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It's very good to be here at Faith Ward Baptist Church. Once again, I kind of feel like it's back home. It's been many years, but I see a lot of familiar faces and I'm really glad and happy to be here this evening. Now, the sermon I prepared for tonight, I actually had a completely different sermon prepared, ready to go for tonight, and I kind of changed what I wanted to preach yesterday. And, you know, I was just kind of thinking mostly about the youth in the churches and fundamental Baptist churches and how kids can grow up in fundamental Baptist churches, but, you know, like what's gonna happen when they get old enough to leave and move out? Are they gonna stick with the faith? Are gonna stick with what they're doing? Or are they just kind of coming here because they're forced to be here and their parents are bringing them here? You know, what are they gonna do? And I kind of want to, I have a sermon that's geared for youth tonight. Now, everyone's gonna be able to learn from this and be edified from this and obviously God's Word applies to everybody, but I really, really want the kids to listen up today and just, you know, I'm trying to speak, I'm gonna speak from the heart tonight, and I really want everyone to listen up, and especially the young people. You know, the people at this church, your parents that bring you here, they love you, they care about you, you know, you may not always understand the reason behind all the rules, behind all the hard preaching, and, you know, out in the world you may get some funny looks, and it might be people are gonna make fun of you because you go to this church and you've got your pastors on the news or whatever, and you might feel like, why do you have to make such a big deal out of things? Why can't you just tone it down a little bit? You know, this is the things that kids might be thinking about, but the reason why we make a big deal of this stuff is because we care about you. I care about you, I love you, your parents love you, they want you to grow, and there's things I'm gonna be talking about this evening, you know, that many of your parents and many of the older people here wished we would have had some of this information we were growing up. I wish I would hear, I would have heard the hard preaching when I was younger, when I was your age, and please don't turn a deaf ear tonight. Please listen to the scripture, listen to God's Word, listen to what I, you know, I'm pleading with you just to listen tonight. Give me your attention and try to take some wisdom with you that you can, that can last with you for the rest of your life. Please don't have to learn through experience of going through some of the sins I'm gonna be talking about this evening, because it's only gonna bring misery, sorrow, chastisement into your life, and you don't want to go through that. Trust me, you don't want to have to deal with that. Everything that we're gonna be covering tonight, whether it sounds hard or not, is for your benefit. All the laws of God are for your benefit. God created us, God knows us, God wants us to live our best life now. He wants us to live the life, and look, it doesn't come through just, you know, doing whatever you want, it comes through obeying and listening to God's Word. He made us, He knows what we're like, He knows the lust of the flesh, He understands, you know, Jesus Christ became flesh. He was tempted him all points, like as we are, yet without sin. God knows, God knows what it's like to be human, especially young kids. Oftentimes, you know, children think, especially as you start getting into your teenage years, you feel like nobody understands. Nobody knows what I'm going through, you know, you have this tendency to feel, I know this because I was a kid once, and this is something that happens just generation after generation after generation, kids always feel like nobody understands them. Listen to me tonight, we do understand, we do understand. You may have some variation of circumstances in your life that bring you down some slightly different path, but at the end of the day, there's nobody that's gone through things that don't understand what you're going through. And regardless of any of your circumstances, it doesn't change the truth from God's Word. So please listen tonight and try to receive and apply whatever is going to apply to your life, which hopefully it all will, just take this in. And what I'm gonna be covering is just a few different places where God's Word is warning us. Beware, the title of my sermon is, is warning traps and snares ahead. There's a lot of traps, a lot of snares in this life where whether it be Satan or just your own flesh is gonna try to trap you and get you into situations that is going to cause just major problems for the rest of your life, potentially. We started off in 1st Timothy chapter 6, I'm gonna quote Luke 12 15 for you because the first trap that I want you to be aware of is covetousness. Luke 12 15, the Bible says consistent not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Jesus Christ is admonishing people, warning them, hey don't get wrapped up in the cares of this world and making money and just making your life all about how successful you could be in business, how much money you can make, how many things you can collect. That's a draw. That's a lust that people fall for. They waste their life. They spend their entire time just working and working and building up and just trying to accumulate as many things as they possibly can and set their eyes on the gold and the silver and the precious stones and the money and all the the mammon of this world. It's a facade. It's not going to bring you happiness. Don't fall for that. Look, it's important to work, especially young men, you know, get a job, be able to support yourself, but that's not why we're here. That's not the point. The point is about people. The point is about preaching. The point is about doing God's work. That's why we're here. 1 Timothy chapter 6 gives further warning on covetousness, where your eyes are just set upon things, being greedy, being, you know, after the wrong things that many people fall into. