Take Heed Lest Ye Fall

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Have you ever warned someone of something, but they ignored the warning?
Has anyone ever warned you of something, and you ignored them?

In our passages, Paul is warning the Corinthians to pay close attention in a few areas of life otherwise we will fall. Some people think people who fail are older, different than me, more wicked than me, not as smart as I am, but everyone is susceptible to spiritual falling/failure
Consider Peter, who did not think he could deny Christ, but He did three times. There is also Samson that never imagined his strength would vanish, but his confidence in himself led to his own demise. King David was a victorious king, but he lost the battle against sin when he chose immorality of godliness.

Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

4 Areas to take heed
-Take Heed and Worship God Alone (1 Cor. 10:7) 1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Idolaters-people who love something more than they love God.

We are guilty of worshipping pastimes. -You know you are guilty of worshipping pastimes if you get angry when these things are taken away from you.
-You think, “I have to watch the finale, I have seen all 23 other episodes”
-You think, “I have to watch this or I will feel so LOST”
-You think, “If I don’t see this last show I will be the BIGGEST LOSER.”

We are guilty of worshipping people -live for constant communication with our friends, but never desire to communicate with God.
-live to follow friends instead of obeying God.

We are guilty of worshipping our possessions -Living for things, money, vacations, material products.
-if they get messed up, we are furious, angry, and depressed (indicators of materialism)

Take Heed in Your Morals (1 Cor. 10:8) 1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Take Heed in Tempting Christ (1 Cor. 10:9) 1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
What is tempting Christ?
-Complaining against God because God won’t give us pleasure in sin.
-We also tempt Christ by holding on to sin and becoming bitter
-Paul gives the example of the Israelites despising God’s provision of manna.
Take Heed To Submit To Authority (1 Cor. 10:10)
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Using the example of Korah’s rebellion. God punished him and others for not submitting to God-given authority.

Types of Rebels -Assertive Rebels – rebel in your face. (Outright disobedience) -Cooperative Rebel – obey because it gets them what they want (don’t want to be grounded but in their heart they are not submitting) -Passive Rebel – I can’t do that; they don’t want to obey; makes excuses; (I forgot to wash the dishes, no you chose not to remember)

Through Christ How Can I Take Heed?
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Realize
-Temptation comes to everyone -God is enough – faithful – Lord can deliver out of every temptation -There is a way to escape from every temptation