25-0713p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:10) Good evening. (1:11) I am going to continue the lesson I began this morning, (1:18) talking about the same things.

(1:21) Now, I’m going to turn to 1 Corinthians 10, (1:27) and I’m going to read verses 1 through 4. (1:32) Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware (1:37) that all our fathers were under the cloud, (1:43) all passed through the sea, (1:47) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (1:53) all ate the same spiritual food, (1:59) and all drank the same spiritual drink, (2:04) for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, (2:11) and that rock was Christ. (2:16) Now, we want to continue talking about the same things. (2:26) These Israelites, these fathers that he is talking about, (2:37) were under bondage to the Egyptians.

(2:41) And as I read in John 8, 31 through 36, (2:53) we learn that if we commit sin, we are slaves to sin. (3:05) Now, the Israelites had the same circumstance, same situation. (3:14) They were cruelly under the Egyptians then (3:23) that made their labor hard and such.

(3:32) And God, through Moses, (3:37) went about to free them from their bondage. (3:47) And the salvation was the same. (3:56) The salvation was in the same way.

(4:02) Now, we need to be educated. (4:09) That is, we need not be ignorant, (4:15) as the King James would put it. (4:20) The New King James says, unaware.

(4:24) Ignorance is not a bad word. (4:27) It just means that you don’t know. (4:33) Unaware, as it is in the New King James Version.

(4:37) And also the New American Standard Version (4:41) that we have on the back of the Jews (4:46) that we sit in front of the Jews that are in front of us (4:54) or in the back of the Jews that are in front of us. (5:01) But we need to know. (5:06) And we need to see that this is the same episode.

(5:17) That is, all fathers under the cloud. (5:21) All of them. (5:24) Now, he mentions all fathers, (5:28) those that went through the sea.

(5:33) Every one of them. (5:36) They were under the cloud. (5:40) And they had the ground underneath them.

(5:44) They had the water. (5:46) That was a wall on either side of them. (5:51) They were immersed, if you want to say.

(5:56) It is said here that all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (6:08) So it took a complete barrel of these people (6:18) to go to walk on the dry ground (6:24) and go all the way across the sea to escape the Egyptians. (6:35) They had the same emancipation.

(6:39) They were all baptized. (6:43) 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 says that (6:51) by one spirit are you all baptized into one body. (7:02) And we found out that there is one body.

(7:09) We have one body. (7:12) And he said that by one spirit we were all baptized into one body. (7:23) Just like the Israelites were baptized in that through the sea.

(7:37) It is actually the Sea of Reeds, but it is commonly referred to as the Red Sea. (7:46) But nevertheless, the Egyptians, after they let the Israelites go, (7:58) because of the death of the firstborn, (8:03) from Pharaoh down to the servant, (8:08) or the common person, and even of the animals, (8:17) they let the people go, but then they had a change of heart. (8:21) They followed after the Israelites.

(8:28) And it seemed desperate for the Israelites, (8:34) because here they were at the sea, (8:38) and there were the Egyptians, and how could they get across the sea? (8:47) But they had the same freedom when they were all the way over. (8:56) Then they had the same satisfaction, (9:03) the same substance by spiritual means. (9:08) That is, all ate the same spiritual food, (9:14) and all drank the same spiritual drink.

(9:18) Now, they were given physical food by spiritual means. (9:33) That is, they were given bread from heaven. (9:40) And when it fell, it was white.

(9:44) And it was of such that the children of Israel did not know what to call it. (9:57) They wondered, what is it? (10:00) So they called it manna. (10:04) They got the food, the meat, quail.

(10:15) They were provided the quail. (10:19) And then when there was no water, (10:26) they were given water through a rock. (10:37) Same source.

(10:38) Let’s look at the same source. (10:42) The stone for which they all drank of that spiritual rock. (10:55) He’s the Savior.

(10:56) This stone is the Savior that followed them, (11:02) and that rock was Christ. (11:07) Now, this tells us that Christ existed throughout the Old Testament. (11:18) Matter of fact, we’re told that He is our Creator.

(11:22) We’re told that He is called the Angel of God, (11:30) and He was with these people, the Israelites, (11:35) as they went through the things that they went through. (11:49) Now, they partook of the same things, (11:57) and that was the spiritual rock, that was the food, that was the drink. (12:06) Now, they all had this.

(12:11) Now, I’m going to add something here in this lesson (12:19) that John Shannon, in his lesson, did not give. (12:28) And it’s within this context. (12:38) The same warning.

(12:43) The sad thing is, but with most of them, God was not well pleased, (12:53) for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (13:00) Why was their bodies scattered in the wilderness? (13:07) And He’s given examples of what they did, (13:20) and it was to His intent that we, as believers, (13:27) and as His children, would not follow these examples. (13:36) He says, (13:37) Do not become idolaters as some of them.

(13:43) As it is written, (13:46) The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (13:54) When Moses was up on the mount for forty days and forty nights, (14:06) and he was delayed coming down from the mount, (14:10) the people approached Aaron, Moses' brother, (14:21) and told him, (14:23) We do not know what has become of this Moses. (14:32) And Aaron told them to give him their gold earrings.

(14:47) And from those earrings and that jewelry, (14:53) he made a golden calf. (15:01) And according to Exodus 32, 6, (15:06) The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (15:14) Nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did.

(15:22) And in one day, 23,000 fell. (15:28) Now I have a reference that sends me to Numbers 25, 1-9. (15:45) And that’s talking about the Israelites committing fornication with the Moabites, women.