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse number 8, and having food and raiment, let us be there with content. Be satisfied. You got food, you've got clothing, and it looks like everybody that's sitting in the room tonight is wearing clothing. You look like you're clothed, so amen. Be content with that, and everybody probably had a meal today. Is there anyone that did not eat anything, unless you're fasting on purpose, that didn't have a meal today? Everybody had a meal today. Let's be content. Be content with that. Be happy. Be satisfied that God has provided your needs. You don't have to worry and be focused and dedicate your life into going so much further above and beyond what God's already provided you with. It's a trap. The Bible says, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare. A snare is a trap. It's something that's there to trap you, and the Bible says they that will be, which will just means you want to be. If you have a desire like, oh man, wouldn't it be great if I had all this money and I could be rich and and just do whatever I want and live comfortably? They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare. It doesn't say they might fall. It says that basically they do fall. You have this desire and this want to be rich and to make all this money, and especially young people, you're trying to decide what am I going to do with my life, right? What direction am I going to take? You're in a position that, you know, a lot of adults, they don't have that same luxury anymore. You've kind of gone down a path already, and wherever you are, you know, it's not like you can't make any changes ever in your life, but it gets a lot harder once you're older, once you're established, you've been doing things for a while. When you're young, you've got everything in front of you. You've got an open book to write that is your life, and you don't want to spend that just focused on making a lot of money and just trying to get rich with the riches of this world, because the Bible says you're going to fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition, for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some covet it after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Take God's Word for what it says. Take it as the truth. Let it sink down in your heart. Don't allow yourself to become covetous after things that you don't have. Just be content with where you're at. Do the work you need to do, but set your mind on things that have eternal value. This is what what the Bible is trying to teach us here. Look, turn if you would please a Proverbs chapter 23. We're going to spend a lot of time in Proverbs tonight. I'm trying to impart wisdom, some of God's wisdom, unto you tonight. One thing that goes hand in hand with this covetousness and having a covetous attitude is beware of people that are trying to buy you. Don't be a sellout. People that might be enticing you and putting a whole bunch of money in front of your face to go and make some some bad choice. And there's many ways you can do this. You have people, you know, the people that want you to earn a whole lot of money doing something maybe that's immoral, right? All you have to do is just promote and market these filthy websites that promotes smut and pornography, but here you could just make a whole bunch of money and they're going to flash, you know, a whole bunch of money, six figures in front of your face, but all you have to do is, you know, lie or cheat or, you know, promote filth. Don't sell out for that. The Bible says in Proverbs 23, look at verse number one, when thou sittest to eat with a ruler consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitful meat. Labor not to be rich, cease from thine own wisdom. So in the context of the story you're saying when you sit down with a ruler, so a ruler, you know, they're gonna have a lot of wealth, right? Someone who's inviting you in and they've got all this wealth and they've got all these dainties and fancy food and all this stuff, you're saying, don't don't be enthralled with that. Don't just be, you know, fallen or smitten with how much wealth this guy has and when you sit down he said, if you're someone who's given an appetite, you know, put a knife to your throat. Just hold back, withhold yourself, don't just indulge and get wrapped up into everything that this guy has. There's a warning here and the Bible says, labor not to be rich. Yes, we have to work but don't work just so you could have all this abundance that this, you know, that this ruler has that's in this story. Let's keep reading verse number five. Wilt thou set down thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings. They fly away as an eagle toward heaven. The riches, you know, one of the reasons why you shouldn't just set your eyes on this because there's gonna go away anyways. It's just temporary. It's never gonna last. The longest it could ever possibly last is however long you live on this