Just want to say to all of you who came to Beulah Beach last Sunday evening…I was so glad to be part of that gathering with you! I heard estimates of 800-1000 people there. We had 63 people get baptized and there were so many cool testimonies of life change. Wow! I’m so grateful for what the Lord is doing at Grace. So many encouraging stories. We’d love to hear from you, too. We thought it would be neat to highlight some stories of God at work. It’s a great way to give him praise, to acknowledge how good & faithful & capable he is. So, anyone can tell us your story in a few ways: 1. Scan the QR code on arm rest and tap "Share My Story" at top. 2. Go to gracecma.org/mystory 3. Email your testimony to mystory@gracecma.org. Any story that is evidence of God at work, maybe a relationship was restored, overcoming addiction, how you came to know Jesus, story of healing, God’s provision for you in some way, connecting with other believers in small group or class, finding joy in serving. Use any of those channels to be in touch. Sound good? Well, let’s dig into our topic for today: Learning From Failure We’ve all heard what history teachers say, (6) those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it. Wise people learn from failure—their own or that of others. We do ourselves a huge disservice if we don’t pay attention to warning signs. Mary & I met our kids at a National Park last month for some hiking. So fun. Had a blast together. But there was this one sobering moment for Mary and me. We’re driving along this road, and we (5) saw this (roadside memorial). The tough part was that it wasn’t just one. In about 2 miles, we saw maybe 11 crosses. Really struck us. We wondered what happened. Was it weather-related? Who were these individuals? What was their story? Someone entered eternity at those very spots… And as we saw one after another, you know what else that did? It was a warning, right? You pause, and think, “Wow, someone lost their life right here? I better be _______ what?...careful” We’ve been looking at wisdom for living in our Whitewater culture, and Paul gives us a bunch of warnings in 1 Cor. Not b/c he’s negative, but because that’s what love and concern does for people you care about. 1 Cor 3:10-15. He says to build Christian community carefully, or your work might be wasted in the end. 1 Cor 3:16-17. He warns us, don’t hurt God’s church—whether through gossip or division or whatever. If you do, you’ll pay a price. 1 Cor 5:1-13. We’re warned to deal with obvious sin that’s happening, or else it will spread like mold and infect a ton of people. 1 Cor 6:9-10. He warns us to leave behind sexual sin & greed & stealing if you want to inherit God’s kingdom. 8:7-13. Pay attention to newer Jesus followers around you and don’t behave in ways that lead them back into old patterns that would make them drift from Jesus. 1 Cor 9:24-27. Run the race God has given you, and give it your all, so you’re not disqualified from the reward he’s prepared for you. 11:27-30. Be careful how you take communion, honoring Jesus and the people around you—or you will face consequences that can include sickness and death. Paul doesn’t hold back, does he? By far the longest & most dramatic warning is in 1 Cor. 10, our passage for today. Let’s turn there. Bible, sermon notes Hi to all of you at OF. Guys at Lorain Corr’l. Our online community. Here’s the aim of our Scripture passage today. Paul holds up memorials to failure that make us stop for a moment, pause, and say, “Wow—this devastated someone’s life. I better be careful. I don’t want that to happen to me.” I’m grateful that God is so patient with me, and all of us. And, I hope He’ll teach all of us…because there’s an incredibly important and powerful lesson in these verses. Let’s start with the theme verse in this chapter. V. 13—If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Cor. 10:12-13. Here’s what Paul is saying…about all of us who believe. Every Christian is extraordinarily privileged…And yet we have the capacity for devastating failure. Paul states twice here in 1 Cor. 10 that “these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.” So, what do we learn? For starts, Paul illustrates how every follower of God—today, in Paul’s day, or 2,000 years earlier in Moses’ day—how… Every Christian is extraordinarily privileged…(v. 1-4) As I read the first 4 vss, listen for the privileges that Paul lists, and for the 3-letter word that he repeats 4x. 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. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.  Paul is saying, “From the very beginning, people of God have been extraordinarily privileged. They’ve received so many benefits.” And he implies the same about believers in Jesus today. All of us. That’s the word he repeats 4x. If you and I have put our trust in Jesus and he’s come to live within us and made us part of God’s family, then you and I are extraordinarily privileged. Verse 1, he talks about the cloud. They were all under the cloud. What does that mean? Remember how the Israelites escape from Egypt, come through the Red Sea, and camp in the desert for 40 years? How did they know when to pull up stakes and move to a new place? How did God guide them and show his presence among them? It was a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, right? That cloud was always there…never left them. Which means this: We know that God is always with us (cloud—Exodus 40:34-38). That’s a gift to every person who accepts Jesus. You know that He is always with you…always. Every moment of every day…and