Take The Other Street (1 Cor. 10:1-13)

At some point during most summers I go back in my mind to a time when I am eleven years old.  It’s just after sunset on the fourth of July.  I’m standing on the back porch of Grandpa and Grandma Weise’s house near Omaha, Nebraska.  Earlier that day Dad went into town and bought a cellophane-wrapped box filled with fireworks.  We’re circled around the box shooting the fireworks off in the yard.  It’s my turn.  Naturally, I grab the biggest firework in the box.  I don’t want my twin brother Craig getting it.  It’s a Roman Candle—the kind you hold after lighting.  The instructions say you should hold the Roman Candle away from you so that it is perpendicular to your body; light one end; and watch the colored balls of fire shoot from the other end.  But I am eleven years old.  I don’t need directions.  It’s just a Roman Candle.  Nothing’s going to happen.  So, in my arrogance I get careless.  I pick up the Roman Candle, light one end, and hold it at arm’s length.  But the unlit end is pointing towards my stomach.  I am not watching what I’m doing.  Nothing’s going to happen.  I am eleven years old.  But before I know it, the Roman Candle launches its ammunition into my stomach.  I scream in pain.

 

I’ve told that story once or twice to my children when we’ve had the opportunity to shoot off fireworks.  I want them to know what can happen when you are reckless.  I don’t want them thinking something bad can never happen to them when dealing with fireworks.  It happened to me!  And I hope the story of my reckless behavior will keep them from something similar.

 

In 1 Cor. 10 Paul does for the Corinthians what I did for my children.  Paul tells them the story of someone in their family who got careless and suffered.  He tells them this story because he hopes it will inspire them to stop their reckless behavior. 

 

The material before and after 1 Cor. 10:1-13 reveals the nature of their reckless behavior.[1]  When they were living as non Christians, these Corinthians would attend parties held in temples devoted to pagan gods.  This was a normal aspect of life.  Just as it’s normal now to be invited to a birthday party at a bowling alley, so it was normal then to be invited to a party at a temple.  There, you would eat, drink, and possibly engage in pagan worship.  Now that they’ve become Christians, these same Corinthians are continuing to attend these functions.  As Christians they go to the temples, eat, drink, and engage in a little pagan worship.  They seem to think nothing of it.  But Paul sees it as reckless.  He’s afraid that if they continue this careless behavior, it will lead to terrible consequences.  So, Paul gathers the Christians and says, “Let me tell you a story of your great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents….”:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:1-4 TNIV)

 

Did you hear that word “ancestors”?  For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors….  The story Paul’s telling is about their ancestors.  It’s not a story about some strangers.  It’s a story about their ancestors.  It’s about their family.[2]

 

And what family story does Paul tell?  It’s the story of when their ancestors were all “under the cloud” and passing “through the sea.”  That is, it’s the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and being guided by a cloud.  It’s the story of the Exodus.  This dusty and ancient story of the Exodus is the story of our family.

 

As Paul begins, he points out how spiritually developed these family members were.  Just as some of these Corinthian Christians viewed themselves as spiritually mature, so Paul points to four ways in which the family in Exodus seemed mature.  Paul highlights four spiritual milestones in their lives.  These are four milestones which the Corinthians (and us) also share.[3]

·         First, both the family members in the Exodus and the Corinthian Christians became new people.  Paul uses the language of baptism.  Here, baptism refers to how God rescued them from their past. [4]  For the family in the Exodus, it was when Moses led them across the Red Sea from Egypt and God guided them with his cloud across the wilderness.  In that sense they were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  For the Corinthian Christians it was their literal baptism—having been immersed in water in the name of Jesus they were rescued from their past and transformed into new people.

·         Second, both the family in the Exodus and the Corinthian Christians ate sacred food.  Literally Paul says they ate “spiritual food.”  Spiritual here means that it came from God.[5]  It was no ordinary food.  It was sacred food.  For our family members in the Exodus, their sacred food was manna—a substance provided from God.  For our family in Corinth, their sacred food was the bread eaten as part of the Lord’s Supper.

·         Third, both the family members in the Exodus and the Corinthian Christians drank sacred drink.  Again, Paul calls it spiritual, meaning that it came from God.  For our family in the Exodus, the sacred drink was water which God provided from a rock.  For our family in Corinth the sacred drink was the juice taken as part of the communion meal.