lifetime. As soon as that's gone, it's gone forever. It just vanishes. It's up in smoke and it probably won't even last that long. Verse number six, eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye. Neither desire thou his dainty meat. So we're going back to what we started off this chapter with, you know, the wicked guy that's real wealthy, that's trying to invite you in and and offer you all this stuff and offer you riches. He's saying don't eat the bread of him that the evil eye. Neither desire that was dainty meat. Don't be deceived by it. For as he thinketh in his heart so is he. Eat and drink sayeth he to thee but his heart is not with thee. He said oh yeah eat up here I'm gonna give you all this stuff but he doesn't really care about you. He cares not about you at all. He cares about himself and the only reason why you'd be sitting there is because there's some gain that he can have of you. Watch out for the people that are trying to buy you. Watch out for it. That could lead you down a bad path, a wicked path. Don't be deceived by someone who's flashing a bunch of stuff in front of your face. Look, if something's too good to be true, it probably is. You're gonna learn that that the things that are worthwhile at all in this life you're gonna have to work for. Don't go for the easy out, the easy money. This quick head start or whatever you think you're gonna do because oftentimes well-meaning people might think oh well if I only sacrifice this one thing here and lose a little bit of my integrity I could just use it further. I'll just do it this one time and then I'll just get this head start and then then I'll start doing things the right way. Don't fall for that. As soon as you make that decision in your heart to go against God's Word, to have a lapse in your integrity, it becomes all the more easy the next time and the next time and the next time and next. Don't think you're gonna be stronger than you are at the very moment you're trying to make that decision. If you make the wrong decision you're gonna be way more likely to continue down that bad path. Don't even consider it. And look, you don't have to listen to me tonight but I'm just trying to warn you. All right, if you're if you're wise you'll listen and take heed. Listen to people have been around way longer than you have. Think about this kids, however old you are right now divide your age in half. If you're 12 think of a six-year-old, if you're 18 think of a nine-year-old, right? If you're 20 think of a ten-year-old. How much more do you know than someone that's half your age? Imagine having a conversation with someone half your age. How much more do you know? Do you think it'd be wise for someone half your age to maybe listen to you? I'm 42 years old kids. I've been around a while. Okay, I'm not the oldest one in this room but as people get older you learn a lot. Okay, and now not only do I have some age but I've been reading and studying and listening to Bible for a very long time. I have some wisdom to impart. Please don't turn a deaf ear. Verse number 8 there in Proverbs 23, the more so which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up and lose thy sweet words. In the end it's not gonna go well with you. Turn to, you're in Proverbs chapter 23. Stay right there. I'm gonna read for you from 2nd Samuel chapter 13. This is another important point. There's a lot of important points and these are all complete entire sermons of themselves. I'm gonna try to to wrap them in and tie them in as succinctly as possible in this sermon because they're all very important. The next point is about your friends. Who you choose to spend your time with. Who you choose to let in and and be close with because the people that you spend your time with will influence you. Guaranteed. They are gonna influence you. Good and bad. The good things, the bad things, people are gonna rub off on you. Bible has a story in 2nd Samuel chapter 13 of Amnon. Amnon had a friend that caused him to do, very famous passage, caused him to do something extremely wicked where Amnon probably wouldn't have done something as wicked as he ended up doing but it's his friend that influenced him. The Bible says in 2nd Samuel 13 one, and it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar and Amnon the son of David loved her and Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar for she was a virgin and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. So Amnon has this this emotion. He feels love for his sister which he shouldn't have and he knows he shouldn't have it and that's why I say he thought it hard for him to do anything to her. He's not gonna actually act on it. He knows it's wrong, he's been taught that it's wrong but he has this feeling but he's like you know what I don't think I could do anything about this because it's not right. But then steps in Amnon's friend verse number three, but Amnon had a friend whose name was John Adab the son of Shimea, David's brother, and John Adab was a very subtle man. He's sneaky, he's subtle, he's able to influence Amnon to do a really wicked thing and to take his sister and to act out what he knew was wrong which he probably wouldn't have done at all if it wasn't for his friend's influence. Now the fact that he's subtle is very telling because he didn't outwardly just seem like a wicked person. He probably had some stuff in common with Amnon, he became buddy-buddy with him, but because he's subtle he's able to kind of sneak in and just influence him at the right time to cause him to do something that he normally wouldn't do. So watch