Please turn to 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 (pg 957 in the pew Bible)
Stumbling/Falling – Getting off track with Jesus, growing cold in our relationship with Jesus, going nowhere in our walk with Jesus. A stumble or fall in the physical sense can happen suddenly; it can take us by surprise. In our walk with Jesus the possibility of stumbling or falling is real and we need to be purposeful and paying attention. Remember the branch taken from the vine; it withers when separated from the vine, the source of life.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall! (warning of real danger)
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 - You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Our succumbing to temptation is no one’s fault but our own. It is not God’s fault… He has warned us and equipped us. God promises to provide a way of escape… we do not need to fall.
Hebrews 12:1- let us also lay aside every weight, and sin, which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
1 Corinthians 10:5 - Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. God saved them but they turned to other things, specifically the pagan culture around them, which became an idol to them. God does not blame the culture but rather His people who turned from him.
1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
The sin that clings closely and the temptations of the world may cause us to stumble and fall, to become stagnant or to give up. But this should not and will not happen if we stay the course knowing that God has provided all that we need to persevere.
How is your walk with the Lord today? Is he the master of your life or have you knowingly or unknowingly turned aside to one or more idols? The best life for us is one of complete surrender to God. This week ask God to help you identify and flee any idols or temptations in your life and return to being the “living sacrifice” God calls us to be.