Young People's Group

Written For Our Admonition

by Pastor Mitch
October 19, 2008

Learning From The Past

Lessons from history are most valuable. They show to us where people have done right and where others have gone wrong. It is good for us to learn from history. Even more so, it is crucial that we learn from the annals of Biblical history. If we do not learn from such examples, we may be doomed to repeat the same mistakes of others and to bear the same dire consequences. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church of the great need to learn from the negatives examples of Biblical History.

“Now all these things happened to them as our examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 
1 Corinthians 10:11

The history of Israel’s constant rebellion against the Lord was specially recorded in the Bible for our learning. They were written down so that we can be warned and admonished by them not to follow in the footsteps of the sinful Israelites. The people of Israel tested the Lord on many occasions. They were constantly rebelling against Him. The Lord had to deal with them with severe judgments. They have become examples for us of what we ought not to do in the sight of the Lord.

Learning To Take Heed

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 
1 Corinthians 10:12

Our challenge is to take heed of these Biblical examples. We are not meant to take our own walk with God for granted. Sometimes, we can end up thinking more highly of ourselves that we ought to think. We can wrongly consider by our own egos that we can stand on our own as the people of Israel did. They were wrong. The challenge for us is to learn to take heed to these recorded examples. We are to learn from the mistakes of others. We must take heed to ourselves and to the Lord’s warnings. If we do not, we will see ourselves fall flat on our faces too.

Learning To Trust God For What He Allows In Our Life

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 
1 Corinthians 10:13

The word “temptation” in the Greek means “testing”. It is the prerogative of God to test both the righteous and the wicked. When the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they were tested by God. When God allows us to go through testings, He will not let us go through what others have not gone through. The Lord is faithful when it comes to dealing with us. Through the testing itself, He will show us a way to go through them. He will grant us the grace and strength to bear with them. In life, there will be testings. But we must not respond to them as the Israelites did, with a complaining and disobeying spirit. Let’s always seek to trust God fully. Let’s be assured that He will help us find a way through the testings of life.

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