Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians 10. I like to look at verses 13 and
14. I'm coming right up to that where
we'd looked before when Israel was mightily delivered by the
hand of God out of Egypt. The Lord led them in a cloud,
led them with a cloud. He delivered them through the
Red Sea, fed them with manna, provided all of their needs,
but the scripture declared that with many of them the Lord was
not well pleased. He had no pleasure in permitting
many, the vast majority, the vast majority of those that came
out of Egypt did not enter into the promised land. The scripture
says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, latter part, they were overthrown
in the wilderness. I wanted to know what that word
again meant. Remind myself. They were overthrown. They didn't just die, but they
were stricken down immediately in an act of God's judgment,
justice. Different ones. Remember how
many times there were be situations like with Korah and that band
that followed him. They just decided that they were
just going to stand against God because they stood against Moses
is what they did. But really they were standing
against God. And the Lord just opened up the earth and sent
them all to hell. Alive. Immediately. Just right
now. The next day, you remember what
happened? They started murmuring against Moses and said, you have
destroyed God's people. And God started killing them
again. And Aaron went in with a censer and the plague was stayed. Thousands of them. Thousands
and thousands and thousands. When they made that golden calf,
went down there, Thousands of them were killed. With many of
them, God was not pleased, and they were immediately strewn,
is what the word. Their carcasses just lay out
in the wilderness. Somebody asked me the other day,
they said, who buried all those? Scripture doesn't say that all
of them were buried. Their carcasses were just laid out under the
judgment and justice of God. But Paul, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, reminds us that these things, verse 12, happened for a reason. God allowed these things to happen
for a reason. What was it? They were our examples. to the intent that we should
not lust after evil things. What evil things? Things that
the Lord was not pleased to provide. But then they started murmuring
and griping and complaining. And God judged them for it. And He says,
The latter part of verse 12, let him that thinketh, he standeth,
take heed, lest he fall. Now, who are exhorted to take
heed? Well, I can tell you this, for
sure God's people, but everybody sitting here, take heed. You tell a believer, those that
have a good hope, have cast themselves upon the mercy of God. You tell
a believer to take heed, and I'll tell you what that believer
does. He takes heed. He examines himself to see if
he'd be in the faith. Do I meet these qualifications? Do I find myself to be a sinner? There's a first thing. Do I see myself as a needy, needy,
helpless sinner? Does that word take heed? Does that strike a note of caution
in us? It ought to. It ought to because
we've got a written account here of so many that came out and
I don't doubt for one second that not one of them that came
out, not one of them thought, I'll never make it to the promised
land. Every one of them that came out, all the Egyptians gave
them all those jewels and stuff like that. We're coming out.
God's taking us out of here. He preserved us through all of
these plagues. Not one of them. Thought. Anything
but I'm going to be there. Paul says take heed. A believer
does that. You tell an unbeliever to take
heed, and I'll tell you that, it just, it just, it grieves
him. I passed a scripture about a
believer. Turn to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. You tell a believer,
be warned, be warned. And here's the attitude. Chapter 26, verse 21. Matthew 26, 21. As they did eat,
he said, verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray
me. Now think of this, he's sitting
there with his apostles, and he tells them, truly, I'm saying
to you, one of you shall betray me. Now if that statement was
literally, and here it is, it's literally said to these men. But think about a believer thinking
about that, when that was said to those apostles. One of you
is going to betray me. Now, here's what I know 11 of
them did. They were exceeding sorrowful
and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? Am I the one? Now, let me just bare my heart
to you. I'm going to just be truthful
and just say to me, or unto the Lord, in my heart I'll verbally
say, Lord, am I one that before I leave this earth, am I the
one that will forsake you? How many people that went out
from among us, how many you thought prior to doing that, how many
thought they would? None of them. None of them. Am I the one? Lord, am I one
that will leave you? You tell a believer to take heed
and that word of warning falls on a heart of concern. It's real. Leave up. Leave up. Let an unbeliever hear that and
it makes them mad. Are you saying we're not sons
of Abraham? That's what the Pharisee says. Do you think that we're
not children of God? Just remember this. Almighty
God gives His people assurance. There's no doubt about that.
Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. Why? The gospel came to you, not in
word only, but in power. And they are assured. I know
whom I have believed. God's people are sober. They're
vigilant. They know that their adversary,
the devil, goes about seeking whom he may devour. They know
that they love. Peter said, Lord, you know all
things. You know I love you. I love you. Every believer knows. He knows the Lord. And I'll tell
you, every believer takes heed. He's continually. examining himself
to see if he'd be in the faith. That's just, that's just, that's
a believer. Struggling. Well, here's a word
of encouragement this morning. 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." No temptation. No temptation
to sin. No temptation to rebel against
God. No temptation has taken you but
Every other person has suffered the same thing. The Lord Himself
was tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin. He knows. He knows. There's no trial, no affliction,
no experience. There's no enticement to sin,
no matter how it comes, that everybody else has experienced
The same thing. And by the grace of God, if they
did not yield to it, outwardly, for sure, it was only by the
grace of God. No trial is permitted that is
beyond human resistance, the ability to resist, because the
Lord has promised to so adjust it and adapt that trial, it's
tempered. There hath no temptation, no
trial taken you, but such is common. But God is faithful. That's the reason. That's the
reason. If there is any ability to resist
temptation. It's not us. It's not us. My friend, we just ain't that
strong. We're just not that able. Oh, I'm able. No, you're not.
I'm not either. If the Lord, can you imagine
the Lord leaving us to ourselves? I think about that whenever the
disciples, whenever Peter said, I go fishing. I quit. I'm going
back. The other said, I'm going with
you. I'm getting out of the ministry. That's what they said. The Lord
called them the next morning. Children, have you any meat?
No. Here's what he said. How's it
going for you? How are you doing by yourself? How is it out there fishing all
night? No fruit. No nothing. That's going good
for you. Why, why, why are we able? Why do we have any consistency
of walk? Why is there any consistency? And a believer looks at himself
and says, I don't see any consistency. But if there's any consistency
of walk, any manifestation of the fruit of God's Spirit, Here's
the reason. God is faithful. He is the source, the security,
the comfort, the peace. His faithfulness toward God and
toward us. He's faithful. God is faithful. Faithful to His Word. Listen
to 1 Kings 8.56. Blessed be the Lord that hath
given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He has
promised, there hath not failed one word of all His good promise,
which He hath promised by the hand of Moses His serpent. He's
faithful. God's faithful. Faithful to His
Word. to give unto His people that
love we just spoke of. Know ye therefore that the Lord
thy God, He is God, the faithful God that keepeth covenant and
mercy with them that love Him, keep His commandments to a thousand
generations. I would desire to be faithful
to my word. I want to be. I want to be. But I'm going to just tell you
right now. I am a miserable failure when it comes. I want to be consistent. I want to say, when scripture
says, you know, love your brethren. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and
admit it right now. I want to do that. Oh, how failing I see
myself. But God is faithful. His promise
is our assurance. Lord, at your word, that's the
most honoring thing we can do. Lord, you said, you said you'd
never leave me. Lord, you said that you'd never
forsake me. You think about, we who are parents,
you think about if your child comes up to you and you said
something to him, you promised him, you promised him, I'm gonna
do this, I'm gonna do it. And they come up to you and say,
You said, you told me. And you know what, if you hadn't
done it, I mean that's convicting. I know I said it, but not with
God. He's faithful to His Word. Not
one word will fail. He's promised, He's faithful. He'd given His people. He said,
I give unto them eternal life and they'll never perish. They'll never perish. My friend,
again, if He'd deal with me according to my iniquity, if He'd charge
me with my iniquity, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will
not impute. He won't charge it to him. Because it's not there. What do you mean it's not there?
I mean, for His elect, their sins are cast as far as the east
is from the west. Yeah, but the manifestation of
it. I know the manifestations of it there. But there's no guilt.
There's no guilt. There's no guilt. Oh, the recognition
of what I did is there. My sin is ever before me. Against
thee, thee only, have I sinned. Done this evil, evil in your
sight. But oh, the thought! There is
no condemnation to them which be in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He's not going to
charge me. You know what that does to a
believer. I'll tell you what it doesn't do. It doesn't cause him to say,
well, it just don't matter. My friend, it matters. Does my attitude matter? Yes,
sir. Yes, sir. That sorry attitude that I see
in myself, that arrogant, just haughty, I make myself sick. Does it matter? Yes, it does.
But God is faithful. Almighty God is faithful. Who
will not suffer, not allow you to be tempted. He won't allow
it. He won't allow it. You think
Satan would like to be able to just have free reign with you?
