•r.^r •. -jk we f
iftryJr<r \ * .»: •. ■ ,
tfc/kcc/
Slebbon
By Bessie Wllboo
1 INTRODUCTION
‘Come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith
the Lord,” (2 Corinthians 6:17). How shall we do that?
Shall eadh of us retire to a solitary hermitage and live
alone? Or shall a group of us farm an isolated commune?
No, that’s no the way. Jesus was so closely involved with
ordinary people that He was reproached as a friend of
sinners, (Luke 7:34). He does not want His people to be
taken out of the world, (John 17:15). We are not to
associate with a wicked person who pretends to be a
Christian; but we can go to dinner with a heathen, and we
need not even ask if the roast beef has been sacrificed to
some idol.
How are we to be separate? We are to follow the example
of Jesus. He lived among sinners and was called their
friend, but then as always He was “holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, (Hebrews 7:26). So we
live anpong sinners, but “cleanse ourselves from filthi
ness of the flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God.”
LESSON BACKGROUND
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 for the background of our text.
Paul reminds us that the people of Israel were brought out
of Egypt through the Red Sea. With the water on both sides
and the cloud covering them above, they were “all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
After that, God supplied them with food and water in the
desert. Still they complained and rebelled so much that
most of them were not allowed to reach the promised land.
Paul compares the Christian life with this wilderness
experience of Israel. We have been rescued from sin and
baptized into Christ. In our spiritual journey on earth we
are fed by God’s Word and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
But if we spend our lives in sin and rebellion, we can still
be shut out of the promised land, Heaven.
THE LESSON
Now, all of this is an example for us, to warn us not to
desire evil things, as they did, nor to worship idols, as
some of them did. As Scripture says, “The people sat down
to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.”
We must not be guilty of sexual immorality, as some of
them were - and in one day 23,000 Of them fell dead. We
must not put the Lord to the test as some of them did - and
they were killed fcy snakes. We must not complain, as
some of them did - and they were destroyed by the Angel of
Death, (1 Corinthians 10:6-10).
j Examples may be either good or bad. The people of
Israel did some good things on their journey. But they
were more noted for grumbling, complaining, disobeying,
protesting, and rebelling. In this text Paul focuses on the
bad examples, they set. ^Ve are warned against following
them. ■.<■ ' ■ * " - *
The people of Israel often murmured or grumbled
, about the hardships of their life in the wilderness. A small
group of Israelites rebelled openly against leadership of
Moses and Aaron. The rebels were destroyed by
earthquake and fire, but the whole congregation blamed
Moses and Aaron, saying, “Ye have killed the people of the
Lord,” (V. 41). .
“We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much
if we reap material benefits from you? If others have the
right to ,expect this from you, don’t we have an even
greater right? But we haven’t made use of this right.
Instead, we have endured everything in order not to put
any obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ.
Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get
their food from the Temple and that those who offer the
sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. In the
same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the
gospel should get their living from it,” (1 Corinthian
10:11-14).
The history of Israel was written by inspiration of God,
and for God’* purposes rather than man’s. Israel’s faults
and failures are set forth plainly. Why? So that we can
learn from them. So that we can avoid the same faults and
failures; If we refuse to learn from the mistakes of others,
we shall learn more painfully from our own mistakes. If
we are Hot on guard, we can easily blunder into lust,
idolatry, or fornication into tempting God with our
complaining and rebellion.
With all the examples of history before us, there really is
no excuse for doing wrong. Paul takes issue with the easy
excuses that are offered. For example, we often hear it
said that this generation faces temptations never known
before. Is that so? Paul says “there hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common to man.” True, pot was
not peddled on every campus in grandfather’s day - but
opium was available to those who were foolish enough to
take it. Cocaine and marijuana are used more widely, not
because they are more tempting, but because more people
are foolish enough to take it. Lust and fornication,
grumbling and rebellion against God - these are almost as
old as the human race Itself. If they’re more prevalent
today It is not because former generations were not
tetnpted, but because they resisted the temptation. Or
consider another excuse that is often heard: “The
temptation was overpowering, irresistable. He couldn’t
stand against it.” Is that so? Paul says, “God will not
suffer you totempted above that y# are able.” God is in
control. He sets limits for Satan HA knows how much
temptation you can stand, and He will not let any more
than that come te you. If you give in to temptation, it is
because you are not doing your best. God is faithful in
limiting temptation to match our ability; we must be
faithful In resisting to the best of our ability. There is
always a way of escape, but we must take that way.
