
III. Warnings to Focus on the Cup of Him (Jesus Christ). I Corinthians 10:13-22
Dr. Wiersbe says: “Paul's third warning was that God can enable us to overcome temptation if we heed His Word (vv. 13-22).
1 Cor.10:13 teaches: ‘There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’
Paul had already told his readers to ‘flee fornication’ (1 Cor. 6:18); and now his warning is, ‘Flee from idolatry’ (1 Cor. 10:14). He explained the reason why: the idol itself is nothing, but it can be used by Satan to lead you into sin. Idolatry is demonic (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37). To sit at an idol's table could mean fellowship (‘communion, partakers’) with demons. Paul was again enforcing the importance of II Cor. 6:14 – 7:1 (NLT): ‘Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.’
Paul used the Lord's Supper as an illustration. When the believer partakes of the cup and loaf at the Lord's Table, he is in a spiritual way, having fellowship with the body and blood of Christ. By remembering Christ's death, the believer enters into a communion with the risen Lord. In 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 (NKJV) we find, ‘You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?’ A believer cannot partake of the Lord's food (the Old Testament sacrifice, the New Testament supper) and the devil's food (the idol's table) without exposing himself to danger and provoking the Lord.”
CLOSING
Beloved, which cup will you choose…a cup of careless compromise or Christ’s cup of total commitment? I chose Christ who suffered, bled, died, and rose again for me! We can’t have it both ways.
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Looking Ahead: July 27, 2014 I Corinthians 14:13-26
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Pastor Frank A. Davis, III
The Sunday School Teacher