Free reign. You know. Oh my, yes. But God won't allow it. He will
not suffer. He won't permit it. He won't
permit you to be tempted above that which you're able. Almighty
God who rules and reigns, orders. He so adapts. He proportions,
graciously proportions. The temptations of His people.
He knows our character. He knows that we're dust. He
knows what's suited to our nature. And He portions with loving strokes
of chastening grace. He just won't allow it. He just
don't allow it. He permits His people. to go
through that which they go through. Why? Because He loves them. He's
going to teach them. But when temptation comes, that temptation
that He providentially allowed, permitted, He, the Scripture
says, will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape. He'll make that way. It's provided. How does he do that? Because
he's working everything. He orders everything. Nothing
comes our way that Almighty God is not allowed and permitted.
Treat the temptations that we have as a friend. What? As a friend. Not as a stranger. But coming
from the one who loves us. Whom the Lord loves. He chased us, tries us, and He's
allowed it, He sent it. Now you listen to this, Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you. What does that mean?
He's asked excessively to be given, for you to be given up
to him. Satan hath desired to have you. Satan wants you. Now at this
point, let me ask you this, because the Lord has stopped it right
here. Yeah. Yeah. He's God. He can do that. Satan has desired
to have you. Why? That he may sift you like
wheat. He wants to destroy you. He wants
you to quit. He wants you to walk away. He
wants you out of here. But I've prayed for thee. I've prayed especially for you. I've prayed for you. Why? That faith, that faith that I
gave you, Fail not. I'm going to allow it. He wants
you. He's asked me. I'm going to permit
him to do it. But I prayed for you, Peter. And I prayed this, that your
faith fail not. Did it falter? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Did it fail? Did it
fail? No. No. Did he fall? Yeah. Did the Lord pick him up? Yeah. Yeah. I've prayed for you. And when you're converted, what
does that mean? Was he already a believer? Yeah. When you're brought back
from the trial that I'm going to allow and going to keep you
in the midst of, I want you to strengthen your brethren. Peter,
when you've gone through what I'm going to allow you to go
through and teach you. Now listen to me. Now there's
many of us here that are going through trials. Different ones,
different ones. Who has allowed them? The Lord. The Lord has allowed them. He's
the one that's working all this. after the counsel of his own
will. But let me tell you what he's done. He's not allowed any
trial, any temptation that any of us are going through today. He's not allowed it to come in
such a way whereby he has not already provided the way of escape. It's already there. He will with the temptation And
once we've gone through this trial, you know what he told
Peter? And he tells all of us, when you're converted, strengthen
the brethren. What does that mean? Be an encouragement
to them. I've been there. That's what
he said. I've been there. That's what these apostles did
when they wrote those epistles later. John, Peter, you know. When you're taught, And I've
taught you something. You strengthen your brethren.
And you tell them, the Lord's grace is sufficient. You'll be
okay. You'll be fine. Oh, it's so comforting
when you talk to somebody that's gone through something. You go
to a doctor and you let a doctor tell you, well, I think there
may be some cancer there. Let me tell you who will be a
comfort to you. A believer that's been there. a believer that's been there.
Somebody will say, I can tell you this. I'm going to tell you
from experience. The Lord's grace is sufficient.
The Lord will keep you. The Lord will sustain you. When
you're converted, Peter, Satan has desired to have you. I prayed
for you that your faith fail not. And when you're converted,
strengthen the brethren. That temptation is going to come,
He's not going to allow it to come without providing the way
of escape. I will give you the faith. I will pray that your faith fail
not. I will be your strength. I will grant you the patience
to wait upon me. That's how people, God's people,
that's how they are kept. Knowing all that, Paul says in
verse 14, Wherefore, my dearly beloved, you that I love dearly,
flee from idolatry. Flee from everything or anything
or anyone that would cause you to have your heart to regard
something or someone more, or give more reverence to, more
respect to, more allegiance to, than Almighty God. What do you do? Flee from it. We're not strong enough to deal
with it. I can handle it. Flee from it. When that temptation comes, I'm
telling you, the Lord who will provide the ways of escape, flee
from it. Believe Him. Trust Him. What's the way going to be? The
Lord will provide. I don't know what He'll do, but
I can tell you this. He will not allow you or me to
be tempted above that which we're able to resist, but with the
temptation will also provide the way of escape. Lord, teach
me, wait upon you, trust you, look to you, for Christ's sake,