A Christian Escape Room

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14

Have you heard of Escape Rooms? According to Dictionary(.)com an Escape Room is a game in which people are locked in a room requiring them to solve a series of puzzles while racing against the clock and deciphering clues to escape. This form of entertainment has become quite popular with even Christian themed Escape rooms being played.

I bet you didn’t know that the Apostle Paul wrote about an escape room of sorts too, which is important for us to know about today!

Paul wrote the church of Corinth concerning Israel’s history of being delivered out of Egypt and how God sustained them and provided for them. Yet, despite all that God had provided for them, they failed to obey him. Paul goes on to remind the Corinthian believers that their forefathers are an example—a warning for them (and for us) to not follow in their steps and suffer the consequence of their actions—God’s punishment.

Paul then gave them the escape room plan: “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 of escape so that you can stand up under it” (vs. 13).

This verse is probably one of the most misunderstood promises in the Bible. People often apply this truth to mean, “God won’t give you more than you can bear.” In fact, I think God does give us more than we can bear so that we rely more on him! But that is not what is being said in this passage. God’s promise is to “not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” How? By giving you a way to escape the temptation!

What might that escape look like? First, we must keep our eyes on Christ, the Rock of our faith. He is the author and the perfecter or the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Second, what circumstance do you find yourself in? Don’t stand there lingering, thinking whether or not you can handle the temptation on your own. You cannot! You will not be tempted to do something that doesn’t interest you! You are tempted in that which is common to people, you are tempted in your weakness. And third, flee the scene. Get out now. God promises to provide a way of escape—so take it! It will be different in every situation, but the promise is: there will be a way to escape it! Flee idolatry as Paul puts it, because anything that is placed over our relationship to Jesus is idol worship.

Let’s read today’s scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:1-14, "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. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 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.' 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. 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. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 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. 14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."

Let’s pray: Thank you dear God for your faithfulness and for the promise that you will always provide a way of escape from those things in life that tempt us to disobey you. Help us to fix our eyes on you and trust you all the days of our lives. Amen.

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