"The Way of Escape!" 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 Trinity 9
July 28, 2024
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
The Ninth Sunday After Trinity 7/28/24 Sermon Text: The Way of Escape! 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 I. Beware Of The Dangers On The Journey! (Vs.6-10) II. Beware Of Trusting In Your Own Strength! (Vs.11-12) III. The Way Of Escape Is Through God’s Bloody Mercy! (Vs.13) by Rev. Nathan J .Rusert
Episode Notes
The Ninth Sunday After Trinity 7/28/24
Sermon Text: The Way of Escape! 1 Corinthians 10:6-13
I. Beware Of The Dangers On The Journey! (Vs.6-10)
II. Beware Of Trusting In Your Own Strength! (Vs.11-12)
III. The Way Of Escape Is Through God’s Bloody Mercy! (Vs.13) by Rev. Nathan J .Rusert
I.N.R.I. Death surrounded God’s children. Behind them - the most powerful army in the world. The Egyptian army was bent on either slaughtering the children of Israel or leading them back into slavery. Before them raged the Red Sea - no possible way of escape - no time or supplies for boat building. What were they to do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Lord God preached to the cowering children of Israel through Moses, Exodus 14:13-14 , "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. (14) The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Those terrible hordes bent destroying and enslaving God’s children would be crushed by God. He breathed - opening a way of escape on dry ground through the mighty waters of the Red Sea. The enemy who thought they would swallow up God’s people were swallowed by water at God’s Word.
The baptismal font in front of our sanctuary reminds us of the freedom our Lord God breathed upon us through water and His Word. You were lost and condemned in the sin of father Adam. Death surrounded you, Satan enslaved you, and sin chained you from the moment of conception - what could you do to save yourself? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Salvation is never your work - it is God’s free gift to crushed sinners in Jesus’ cross. The Triune God alone accomplished your salvation. The baptismal prayer reads, “Almighty and eternal God, according to your strict judgement....You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet You lead Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Your Holy Baptism.” Look at the font remember the Lord’s ongoing work in your baptism. Here flow life giving waters rich in grace and a renewal of the Holy Spirit that God the Father shed on us sinners abundantly in Jesus Christ. Today your baptism washes you forgiven in the blood of Jesus, rescues you from death and the devil, gives and seals to you eternal salvation, by grace through faith as you cling to your Savior’s Word and promise. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.’
Baptism is our life as God’s children. Just as being freed from the terror of Egypt’s army was never a thing of the past - but the constant reality of God’s children as they journeyed onward to the promised land. It is never that we say, “I was baptized into Christ” as if our baptism is in the past. We confess, “I am baptized into Christ.” Baptism is our daily dress - we are robed in Christ’s righteous life, beloved children of our heavenly Father, renewed by the Holy Spirit through the message of Jesus. Our crucified and risen Lord commands His Church - Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.(This is most certainly true.)Amen.” Baptism births us into the cross bought freedom. Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church feeds Jesus’ little lambs in the rich pastures of the Gospel preached. Fathers bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of God’s Word. Mothers follow the example of Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, who from infancy was in God’s house to hear God’s Word read, preached, sung, and prayed. Beloved baptized know and cling to : The Way of Escape! I. Beware Of The Dangers On The Journey! (Vs.6-10) II. Beware Of Trusting In Your Own Strength! (Vs.11-12) III. The Way Of Escape Is Through God’s Bloody Mercy! (Vs.13)
I. As ab infant at the font you beat the odds. Your parents loved you and trusted the Lord - your mother carried you for nine months your father rejoiced when you were born. Far cry from a people whose love has grown so cold that they rally for the right to slaughter infants in the womb. A nation so calloused that the wholesale selling of the body parts of butchered babies doesn’t move us to action, but any report of animal abuse riles our wrath.
Dear baptized children of God. Baptism began your journey towards the promised land. It is brought to completion when God the Holy Spirit raises your baptized body from the dust of death, bringing you safely into the life of the world to come. In the verses immediately preceding our text God the Holy Spirit warns, 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, (2) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (3) all ate the same spiritual food, (4) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (5) But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. How many of the 600,000 men freed from slavery actually made it to live in the promised land? Only two - Joshua and Caleb. What happened to the rest? They died in the wilderness, even though surrounded by Christ in baptism into Moses, fed by Christ with bread from heaven, sustained by Christ - the Rock of Ages who was cleft for them. Why? They broke faith with the way of escape.
