THESIS: To show that the world devours careless Christians.
INTRO: A. Preachers and Christians who practice personal separation from the world are often referred to as “hot house Christians.” Because we warn against the attraction of the world and sin and abstain from what the world and worldly Christians refer to as “harmless” we are accused of being too sheltered.
ILLUS: Hot house flowers are sheltered from bugs, from being eaten by animals, from being stepped on, from storms, from frost and freezing, and from drastic temperature changes. Not only that but they are nourished, watered regularly and nurtured. Consequently they produce the most beautiful flowers.
B. You ought to thank God if you live a sheltered life! You ought to praise the Lord if you are in a Christian school, attend a fundamental church, work among other Christians and are in the world but not of the world. You should be grateful for your church, your pastor, you S.S. teacher, your bus capt., your Christian parents and Christian friends who stand guard for you to keep you out of the world, because “IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!”
1 Jn. 5:19-20 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
NOTE: There are several positive statements in the text: 1) We know we are saved, 2) We know God’s Son has come 3) He gives us spiritual discernment 4) We are in Him 5) He alone is God. But there is one negative statement in the middle of this affirmation of faith “the whole world lieth in wickedness…” “IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!”
TRANS: There are beauties in the jungle, but there are many dangers lurking there. Only a fool deliberately places himself in harm’s way. The world is the jungle…
I. BEWARE THE WILD BEASTS:
1 Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
ILLUS: The picture is that of some young or crippled animal being stalked by a lion. The law of the jungle is “eat or be eaten.” Example: Young wild beasts in the herd were unaware of the dangers lurking along the river’s edge. They said: “Wow, look at the water. Let’s jump in!” The older ones knew they had to cross the river or die in the drought, but they hesitated. Suddenly the water erupted and giant crocodiles grabbed those young ones and feasted on them. They devoured the flesh. That’s what the “roaring lion” wants to do to you!
A. Stay Alert When In The Jungle: “be vigilant…”
1. At times we have to go into the jungle, but we don’t have to live there! 2. It is one thing to be in the jungle, but another to have the jungle in you!
B. Be Armed When In The Jungle: “the sword of the Spirit…”
1. Only a fool enters a dangerous situation with out protection. 2. When you enter the jungle, you had better have another “lion” with you stronger than the devil; Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and He is the King of the king of the beasts and the King of the kings of the world. 3. The Bible commands us to “resist the devil,” the lion, by feeding on the Word and feeding the spirit, not the flesh…lions eat flesh!
BEWARE…IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!
II. BEWARE THE SUBTLE SERPENTS:
Prov. 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. (Context is booze, but the application is to any sin!)
A.Serpents Are Beautiful But Deadly:
Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
1. You are more vulnerable than Eve in her innocency. 2. Eve gave in to the serpents beauty and charm and he injected the venom of sin into her and into the human race! 3. The devil is called “that old serpent” and his venom is deadly!
ILLUS: Beware the subtle serpent. What “attractive” or “pleasurable” sin have you been playing with? Watch out, it is deadly! “The wages of sin” is not fun, success, wealth or popularity…it is death! You say, “I’ve been playing with sin. But I’m not dead.” Where is your joy? Where is your smile? Where is your testimony? Where is your witness? Where is your desire for spiritual things?
B.Serpents Are Attractive But Fatal:
1. The serpent of lust.
James 1:14-15 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
2. The serpent of money. (The sin is the love of money and coveting it.)
1 Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
QUOTE: Bob Jones Sr: “You’d be better off to roll up your sleeve and stick your bare arm down into a den of rattlesnakes and let them attack your arm than you would be to play with sin.
BEWARE…IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!
III. BEWARE THE JUNGLE MUSIC:
A. Jungle Music Is Addictive:
1. Rock and rap music came right out of the jungles, where people worship dedemons, don’t know our Savior and parade around naked!! 2. That’s why people get mad when I preach on their addiction; they are hooked on Rock or Rap or MTV or VH1; it is worse now that they have added video to the music!!!
ILLUS: The attitude is “Don’t mess with my music (god)!” People worship at the altar of music. Listen to that stuff and you will be at odds with the youth pastor, you will start criticizing your Pastor. You won’t be able to get along with your parents. You won’t be able to read your Bible. You will even make fun of others who are godly and have given up your music.
2. The themes are sex, drugs, sex, violence, sex, rebellion, sex, alcohol, sex and suicide!
ILLUS: On Thursday this week, I got a call from a former member of our church who asked that I pray for her son, whose best friend just committed suicide. I guarantee you this young man was hooked on Rock music!!! I told her to immediately go into her son’s room and search for Rock tapes, CD’S, etc. and drug paraphernalia. She lamented the fact that her preacher never preaches against this ungodliness.
B. God Gives Us A New Song:
1. Nine times (7 in the OLD TESTAMENT and 2 in the NEW TESTAMENT) the Bible admonishes believers to sing a “new song.” 2. Tell me the kind of music you like and listen to and I will tell you what kind of a Christian you are!
BEWARE…IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!
IV. BEWARE THE CARNIVOROUS CANNIBALS:
A. They Eat People!
1. Somebody gets right with God and they say: “Let’s see how long it lasts!” 2. Somebody says “I gave up Rock music,” or “I surrendered to service,” or I got my heart right with someone” or… and the cannibals in the church begin to chew them up!
Lk. 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Not chew them up!)
Lk. 17:1-2 1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
OH YES, IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!
CONCL: 1. If you are a “hothouse” sheltered Christian, just praise the Lord! 2. If you must go into the “jungle” every day, be sure you take the Sword of the Spirit with you, 3. apply the antivenom or the blood of Christ to neutralize the poison of the serpent. 4. And try to locate someone to whom you can introduce to the Lion of the tribe of Judah! Missionaries are to look different and live different than the natives! 5. Above all, no matter how appealing or pleasurable the “roaring lion” makes it look, remember... IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!