night. There’s never a time—a situation—when you do life alone. Then, he says—v. 1, they all passed through the sea. And in that way, v. 2, “they were all baptized into Moses.” For us: We are closely related to Jesus through baptism (sea—Ex. 13-14). It says they were baptized into Moses, meaning he was the mediator between them and the Heavenly Father. Similarly, you and I are connected to the Heavenly Father through our Mediator, Jesus. And baptism carries a powerful word picture. When the people of God came through the Red Sea, they were escaping what? Slavery in Egypt, right? Oppression by the enemy. And when we’re baptized, it’s a picture—a symbol—that we have escaped what? Slavery to sin, right? Oppression by our Enemy. Baptism is a picture that Jesus has set us free…that he lives in me and is leading my life. It’s a declaration and a celebration all in one! BTW, we have a baptism service again on Nov. 19 and would love to celebrate that event with you if you haven’t taken that step yet. You can sign up on our website or just call the church office. So we have these privileges: Jesus is always with us, and he’s rescued us—set us free—from the Enemy’s grip and the penalty of sin and our fear of death. And Paul mentions another privilege. Verse 3, he says they all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink…manna that came from the sky to feed them—these little wafers on the ground every morning, as well as water from a rock. So it was regular food and water, but spiritual in the sense that it was not a natural provision, but supernatural. It’s was a spiritual gift from God. What do we have today? We have God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper to strengthen and guide us Paul goes on at the end of this chapter to talk about the Lord’s Supper, or communion. Almost every Bible scholar I read on this passage made these connections between the privileges given to followers of God in the OT, and to us today. We are extraordinarily privileged… and Paul could have mentioned so much more, like he does in other places! So here’s what we can know for sure: If we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, we’re children of the King! We belong to Christ forever, we have a purpose to fulfill, and we have an amazing inheritance awaiting us in heaven. So let me ask this…to Make it personal. Have you put your trust in Jesus and become part of his family? If so, do you realize how privileged you are as one who is now “in Christ”? That’s what Paul wants to establish for starts. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you’ve been amazingly blessed by God! But here’s the warning. Paul says, “Be careful.” And he warns us, that (23) despite our privileges, we all…have the capacity for devastating failure (v. 5-12) Look at v. 5. Here’s the sobering conclusion: the fact is that “God was not pleased with most of them.” Isn’t that a devastating commentary? “God was not pleased with most of them.” I don’t want that said about me! Do you?! “God was not pleased with Jonathan.” How did it happen for them? Paul tells us, v.6—Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do 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." 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day 23,000 of them died. 9We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. Here are the 4 failures that Paul mentions. In v. 7— Idolatry: when we allow other things—or people—to become more important to us than God. Doesn’t have to be a little Buddha…it could be your car. Or a hobby. Or a relationship. None of them wrong in themselves. In fact, they may be good things. But they’re devastating in the eyes of God if they become more important to us than He is. Next, v. 8, he mentions…Sexual immorality: whenever we go out of bounds with this gift from God. Could be premarital sex, pornography, lust, an affair…any time we use and abuse the gift of sex in a way that is out of bounds with God’s design in marriage. What seems so alluring can cause a lot pain The next one here doesn’t seem like such a serious sin, and yet we have to conclude that it also causes God to be really disappointed when we do this. That is…Testing the Lord: we question God’s goodness and ability. The historical account is written up in Numbers 21, when the people of God have come out of Egypt and they’re out in the desert and they say, “Why did God bring us here? We don’t like the manna…we just don’t like this place.” They question God’s goodness, his ability. In God’s eyes, a very serious sin. And the next one is related. Paul mentions the seriousness of: Grumbling: we choose to complain and whine instead of giving thanks. And I’ve listed there where you can find each of these historical failures in the Old Testament. What’s interesting is how on these last 3 sins, the discipline was death. V. 8—23,000 died b/c of sexual sin. V. 9—lots more die from snake bites because they test the Lord. And v. 10—more are killed by an angel because of their grumbling. Let me ask you—what do you think would happen if God still handed out the same kind of discipline today? What kind of effect do you think that would have? But do we really need that?! Shouldn’t it be enough to never want it said of us, “God was not pleased with most of them”? One of our goals as a church is to “Love Jesus” and part of loving Him is wanting to please Him. So we look at these memorials to failure, and we think, “Man, I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to crash like that.” Thankfully, we don’t have to. Notice it says “God was not