THE EYE OF THE TIGER
A teenager is…
--a whiz who can operate the latest computer without a lesson but can't make a bed
--a student who will spend 12 minutes studying for her history exam and 12 hours for her driver's license.
Teenagers are like CATS:
** Neither teenagers nor cats turn their heads when you call them by name.
** No matter what you do for them, it is not enough.
** You rarely see a cat walking outside of the house with an adult
human being, and it can be safely said that no teenager in his or her
right mind wants to be seen in public with his or her parents.
** Even if you tell jokes as well as Jay Leno, neither your cat nor
your teen will ever crack a smile.
** Cats and teenagers can lie on the living-room sofa for hours on
end without moving, barely breathing.
** Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did.
** Cats and teenagers yawn in exactly the same manner
** Cats and teenagers do not improve anyone's furniture.
Let's read today's texts...
•1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
•Proverbs 23:31-32 (KJV) "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. (32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."
INTRODUCTION
Over the last few weeks and years, we've been shocked by the news of people who have been attacked and/or killed by either animals that were trained, or by professionals who knew how to be around dangerous animals, but who were suddenly and shockingly attacked
On Labor Day weekend, we were all shocked to hear about how Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, that we've all seen on TV as he got so close to all those crocodiles, and we would all just sit their on edge, just knowing he was going to get hurt, and he never did
But we were all shocked to hear how that while filming undersea life, a stingray for no reason, jabbed him right in the heart, and he died almost instantly
And then, over the summer, you may remember the story of Haley Hilderbrand, a 17 year old young lady, who decided that for her senior picture, that she would go down to a place where they had several trained dangerous animals, and pose with a tiger
But while she was posing, there with the tiger's trainer, for some unknown reason, it attacked, and killed her
And then, three years ago, the country was horrified by the news that animal trainer and magician, Roy Horn, of the popular show “Seigfried, and Roy” in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, on October 3 (which was Roy's 59th birthday) was suddenly, and unexpectedly attacked by one of his trained tigers during the show, right in front of a live audience
It's almost unbelievable that these people, who…
--were with long-time trained animals
--knew how to be with these dangerous animals
--mesmerized us with their daring in front of these animals
Now, for whatever reasons, were suddenly and horribly attacked
Now, today is youth Sunday, and what I want to do is talk to you about THE EYE OF THE TIGER
And what I want to do, is for us to go back to October 3, 2003, and look at some reasons why Roy Horn was attacked and see if there's anything that we can learn
Because, you must understand, that according to our text this morning, the Bible says…
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
In other words, as…
--a young person
--a teen-ager
--a pastor
--senior saint
We all are literally, in THE EYE OF THE TIGER
And so, for a few moments, I want us to go back to the Mirage Hotel back to the night of October 3, 2003, and see if there's anything that we can learn from the attack on Roy Horn, and see if we can gain the advantage over the TIGER
You see, first of all, when we go back to that night, we find out that…
1. THE TIGER ATTACKED WHEN LEAST EXPECTED
When Roy Horn’s tiger attacked, no one expected it – including Roy Horn himself
From all accounts on that night, it was just another show, that they had done over 5,750 times before, but for some unknown reason, going through the same old same old, when they were least expecting, Roy Horn got caught IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER!!
And so that tells us that if we're going to survive the EYE OF THE TIGER, if we're going to have success and victory in your Christian life, then one of the first things we've got to do is always be on the lookout
Our text says BE SOBER AND BE VIGILANT
In other words BE CONSTANTLY ON GUARD
Why? Because it's not when we're…
--in a youth group meeting
--we're in the altar
--on a spiritual high
That we're most vulnerable – IT WHEN WE LEAST EXPECT IT!
Another translation of this passage is this: DON'T BE CLUELESS!!!
It amazes me how clueless people are in this day and age!
Every day in America…
- 1,000 unwed teenage girls become mothers.
- 1,106 teenage girls get abortions.
- 4,219 teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases.
- 500 adolescents begin using drugs.
- 1,000 adolescents begin drinking alcohol.
- 135,000 kids bring guns or other weapons to school.
- 2,200 teens drop out of high school.
- 6 teens commit suicide.
Why? Because somebody somewhere is CLUELESS
And yet we live in the INFORMATION AGE, and despite all the information out there, we're still…
--smoking (knowing that it will kill us)
--doing drugs (despite all the terrible things it does)
--living in an age of sexual sins (despite AIDS, diseses, etc.)
We're still CLUELESS and if you're going to survive in the EYE OF THE TIGER, you'd better not get caught unaware
You see, FEAR is very important
I know that we're not supposed to FEAR THE DEVIL
That's not what I mean
But let me explain it to you this way
They tell me that when a snake is placed in a tank with a mouse, that immediately that mouse, when it senses no escape, begins to tremble
But the snake doesn't attack then
It waits, until finally the mouse looses all sense of danger – may be I’m OK, and its at that moment, when the mouse's muscles are relaxed that the viper lunges for the prey
And the moment that the TIGER KNOWS YOU'RE NOT AFRAID, he attacks
And I don't care how much you…
--shout
--attend youth group
--have good intentions
There's still some things we need to be afraid of…
--the computer
--being alone with the opposite sex
--alcohol
--drugs
--cheating in
Because when we least expect it, that's when we find ourselves a victim of THE TIGER!!