Don’t follow their faithlessness. (Vs.6) The children of Israel had beheld God’s gracious acts of deliverance. Ten plagues freed them from Egyptian slavery. The Red Sea opened up the path to freedom. Yet what do they do almost immediately - lust after evil things! The accurate history of Exodus 16 records, Exodus 16:2-3 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. (3) And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Freed from slavery they lust for the food of slavery. Baptized beware of lusting for slavery’s food. Freed through Christ’s bloods bought empty tomb certified forgiveness - don’t return to eat the vomit of your sinful lusts.
Hearing God’s very voice preach the Ten Commandments from Sinai. The people plead with Moses to become their mediator promising to do all the Lord God commands. (Vs.7) 40 days later they enslave themselves to a golden calf. A new god of their imagination. New worship giving license to sin sexually. Dear baptized - don’t invent your own worship or image you can make God in your image giving approval to your lusts - thinking you can have a form of godliness powerless to free you from your sinful desires.
Later Balak, King of Moab hired Balaam to curse the children of Israel. The Lord would only allow Balaam to bless them. Balaam told the king to lure the children of Israel into sexual sin. (Vs.8) Moabite women seduced the men of Israel to join them worshiping their false fertility god - Baal of Peor. 23,000 fell in the plague the fruit of their rebellion. Dear baptized - your body is not your own - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Later the children of Israel were discouraged on the journey. It was taking too long and the supplies were meager. The Lord seemed to be leading them away from the Promised land. (Vs.9) Numbers 21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." Rejecting Jesus the bread of heaven - they would die unless they looked to the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole for them. Dear baptized - beware of thinking Christ’s bread from heaven is a worthless meal. He feeds you His body and gives you to drink of His blood to bring you life eternal in Him being lifted up on the cross.
Again, Korah and his followers thought Moses was making too much of himself. Numbers 16:3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Vs.10). The two hundred and fifty men that followed Korah’s rebellion were consumed by God’s fire from the altar. Korah and his family were swallowed by the earth. Dear baptized Christian - don’t rebel against those fellow sinful men whom Christ equips, calls, ordains, and sends to preach His Word and administer His sacraments to you within your local congregation.
II. The Old Testament is written for us to learn from factual history. Jesus would tell the Old Testament experts, John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” God the Holy Spirit taught young pastor Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:14-15 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (15) and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” All of the Bible is God’s Word - we need to be in it daily - to read, mark, and digest it. (Vs.11-12).
We live in the last epoch of world history. Jesus ascent into heaven enthrone Him the God-Man to fill and rule all things! Baptized fix your eyes above! He is coming soon! Learn from the Old Testament - never rely on self, your thinking, your strength. Adam fell into sin. His first son - a murderer. Noah after the flood sins - drunkenness. Abraham lies. Moses murders. David commits adultery, lies, and murders. Learn never trust in your strength or cunning - as did the unjust steward in our Gospel lesson this morning. He was going to be let go of his stewardship and he had no strength to see himself through. All you have is from God - trust Him!
III. The way of escape isn’t found inside self. It is found nailed to the cross of Calvary - bearing my sins, suffering my hell, dying my death - to heal me by His stripes - to reconcile me to my Father in Heaven. To bring me new life by His resurrection on Easter morning - His life sealed to me in the waters of my baptism. (Vs.13) The Gospel lesson is about the merciful Master - commending His servant for finally realizing that He rejoices to show mercy. You face no temptation that Jesus hasn’t borne - He is true man and sympathizes with you in your weakness. He is true God who has delivered you washed you forgiven in His blood. Now the way of escape is through His Cross. Listen! (Vs.14-17) Receiving His body and blood given and shed for you - you are forgiven. Freed to live in mercy as God’s child. Living in the mercy of your Master - He through you frees you to forgive those who have wronged you. He frees you to pour out your life in humble service to your neighbor in love. Love that looks exactly like living those Ten Commandments where the Lord has called you. Baptized - death surrounds us - we will fail one day - die - but your baptism assures you - your way of escape is certain - Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Amen.
