6/29/97
“DEAD FLIES IN THE OINTMENT”
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 10:1
THESIS: To show how seemingly small things can wreck & ruin Christian character,
testimony & usefulness.
INTRO.: A. In the Middle East flies are a nuisance. In the open air markets it is not
uncommon to see unrefrigerated meat hanging in the butcher’s shops covered with
the filthy pests. People simply shoo away the flies & eagerly buy the meat.
B. Solomon probably observed or simply heard about the royal perfumer’s
problem of his unguarded, uncovered ointment being ruined by the intrusion of dead
flies. Flies momentarily in the ointment would not cause it to stink…the problem
was that the apothecary permitted the flies to stay in the ointment until it was ruin-
ed. Therein lies the message…
TRANS.: An occasional “fly” quickly dealt with is excusable & usually presents no
threat to a Christian’s character, fellowship or service, but if the fly or flies are al-
lowed to remain & can create a real “stink” & destroy a believer’s usefulness…
I. JOHN MARK & THE DEAD FLY OF DISLOYALTY:
Acts 13:13 (!!!)
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Acts 15:37-40
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
A. Disappointment In Service Breeds Discontentment:
ILLUS.: A veritable swarm of flies may have attacked John Mark.Here is a young man
no doubt admired & even envied by the church. He was to be with the great Apostle
Paul in ministry. Something caused him to become disappointed & discontented
which in turn led to his disloyalty. Was it seasickness? Homesickness? Heartsick-
ness? (Disloyalty is usually the result of backsliding because of injured pride - did
John Mark allow the dead fly of jealousy to cause him to stink?) Was racial pride
a factor? Did he allow the dead fly of prejudice to make him stink? He was a Jew &
Paul’s ministry was to Gentiles. Whatever it was could have been avoided by just
getting rid of the flies as soon as they got in the ointment!
1. Service & fellowship may be destroyed by just a few “dead flies.”
2. When a person is disappointed he can easily become a victim of discontent-
ment & then of disloyalty - to a ministry, to friends, to the Lord.
3. We are not told that Paul & John Mark ever ministered together again - sad!
4. Note that Paul is seen as being right in this dispute & God continues to use
him, but we don’t hear much of John Mark again (even though he got right
w/Paul).
ILLUS.: Sadly believers have adopted the world’s attitude to these “flies” - especially
the fly of disloyalty. The President quickly dumps friends if any accusation is made
of them so that he cannot be linked to them. So much for loyalty & friendship.
“Dead flies” cause a “stink” but the world has gotten so used to the stink that
it doesn’t bother them. The world loves “dead flies”! They applaud dirty jokes,
watch dirty movies are fascinated by 4 letter words (except work & love). They
adore their idols like Madonna, Sharon Stone, Prince, Mick Jagger, and Eddy
Murphy. The filthier the better! They enjoy watching Michael Jackson grab his
crotch and grab little boys!!
Our present “politically correct” Administration has more “dead flies” stink-
ing up America than any other in our history. These flies include sex scandals,
money scams, promoting homos & lesbos, distributing condoms to school children,
promoting abortion (including partial birth abortion!), making hard working citi-
zens pay for lazy, drug addicts, porn peddlers, abortionists & criminals. Talk about
some DEAD FLIES! The stench is incredible, but the world doesn’t even smell it!
But believers are to know better & have discernment & not allow even a “little
folly” to mar his “reputation.” (text)
II. DEMAS & THE FLY OF DISRUPTED SERVICE:
2 Tim.4:10,11a
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me…
A. The Attraction Of The World Produces Carnality:
1. Demas had forgotten to keep the lid on his box of precious ointment!
2. Like John Mark, he too had a ministry alongside the great Apostle Paul.
3. Demas, Luke & Paul made a trinity of servants of our Savior at one point.
4. The world works like a magnet to the unwary believer & slowly pulls him
from the place of service & usefulness to the place of carnality.
ILLUS.: Demas’ decision to leave the things of the Lord for the world couldn’t have
come at a worse time for Paul. Here he was in the Mamertine prison in Rome living
in absolute squalor, no sanitation, air unfit to breathe, meager food lowered thru an
opening in the ceiling. Execution loomed on the horizon. Just a few yards outside
the prison were the crowded streets, entertainment & laughter. The thought of De-
mas & others who had left the church & him added to the Apostle’s despair. The
dead flies of the world had caused Demas’ testimony to stink.