(15:59) And it says that in that context, it says there were 24,000 in that day that fell. (16:20) Now we have here 23,000 fell. (16:25) Well, somebody’s going to attack that.

(16:29) Now the Bible’s contradictory. (16:34) Now there had to be 23,000 for sure. (16:44) If 24,000 is stated in Numbers 25, 1-9, (16:56) that Paul writes 23,000 fell.

(17:01) But whether you have 24,000 or 23,000, (17:07) the thing is, that’s a lot that fell in one day for committing fornication. (17:23) Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents. (17:33) If you remember, he sent fiery serpents among them.

(17:43) And that’s in Exodus 17, 2 and 7. (17:53) Because of the Israelites complaining and almost becoming rebellious, (18:09) that fiery serpents, when they bit the people, that they were destroyed by these serpents. (18:21) And as a remedy, Moses was told by God to build a brazen serpent. (18:36) And whoever looked upon that brazen serpent, they were bitten.

(18:46) They looked at that and praised that serpent, that they would be healed. (18:53) But the thing is, they were tempting God. (18:59) And these serpents came along and destroyed them.

(19:04) Nor complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer. (19:17) I have one from Numbers 14 and verse 37. (19:27) And that is, these Israelites were right close to entering the promised land.

(19:37) They were very close to going in. (19:41) And they sent twelve spies out to investigate the land. (19:50) Among these ten spies was Caleb and Joshua.

(20:01) Now, when they came back, they said, indeed, the land was plentiful. (20:09) But ten of these spies said, we’re not able to go in and take the land. (20:23) Joshua and Caleb believed they could.

(20:30) But the ten spies that brought that bad report persuaded the children of Israel (20:42) not to go. (20:45) And they complained. (20:49) And here they also became rebellious.

(20:55) They wanted to make a captain to lead them back to Egypt. (21:02) God didn’t have that in mind. (21:07) When He freed them from Egyptian bondage, He did not mean for them to go back.

(21:20) And here is the warning. (21:25) Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (21:41) You know, we can think that we are the ones that know better, (21:51) that we are standing and we need to take heed.

(21:59) Not to be like these that He gave an example, but to take heed lest he fall. (22:14) Then there is the same encouragement in verse 13. (22:22) No temptation has overtaken you except as such is common to man.

(22:31) But God is faithful. (22:34) He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. (22:41) But with temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear.

(22:51) There is encouragement in that. (22:55) Yes, we will be tempted. (22:59) Now Jesus was tempted, but He did not sin.

(23:08) And we need to take heed. (23:15) We need to realize that when we are tempted to do things that are displeasing to God, (23:27) that are sinful, that these temptations are common to man. (23:39) But God is faithful.

(23:43) That’s when we look at, and if we would read how the Israelites consistently complained to Moses. (23:57) Why did you bring us out here in order to die? (24:02) Why did you? (24:05) Isn’t the graves in Egypt good for us to die there? (24:17) But you brought us out here into this that we would die. (24:24) But God was guiding them.

(24:28) He was with them. (24:31) And yet they complained. (24:35) God is faithful.

(24:37) He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. (24:43) But with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear. (24:55) You see, we can get tempted in many ways.

(25:01) The devil knows how to attack us. (25:04) And he knows how to tempt us to do things that we’re not supposed to do. (25:13) But if we’ll realize that mankind, these things are common to man.

(25:28) Man without Christ, though, will say, I just can’t bear it anymore. (25:36) I just can’t do this. (25:39) Of course not.

(25:43) He or she is trying to do things alone and don’t have the help of God. (25:59) But if we are faithful, it says God is faithful. (26:06) And will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.

(26:16) And as he says that with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear. (26:27) So God, we are encouraged then to continue and to be faithful. (26:40) In conclusion, we find ourselves in the same circumstances bound by the bondage of sin.

(26:54) Salvation in the same way is available for each of us. (27:03) God provides it. (27:06) We can go to the same source for it.

(27:11) That source is God. (27:14) You know, Matthew 11, 28 through 30. (27:22) Want to read that? (27:27) Matthew 11, verses 28 through 30.

(27:42) Says, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (27:52) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. (27:57) For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

(28:05) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (28:11) If we would only realize that God wants to give us rest. (28:21) Christ wants to give us rest.

(28:26) Which it doesn’t mean that we get a rocking chair and rock and then not do anything. (28:37) For he says, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. (28:44) For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

(28:51) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (28:57) So the burden we bear will be light. (29:02) It comes from the same book.

(29:07) It comes from the same source. (29:11) It comes the same way. (29:16) We must believe and trust God.

(29:22) And we must hear what he has to say. (29:29) Not just read the words and then forget. (29:36) We might hear these and then just let them go somewhere.

(29:44) But really listen and heed them. (29:49) Just like he said. (29:50) Just like in verse 13 of 1 Corinthians 10.

(30:02) There will be encouragement. (30:04) Yes, the temptations will come. (30:09) You know, I was questioned one time about doing some things that displeases God.

(30:25) I said, No, I don’t do that. (30:27) He said, You need to realize you ought to be tempted. (30:38) And I thought, Tempted? (30:42) I am being tempted by them.

(30:48) But the thing of it is, is not to let that temptation persuade me to go ahead and do these things. (31:00) Because even Christ was tempted. (31:05) But let us come to Christ the Rock.

(31:13) He is the source to which we should go. (31:17) Why not come while we stand and while we sing?