Thriving In New Corinth Companion Guide:
Download this companion guide for use Sept 1-Nov 16, 2025. This guide is designed to supplement and deepen our Sunday sermon series entitled Thriving in New Corinth. Each week, you will study one of the big topics found within the book of 1 Corinthians in preparation for the upcoming sermon on that topic.
Have you ever worked backwards to achieve a goal? Whether it's planning your morning routine, mapping out a school project, or saving for retirement, starting with the end in mind can transform how you approach the journey. This same principle applies powerfully to our spiritual lives, especially when we're wrestling with temptation and sin.
When we look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10, there's a verse that stands out as the culmination of everything Paul has been building toward. It's a promise that has sustained believers for centuries when they've felt trapped, overwhelmed, or defeated by temptation. By starting at this end point and working backwards through the passage, we can better understand how to move forward in our own battles with sin.
The church in Corinth had a unique problem. They were gathering for worship and communion, but instead of letting communion draw their hearts and minds to God and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, they were using it as an excuse for a feast. This wasn't entirely surprising given their cultural context—pagan temples in Corinth regularly held feasts after animal sacrifices to false gods.
Some Christians decided to adopt this practice, creating what they called "love feasts" before worship. But these gatherings became divisive. The wealthy would arrive early with abundant food and wine, eating and drinking to excess while the poor arrived late from work with little or nothing. Instead of unity, these feasts created division. Instead of worship, there was drunkenness and gluttony.
Paul addresses this by pointing the Corinthians back to Israel's history. The Israelites had experienced God's incredible presence, power, and provision in extraordinary ways:
Yet despite all these supernatural experiences, they fell into idolatry. They created a golden calf and proclaimed, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt!" Their response was to "sit down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry"—essentially, to party. They experienced God's presence but gave Him no thought. They witnessed His power but gave Him no praise. They received His provision but gave Him no thanks.
While we may not be crafting golden calves, we create our own idols. An idol is anything we elevate above God—anything we give more time, attention, thought, or priority to than Him. This could be:
Like the Israelites, we can experience God's presence in our lives yet give Him no thought. We can see His power at work yet offer no praise. We can receive His daily provision yet express no thanks. We become so consumed with eating, drinking, resting, and playing that we forget the God who gives us everything.
One of the most dangerous lies we tell ourselves is: "I've got this. I can handle it. I'm strong enough to resist." Paul warns directly against this mindset: "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"
Many of us are trapped in patterns of sin, thinking we can manage them on our own:
But the truth is, we're not as strong as we think. We're not as wise as we claim. If the Israelites could fall despite experiencing God's miracles firsthand, how much more vulnerable are we?
Here's where we arrive at the key verse—the one we've been working backwards from: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
This verse contains three crucial truths:
1. You're Not Alone The temptations you face are common to humanity. You're not uniquely broken or beyond hope. Others have faced this same struggle, and many have overcome it. You don't have to hide in shame—there's a community of believers who understand.
2. God Is Faithful Even when we're unfaithful, God remains faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. This doesn't mean the temptation won't be strong or that it will be easy—but it means God has already set limits on what you'll face. He's actively involved in protecting you.
3. There's Always an Escape Route When temptation comes—not if, but when—God provides a way of escape. The word used here literally means an "exit" or "escape route." God doesn't promise to remove all temptation (that wouldn't build our spiritual muscles), but He does promise to provide a way out every single time.
So what's our response? Paul's command is clear and simple: "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10:14)
Not "resist" idolatry. Not "manage" it. Not "try harder" to overcome it. Flee. Run away. Get out. Take the escape route God provides.
This looks different for everyone:
Whatever it is you're trapped in—whatever has become an idol in your life—God is calling you to flee from it. Not tomorrow. Not after one more time. Not when you feel stronger. Now.
This call to flee isn't about earning God's love or proving your worth. The gospel tells us that Christ's death on the cross already paid for all our sin—including our idolatry. His sacrifice was powerful enough to wipe our slate completely clean. We don't have to sit in constant conviction; we can also experience relief and release.
God doesn't define you by your addiction. He doesn't define you by your past mistakes. He doesn't even define you by things that were done to you. He defines you by the cross.
That's why we can confess our sin with confidence—not because we'll never struggle again, but because we know that Christ has already secured our forgiveness. And from that place of grace and acceptance, we find the strength to flee from the idols that rob us of the abundant life God has for us.
If you're reading this and recognizing an idol in your life—something that has taken God's rightful place—here's what you can do:
God loves you too much to let you continue in patterns that destroy you. Right now, He's confronting you not to shame you but because He has so much more for you. Don't rob yourself of that abundant life by holding onto the cheap substitutes this world offers.
The same God who provided for the Israelites in the wilderness is providing for you right now. He's giving you an escape route. Will you take it?