Folks, I fear…
--certain rated movies
--certain music styles
--getting alone with the opposite sex
Why? Because I don't want to get caught IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER!
And when we’re most comfortable, and carefree, and not paying attention, that we’re most vulnerable in THE EYE OF THE TIGER!
Not only did the tiger attack when least expected, but secondly…
2. THE TIGER STRUCK WHEN ROY HORN WAS ISOLATED
In other words, when they are training with those tigers in the cage, several will be close by, but not so on the stage
On the stage, the handlers are very far away, and only Roy and the Tiger himself was on the stage at that particular moment
And that's the way it is – if the devil can ever get you ISOLATED, then you will be IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER
You see, I’m not a hunter, but it’s in the wild jungle that the tigers and lions attack, not herds, but the isolated deer, or zebra
And the Bible says that as the children of Israel were moving forward, that some in the hinder parts were captured
Deuteronomy 25:17-18 17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
In other words, those, for whatever reason, who were lagging behin, we the most vulnerable
And that's why we need don't need to lag behind in…
--prayer
--the Word of God
--coming to church
Why? Because it's when we're ISOLATED that we find ourselves in THE EYE OF THE TIGER!
We still need…
--parents
--Christian friends
--a church
Because THERE'S A TIGER OUT THERE
In the movie, "The Ghosts and the Darkness", Val Kilmer plays the true story of a British man who had to deal with deadly lion attacks on British workers in Africa as they were building a bridge
Over 100 people were killed by lions
And one of the things they did to prevent this was build a huge fire and everyone would sleep at night as close to the fire as possible
Why? Because the LION HATES THE FIRE!!
And we need the fire!
Let me tell you that we need others…
A. There is STRENGTH in numbers
Alone, I couldn’t move this piano – but with two or three, it can easily be moved
B. There is SAFETY in numbers
You remember the story of the Good Samaritan how that on the Jericho Road, he fell among thieves and the priests passed him by and left him wounded and half dead
And you remember how that a good Samaritan came by
But one of the things that we miss about that story is that he was travelling ALONE!!
And the journey is too dangerous to travel alone!
We need…
--our parents
--our pastors
--our church
--our friends who are on fire for the Lord!!
There is safety in numbers!
C. There is POWER in numbers
The Bible says…
Deuteronomy 32:30 30How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
But when we’re all alone and when we’re isolated, it’s then that we are in THE EYE OF THE TIGER
Not only did the Tiger attack
--when least expected
--when Ray Horn was isolated and alone
But thirdly…
3. UNDERSTAND THAT HE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET BIT!
That was also the problem with Steve Irwin
Haven't you always heard, if you get too close to the fire, you're going to get burned
Let me tell you how I drive in the mountains – It’s not how close I can get and be OK, it’s how far I can stay away and be safe!
I’m reminded of the cartoon – I want to say “Tom and Jerry” and how the cat would taunt the dog but it couldn’t pass the line
And so the next scene was that the dog had erased the line and redrew it closer than it was, so that he could reach the taunting cat
And sure enough the next time the cat came, he got pounded
And I believe the devil and his crowd has moved some lines back
--in TV
--in Movies
--in Dress
--in attitudes
And we wonder why so many are getting bit, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TOO CLOSE!!
And when we get close – WE’RE IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER!
The tiger struck when…
--least expected
--the victim was isolated
--too close
The forth thing we see is…
4. THE TIGER WENT FOR THE JUGULAR VEIN
When that tiger turned on its trainer, it grabbed him right in the neck
That tiger knew exactly by instinct where to go for the kill
And that’s exactly what Satan is all about – He’s playing for keeps
The Bible says that…
John 10:10 (KJV) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…"
Let me tell you how all this got started
You see, when that little tiger was born, it was cute
And sin, at first looks cute, and it feels good
And for a while, it will let you
--pet it
--enjoy it
--show affection
But always remember: A TIGER IS STILL A TIGER!
2 Corinthians 11:14 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
He may look like an angel of light
He may be…
--cuddly
--cute
--playful
But A TIGER IS STILL A TIGER
Given the right moment – IT WILL ATTACK
And there are some things you just can't tame…
--being by yourself with the opposite sex
--just being a "social drinker"
--the Internet (you need accountability)
If you…
--play with it
--pet it
--think it’s OK
--feel like everybody is doing it
You’ll find yourself in THE EYE OF THE TIGER!!!
IN CLOSING
Fortunately, for Roy Horn, he survived the attack
He's in a wheelchair, and uses a walker
He, however, is optimistic
Illusionist ROY HORN has vowed to return to the Las Vegas, Nevada, stage, despite being mauled by a tiger on it. The entertainer was in critical condition for several weeks after the 2003 attack at The Mirage hotel, and was said to have suffered a stroke and partial paralysis. But the German-born star is recuperating well and pledged to a 100-strong crowd outside the venue on Tuesday night (03OCT06) that he'd be back. The 62-year-old insisted, "I will do a show again. Keep watching. "Life is good; I'm not done yet." Horn and his showbiz partner SIEGFRIED FISCHBACHER were being inducted into the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.
And I want you to know, if you've been attacked by the TIGER, and you're not dead, there's still hope for you!
