HIDDEN DANGERS
INTRO.- ILL.- The furious customer called the waitress over to his table and demanded to know what was in his soup.
She looked and shyly said, "I’ll have to call the boss. I don’t know one bug from another."
That’s what I call a "hidden danger." Better check your soup from now on. No telling what will be lurking below the surface. Sounds like something that happens on the "Survivors" TV series to me.
ILL.- A man applied for a job. He asked the interviewer if the company paid for the health insurance. The interviewer explained that the worker would have to pay for it, but it would be deducted from his paycheck.
"The last place I worked the company paid for my health insurance," he said. The interviewer asked, "Did they pay for your life insurance as well?"
"Sure, they did," the man said. "Not only that, but we got unlimited sick leave, severance pay, five weeks vacation each year, holidays off, and coffee breaks several times a day."
The interview asked, "Why did you leave such a good company?" The man replied, "THE COMPANY WENT UNDER."
Ah ha, another hidden danger in life. EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD, ISN’T GOOD!
There are "lemon" cars, "lemon" jobs and "lemon" people! Look before you leap.
There are many dangers in life. Some are obvious and some are not so obvious. Some dangers in life are hidden.
ILL.- CBS News reporter Dan Rather said, while reporting from Afghanistan, "You’ve seen the rubble, the tanks and warplanes in ruins, but what you can’t see is that this vast country is still filled with hidden dangers.
Rather said, "Too many people have weapons here, and if you’re not watching out for them, you’re watching out for other threats like the land mines and unexploded bombs that U.S. engineers are finding all over."
"In addition to the mines and bombs going off, officers of the 10th Mountain Division told us wrecked Russian warplanes in the area all have to be searched because it’s believed many of them are booby-trapped with explosives.
"We met Mohammed Assan working on a mine-clearing crew. He’s survived 23 years of war and wants to make his homeland safe. Mohammed tells me his survival depends on God: if he wants us to die, we die.
"And many have. It’s believed up to 300 people are either wounded or killed by a land mine each month. One of the few factories functioning here makes artificial limbs."
Brethren, Afghanistan is not the only country filled with hidden dangers.
They are here in our country too. These hidden dangers are bombs just waiting to explode and devastate people’s lives! AND THEY ARE JUST AS REAL AS ANY LAND MINE IN AFGHANISTAN!
Our survival depends on God too! And also, it depends on being alert to these hidden dangers.
I Pet. 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around...."
II Cor. 2:11 says that "we are not not ignorant of his (Satan’s) schemes."
We’d better not be ignorant of what Satan is doing in our world. He’s the master terrorist! The enemy of the soul! The destroyer of lives! BE AWARE! BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS IN THIS LIFE!
PROP.- I want us to think about certain hidden dangers in this life and how they can devastate our lives.
1- Penetrating Philosophies
2- Wooing World
I. PENETRATING PHILOSOPHIES
ILL.- A man died and went to heaven. Peter said to the man, "You must be able to spell a word before I can let you enter."
"What’s the word?" the man asked. Peter replied, "It is the word LOVE. You can spell that word, can’t you?" "Sure," the man said. "L-O-V-E." Peter said, "Come in."
Just after that Peter got called away to the phone. He said to the man, "You stay here at the entrance and remember that if anyone comes, he or she must spell the word love."
A few minutes later the man’s wife knocked on the door. She said, "After your elaborate funeral, I was involved in a car wreck and killed. So, here I am."
Her husband said, "Fine, but Peter said that you must be able to spell a word before I can let you in." "That’s okay," she said. "What’s the word?" He replied, "CZECHOSLOVAKIA."
Brethren, when it comes to getting in the door of heaven many people have been deceived by the philosophy of the world.
Many people have fallen for that old goodness philosophy. It’s the idea that as long as you demonstrate a little goodness in this life you will get in the door to heaven, regardless of what you believe about God and Christ and the Bible. And many others are teaching that no matter how you live in this world you will still go to heaven! You can be as rotten as Osama Bin Laden or Sadam Hussein or even Adolf Hitler, but God will still let you into heaven!
WHAT A LIE! This kind of thinking is totally wrong when compared to what the Bible teaches. If we believe and accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God then we must accept it alone as our final authority in all matters!
Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
I believe that Jesus is the "narrow" way who leads to heaven! HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN!
John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Acts 4:12 Peter said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
People can believe and adopt all the philosophies they want in life, but if these philosophies conflict with what God has said in His Word, then they mean nothing. They "cut no mustard" with God.
God does not bow down to our thinking, philosophies, and doctrines. HE BOWS TO NO MAN. We must bow down to Him, His will and His Word!
Mark 13:31 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
God’s Word is clear. There is only one way to heaven and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ! He is the only Savior there is!
Col. 2:8 Paul said, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Paul speaks of "deceptive philosophies." There are many in this world.
Some people believe strange ideas about God and things pertaining to God.
ILL.- For example. "Who is God?" Some people of all ages and races from around the world gave their answers to this question. A six-year-old girl from Ecuador said God was her dad. A car washer in Pakistan said that God "designs the lines of a Mercedes." (God is the great designer of the universe for sure!)
God was defined in various ways, such as the wind, a waterfall, a circle, a couch potato by others. "I believe in science," answered a businessman in Beirut. A journalist in Bombay said, "I am God."
How crazy can you get? Why do people have such strange ideas or philosophies about God? Probably because of where they were born and how they were raised.
We are fortunate to have been born and raised in America where Christianity has been freely taught. We are fortunate to have been raised by parents who believe in Jesus Christ!
There are still all kinds of philosophies that make the rounds which could be classified as "hidden dangers."
ILL.- For example. Remember the song?
"And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I’ll say it clear,
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.
I’ve lived a life that’s full.
I’ve traveled each and ev’ry highway;
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Regrets, I’ve had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way."
WHO SANG THAT SONG? "Ol’ blue eyes." Also known as "The voice" and "The chairman of the board." Frank Sinatra. He was born in 1915 and died in 1998 at the age of nearly 83.
Sinatra was considered by many people to be the most popular American singer of our time. After he passed away, people said many things about him.
One person said, "The master is gone, but his voice will live forever." (No, the master is not gone, but Frank Sinatra is gone) Another said, "There will never be another him. You know, he’s an idol. He was the original."
Another person said, "It’s Frank’s world. We just live in it." (No, it’s not Frank Sinatra’s world. IT’S GOD’S WORLD AND WE LIVE IN IT!)
And President Bill Clinton said of him, "I think every American would have to smile and say he really did do it his way."
Ah ha, there it is! There’s the penetrating philosophy that is a hidden danger to people! Frank Sinatra sang "I DID IT MY WAY." Frank Sinatra may well have lived his life his way, but it wasn’t always the best way.
He was married four times and had numerous girlfriends. He tried to commit suicide at least twice. It was also said of him that he was never really very happy. He lived somewhat in the state of depression. AND THAT’S BECAUSE HE TRIED TO LIVE HIS LIFE HIS WAY!
Any time you try to live life your way, instead of the Lord’s way, life will result in a certain amount of misery!
Only when we seek the Lord and His will for our lives and try to live "His way" will we experience greater fulfillment and joy in life!
ILL.- In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but thine be done." Father, not my way, but your way.
That’s what we need to pray. THAT’S HOW WE NEED TO LIVE! Instead of "doing our own thing," we need to do what we know God wants us to do.
BEWARE OF THE PENETRATING PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE! The subtle philosophies of man that penetrate our hearts and minds and affect the way we live. BEWARE OF THAT HIDDEN DANGER!
II. WOOING WORLD
ILL.- The preacher was illustrating the evils of drinking alcohol. He showed his audience two glasses. One was filled with water and the other with whiskey. He proceeded to drop a live worm into each glass. The worm seemed to do fine in the glass of water, but promptly curled up and died when dropped into the glass of alcohol.
"Now then," he said, "what does this prove?" A woman replied, "If you drink whiskey, you won’t have worms."
ILL.- David Letterman said one time that he was standing in front of a casino, and a man came up to him looking desperate. "Please!" the man begged frantically. "Could you possibly spare $500. My wife is very sick, and I really need the money to take her to the doctor and to buy her the medicine she needs."
Dave looked at the guy suspiciously, and he asked the man, "Wait a minute! If I give you $500, how do I know you won’t just go into one of the casinos here and gamble it all away?’ The man quickly responded, "Oh no, I wouldn’t do that! I’ve got gambling money!"
