Heed God’s warning; trust His faithfulness.

 

Sermon for Trinity 9, August 14, 2022

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:6–13  ⁶Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did.  ⁷Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”  ⁸And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.  ⁹Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents.  ¹⁰And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer.  ¹¹All these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.  ¹²So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall.  ¹³No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing.  But God is faithful.  He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it. (EHV)

Heed God’s warning; trust His faithfulness.

Dear brothers and sisters of the living Savior,

            There is a lot of concern in our times about abuse of power, police brutality, government overreach, and the general unfairness of life.  Countless pages of ink and internet ranting testify to this human desire to be treated fairly—so long as fairness means getting away with whatever someone might happen to do.

Likewise, more than a few people read the Old Testament and complain about an imagined unfairness in God’s treatment of those who do not honor and obey Him.  They view God as judgmental and harsh in His dealings with mankind.  Yet, come the Judgment Day that looms over all mankind, every person ever will have to admit that God has always been more than fair and gracious in His dealing with people of every nation and race.  Therefore, Paul urges that the Corinthian congregation, and by extension all people everywhere, Heed God’s warning; trust His faithfulness.

The descendants of Abraham, known as the Children of Israel, were God’s chosen people through which God would bring a Savior into the world.  That nation was to be a people set apart from other nations, not with a special permission to live any way they pleased, but to be “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

It was through this people that God was making Himself known to the world as a gracious God who was intent on saving mankind from sin.  As such, God was blessing Israel with special care, but also greater responsibility.  Thus, while many people, today, would be willing to judge God as being overly jealous in His dealings with Israel, God was gracious in overlooking their sins, blessing them more richly than deserved, and disciplining them not only for their everlasting good, but also for ours. 

Using the rebelliousness of some in Israel as a lasting example of how not to live, St. Paul wrote to the troubled congregation in Corinth, “Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did.  Do not become idolaters like some of them.”  Perhaps, you have never considered ordinary sin as idolatry.  However, the Holy Spirit has shown here that no matter what sin might be perpetrated, it is all a form of idolatry, because every sin elevates one’s personal motivation, or selfish desire, over what God has deemed to be good and right. 

God gave Israel the written law of the Ten Commandments and other rules for protection from the wicked schemes of the devil and protection against our own corrupted desires.  Furthermore, those rules built a protecting fence around the nation of Israel against the evil interests of surrounding peoples.  Still, it didn’t take long before some Israelites rebelled and turned against their Defender.  Because God was displaying His love and care for the whole world through the Children of Israel, He immediately disciplined those wayward rebels so that the rest of the world would see that God is serious about building a holy people who would dwell with Him forever in the peace and joy of heaven.

While warning the Corinthian congregation against their wayward tendencies, Paul listed a few examples of how God loved us by disciplining those who had turned against Him:

Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”  And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.  Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents.  And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 

All of this shows the insidious nature of sin.  Sin infests us and grows stronger and more virulent if allowed to remain in our midst.  Sin separates us from God, while God wants only to be in permanent relationship of peace with all people.  To the Roman church, Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the undeserved gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 

God’s immediate punishment of faithless Israelites gives us a vivid illustration of the eternal danger of turning against the God who loves us and has rescued us from the darkness and slavery of sin.  “All these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.”  Paul confirms that we are living in the end times.  There will never be another Savior, and we never have a second chance for salvation after our time on earth.  Thus, for everlasting peace, Heed God’s warning; trust His faithfulness.

Considering the danger to our souls, the Holy Spirit caused Paul to write, “So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall.  No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing.”  Our whole time on earth is a time of danger and tribulation.  On our own, we would not survive the temptations and deceits of Satan’s forces.  Thus, we dare not stand alone in this battle. 

At the same time, we don’t need to stand alone against the forces of evil, or even against the temptations of our own sinful flesh.  Because God so loved us, He sent His Son to live perfectly obedient and faithful in our place.  Standing in for you and me, Jesus was ever cognizant of His purpose.  Therefore, He always strived to live according to His heavenly Father’s will.  Being the holy Son of God from all eternity, Jesus not only strived to be perfect, He remained holy and ever faithful to God in thought, word, and deed. 

Jesus is the embodiment of God’s love, sent to be holy for us, joining humanity into the Godhead with His physical birth from Mary’s womb.  Then, having lived the perfect holiness required for our acceptance into His Father’s heavenly mansions, Jesus bore our sins to eternal damnation by becoming the Lamb of God sacrificed for the world on the cross.

“God is faithful.”  This should be our guiding thought every day of our lives.  No matter what trouble, sorrow, or pain we might deal with in our time on earth, God has already accomplished the answer.  For those who wonder where we come from, or for what purpose we live, God answers that He created us to live and to be the recipients of His gracious care.  He created us to serve as His hands and helpers on earth.  He created us to demonstrate His loving goodness to those around us.

Now, much of this might sound like too much work for us to accomplish.  That is because once sin entered the world, our service to God and neighbor became burdensome and difficult.  The selfishness we inherit from our parents gets in our way.  That is why it is so important to remember God’s faithfulness.  What we could never do perfectly, Jesus did so well on our behalf that the Father declared from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him.” (Matthew 3:17)  In Jesus, all who believe in Him are counted righteous before God, “For just as through the disobedience of one man the many became sinners, so also through the obedience of one Man the many will become righteous.” (Romans 5:19)

Paul wrote, “God is faithful.  He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.”  Standing alone, any of us would fall and be lost to eternal condemnation.  Yet, we do not stand alone, for Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead so that we might be forgiven and granted life everlasting, and He promises those who believe in Him, “Surely I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) 

So that we know that Jesus has won the victory over sin, death, and Satan so that we too may live, Jesus rose from the dead Easter morning, never to die again.  From heaven, Jesus lives and reigns at His Father’s side working all things so that we may believe and be saved. (Romans 8:28)  Therefore, throughout your days on earth, walk steadfastly with Jesus who is able to keep you from the sins that could entrap you.

So that we might learn of God’s great love for us and the saving work of His Son, the Father and Son together send the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament to bring us the message of “the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

Dear friends, God knows that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)  These are the things we could not defeat on our own.  But, “God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)  Through the redemption price of His Son, God set you free from sin, death, and condemnation.  Then, through hearing the Word of the Gospel, and being washed in the water of Baptism, God made you His own beloved children and has opened heaven for you.  Believe what God has done for you.  Remember His promises as much as His commands.  Heed God’s warning; trust His faithfulness.  Amen.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, everyone who is walking in His ways.  Amen.