A Warning and A Way Out

Sermon on 1 Corinthians 10:1-22

1. SPIRITUAL PRIVILEGES ARE REAL BUT NOT PROTECTIVE (verses 1-5)

• Paul begins with a reminder, not a rebuke: 
• 1 Cor 10:1-6 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.
• The Corinthians needed to understand their spiritual heritage through the lens of Israel's experience. Notice how Paul emphasizes the word "all" five times in these opening verses. 
• Think about the magnitude of these privileges. The Israelites had witnessed miracles that defy imagination. They had experienced God's saving power firsthand. They walked under divine protection. They were fed by heaven itself. They had Christ with them—literally.
• NEVERTHELESS, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert". 
• How many of us treat our salvation like a vaccination—something we received once that protects us forever without any ongoing relationship required? 
• How many of us live as functional atheists Monday through Saturday, only remembering God exists on Sunday morning? 

1. PRIVILEGE WITH FAITHFULNESS PROVOKES GOD’S JUDGEMENT (verses 6-11)

• THEY FELL INTO IDOLATRY 
• They wanted to worship God on their terms, in ways that felt comfortable and culturally acceptable. They WANTED IT WHEN THEY WANTED IT, HOW THEY WANTED IT!
• THEY COMMITTED SEXUAL IMMORALITY
• Numbers 25:1-3 
• Twenty-three thousand fell in one day because they couldn't control their bodies. Their worship of false gods led them into sexual sin—because idolatry and immorality always travel together.
• THEY TESTED CHRIST 
• Numbers 21 describes how they complained about God's provision, and God sent poisonous serpents among them. Testing God means pushing the boundaries, seeing how far you can go before experiencing consequences.
• THEY GRUMBLED AND COMPLAINED
• THEY DIDN’T TRUST GOD AND HIS PROVISION
• And the result? God destroyed them. Not all at once, but progressively, judgment by judgment, until an entire generation lay dead in the wilderness.
• Paul makes the connection explicit: 
• 1 Cor 10:6 Now these things took place as examples for us, SO THAT we will not desire evil things as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:6, CSB)
• Let's get specific about modern idolatry, because we tend to think idolatry died with ancient civilizations. 
• PHONES AND DEVICES: 
• For many of us, our phones have become idols. We check them compulsively, feel anxious without them, and find our sense of worth in likes and followers. 
• They have become emotional support for us.
• ENTERTAINMENT 
• We cannot sit in silence, cannot be unstimulated, must constantly be consuming content. 
• COMFORT has become an idol
• We structure our entire lives around avoiding discomfort, difficulty, or sacrifice. 
• CONVENIENCE: 
• We don’t want to be inconvenienced for anything - WHICH INCLUDES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
• SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT have become idols
• Our identity rises and falls with our performance and our success
• We are not satisfied that our TRUE IDENTITY is in who we are in Christ - FULL STOP!
• OUR OWN IMAGE has become an idol
• We curate our lives for maximum approval from others.
• SEX has become an idol—
• Our culture is obsessed with sexual expression and fulfillment.
• I can do whatever I want to do sexually because the world tells me so and I want it.
• MONEY AND POSSESSIONS have become idols
• We're never satisfied, always needing more, newer, better.
• We're provoking God's jealousy and presuming on His patience.

1. GOD PROVIDES BOTH A WARNING AND A WAY OUT (verses 12-13)

• Right in the middle of these sobering warnings, Paul pivots to hope: 
• 1 Cor 10:12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.
• But then comes the promise, one of the most quoted verses in Scripture: 
• 1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.
• Let's unpack this carefully. 
• First, your temptations aren't unique or unprecedented.  
• Second, GOD IS FAITHFUL - not you, but God. 
• Third, HE PROVIDES A WAY OUT. 
• What does that way of escape look like? Sometimes it's dramatic—God removes the temptation or changes circumstances. 
• But most often, it's simple and practical: FLEE. RUN. 
• Don't negotiate with temptation. 
• Don't see how close you can get to the fire without getting burned. 
• The way of escape is usually the door marked "Exit," and we refuse to take it because we want to stay in the room.
• Here's the convicting truth: 
• IF YOU SIN, IT’S BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO, NOT BECAUSE YOU HAD TO.
• God provided the escape, but you didn't take it. 
• The Corinthians were putting themselves in pagan temples and wondering why they kept falling. 
• Stop going to the temple! 
• Don't test whether you're strong enough to resist. 
• Use the exit God provides.