Brothers and sisters, the world is trying to woo us into its way of thinking! The world is trying to seduce us into thinking that drinking booze is ok. It doesn’t hurt anybody. But what the world doesn’t tell us about is all the broken lives as a result of drinking booze. The broken bodies, the broken marriages, and the broken homes!
Also, the world is trying to convince us that a little gambling won’t hurt anybody. It’s harmless. Yeah, well, Elaine has an ex brother-in-law who is addicted to gambling. He has lost his marriage, his house, his money, and no telling what else as a result of it.
I John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Most of the time we think of the world as being quite harmless, but it’s not. The world’s thinking and ideals are actually in contrast to what God teaches. And the world is out to get us anyway it can.
The world is wooing us away from God and Christ with its many trinkets, treasures and trappings.
ILL.- For example, I saw a commercial last week one evening that really caught my eye. They were advertising the Subaru automobile. But it wasn’t just any Subaru. It was a sport Subaru. A fast Subaru.
It was the 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX. Listen to this. The car has a 2.0 Liter, flat four cylinder engine with turbocharger that puts out 227 horsepower. It will run 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. That’s faster than a BMW 3-Series, faster than an Audi A4 2.8 Quattro, faster than a Lexus IS300 -- the list goes on. It’s also quicker than many pure sports cars, including the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3.
Standard equipment: Air conditioning, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, limited-slip rear differential, front and side air bags, fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, AM/FM-cassette-6-CD audio, cruise control, power locks, mirrors and windows, remote keyless entry, Momo leather steering wheel, daytime running lights.
It’s also all-wheel drive and is a whole lot cheaper than the Porsche, BMW or Audi. It’s sells for $24,520. AND I’M GONNA GET ONE ANY DAY NOW! Yeah sure, when donkeys fly!
All I need is another hot rod car, right? I can just see the Christmas lights in my rearview mirror.
That commercial nearly nabbed me, and that’s exactly one of the methods of the world. If the world can cause us to spend our money on things that are bad for us (like booze and gambling) or things that are not necessary for us (like fast or fancy cars), it can cleverly woo us away from the Lord.
ILL.- Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith."
The sad truth is this: most Christians in America think and behave no differently from anyone else. Here are some examples taken from a 1997 OmniPoll survey:
- Donated any money to a non-profit organization in the past month: 47% Christians 48% Non-Christians
- Have been divorced: 27% Christians 23% Non-Christians
- Volunteered time to help at a non-profit organization in past week: 29% Christians 27% Non-Christians
- Bought a lottery ticket in the past week: 23% Christians 27% Non-Christians
- Gave money to a homeless person or poor person in the past year: 24% Christians 34% Non-Christians
II Timothy 4:10 Paul said, "For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me..."
The indication is this: WHEN DEMAS DESERTED PAUL FOR THE WAYS AND THE THINGS OF THE WORLD, HE ALSO DESERTED CHRIST!
Beware of the ways of the world! The world is out to get you! And lead you away from Christ! The world is dangerous. Don’t be stupid!
CONCLUSION---------------------------------------
ILL.- A well-paid young executive dreamed he died and stood at the Pearly Gates. Peter asked him, "Do you want to go to heaven or to hell?" "Let me know my options," he said. "Show me hell."
And up popped a giant screen with a video playing. Girls in bikinis and well-built guys were playing volleyball on the beach. Coolers were iced down with beer. Everybody was wearing brand-name clothes and driving a BMW.
Then he asked for a glimpse of heaven, only to notice that the video was still running. It panned upward and showed a park filled with old people sitting on benches, feeding the birds and playing checkers - with angels in the background. "Uh, very nice," the guy muttered, "but I think I prefer hell."
And immediately, he was plunged into molten lava! In agonizing pain, he hollered at Peter, "Hey, where’s the beach and the babes? What about the beer and the cars?"
"Sorry," Peter said, "WHAT YOU SAW WAS THE DEMO TAPES SENT UP BY SATAN."
Brethren, that’s what you call "false advertising." And that’s exactly what the world and the devil are feeding us or showing us all the time!
There is much danger in this world, much hidden danger. And isn’t the physical kind. It’s the kind that can destroy a person forever.