out for your friends. People look, you take after people whether you realize it or not. There's so many so many ways that this is true and like I said it may not always be for something bad, a kind of a funny story in my life and I probably might have told this before already here I'm not sure. When I was much younger I worked in a hospital and I worked in the cooking in the cafeteria on the food line and where the hospital was is in Chicago and I worked with with a lot of black people okay and the common language there was way different than what I speak what I'm used to and you know the everyone who's familiar with Ebonics okay that that like I'm not trying to be offensive here but the the the the culture the way that that people were talking there was way different and and just just the language and in the way that people spoke you know I started speaking like the people around me and I know it's kind of funny because if you're to look at me and then you hear the way I start talking you'd be like whoa this white boy is saying things that that doesn't sound like the way it should look but um that's just a result of being around people for extended periods of time you know you pick up phrases you pick up things you know things that people will say I didn't until I moved out to Arizona I never said right on never one time not coming from Chicago it's not something that's used but the more you spend time out and in other areas and around certain people you pick up different things look those might be some silly examples okay but it's a fact of who we are as people just socially when you're around other people you are gonna pick up things about them and we need to be on guard about that in general in life especially as you're out in the world you know we have to be out in the world you have to work I have to watch for this now at my secular job I mean the vast majority of people my work they're not they're not you know fundamental Baptist Christians I don't know if anyone else is but the thing that they talk about the things that they joke about you know those aren't things that I want to let myself get wrapped into so should I go off and just start making best buddies with these unsaved people that just just live eat breathe and sleep the world no if I do guess what's gonna happen I'm gonna start getting into the same stuff that they're into it's going to happen the friends that you choose to have are gonna cause you to some degree to go the direction that they're going it's going to happen so be careful with who you choose to allow into your life you're in Proverbs 23 jump down to verse number 26 the Bible reads my son give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways for a whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit we're gonna get into this a little bit she also lieth and wait as for a prey and increase at the transgressors among men who hath whoa who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babbling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes they that Terry long at the wine they that go to seek mixed wine look not thou upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his color in the cup when it moveth itself aright at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder now I skipped over a verse in my notes here jump up real quick to verse number 19 because obviously we're reading about the effects of alcohol here in Proverbs 23 just jump up real quick to verse number 19 about says hear thou my son and be wise and guide thine heart in the way and one of the things I loved is a side note on the book of Proverbs over and over and over again throughout the book of Proverbs you see you know hear my son this is this is you know the the Solomon or whoever's writing the Proverbs just addressing their son right going my son just just please get instruction please get wisdom please understand what I'm trying to tell you today hear thou my son and be wise we want you to grow up I want you to be wise I want you to understand I don't want you to go down the wrong path guide thine heart in the way be not among wine bibbers don't be among no you know definitely don't make them your best friends but don't be among people don't be hanging out with people who are just giving a drinking drinking booze drinking wine don't be among the wine bibbers nothing good is gonna come of that don't be the person that says oh I'm not gonna drink anything but I'm still gonna go out to the bar and hang out with my buddies don't be around that that was I look I've done it when I quit drinking I still never separated myself completely out oh I'm still gonna go out to bar look you don't want to do that for many reasons nothing good happens and as we're gonna get into again when you look at everything that happens as a result of alcohol you don't want to be around the people who are indulging in that the Bible says in verse 21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags you want to end up being a deadbeat and just come to rags and just flush everything you have down the toilet go ahead start hanging out with the wine bibbers go ahead hang out at the local pub you're gonna flush your stinking life away for first just some poison in a bottle that's gonna destroy your body anyways you might as well flush your wealth down with it the Bible says we're gonna jump back down to verse number 29 who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions drinking booze is gonna bring you woe the world's gonna tell you that oh no we have so much fun this is great it's a party man whoo yeah we're gonna