Sermon Text: The Way of Escape! 1 Corinthians 10:6-13
I. Beware Of The Dangers On The Journey! (Vs.6-10)
II. Beware Of Trusting In Your Own Strength! (Vs.11-12)
III. The Way Of Escape Is Through God’s Bloody Mercy! (Vs.13) by Rev. Nathan J .Rusert
I.N.R.I. Death surrounded God’s children. Behind them - the most powerful army in the world. The Egyptian army was bent on either slaughtering the children of Israel or leading them back into slavery. Before them raged the Red Sea - no possible way of escape - no time or supplies for boat building. What were they to do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Lord God preached to the cowering children of Israel through Moses, Exodus 14:13-14 , "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. (14) The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Those terrible hordes bent destroying and enslaving God’s children would be crushed by God. He breathed - opening a way of escape on dry ground through the mighty waters of the Red Sea. The enemy who thought they would swallow up God’s people were swallowed by water at God’s Word.
The baptismal font in front of our sanctuary reminds us of the freedom our Lord God breathed upon us through water and His Word. You were lost and condemned in the sin of father Adam. Death surrounded you, Satan enslaved you, and sin chained you from the moment of conception - what could you do to save yourself? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Salvation is never your work - it is God’s free gift to crushed sinners in Jesus’ cross. The Triune God alone accomplished your salvation. The baptismal prayer reads, “Almighty and eternal God, according to your strict judgement....You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet You lead Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Your Holy Baptism.” Look at the font remember the Lord’s ongoing work in your baptism. Here flow life giving waters rich in grace and a renewal of the Holy Spirit that God the Father shed on us sinners abundantly in Jesus Christ. Today your baptism washes you forgiven in the blood of Jesus, rescues you from death and the devil, gives and seals to you eternal salvation, by grace through faith as you cling to your Savior’s Word and promise. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.’
Baptism is our life as God’s children. Just as being freed from the terror of Egypt’s army was never a thing of the past - but the constant reality of God’s children as they journeyed onward to the promised land. It is never that we say, “I was baptized into Christ” as if our baptism is in the past. We confess, “I am baptized into Christ.” Baptism is our daily dress - we are robed in Christ’s righteous life, beloved children of our heavenly Father, renewed by the Holy Spirit through the message of Jesus. Our crucified and risen Lord commands His Church - Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.(This is most certainly true.)Amen.” Baptism births us into the cross bought freedom. Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church feeds Jesus’ little lambs in the rich pastures of the Gospel preached. Fathers bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of God’s Word. Mothers follow the example of Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, who from infancy was in God’s house to hear God’s Word read, preached, sung, and prayed. Beloved baptized know and cling to : The Way of Escape! I. Beware Of The Dangers On The Journey! (Vs.6-10) II. Beware Of Trusting In Your Own Strength! (Vs.11-12) III. The Way Of Escape Is Through God’s Bloody Mercy! (Vs.13)
I. As ab infant at the font you beat the odds. Your parents loved you and trusted the Lord - your mother carried you for nine months your father rejoiced when you were born. Far cry from a people whose love has grown so cold that they rally for the right to slaughter infants in the womb. A nation so calloused that the wholesale selling of the body parts of butchered babies doesn’t move us to action, but any report of animal abuse riles our wrath.
Dear baptized children of God. Baptism began your journey towards the promised land. It is brought to completion when God the Holy Spirit raises your baptized body from the dust of death, bringing you safely into the life of the world to come. In the verses immediately preceding our text God the Holy Spirit warns, 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, (2) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (3) all ate the same spiritual food, (4) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (5) But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. How many of the 600,000 men freed from slavery actually made it to live in the promised land? Only two - Joshua and Caleb. What happened to the rest? They died in the wilderness, even though surrounded by Christ in baptism into Moses, fed by Christ with bread from heaven, sustained by Christ - the Rock of Ages who was cleft for them. Why? They broke faith with the way of escape.