pleased with most of them.” That means there were some who really did please him! All of them were extraordinarily privileged. Only some of them kept getting caught in sin. So what’s Paul’s point? He makes that real clear in v. 11: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us... So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” 1 Cor. 10:11-12 So you know what Paul says next? He offers a huge dose of encouragement for every one of us. (33) And it’s this— You don’t have to accept failure! Verse 13 again—The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. In other words, we don’t have to end up as a memorial of failure on the roadway of life. I don’t want that for me, and I don’t want it for you. And it doesn’t have to happen. In v13, there are 3 encouraging guarantees about temptations we face. Look what he says—3 phrases in a row. First…You are not alone.  Every temptation you encounter has also been faced by others. And overcome. He’s saying that to encourage us. You and I never face a temptation that’s brand-new. And for every temptation we face, there have been people—just like us—who have come out on top. And so can we. I remember hearing from a guy who attends Seven Pillars, a group for guys who are going after sexual integrity. He said, “It’s been so good for me to be on the journey with all these other guys. In my shame, the Enemy wanted me to feel like I was all alone. Coming to a group let me bring my stuff into the light. I realized I’m not alone. And I began hearing victory stories from guys ahead of me in the journey.” That’s the power of being connected with others! And it’s a reminder that we’re all in process. Someone told us recently, “One of the reasons we’re at Grace is because it’s okay to admit that you’re not a finished product. Life can be messy sometimes, and we found a church home where you can be honest about that.” I love hearing comments like that! I think Jesus—a friend of sinners—is so glad we are encountering his grace like that. The big point? You are not alone. Not only that. Paul says…God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. You could say it this way— God will never let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. You will not be able to avoid temptation. That’s impossible in this world. But, you will never find a temptation that, by God’s grace, is unbeatable. He says, “It just won’t happen. You can count on it. God is faithful.” God will always give you a way of escape—victory is possible! See what Paul is getting at? A lot of us know this verse, but we haven’t been as familiar with the context. Paul talks about the failures of God’s people over the centuries, and he knows that Christians might say, “Well, I guess failure is part of the territory.” And Paul says, “No! Absolutely not. Doesn’t have to be. Every time we are tempted, God provides an escape route.” Have you been near the ocean and (40) seen those signs on the various roads that show you what to do in case of a hurricane? There are roads marked as evacuation routes. If you want to steer clear of danger and possible death, you follow the signs. You take the evacuation route to safety. Same thing with temptation. When you feel the threat of spiritual attack and potential failure, you look for ways to overcome. God promises to always provide an evacuation route. What does that look like in practical terms? It might mean going to a recovery group. Or seeing a Christian counselor to find out what triggers your anger…or whatever temptation you’re dealing with. It may mean changing you’re viewing habits on Netflix. Could mean avoiding certain places where you know you’re just more vulnerable to temptation. Or maybe it’s alcohol. As a pastor, I’ve heard so many times—when a person expresses regret—that it started with a drink. Defenses go down, and we’re vulnerable. HALT. Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. One of the best gifts you Get at least 7 hours of sleep." He knew that he’d do better—way better—if well-rested. So…what’s your evacuation route? Take an honest look at triggers that often come before a failure. And then work to find “the way out.” What we know for sure is this: God will provide one. That’s his promise. Victory is within reach. What steps do we need to take to see that happen? Here’s what we want to remember, friends. Defeat is not a given! That’s the message of this passage: All members of God’s family are incredibly blessed; some end up not pleasing him (both words used 4x in v. 1-9). You can be a follower who does. Conclusion Now, I realize in a room this size, we come from so many different backgrounds. You might feel like you’ve failed a ton. You know what I love? God gives us more grace and mercy that we could ever deserve. He loves to rescue people who feel lost. People who feel they’ve messed up. God says, “I’ll be faithful to you. You don’t have to keep on giving in. There’s a way out. Trust me. I’ll help you.” So the choice is yours. No matter where you’ve been, where will you go starting today? If and you feel like things are going pretty well for you recently and you’re spiritually strong, here’s what Paul is calling out: “Be careful!! Watch out. Fight courageously. Take the evacuation routes. Don’t be caught unaware. Your Enemy is trying to bring you down. Be careful!” God will help you write a new chapter if you’ll trust him. Will you take the step he’s prompting you to take right now? I’m rooting for you. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit for his strength and power to see victory in our lives.