go get drunk tonight that's what I tell you don't be deceived by it don't let these people think no man don't listen don't listen to that that preacher he doesn't know what he's talking about we're gonna go have some fun this is cool man come with us don't fall for it it's not what it's what they're telling you it's cracked up to be they're gonna think you have so much fun you know what's gonna cause you use because you say stupid things you're gonna look like a bunch of fools because you have people laughing like idiots because someone says something stupid that's what happens when people get drunk it's really not that fun on top of that it's not gonna bring you happiness you think you're all happy you know you see all these people yeah but these people when they're drunk they're all so happy it doesn't last it doesn't last it lasts for a fleeting moment but you know what comes after that whoa sorrow emptiness it doesn't fulfill about this who has whoa who has sorrow who have contentions there's a lot of fights that go on when people get drunk too for no reason someone you know there's people that go out to the bars just for the just to look to get in fights they get drunk because that builds up their you know their their ego or builds build puffs themselves up because they're probably cowards without it anyways they got to get their beer muscles right and then they want to prove how tough they are and just and just get in the fight the people that sound like fun you just want to go out and get in fights with people for no reason at all it's not fun it's not cool who hath babbling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes they that Terry long at the wine they that go to seek mixed wine look not thou upon the wine when it is red when it giveth its color in a cup when it moveth itself right God's trying to teach you don't even look at it don't be among the people are going out and getting drunk don't even look at the booze don't tempt yourself don't don't you know when you're looking on it you're gonna be thinking about it don't even don't even let it come in your mind avoid it completely verse 32 at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder getting involved with booze is about as fun as letting a snake bite you you don't want to just go out and find a rattlesnake and let's just see if we could get it to bite us and see how that feels that's what it's like in the end not the beginning in the end that's what it's gonna do to you verse number 33 thine eyes shall behold strange women and thine heart shall utter perverse things perverse that's perverted do you want to start saying perverted things you know what you call someone who says perverted things a pervert a pervert so here's a great idea kids why don't you go out and get drunk tonight so people could call you a pervert because they're saying perverted things does that sound like what you want to be does that what we ought to be known for you're gonna be called a pervert because your mind's just saying perverted things because if you allow this this poison into your body that God has already warned you about that it's just gonna destroy your life you know how many people go out and commit adultery and fornication just because they were drunk because their eyes start beholding strange women and then they start getting perverted thoughts in their minds and they go out and act on them because their inhibitions have been let down because they've allowed the booze enter in their body that happens all the time you don't have to let it happen to you please stay away from it verse 34 yay thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or is he that lieth upon the top of a mast they have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again and that last Fraser I'll see you yet again goes to the addictive nature of alcohol even though all of these things happen your your your your heart speaking perverse things you're you're you're beholding strange women you're you're ending up waking up with wounds how did that get there I didn't feel it I'm waking up I've got bruises I'm hurt I got in some fight I don't even know what happened and then you wake up and you're going hey let's go out to the bar again tonight it's an addictive cycle and here's the folly it's easy to spot the person who's already down in the gutter where you just say I don't want to be that guy that's easy you know what that guy didn't start off going I want to be the guy in the gutter it always starts with just taking that first drink every everybody starts off with just wondering don't start don't start down that path flip back to Proverbs chapter 2 Proverbs 23 we saw the the warning about alcohol and we also saw that the Bible says a whore is a deep ditch in the book of Proverbs I don't know if there's another subject that that has more verses dedicated to it than the strange woman and especially for young people okay get this this is extremely important you know this one thing the booze and and just going after women that are just not right people you shouldn't be going after watch out for the warning signs watch out for the traps okay because these will have long lasting effects in your life there are decisions that you make when you're young oftentimes that you will I mean obviously you can never change them once you make a decision you can never go back on that and with some of these things you have to just deal with baggage for the rest of your life for the entire rest of your life you might not think it's that big of a deal right now and you're stuck with it forever look at