·         Finally, both the family members in the Exodus and the Corinthian Christians were accompanied by Jesus.  There is debate about what exactly Paul means when he writes that our family in the Exodus was accompanied by the rock that was Christ.  In general, Paul simply means that Jesus was present with them.  In the same way, through the Spirit given to the family in Corinth, Jesus was present with them.  Both the family in the Exodus and those in Corinth had this to their spiritual credit: God had made them into new people, both had sacred food and drink, and both experienced the presence of Jesus.

 

But these spiritual milestones seemed to lull them into thinking that they were immune from the consequences of reckless behavior.   Because they are so grown up spiritually, as evidenced by these milestones, they appear to believe that they can engage in reckless behavior and suffer no ill effects. 

 

But Paul warns them otherwise:[6] 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.  11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.  (1 Cor. 10:5-11 TNIV)

 

Our family in the Exodus had reached the milestones of becoming new people, consuming sacred food and drink, and walking with the presence of Jesus—yet they still suffered horribly because they fell into sin.  These milestones did not make them immune from falling into sin.  In general, Paul writes, our family members in the Exodus set their hearts on evil.  They were not so strong that their hearts could not be turned to evil.  Specifically, Paul describes four reckless behaviors these supposedly strong people fell into:   

·         First, our family in the Exodus fell into idolatry (1 Cor. 10:7).  Paul quotes Ex. 32:6 which describes a time when our family in the Exodus lapsed into idolatry.

·         Second, our family in the Exodus fell into sexual immorality (1 Cor. 10:8).  Paul is probably thinking of Num. 25:1-3 when, as part of their worship of pagan gods, the Israelite men engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with pagan women.  As a result, more than 20,000 of them died.

·         Third, our family in the Exodus fell into testing (1 Cor. 10:9).  The idolatry and the sexual immorality were a kind of testing.[7]  Paul is remembering Num. 21:4-6 which describes the people testing God and God sending venomous snakes among them as punishment. 

·         Finally, our family in the Exodus fell into grumbling (1 Cor. 10:10).  Paul is probably thinking of either Num. 14 where there was general grumbling by the people or Num. 16 when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram grumbled.  Paul says the consequence of that behavior was death by an angel of God.

 

Twice Paul says that this story is intended to be an example for us.  It is intended to shape the way we live today.  This is the story of people who had reached tremendous spiritual milestones yet nonetheless fell into sin and suffered as a result.  The Corinthians, too, had reached tremendous spiritual milestones—having been baptized into Christ they had become new people; each week they ate at the table of Jesus and they experienced the presence of Jesus in their lives.  Yet, Paul warns, if they continue in their reckless behavior they will eventually fall into sin and its terrible consequences.  The story of our family in the Exodus is intended to be a warning—you are never so strong that you cannot fall.

 

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Cor. 10:12-13 TNIV)  Here’s the point of this story: 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  You may be baptized in Jesus.  You may take communion every week.  You may have the Spirit of Jesus dwelling in you.  But, that does not make you immune from falling.  If you engage in spiritually reckless behavior, you will get burned.  You are not as strong as you think—you can fall into sin.  How do we know?  It happened to members of our own family.

 

On January 14, 2005, Shane Maixner died in an avalanche. The 27-year-old and four of his friends drove to a ski resort in Utah, rode up the ski lift, hiked up to the backcountry gate, went through the gate with its warning signs, and started snowboarding.  On their second trip down, an avalanche was triggered.  Maixner died.  It took rescuers two days to find his body.  In the aftermath of the tragedy, the media described Maixner as a novice unaware of the dangers of snowboarding in the backcountry.  The reality, however, was just the opposite.  Maixner and two others in his party were “avalanche-certified backcountry guides.” They owned special avalanche gear, but didn’t bring it with them that day.  One journalist wrote that this is not uncommon: “skiers with the most avalanche training are more likely to be seduced into faulty reasoning by factors like tracked slopes and group enthusiasm…Maixner didn’t die because he was a fool. Like his friends, he was lulled into letting his guard down.”[8]  Paul is urging us to not let our guard down.  Regardless of how spiritually strong we may seem to be, we can fall into sin.  So, Paul is urging, don’t even get close to sin.  Don’t even get near sin.

