Be On Guard

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 
I discipline myself 
They were a little too impressed with themselves.
You yourselves need to be on guard. 
What is this spiritual rock?
"...and that rock was Christ."
Paul wants his readers to hear the warning and heed the call
 
1. Let those who think they know as much as they need to know make an effort to learn a little bit more from the lives of others.
  • We need to be teachable.
  • He's saying that we can learn from their experience. 
  • They forgot the God who saved them. (Psalm 106:21)
  • We are putting God to the test when we refuse to appreciate His loving care and protection.
  • Grumbling and complaining was one of the most persistent sins of the people of Israel. 
  • Do all things without grumbling or disputing … 
  • (Philippians 2:14 ESV)
  • Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 
  • (James 5:9 ESV)
Let's learn this lesson from the lives of others. 
2. Let those who think they are strong take extra care.
  • 12  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
  • You will never be so strong that you can choose to neglect any area of your life from here on out. 
  • "Keep a close watch on your life, even in the areas where you have the most confidence and experience the most victory." 
  • The idea is that we never let up; we continue to focus on that which matters most.
3. Let those who think they are destined to fall take heart.
  • "I can resist anything but temptation." 
  • God doesn't want us to continue to see this as a losing proposition. 
  • For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
  • Whatever the temptation might be, it's never bigger than you are. 
  • But you're not destined to lose this battle. 
  • Whenever you face temptation, you can take heart because it doesn't have to end badly. 
  • We must hear the warning and heed the call to be on guard in every area of life.
  • You can live a life of victory, if you'll only be on guard.
  • Life is full of battles that we are guaranteed to win.
  • We can take heart because God has given us the path to victory.