Proverbs chapter 2 verse number 10 when wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee to deliver thee from the way of the evil man from the man that speaketh forward things who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness who rejoice to do evil and delight in the forwardness of the wicked whose ways are crooked and they forward in their paths to deliver thee from the strange woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forget at the covenant of her God for her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead none that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life that thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of righteousness so in Proverbs chapter 2 he's saying you know when wisdom enters into thine heart knowledge is pleasant discretion is going to preserve thee being discreet understanding knowledge it's going to help you get through all this understanding is going to keep thee and it's going to warn you about the strange woman it says even the stranger with flattereth with her words flattery is going to come up over and over again so one of the warning signs to stay away from women who are just whores and adulteresses that are hunting for the precious life one of the tactics they use is flattery they're going to try to use their words to try to make you feel so special and so important when in their heart they're just seeking to to be wicked turn to Proverbs chapter 5 and the reason why I started in Proverbs chapter 2 is because it gives us the end of going after the strange when we say well passive earth what do you mean by a strange woman right well there's two ways that you can understand this one if you're if you're already married a strange woman is gonna be someone who's not your wife if you know your wife a strange woman is gonna be any other woman and if you're unmarried look a strange woman is someone who's not your wife so watch out for the strange woman there's your two ways no but obviously with the strange woman here to the one that's talking about a flatter us with their lips lips don't go after women who are not saved either you need to be looking for people who are born again children of God you know don't be just looking at the outward beauty of a person you know young people are looking to maybe think about getting married one day you need to be looking inside at their heart not just at the outward appearance Proverbs chapter 5 verse number 1 about says my son attend unto my wisdom and bow thine ears to my understanding that thou mayest regard discretion and that thy lips may keep knowledge for the lips of a strange woman drop as in honeycomb and her mouth is smoother than oil but her end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword so you know the strange woman the woman who's who's has a wicked heart is gonna come to you and they're gonna say things that sound nice so it's oh she drops as a honeycomb you know honey sweet to the taste honey is something that's enjoyable you want to have and her mouth is smoother than oil right she's real polished and sounds nice but it says her end is bitter as wormwood you know just like booze booze might taste sweet and you might find some some wine coolers that just taste good and you say wow this is great but the end thereof is is going to be like a serpent or like an heiress poison but yeah on the surface it might taste good but at the end it's not good it's the same thing with a strange woman she's gonna appear and say things that sound real nice but don't fall that's the trap that is the trap of the strange woman is to try to get you in with using fair words and trying to speak to you in a way that's going to attract you the Bible says her end is bare as wormwood sharp as two-edged sword her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell this is strong language for a very important reason her steps look her steps take hold on hell that's I mean how much lower can you get verse number six lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life her ways are movable that thou canst not know them hear me now therefore oh ye children and depart not from the words of my mouth remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house lest thou give thine honor unto others and thy years unto the cruel lest strangers be filled with thy wealth and thy labors be in the house of a stranger and now mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed this is just like alcohol you know look not thou upon the wine look just avoid it all together these strange women these the whores they're out there that are going to try to seduce you they're not going to church they're not saved they're not they're not people that are thinking about godly things watch out for the women are gonna say things to try to you know it's a flatter you to tell you how great you are but their heart has nothing to do with the things of God at all watch out for that avoid it completely avoid it all together have nothing to do with it the Bible says and say you know because at the last when you go down that verse 12 and say how have I hated instruction in my heart despised reproof and if not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me when you're looking for a spouse you're looking for someone to marry you shouldn't just be looking on the outward you know if someone's just advertising their flesh in their body that's not the person that you want they should be they should be adored you want to be looking for the for the woman that adorns themselves with a meek and quiet spirit with the things that are of