BEING A CHRISTIAN WILL

NOT SAVE YOUJUDE 1 -10

BY BRO. ITSE ENONUYA (BISHOP)

CHURCH OF CHRIST, SANGOTEDO

Being a Christian..• Why did you become a Christian?

A. For most of us, we desired the promise - Eph 1:13-14

B. We wanted forgiveness of our sins, but more importantly, we want to go home.

C. Sadly, few actually make it - Matt 7:13-14

D. Paul sought heaven, but he realized it wasn’t yet his - Phil 3:7-14

1. A grave danger to anyone is thinking you’ve made it before you reached your destination - I Cor 10:12

• A person who thinks he has arrived becomes lax & doesn’t put in the effort.

Being a Christian..

• Paul warned the Corinthians in the same manner-1Cor 9:24-27

• Think about the Israelites - Jude 5

1. How many people left Egypt?

2. Numbers 1:45-47 says 603,500 non-infirmed men above the age of 20, not counting any from the tribe of Levi came out of Egyptian bondage.

3.How many of this original number entered the promise land? Only two! (Num 32:11-13)

Yet were these people not saved? Didn’t God rescue them?

Being a Christian..• Paul draws a parallel between the Israelites and

Christians.

• Christians are saved, just like the Israelites - I Cor 10:1-4

A. Paul likens the Israelites salvation from the corruption and bondage of Egypt to the baptism of a Christian

1. Baptism frees us from the bondage of sin - Rom 6:3-7

2. Yet, despite that baptism, the Israelites still died in the wilderness!

3. Why? Because baptism will not keep you saved.

Being a Christian... B. Paul likens their reception of manna and water to the spiritual food and drink that each Christian partakes.

1. John 6:53-58 - We have to partake of Christ, symbolized in the partaking of the Lord’s supper - I Cor 11:23-26

2. Too often, Christians convince themselves that as long as they come and partake of the Lord’s Supper once a week, then they will reach the promised land of heaven.

3. It is true that we cannot reach heaven without partaking. But not true that partaking will guarantee your entrance.

4. The Israelites partook of God’s food and they didn’t make it to the promise land.

Being a Christian...

C. The Israelites even had Christ on their side

1. We often mention Phil 4:13

2. Yet their access to Christ did not allow them to reach heaven!

D. Despite all their advantages - I Cor 10:5

1. Sometimes we deceive ourselves and think we have a greater advantage. We won’t slip back into sin!

2. But the Israelites did with the very things many of us rely upon. - Heb 3:12-4:1

Being a Christian...III. Why did they die?

A. Idolatry - I Cor 10:71. It was only a few months after being freed from Egypt that the Israelites came to Mt. Sinai to receive God’s laws for them

2. After the terrifying experience of hearing God, Himself, speak the ten commandments, the people asked Moses to speak to God for them

3. Moses climbed Mt. Sinai twice, coming down once to warn the people not to get curious and thereby come to harm - Exodus 19:18-20

4. Moses came down again, told the people what God required, and then wrote it all down for them - Exodus 24:3-5

5. He then returned to the mountain to receive further instruction and to get a copy of the laws on tablets of stone - Exodus 24:12, 15-18

a. Note that the people had God’s law in their possession

b. They had a constant visual reminder of God’s presence on the mountain

6. Yet a problem arose because Moses was gone for a month and a half (40 days) - Exodus 32:1, 7-9

Being a Christian...

7. The problem was they were impatient.

a. Did they not know that God was nearby?

b. Did they not just agree to the terms of God’s covenant?

8. The result - Exodus 32:25-28

a. Three thousand died that day.

(1) This was not a war against strangers.

(2) God required them to kill their relatives, friends, and neighbors – people they knew!

(3) What a terrible thing to ask of anyone, but what a terrible thing sin is in the sight of God.

Being a Christian... 9. Why did Paul mention this particular sin?

a. The Corinthians had corrupted the Lord’s Supper - I Cor 11:17-22

b. They were impatient - I Cor 11:28-34

c. People want more from their churches, so they introduce concerts.

d. Is it not because they are impatient with God’s method? - I Corinthians 1:21

e. When people begin to think they can improve on God’s plan, they will turn to entertainment. They mistake that what pleases them will please God - Galatians 1:10

Being a Christian... C. Lusting after evil - I Corinthians 10:6

•Right after leaving Sinai, the people began to complain - Num 10:11-13; 11:4-6

• Have you ever heard people complain that services are too boring. People want something more to spice up the services

•The Corinthians were innovating: women speaking in service, demonstrative tongue speaking, etc. - I Cor14

• God gave the people what they wanted - Num 11:31-34

• He struck them down while they satisfied their greed.

•Christians should be careful with innovations in the things of God – Gal 1:6-8

Being a Christian... D. Grumbling against punishment - I Corinthians 10:10

•After Israel was repulsed from Canaan because they did not believe God could give them the land, they were sentenced to wander 40 years in the wilderness. They rebelled against Moses, & 14,700 died - Num 16

•Why did Paul select this story?

I Corinthians contains many harsh rebukes to the Corinthians. Paul told them to withdraw from a wayward brother. Men would blame the messenger of the bad news. “It is your fault that he is not in the church anymore. You drove him out!”

When someone sins and men are bold enough to say it cannot be tolerated; after the sinners are removed, some people will turn around and blame them for driving Christians away from the church.

Being a Christian...

E. Sexual Immorality - I Corinthians 10:8

•The people had survived the long years in the wilderness. They were right on the border of the promised land.

• But even so close, they lost sight of their goal - Numbers 25

• 24,000 died by the plague, not counting the leaders slain.

•Why did Paul mention this particular sin?

• The Corinthians had accepted a man committing fornication in their midst - I Cor 5:1-2

•Beware of sexual immorality

•Yet think on this: These people were on the very doorsteps of the promise land and they did not make it!

IV. By now we must understand that salvation is not assured to any.

A. The lack is not on God’s part. God can and does save, of this we can have full assurance. - Heb 6:4-12

B. But men sin. Men turn against their savior. - I Peter 4:17-19C. You cannot coast into heaven. Israel teaches us this - I

Corinthians 10:11-12

Being a Christian...