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DON'T PLAY WITH FIRE

PROVERBS 6:27-29

Introduction

I want you to take a good look at my face today. You may not be able to see it from where you are sitting, but you can get a good look at it as I greet you at the door after the service today.

I’ll go ahead and tell you that I have some burns on my forehead, nose, cheek, lip and on my forearm. These burns are a testimony of something bad that happened on Wednesday of this past week. When I tell you what I did you’ll think boy the preacher is not real bright. (Tell the story)

Some of you have done things similar to what I did and you got burned too or had some close calls yourself (some of you have told me your stories). I have done similar things myself over the last 49 years without getting burned.

Some of you have done things similar to what I did, but you haven’t got burned. . .yet.

I ’d like you to test your memory for a moment.

Can you remember ever telling someone (maybe your kids) not to play with fire?

Now, those of you who remember telling someone, "Don’t play with fire!" have you ever played with fire? Were you telling them not to do something you had done?

Or those of you who’ve never issued such a warning, maybe it is because you remember playing with fire yourself? Is that what kept you silent?

That’s a challenge isn’t it, to be in a situation that calls us to speak, yet having memories of how we have mishandled similar situations. Do we play the role of the hypocrite, "Do as I say, not as I do!" or do we be silent and watch someone get burned?

That happened yesterday as my neighbor, Mrs. Swartz, was supervising some kids cleaning up her yard and she set a pile of trash on fire out beside the road. I wanted to go over and let her and those kids see my face and warn them of what can happen if your not careful.

With the medicine on it yesterday I looked like “The Phantom of the Opera.” It is not a pretty sight. Because of that and embarrassment over the situation I didn’t go over.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told, “Don’t play with that fire!”

I want to use this experience and share with you today some fires you had better not play with:

I.         DON’T PLAY WITH THE FIRE OF LUST. (Proverbs 6:27-29)

The Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 2:11–“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

            Nobody has to tell us that fleshly lusts war against us. Do they?

            Paul told the Corinthian Christians in 1 Corinthians 6:18–“Flee fornication.”

To the Thessalonians, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”

            In Galatians 5:19, Paul called fornication a “work of the flesh.”

Paul told the Christians at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:3–“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;”

            Paul gave a similar admonition to the Christians at Colosse in Colossians 3:5.

Why did Peter and Paul call attention so much to this matter? Because it is a problem that we all face and it can cause us grief in our lives if we are not careful.

            “Govern your passions, or they will govern you.” -- Latin proverb

James 1:14-15–“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

            Don’t play with the fire of lust!

            A.        People Play With The Fire Of Lust By How They Dress.

The very first place where clothes are mentioned gives us a good indication of what God’s idea of improper and proper clothes was!

Genesis 6:7; 21– Adam and Eve had fig leaves sewn together, but God replaced those fig leaves with coats of skin.

When God clothed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden it was to cover their nakedness not to accentuate it!

Our dress out in public is to be modest, not sensual. Sensual dress is OK for the marital bedroom, but it is not OK outside of that.

                        If you dress provocatively to attract a member of the opposite sex, remember that

                        what bait you use has a lot to do with what you catch in the end.

If you dress in a provocative and sensuous way, your probably going to catch someone who is sensuous and guided by their lusts, not someone who is spiritual.

                        If you keep catching the wrong kind of guy or gal try changing the bait!

            B.        People Play With The Fire Of Lust By What They View And Hear.

                        That’s what happened to Samson. (Judges 14:1-3; 16:1; 16:4)

Samson did not control his lusts but rather fed them and let them burn out of control in his life and it wound up costing him dearly!

The word “loved” there in 16:4 means “to have affection for sexually or otherwise.”

                        Look at Judges 16:15-17.

Samson was fed by his lusts and therefore he became more interested in pleasing Delilah than he was in pleasing the LORD!

                        We need to be careful about what kind of TV programs or videos that we watch.

In a February’s issue of The Reader’s Digest, Michael Crowley has an article called “No-Strings Sex.” Parents, if you haven’t read it, you should.

In this article he says that a recent study by the RAND Corporation and the University of California found that, for children ages 12 to 17, those who watched a lot of racy TV were twice as likely to start having sexual intercourse as those who watched very little.