high value in the sight of God not with someone who's just worried about their physical appearance and trying to attract you using their body stay away from that and women you attract a man don't use your body to do it because you're gonna attract the guys that are only interested in your body if your husband's gonna be the one leading you in life you don't want them just being led around with the flood less of his blood the lust of his flesh you want to attract a man that's a godly man then don't go showing off that that part of you that that that's gonna attract the wrong person Proverbs chapter 6 look at Proverbs chapter 6 verse number 23 the Bible says for the commandment is a lamp and the laws of light and reproofs of instruction of the way of life to keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman lust not after her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eyelids for by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulterous will hunt for the precious life these people are out there they exist there's adulterous that literally are hunting for the Christian the Bible believer the one that's that's trying to live a righteous life to try to take them down watch out for it don't lust after her beauty in your heart neither let her take me your eyelids verse number 27 can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burned so he that goeth into his neighbor's wife whosoever touch with her shall not be innocent men do not despise a thief if he said if he steals satisfy his soul when he is hungry but if he be found he shall restore sevenfold he shall give all the substance of his house but who so commits adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul a wound and dishonor shall he get in his reproach shall not be wiped away for the jet for jealousy is a rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will not regard any ransom neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts what this is instructing us here is saying you know when you're messing with a buried woman someone that bet steals because they're hungry right obviously stealing is wrong but if someone goes and steals some bread you know man you know I'm real hungry I lost my job I don't know what else to do I'm gonna go steal some food stealing is wrong and you're gonna have to pay for what you've done but people have a better understanding of that and are willing to say okay well you know what you still got to pay it back but they're not gonna have the same attitude as if you lay with another man's wife because the person that you steal from they'll be satisfied when you just pay it back and you restore it twofold or fivefold or whatever that whatever the the punishment is they'll be satisfied with that and say fine you know you shouldn't have done it but it's done it's over it's settled but we lay with another man's wife and it doesn't matter if she's the the one that's the protagonist it doesn't matter if she's the one trying to make things happen if she's the whore going after you look the man's not gonna be satisfied there's not amount that's why if I will says here he will not regard any ransom you know it's not like you could say oh well here just just take some money he's not gonna want that he will not rest content though they'll give us too many gifts that's why about says look you can't take fire in your bosom and not be burned you're messing with fire when you go after the the adulterous and you allow that to come into your life you're gonna get burned and and the Bible says jealousy is the rage of a man he will not spare in the day of vengeance people get killed you can lose your life over something like that for what a fleeting moment of some some fleshly lust and desire turn over to Proverbs chapter 7 actually I'm gonna skip over that no let's cover it's Proverbs 7 this is this is a this is too important to skip we're almost done Proverbs 7 gives us the the most warnings of the strange woman of the adulterous that you need to be on the lookout for Proverbs 7 verse number 4 the Bible says say unto wisdom thou art my sister and call understanding thy kinswoman that they may keep thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words for at the window of my house I look through my casement and beheld among the simple ones I discerned among the youth's a young man void of understanding I don't want you void of understanding tonight don't be one of these simple ones these simple use I just oh I think I'll go over here oh what's what it says here's what he observed among the simple ones right the simple man simple means kind of them okay ignorant they're simple they don't understand verse number eight passing through the street near her corner we're gonna see who her is in just a minute and he went the way to her house so here's a guy he's just walking down the street and he's going by her corner by her house in the twilight in the evening in the black and dark night so he's already it's it's getting late people the that are you know a lot more wicked people by the way come out at night children of darkness the reason why Bauer first to be able children of darkness versus children of light you know you just need to be aware of that obviously there's legitimate reasons to be out at night I mean the sun's gonna be down by the time we get out of church tonight there's you know you'd be headed home but by and large watch out bad things happen at night you know evil people try to use the cover of night to do their wicked deeds people steal at night people commit adultery at night people do wicked things at