Participating In Christ

I Corinthians 10:1-22 “Participation in Christ”

You can ask my wife, I underestimate how long it takes to do something. I often start projects with unrealistic expectations of how complicated the task will be. I wanted to pick a passage that would focus on Communion. So, I thought, I Corinthians 10 will be a nice easy passage for us to study together this evening. What I thought would be a simple communion meditation, turned into a study about idol worship in Corinth. While this is a lesson for me to pick a shorter passage if I want a shorter message, it should be a lesson to us all, that we must follow the text where it leads us.

Paul’s main concern in I Corinthians 10 is for his readers to flee idolatry. He doesn’t want them to participate in the idol worship that was a big part of life in Corinth. He spends chapters 8 and 10 focused on this practice, which seems quite foreign to us today. In these 22 verses, Paul uses 2 examples to prove that the Corinthians must flee idolatry. The first example (1-11) is the account of Israel wandering in the wilderness; the second (15-22) is the example of Communion. The main point of this passage is not communion, but communion is used as a reason why they should flee idolatry.

Before we read the text, a few comments about idol worship. In Greek culture, when it came to gods and idols, the more the merrier. Remember in Acts 17, the altar to the unknown god. Make sure you don’t leave anyone out! Going to the temple to worship the idols, was kind of like a progressive dinner of sacrificed meat. Hey, the idols are not going to eat it!

In the rest of chapter 10, and in chapter 8, Paul spends writes about this meat sacrificed to idols. Can Christians eat this meat? Yes, if your conscience allows you to. When you go the market or eat at someone’s house, don’t ask if it was sacrificed to idols. But don’t you dare go to the temple and eat it along with those who worship idols! The idol is nothing. But behind the idol and the worship of it, are demonic realities that they must avoid.

This issue had the potential to rip apart the church at Corinth. It’s kind of like you get a Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Methodist, and a Baptist together, and ask them: is it OK to go to a bar and have a beer. It would be safer to toss a hand grenade into the room.

Paul wanted to make sure the stronger Christians did not destroy the weaker Christians by their eating meat sacrificed to idols. And he certainly didn’t want them going to the temple to have progressive dinner of meat. To this end, Paul exposed the dangers of idolatry by the example of Israel in the wilderness, and the example of Communion. We are going to read the text, look at those 2 examples, then draw some application to us as we come to the table.

1. Remember Israel (1-11)
Paul first reminds his readers of Israel’s years in the wilderness and draws some lessons from their experience to teach his readers. Many of you know the story well. The nation of Israel came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. God lead them by a pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night. God provided for them bread from heaven: manna. He provided supernatural water from a rock for them to drink. He provided for them for 40 years as the wandered the wilderness. But even after God showed them all his goodness and provided for them, they rebelled against the Lord. God judged that generation of Israel, and they all died in the wilderness.

Paul is pointing to this: Israel, had the same things you do. All of them were baptized, so to speak, as you were, as they passed through the Red Sea. All of them had supernatural provision, just as you do, as God gave them spiritual (supernatural, heavenly) bread and water. They had Christ, the Rock, with them in the wilderness, providing all their needs. But in the end, their bodies were strewn around the wilderness. Even though they had all this amazing work of God for them, they worshiped idols. They indulged in sexual immorality. They tested Christ. They grumbled against God.

This is an example for us. We live at the end of the ages. We have the complete revelation of Christ. The promises made to Israel about the Messiah are being fulfilled. We have Christ’s amazing provision of salvation for us all. Therefore, don’t follow idols. Don’t have sex outside marriage. Don’t test God by grumbling against him. Beware, sin is crouching at your door.

2. Remember Communion (15-22)
In verse 15, Paul says: hey, you guys are wise, you are reasonable, you should get this next example. When we take Communion, it shows our connection with Jesus Christ. It shows that we belong to him. The cup is participating in the blood of Christ, and the bread, participating in the body of Christ. Communion also shows our connection to one another: verse 17.

