WEEKLY SERMON
Pentecost 11
These things
happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us,
on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are
standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized
you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let
you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Unfortunately,
sometimes we learn how to be safe from those haven’t been safe. Those
who have made bad decisions in the past have taught us the hard way how
to be safe. Maybe they knew better and just didn’t want to listen to the
proper safety procedures. Or maybe they just didn’t know. Have you ever
learned a safety lesson the hard way?
We are here today to sit in safety orientation with a group of
Christians from
Safety Lessons from Bible History
1. Always Check Your Footing!
2. Always Know Where the Exits Are!
1. Always Check Your Footing!
This week we saw a
dramatic picture of how the ground beneath our feet can give way.
Citizens of East Asian countries like
God uses a similar
picture when he warns us about our spiritual life.
“If
you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
How secure is your footing? In Safety Lesson One from Bible History, God
wants us to look down at our feet often and see where the foundation for
our life really is.
The nation that God
chose to carry the promise of the Savior learned a hard lesson about
where you should have your feet planted. Under Moses, God led his people
with a pillar of cloud by day and they passed through the waters of the
In fact, God makes
it clear again and again that even at the time of Moses, Christ our
Savior was already with his people, graciously blessing them. He was
their spiritual rock, the one source of hope and eternal life. Even
then, he was their Bread of Life, the one who fills up the hungry soul.
But many people were not satisfied with what God gave them. They
grumbled and complained about what God wasn’t doing for them instead of
praising him for what he was doing for them. They engaged in sexual free
behavior not thinking about the fact that their bodies were given by
God, to be used in a way that pleases him. They took part in pagan
revelry, and worshipped images made of gold that were supposed to
symbolize some god who was very different from the God who revealed
himself through Moses. They grumbled against God and they tested his
patience.
They weren’t watching their footing, so they fell. They fell a
long way. And many of them died as examples to others. That is not to
say that every one of them was eternally damned, but it certainly
appears that many of them had turned their back on God who was offering
his daily manna and quail to keep them alive. But they didn’t want to
listen, they didn’t want to accept, they would not follow the God who
had set them free.
God tells us, “These
things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings
for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think
you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
Lesson 1: Always
Check Your Footing. Are you standing firm on solid ground, or is the
ground going to shift and you are going to fall, because it is not your
Lord and Savior you’re are standing on, but the changing desires and
attitudes of this world? Some of the Corinthian Christians were on shaky
ground because they wanted to worship other gods in their city while at
the same time worshipping the true God. Paul had to warn them about what
happened to the people of
It is good for us when God judges our behavior, our attitudes.
God’s judgment is just. It is holy and perfect. Your footing may feel a
little shaky when you realize you don’t know God’s will for your life as
well as you should. Your footing may feel like you are walking along a
muddy hillside, ready to slip and fall at any time. You need some
traction, you need some security. You need the One who will make sure
you stand firm.
God’s law says not to be like those who rebelled against God in
the desert and if you see that you are rebelling in this way, you should
be very afraid and immediately fall on your knees and say, “Lord,
forgive me!” That’s the first step to standing firm – seeing how
desperately you and I need God’s forgiveness. We need him, because we
cannot stand on our own two feet.
Where the real security for our shaky feet lies is in the answer
God gives. He does not say, “Get away from me, you sinner!” He says,
“Come to me, my child. I planned and carried out the mission to rescue
you from your sins and their punishment. My eternal Son did all that was
needed. Your record is clean. Your sins are forgiven. Eat the Bread of
Life and you will live forever. He sacrificed his life to God in place
of your life, his punishment for your peace, his empty grave for your
daily strength.” Lesson 1: Always Check Your Footing! Stand apart from
God and you can be sure you will fall. Stand on Christ and you stand
firm forever.
2. Always Know Where the Exits Are!
Time for Safety Lesson Number 2: Always Know Where the Exits Are!
Imagine that one of the ushers today suddenly smells smoke. He goes to
the main doors coming into church and discovers that there is a blazing
fire just outside the main doors. What would we do? We’d certainly want
to evacuate, but the main entrance is blocked. There are these doors
behind me. Behind the door to my left, there is a stairway. Very
carefully and as calmly as possible, we would have to exit through this
door and go down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, there is an
outside doorway that opens up onto a sidewalk that goes to the parking
lot. It’s good to know where the exits are in case of an emergency. That
is why people practice fire drills.
The people of
“No temptation
has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are
tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Human temptation vs. our faithful God? Who do you think is more
powerful? It is not a struggle of equals, God always provides an exit
from temptation. There is always a way out, so that we can show love to
God instead of sinning against him.
For the
people of
The eyes and ears of the Christians in
God’s word tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has gone; the new has come. We are God’s people
because God has chosen us and set us apart through the Holy Spirit in
Christ. But we are tempted with all sorts of sin, not really any
different from the people of
This is God’s
promise to you today: “When
you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up
under it.”
Temptation will be all around you throughout your life. But God will
lead you to the exit, so that you are out of danger from the burning of
temptation within your mind. The exit does not lead out the door and
down the stairs. It leads you back home, to your Father and his strong
arms that will protect you. He says, “It’s okay. I’m still here. What I
have to give you is better than anyone else can offer. Be at peace
through my Son Jesus, your Savior.” God’s daily promise of forgiveness
and eternal life is our place of safety. These exits from temptation
will never be closed to you.
Conclusion
– “Safety First” is a good slogan for home and work and a good slogan
for your life with God. Your faith is put into a lot of dangerous
situations. But in every dangerous situation, Always Check Your Footing
and see that you are standing firm on Jesus, your Savior and Always Know
Where the Exits Are, because the Holy Spirit will lead you there to the
welcoming arms of your Heavenly Father. Amen.