1. FLEE IDOLATRY - IT IS FELLOWSHIP WITH DEMONS (verses 14-22)

• 1 Cor 10:14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
• When we FLEE, what are we FLEEING?
• Danger
• Something that could cause us harm
• WE CAN CHOOSE JESUS OR THE WORLD.
• When you participate in the Lord's Supper - when you drink the cup and eat the bread - you're participating (communing and fully, spiritually participating) in the body and blood of Christ.
• 1 Cor 10:15-18 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, since all of us share the one bread. Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
• It's not just a memorial; it's actual spiritual communion with Jesus. 
• The same principle applies to pagan worship. 
• 1 Cor 10:19-21 What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be PARTICIPANTS with demons! You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot SHARE in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
• When you participate in idol worship, even casually, even as a "cultural observer," you're entering into spiritual fellowship with demons.
• Paul's conclusion is devastating: 
• 1 Cor 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
• JESUS OR THE WORLD
• And then the final warning: 
• 1 Cor 10:22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 
• God is a jealous God - and that's a good thing. 
• His jealousy isn't like human jealousy born from insecurity or fear. His jealousy is the righteous, protective zeal of a husband who loves his bride and will not tolerate rivals. He's jealous for us, not of us.
• YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS 
• You cannot drink the cup of blessing at the Lord's table on Sunday and then drink the cup of worldly pleasure all week. You're not strong enough to play both sides. Stop trying.

1. THE GRACE THAT WARNS IS THE GRACE THAT SAVES

• Paul writes these warnings not as a harsh judge but as a loving father: "my dear friends". He wants to protect them from destruction. These warnings are grace because they're meant to jolt us awake from our spiritual slumber before it's too late.
• The good news of the gospel isn't that we get to do whatever we want without consequences. 
• The good news is that Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath so that we could drink the cup of blessing. 
• And because of that great love, because God is jealous for our good and His glory, He warns us: 
• Instead, 
• Examine your heart. 
• Identify your idols. 
• Take the way of escape God provides. 
• Flee—run—from whatever competes with Christ for your ultimate allegiance. 
• And come to the Lord's table not as those who are spiritually strong enough to handle anything, but as those who desperately need the grace found only in Jesus.

Reflection & Application Questions

1. What spiritual privileges or blessings in your life have you begun to take for granted?
2. How does Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 10:1–5 challenge your assumptions about spiritual security and daily dependence on God?
3. Of the modern idols mentioned (technology, comfort, success, self-image, sexuality, money, etc.), which one most competes with God for your affection and allegiance?
4. What would it look like practically to “flee” from that idol this week?
5. Can you think of an area where you’ve been “testing God” — rationalizing compromise or assuming you’re strong enough to handle temptation?
6. How does verse 12 (“if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall”) speak into that situation?
7. How have you experienced God’s faithfulness in providing a “way of escape” when facing temptation (v.13)?
8. What helps you recognize and take that escape when it’s offered?
9. What does it practically look like to “flee” from idolatry instead of just trying to manage it?
10. How can you build better boundaries or habits that protect your heart from compromise?
11. Paul says we cannot drink from both the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons (v.21).
12. Where are you tempted to serve two masters, and what would wholehearted devotion to Christ alone require you to surrender?
13. How does understanding the Lord’s Supper as genuine spiritual participation with Christ (vv.16–17) reshape the way you approach communion and your daily walk with Him?
14. What one step can you take this week to replace an idol in your heart with deeper worship of Christ — and who can you invite to walk with you in that journey?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?