Lord, help us to be a good example today. Amen.
Pictured above are members of the Pi Phi Ensemble of
the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Front row (left to right)
are: John C. Mills. Frederick Ervin. Sterling Wood
ard. Rufus Spears. Nigel Ayton. Robert Carter.
Charles Gillespie, and Percial Thomas. Back row (left
to right) Claude Williams, Daniel McLaurin, Tenny
son Johnson Jr., Richard Maxwell, Marshall Smith,
Ron Nelson. Adrian Hampton, Harold Shuford, Sidney
Smith, and Samuel Davis. (Photo by Peeler's Portrait
Studio)
UNCC Announces Adminstrative
Appointments
Two administrative appoint
ments have been announced at the
University of North Carolina at
Charlotte (UNCC).
Edward S. Perzel, 1126 Lynbrook
Dr., Charlotte, has been named
associate dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, and Arnold A. Cann
Jr., 2300-1 Rocky River Road,
Concord, has been appointed chair
person of the Department of Psy
chology.
Perzel, who has served as head of
the History Department at UNCC
since 1980, replaces Schley R. Lyons
who is serving as interim dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences
A native of Trenton. N.J.,
Perzel, 47. has taught at UNCC since
1965. He is past faculty president,
and in 1978 he received the NCNB
Award for Excellence in Teaching.
He earned a bachelor’s and mas
ter’s degree from the University of
Cincinnati and a doctorate from
Rutgers University.
Cann, 36, a member of the UNCC
faculty since 1975, replaces Douglas
L. Grimsley who returned to full
time teaching. A native of Ipswich,
Mass., Cann earned a bachelor’s
degree at Northwestern University
and a doctorate at Indiana Uni
versity.
THANK YOU FOR READING
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Urban Studies Club
The Urban Studies Gub of John
son C. Smith University is sponsor
ing a "Census Information Work
shop" to be held Saturday, October
26. The workshop will be held on the
campus, Rufus P. Perry Science
Hall. Room 107, from 9 a.m. until 4
p.m ‘ 'j
The workshop is designed so that
participants will learn more abotit
the relationship of census data to
neighborhood organizational plan
ning. The workshop will educate the
participants on the procedures in
volved in locating statistical infor
mation. the uses of census data in
neighborhood planning, and how to
prepare a community-neighborhood
profile. Information aids and in
formation about other census bu
reau programs and products will
also be available. The fee is $5 per
person, students free, and group
rates are available for neighbor
hood organizations This fee covers
instructions, program materials,
coffee breaks, refreshments, and
certificate.
The Idea for the workshop was
developed by Rodney K. Hood, who
is a 1983 graduate of Johnson C.
Smith University and a former
member of the Urban Studies Club.
Hood, who is employed by the
Bureau of the Census as a geo
graphic clerk, learned of the work
shops through the Census Bureau's
Information Services staff. The In
formation Services staff is respons
ible for presenting the workshop.
Mr Hood felt that a workshop on
Census Bureau Programs and Pro
ducts with a specific focus on
neighborhood statistical infor
mation would be extremely benefi
cial to neighborhood organizations,
students, and individual citizens.
For more information, contact
Rodney K Hood at 334-1540-home;
or Nay M. Howell. Urban Studies
staff, Johnson C. Smith University,
378-1170.
You've got what It takes.
I
Share the spirit.
Share the refreshment
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking
Now Greatly Reduces Serious Ris^|to Your Health.