Then he gives a short illustration in verse 18:
-When the Israelites eat the sacrifices off the altar of God, it shows that they are connected to that altar. They are connected to the worship of God. In the same way, when pagans worship idols, they participate in demons. Even though an idol is nothing, there is a very real, a very powerful Satanic, demonic reality behind idol worship.

The conclusion is this: You can’t belong both to demons and to Christ. You can’t participate both in Christ and in demons.

While this illustration of participating in an altar may seem a bit strange, how about a couple modern illustrations?

Many of you have probably been groomsmen or bridesmaids at a wedding. You are not just standing there watching. You are actively participating in the wedding. If you don’t think that couple should be getting married, you shouldn’t be standing there agreeing!
Or, let’s say you know your friend is planning on breaking into a store. And he asks you to drive him to the store in the middle of the night, and wait out back for him. If you drive him to the crime and back, you are participating in that crime (legally). “Oh, I didn’t steal anything!” is not going to cut in front of the judge!

In the same way, going to the temple to eat the meat sacrificed to idols is not empty act. You are connecting yourself with demons. You are giving approval to the false worship happening there. In the same way, taking communion is not an empty act! You are celebrating your connection with Jesus Christ. You are saying, when you drink the cup and eat the bread: I belong to Jesus Christ! You cannot do both.

Paul ends with this: can we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is? Israel tried in the wilderness. They flirted with idol worship, with sexual immorality. They lost big time. Don’t you try the same thing.

From these examples, Paul puts in front of us some instruction.

1. Don’t think you’re infallible (12)
Look at Israel, they fell by the thousands in the wilderness. Don’t think you are beyond sin. It is often common for us, when we hear of someone sinning, is to think: Oh, that would never happen to me. I don’t struggle with that kind of sin. Beware, you are in a very dangerous place. The same sin that got your brother is now crouching at your door, waiting to strike. Galatians 6:1 says: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Claims to be beyond a certain sin, should not be made by Christians. Of course, we would never say this out loud, but how often do we say it in our hearts. I don’t care your background in Christianity, your pass successes in your Christian life, or your knowledge of the Bible, we are all in danger of sin.

2. Don’t forget: God is faithful (13)
It seems Paul is addressing the question: well, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I will sin. He says: NO! God is faithful. He will not tempt you beyond what you can bear, but provide an escape for you. The key to fighting sin, is not focusing your level of spiritual maturity or Christian pedigree, but focusing on God’s faithfulness to you. They key to fighting sin is our faithful God. We can endure the strongest temptation because he fights for us. Don’t cave into temptation, because God is not going to give up on you!

3. Don’t flirt with sin: flee (14)
The response to God’s faithfulness in temptation is not to get closer to temptation and sin. “God’s got my back; I’m going closer. No. Get up and book it. In chapter 6, Paul uses similar language to talk about sexual immorality. Flee!

We must remember, that in this discussion of idolatry, Paul is also addressing issues of Christian liberty. Can Christians eat meat sacrificed to idols? Yes, it is lawful, but it may not be profitable.
And the same questions can be asked today: can a Christian watch this movie, read this book, wear these kind of clothes, go to this party, or be employed in this type of business? If it does not involve direct sin, yes! They are free to do what is not sin. But that is not the only question to ask. It is profitable? Will it keep me away from sin? Sin is like nuclear waste. Flee or you will be contaminated and died!

How close to the edge can you get? The closer you get, the easier it is for you to fall off. Stay away from the edge! Christians are known, not by how close they get to sin, but how fast they flee from sin.

4. Your fellowship is with Christ
We are reminded by Communion that we as Christians belong to Jesus Christ. As we drink the cup, we are reminded that his blood purchased us. As we eat the bread, we are reminded that it was his torn body that rescued us from sin. We now belong to Christ, not to sin. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are not your own, for you were brought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body.