The attraction of the world & its pleasures suck believers into sin & out of the
church.
The reasons for choosing a church are: The right Bible, the right doctrine
the right standards, biblical discipline & purity in the leadership.
The only biblical reasons for leaving a church are: The wrong Bible, the
wrong doctrine, the wrong standards, sin in the camp being ignored & immorality
or impropriety in the leadership. It is never right to leave a church for worldly
reasons or because of a failure to get things right.
5. Demas left the Lord’s work, broke fellowship w/God’s man & left the church.
6. Solomon’s “dead flies” become Paul’s “little leaven” & it doesn’t take much
to ruin a reputation, a testimony, a life or a ministry…just a “little.”
III. JUDAS: THE DEAD FLY OF DESTRUCTION:
Jn.13(!):30
30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
A. Success In Sin Destroys Character:
1. Judas had gotten away with pilfering money from the Apostle’s treasury.
2. He was a successful thief & each success eroded his character further.
3. The little “fly” was joined by a swarm as he became bolder in his sin.
ILLUS.: Samson’s continued success against the Philistines while he was enjoying his
sin, led him to believe that God would always bless his ministry regardless of what
he did. But one day he crossed the line. There was one “fly” too many by the name
of Delilah. This “fly” caused him to “stink” and he lost his reputation, testimony,
ministry, his eyes & finally his life.
Judas no doubt got away with a small theft at first & became bolder & stole a
little more, then greed overcame him & he sold the Savior for 30 pieces of silver. It
made him stink & he lost his gifts, ministry, reputation & his life. No one names
their children Judas. Many name them Paul, Peter, John, Matthew, etc.
It is interesting that one of the names of Satan: Beelzebub, translated is “Lord of the flies!”
CONCL.: We all need to remove the “flies” in our lives before they die & cause a
stink! First we need to avoid the flies. Then we need to remove the flies before
they result in DISLOYALTY, DISRUPTED SERVICE or even DESTRUCTION.
Kill the flies in your life w/spiritual insect repellent…saturate yourself w/God’s
Word. “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
“DEAD FLIES IN THE OINTMENT”
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 10:1
THESIS: To show how seemingly small things can wreck & ruin Christian character,
testimony & usefulness.
INTRO.: A. In the Middle East flies are a nuisance. In the open air markets it is not
uncommon to see unrefrigerated meat hanging in the butcher’s shops covered with
the filthy pests. People simply shoo away the flies & eagerly buy the meat.
B. Solomon probably observed or simply heard about the royal perfumer’s
problem of his unguarded, uncovered ointment being ruined by the intrusion of dead
flies. Flies momentarily in the ointment would not cause it to stink…the problem
was that the apothecary permitted the flies to stay in the ointment until it was ruin-
ed. Therein lies the message…
TRANS.: An occasional “fly” quickly dealt with is excusable & usually presents no
threat to a Christian’s character, fellowship or service, but if the fly or flies are al-
lowed to remain & can create a real “stink” & destroy a believer’s usefulness…
I. JOHN MARK & THE DEAD FLY OF DISLOYALTY:
Acts 13:13 (!!!)
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Acts 15:37-40
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
A. Disappointment In Service Breeds Discontentment:
ILLUS.: A veritable swarm of flies may have attacked John Mark.Here is a young man
no doubt admired & even envied by the church. He was to be with the great Apostle
Paul in ministry. Something caused him to become disappointed & discontented
which in turn led to his disloyalty. Was it seasickness? Homesickness? Heartsick-
ness? (Disloyalty is usually the result of backsliding because of injured pride - did
John Mark allow the dead fly of jealousy to cause him to stink?) Was racial pride
a factor? Did he allow the dead fly of prejudice to make him stink? He was a Jew &
Paul’s ministry was to Gentiles. Whatever it was could have been avoided by just
getting rid of the flies as soon as they got in the ointment!
1. Service & fellowship may be destroyed by just a few “dead flies.”
2. When a person is disappointed he can easily become a victim of discontent-
ment & then of disloyalty - to a ministry, to friends, to the Lord.
3. We are not told that Paul & John Mark ever ministered together again - sad!
4. Note that Paul is seen as being right in this dispute & God continues to use
him, but we don’t hear much of John Mark again (even though he got right
w/Paul).
