1 Corinthians 10:1-13
When God put to Satan the question, “Hast thou considered my servant Job” (Job 1:8), Satan did not say, who is he? Instead, he engaged with the question and responded by saying; “Doth Job fear God for nought?” (Job 1:9). It appears from this verse that this righteous man was well known to the prince of darkness. Have you ever considered that your name is also known to the armies of hell? This puts a whole new dimension on spiritual warfare. Having not just one scheme but many, Paul instructs us to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Satan’s wiles not only involve the planned assault of the individual believer but the planned assault of the Church body collectively. There is one particular weapon in Satan’s arsenal through which is able to destroy a local Church more quickly than we can ever know! The great deception of this sin lies in its seeming harmlessness. This vice comes so readily to us as humans and it appears so justified in its complaint. If Satan can find a willing vessel here, then he’s found a true ally to aid him in his assault against the Body of Christ. What is this sin to which I refer? It is the sin of murmuring.
Exhortation and warning sound aloud in this sermon; exposing the subtle danger of the sin of murmuring and calling the people of God to exercise restraint. When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, they reasoned as they left their fleshpots behind that they were heading for a land flowing with milk and honey, and they were…but just not yet! First, they had to go on a journey into the desert so what was in their hearts might be exposed. Each and every time an apparent problem arose, the people murmured. They failed to see the loving hand of God guiding them, working in them a far greater weight of glory than merely satisfying their carnal appetites. Let us learn from Israel’s example so as not to murmur and let us not allow ourselves to be used of the devil to aid him in the destruction of the Church for which Christ died.