We also need to be careful about the kind of music that we listen to. A lot of song lyrics today speak of all types of immoral behavior. Feeding on it continually will break down whatever morals that you have.

            C.        People Play With The Fire Of Lust By Where They Go.

                        We need to be careful not to place ourselves in compromising situations.

Remember how Joseph found himself in a compromising situation with Potiphar’s wife?

Genesis 39:11–“And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”

                        Be careful about compromising situations.

Young people, you have no business being in a car alone with a member of the opposite sex unless she is your sister.

You have no business being at a friend of the opposite sex’s house when their parents aren’t home.

                        Some folks put themselves into compromising situations on purpose.

All that lust asks for is an opportunity. You give it opportunity and it will burn you, if you don’t watch out.

You can think that the coast is clear and that no one will know, but I can assure that there is someone always watching and that always knows.

Joseph understood this when he said in Genesis 39:9– “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.”

            D.        People Play With The Fire Of Lust By How They Conduct Themselves.

Husbands and wives need to avoid flirtatious behavior with someone other than their own spouse.

                        1.         Don’t Be An Instigator.

                                    If you don’t light a fire there is a good chance there won’t be a fire.

                        2.         Don’t Be An Intensifier.

If you don’t feed a fire that is already burning, then there is a good chance it won’t get out of control and that it will eventually go out.

The best thing to do to a fire is keep throwing cold water on it. It will die eventually.

If someone at work tries to seduce you, why not try saying, “Well let me call my husband or wife and see what they think about this.”

            E.        People Play With The Fire Of Lust By What They Think About.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources reports that more than 17,000 deer die each year after being struck by motorists on state highways. According to Paul Shelton, state wildlife director, the peak season for road kills is in late fall.

Why? The bucks are in rut in November. "They're concentrating almost exclusively on reproductive activities," he said, "and are a lot less wary than they normally would be."

                        Deer aren't the only ones destroyed by preoccupation with sex.

                        Be careful what you allow your mind to dwell on!

II.       DON’T PLAY WITH THE FIRE OF SIN. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

            Here we see that the fire of sin was met with the fire of God’s judgment!

Numbers 32:23–“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

            Listen carefully, there is no way to sin without there being some consequences.

            You may say, “Preacher, I sinned and got away with it. There were no consequences.”

            You are wrong. No one sins with impunity. Sin always has consequences.

Galatians 6:7-8– “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

            Sin is deceitful in that sometimes it seems you are getting by with it. But you’re not.

            You can be sure that eventually, “your sin will find you out.”

It may find you out in your own life, it may find you out in the life of your family or others, or it may find you out at the judgment after you leave this earth.

III.      DON’T PLAY WITH THE FIRE OF THE TONGUE. (James 3:3-16)

            Has your mouth ever gotten you into more trouble than you could get out of?

            Unfortunately mine has more times than I care to admit.

            Benjamin Franklin once said,

             “A slip of the foot you may soon recover,

               But a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”

            There is a Jewish Proverb that says, “Nothing causes more trouble than the tongue.”

“There is danger when a man throws his tongue into high gear before he gets his brain a-going.” C. C. Phelps

            The tongue is a fire that we need to be careful with!  We need to guard our speech.

Proverbs 16:27–“An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”

The fire of the tongue can devastate the lives of others, it can devastate a Church, it can devastate even your own life!

We need to be careful what fires we start because circumstances out of our control can cause the fires to rage out of control.

            If you have to lose your head, at least hold your tongue.

Colossians 4:6–“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

IV.      DON’T PLAY WITH THE FIRE OF GOD’S JUDGMENT.

There Are A Lot Of Lost People Who Are Playing With The Fire Of God’s Judgment. Luke 16:23–“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments. . .”

            You are going to die one day, are you ready? If not, you’re playing with fire.

You may think that this salvation thing is all a bunch of baloney.

            You’re playing with fire.

            You may think you’ve got plenty of time to come to God. You’re playing with fire.

Conclusion

Are you playing with fire today?

Some may be playing with the fire of lust. . . of sin. . .of the tongue. . .God’s judgment.

If you are playing with fire, you’d better be careful and don’t get burned. Its no fun getting burned. It is a painful experience. It can scar you for life. It can take your life.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!