ILLUS.: Sadly believers have adopted the world’s attitude to these “flies” - especially
the fly of disloyalty. The President quickly dumps friends if any accusation is made
of them so that he cannot be linked to them. So much for loyalty & friendship.
“Dead flies” cause a “stink” but the world has gotten so used to the stink that
it doesn’t bother them. The world loves “dead flies”! They applaud dirty jokes,
watch dirty movies are fascinated by 4 letter words (except work & love). They
adore their idols like Madonna, Sharon Stone, Prince, Mick Jagger, and Eddy
Murphy. The filthier the better! They enjoy watching Michael Jackson grab his
crotch and grab little boys!!
Our present “politically correct” Administration has more “dead flies” stink-
ing up America than any other in our history. These flies include sex scandals,
money scams, promoting homos & lesbos, distributing condoms to school children,
promoting abortion (including partial birth abortion!), making hard working citi-
zens pay for lazy, drug addicts, porn peddlers, abortionists & criminals. Talk about
some DEAD FLIES! The stench is incredible, but the world doesn’t even smell it!
But believers are to know better & have discernment & not allow even a “little
folly” to mar his “reputation.” (text)
II. DEMAS & THE FLY OF DISRUPTED SERVICE:
2 Tim.4:10,11a
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me…
A. The Attraction Of The World Produces Carnality:
1. Demas had forgotten to keep the lid on his box of precious ointment!
2. Like John Mark, he too had a ministry alongside the great Apostle Paul.
3. Demas, Luke & Paul made a trinity of servants of our Savior at one point.
4. The world works like a magnet to the unwary believer & slowly pulls him
from the place of service & usefulness to the place of carnality.
ILLUS.: Demas’ decision to leave the things of the Lord for the world couldn’t have
come at a worse time for Paul. Here he was in the Mamertine prison in Rome living
in absolute squalor, no sanitation, air unfit to breathe, meager food lowered thru an
opening in the ceiling. Execution loomed on the horizon. Just a few yards outside
the prison were the crowded streets, entertainment & laughter. The thought of De-
mas & others who had left the church & him added to the Apostle’s despair. The
dead flies of the world had caused Demas’ testimony to stink.
The attraction of the world & its pleasures suck believers into sin & out of the
church.
The reasons for choosing a church are: The right Bible, the right doctrine
the right standards, biblical discipline & purity in the leadership.
The only biblical reasons for leaving a church are: The wrong Bible, the
wrong doctrine, the wrong standards, sin in the camp being ignored & immorality
or impropriety in the leadership. It is never right to leave a church for worldly
reasons or because of a failure to get things right.
5. Demas left the Lord’s work, broke fellowship w/God’s man & left the church.
6. Solomon’s “dead flies” become Paul’s “little leaven” & it doesn’t take much
to ruin a reputation, a testimony, a life or a ministry…just a “little.”
III. JUDAS: THE DEAD FLY OF DESTRUCTION:
Jn.13(!):30
30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
A. Success In Sin Destroys Character:
1. Judas had gotten away with pilfering money from the Apostle’s treasury.
2. He was a successful thief & each success eroded his character further.
3. The little “fly” was joined by a swarm as he became bolder in his sin.
ILLUS.: Samson’s continued success against the Philistines while he was enjoying his
sin, led him to believe that God would always bless his ministry regardless of what
he did. But one day he crossed the line. There was one “fly” too many by the name
of Delilah. This “fly” caused him to “stink” and he lost his reputation, testimony,
ministry, his eyes & finally his life.
Judas no doubt got away with a small theft at first & became bolder & stole a
little more, then greed overcame him & he sold the Savior for 30 pieces of silver. It
made him stink & he lost his gifts, ministry, reputation & his life. No one names
their children Judas. Many name them Paul, Peter, John, Matthew, etc.
It is interesting that one of the names of Satan: Beelzebub, translated is “Lord of the flies!”
CONCL.: We all need to remove the “flies” in our lives before they die & cause a
stink! First we need to avoid the flies. Then we need to remove the flies before
they result in DISLOYALTY, DISRUPTED SERVICE or even DESTRUCTION.
Kill the flies in your life w/spiritual insect repellent…saturate yourself w/God’s
Word. “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”