Cell Notes on The New Exodus 4 - Wanderings

Worship:
Often we relate to God as our friend or Father, how might we worship Him as a Holy God?
[In the Old Testament, holiness - e.g. in Isaiah - is an expression of 'brightness' (the unapproachable God) and 'separatedness' (the positive quality which distinguishes or defines God). Holiness may be considered God's moral majesty and His hidden glory. (cf. Alec Motyer's commentary on Isaiah)]
You may want to use Isaiah 6:1-3 as a starting point for your worship this week?

Word:
1Cor. 10:1 ¶ For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
1Cor. 10:2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
1Cor. 10:3 They all ate the same spiritual food
1Cor. 10:4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
1Cor. 10:5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
1Cor. 10:6 ¶ Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
1Cor. 10:7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”
1Cor. 10:8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
1Cor. 10:9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes.
1Cor. 10:10 And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel.
1Cor. 10:11 ¶ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
1Cor. 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
1Cor. 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

What spoke to you from these verses?
Was there anything you didn't understand from these verses? (see notes below)
What is the relationship being made between the church (in Corinth and in London in 21st C) and Exodus Israel?

Questions from two of the points made by Andy in his preach on Sunday:
1. The Israelites were heading somewhere. Where is your cell group heading?

2. The Israelites were warned about four things in verses 7-13:
Idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God and grumbling.
[Split into same sex groups and share how any of these categories have proved a potential snare for you in the past week. Where necessary repent before God and discuss how to avoid these snares int he coming week. Encourage one another with the truth of verse 13]

[Notes on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 from the IVP New Bible Commentary, see www.ivpress.com or for more commentary notes you can visit a study website like www.biblegateway.com

10:1-13 Warning from Israel’s history. The traditional chapter division fixed here by later Christians is unhelpful. It begins with for, connecting the discussion of Paul’s possible disqualification from his ministry with those who suffered God’s judgment in the OT. 10:1-13 illustrates the truth that the God of the Lord Jesus judged Israel for its idolatrous conduct. God will do the same to the Corinthians who insist on exercising their right to eat in idol temples unless they flee from idolatry, 10:14-22.
1-4 lays out the impeccable spiritual credentials of the children of God in the wilderness. They had experienced the clear guiding hand of God and witnessed the miraculous deliverance through the sea (Ex. 13:21; 14:22). The children of Israel entered into the experience of Moses as the agent of Israel’s deliverance, and in the same way Christians enter into the experience of Christ as their deliverer (2). They were nourished by the same spiritual food (Ex. 16:15, 35) and sustained by spiritual drink from the rock (Ps. 78:15), which was Christ meeting their needs in the same way he completely meets the needs of the Corinthians (1:4-7, 30)].

Robin Plummer, 02/09/2008