Don’t follow their faithlessness. (Vs.6) The children of Israel had beheld God’s gracious acts of deliverance. Ten plagues freed them from Egyptian slavery. The Red Sea opened up the path to freedom. Yet what do they do almost immediately - lust after evil things! The accurate history of Exodus 16 records, Exodus 16:2-3 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. (3) And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Freed from slavery they lust for the food of slavery. Baptized beware of lusting for slavery’s food. Freed through Christ’s bloods bought empty tomb certified forgiveness - don’t return to eat the vomit of your sinful lusts.
Hearing God’s very voice preach the Ten Commandments from Sinai. The people plead with Moses to become their mediator promising to do all the Lord God commands. (Vs.7) 40 days later they enslave themselves to a golden calf. A new god of their imagination. New worship giving license to sin sexually. Dear baptized - don’t invent your own worship or image you can make God in your image giving approval to your lusts - thinking you can have a form of godliness powerless to free you from your sinful desires.
Later Balak, King of Moab hired Balaam to curse the children of Israel. The Lord would only allow Balaam to bless them. Balaam told the king to lure the children of Israel into sexual sin. (Vs.8) Moabite women seduced the men of Israel to join them worshiping their false fertility god - Baal of Peor. 23,000 fell in the plague the fruit of their rebellion. Dear baptized - your body is not your own - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Later the children of Israel were discouraged on the journey. It was taking too long and the supplies were meager. The Lord seemed to be leading them away from the Promised land. (Vs.9) Numbers 21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." Rejecting Jesus the bread of heaven - they would die unless they looked to the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole for them. Dear baptized - beware of thinking Christ’s bread from heaven is a worthless meal. He feeds you His body and gives you to drink of His blood to bring you life eternal in Him being lifted up on the cross.
Again, Korah and his followers thought Moses was making too much of himself. Numbers 16:3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Vs.10). The two hundred and fifty men that followed Korah’s rebellion were consumed by God’s fire from the altar. Korah and his family were swallowed by the earth. Dear baptized Christian - don’t rebel against those fellow sinful men whom Christ equips, calls, ordains, and sends to preach His Word and administer His sacraments to you within your local congregation.
II. The Old Testament is written for us to learn from factual history. Jesus would tell the Old Testament experts, John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” God the Holy Spirit taught young pastor Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:14-15 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (15) and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” All of the Bible is God’s Word - we need to be in it daily - to read, mark, and digest it. (Vs.11-12).
We live in the last epoch of world history. Jesus ascent into heaven enthrone Him the God-Man to fill and rule all things! Baptized fix your eyes above! He is coming soon! Learn from the Old Testament - never rely on self, your thinking, your strength. Adam fell into sin. His first son - a murderer. Noah after the flood sins - drunkenness. Abraham lies. Moses murders. David commits adultery, lies, and murders. Learn never trust in your strength or cunning - as did the unjust steward in our Gospel lesson this morning. He was going to be let go of his stewardship and he had no strength to see himself through. All you have is from God - trust Him!
III. The way of escape isn’t found inside self. It is found nailed to the cross of Calvary - bearing my sins, suffering my hell, dying my death - to heal me by His stripes - to reconcile me to my Father in Heaven. To bring me new life by His resurrection on Easter morning - His life sealed to me in the waters of my baptism. (Vs.13) The Gospel lesson is about the merciful Master - commending His servant for finally realizing that He rejoices to show mercy. You face no temptation that Jesus hasn’t borne - He is true man and sympathizes with you in your weakness. He is true God who has delivered you washed you forgiven in His blood. Now the way of escape is through His Cross. Listen! (Vs.14-17) Receiving His body and blood given and shed for you - you are forgiven. Freed to live in mercy as God’s child. Living in the mercy of your Master - He through you frees you to forgive those who have wronged you. He frees you to pour out your life in humble service to your neighbor in love. Love that looks exactly like living those Ten Commandments where the Lord has called you. Baptized - death surrounds us - we will fail one day - die - but your baptism assures you - your way of escape is certain - Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Amen.
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