 

Jim Collins is a best-selling business author.  In 2002 he wrote about the crisis of business ethics in the wake of the bankruptcies at Enron and Worldcom. Here is his description of what went wrong:[9] If you told them 10 years ahead of time, “Hey, let’s cook the books and all get rich,” they would never go along with it. But that’s rarely how most people get drawn into activities that they later regret. When you are at step A, it feels inconceivable to jump all the way to step Z, if step Z involves something that is a total breach of your values. But if you go from step A to step B, then step B to step C, then step C to step D…then someday, you wake up and discover that you are at step Y, and the move to step Z comes about much easier…A farmer never notices the corn growing minute by minute. But if he stays in the field long enough, he wakes up one day to discover that it has grown over his head. The people…weren’t bad at the outset. But through a series of gradual steps, they ended up in bad situations—in over their heads.  Paul is warning that if we allow sin even a little room in our lives, we can quickly get in over our heads.  Once we tolerate just one step, it becomes easier to justify the next, and then the next.  And finally, we find ourselves in a place we never imagined we would be.  In spite of our spiritual milestones, we can fall.  So, Paul is urging, don’t even get close to sin.

 

In his book Finishing Strong, Steve Farrar tells of a study conducted of 246 men in full-time ministry.  Within the past twenty-four months each had gotten involved in sexual immorality.  When they were interviewed to determine what had led to the sexual immorality, four things were discovered.  First, none of them were involved in any kind of small group which could hold them accountable to purity.  Second, each had stopped investing in a daily time of prayer and study.  Third, over 80% had gotten involved sexually with the woman as the result of counseling the woman.  Fourth, without exception, each had been convinced that a moral failure like this “will never happen to me.”[10]  Paul does not want us to think that moral failure “will never happen to me.”  It can happen to you.  So, Paul is urging, don’t even get close to sin.

 

In his book Searching for God Knows What Donald Miller writes about trying to quit chewing-tobacco:[11]  I tried to stop. I went to Web sites and looked up statistics about the health risks of chewing tobacco. I printed the statistics and placed them on my desk where I could read them when I was tempted. But it didn’t help…This went on for at least a year, until….I was listening to the radio one afternoon…when a voice came on, very distorted and troubled. The man sounded as though part of his face were missing—low and muffled and slobbery. Between songs, the radio station had inserted a commercial, a public service message about the danger of using chewing tobacco. The man in the commercial said half his jaw had been removed, that he had no lower lip, and the reason his face was deformed was because for years he had used smokeless tobacco. He didn’t list any facts, he didn’t speak of any harmful ingredients, he didn’t say he was going to die of cancer. And yet the image of a man without a chin speaking into the microphone was enough to convince me to stop. I never used the stuff again.  What persuaded Miller to stop his reckless behavior was not facts or statistics.  What persuaded Miller was the story of a real person; someone who fell into the same kind of behavior and now was speaking without a chin.  That’s what Paul is doing in this text.  He is laying before us the story of real people—real people from our own family.  In spite of our great spiritual strengths, we too can fall, just as they did.  So, Paul is urging, don’t even get close to sin.  Don’t even spend a minute in that magazine or at that Internet site.  Don’t allow yourself even one angry outburst.  Don’t indulge in even a moment of gossip.  Don’t even get close to sin.  Keep it as far away as you can. 

 

That’s the negative message from this text.  But there is a positive message.  Listen to it again: And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13 TNIV)  Though we are weaker and more susceptible to moral failure than we may wish to admit, God does not abandon us.  God remains faithful even when we become unfaithful.  And every time we face a choice of whether or not to engage in some sin, our faithful God provides an alternative, a way out.  In every situation, God provides a way out.  It may not be easy.  It may be costly.  But in every situation, there will be a way out.  So, Paul is saying, take the way out.

 

Portia Nelson uses the image of two streets.  One is the street where, if we continue down it, we are bound to fall.  The other is the street which God has provided as a way out.[12]

1.      Chapter I: I walk down the street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in.  I am lost … I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  It takes forever to find a way out.

2.      Chapter II: I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I pretend I don’t see it.  I fall in again.  I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault.

3.      Chapter III: I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there.  I still fall in … it’s a habit.  My eyes are open.  I know where I am.  It is my fault.  I get out immediately.

4.      Chapter IV: I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I walk around it. 

5.      Chapter V: I walk down another street.

 

What chapter are you?  Are you in Chapters 1-3, still falling into a sin?  God wants you to stop it.  Stop living in a way that you know will only lead to more falling.  There is another street available.  You don’t have to stay in that hole or on that street.  Take the other street.  Are in you Chapter 4, still precariously close to sin just not in the hole?  Realize that you can still fall into that hole.  God wants you to get off that street.  Don’t even take the chance of falling.  The good news is that God has provided another street.  This morning, he calls every one of us to get on that street.  Get off the street with the holes.  And take the other street.