night so here we have a guy walking around in the middle of the night walking by the the strange woman's house near her corner you know who hangs out at the corners of the prostitutes and and look at this the Bible says in verse number 10 and behold there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtle of heart remember we said we'd already referred to Amnon's friend John Adab was he he was very subtle watch out for subtle people the harlot here she's subtle of heart and it says here that she had the attire of an harlot ladies if you're not a harlot don't have the attire of an harlot I shouldn't have to point that out to you what that is just drive down the street here was a Van Buren right what are the street that's still been a few years but but isn't that the area downtown Phoenix where they have all the the prostitutes of I don't know I don't recommend going down there just stay away from it if you're one of the simple ones you'll be going down there watch out for them but you know what they look like the people if they're they're advertising their flesh they're advertising their body wearing the attire of a harlot verse number 11 she is loud and stubborn again more attributes that you don't want to look for in a woman someone who's real loud and real stubborn her feet abide not in her house she's not a keeper at home now is she without now in the streets and lieth and wait at every corner so she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vows therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found me so this woman this approaches this guy this simple guy walking just walking right by where he shouldn't even be at night and she's like oh I found you it's like you don't even know me and she's already starting to kiss him and and just tell them oh I've been I've been searching just for you it was like love at first sight when I saw you don't fall for this don't fall for it look ladies or guys don't fall for that it's a trap they're trying to trying to make you feel real good and real special it's like well wait a minute hold on a second why are you saying this to me you don't even know me how could you possibly say this but the simple one is just gonna go along with it she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vows oh wow she's talking about spiritual things she saw she must go to church well that's okay then right no watch out for that not someone who's gonna come up and just kiss you right away there and and wearing a tire of an harlot look at verse number 15 therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry with carved works with Finland of Egypt look when a woman just meets you and she's starting to talk about her bed already go the other direction you want to have nothing because you know what you're not the first person you're not the only person that she's done that to just a little bit of warning verse number 17 I perfumed my bed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon come let us take our fill of love until the morning let us solace ourselves with loves people always want to try to downplay sin and wickedness by calling it something else instead of saying adultery they say an affair right or here and step on my fornication or adultery it's a oh it's love well if we love each other look and and you know hopefully the people in this room you're not gonna fall for just the whole it looks like a harlot you know hopefully you're well beyond that but but don't fall don't fall for the trap when you start dating someone and maybe you're both you know save people you're in a good church don't fall for this well we're gonna get married one day let's just have our love now I love you you love me let's just you know we might as well we could just do it now because we're gonna get married anyways don't fall for that it's fornication the Bible says flee fornication okay and God is not going you know that can destroy your life because when you're not married to someone that is off limits off limits and you may think you can get away with it you might be able to deceive your parents her parents you might think that that everything is gonna go just fine but you know what you cannot avoid God and if you're born again you better believe that God is gonna come down and chasing you and especially if you're growing up in a good church you know of whom much is given shall much be required if you hear these warnings you're hearing from God's Word you better believe and they have the fear of God in your heart you go down this path God is gonna rain down on you you are not gonna go unscathed and unpunished for falling into that watch out for that let's jump down to verse number 21 with her much fairer speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him he goeth after her straight way as an ox goeth to the slaughter as a fool the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life what's about talking about is referring to traps snares giving you the warning watch out for it no animal no bird if it knows there's a trap there is gonna go and be caught in the trap all right that's why you hide them that's why you set traps you know anyone who's hunts and use trapping that to hunt animals you don't just set it right out in the open where animals gonna be like yeah that doesn't belong here there's a reason why when you go fishing if you're using a lure what's a lure it's a trap it's got a hook on it it's got a barb right because you're trying to trying to hook and catch that fish so it can't get away from you you try to make they're trying to make the lures look like other fish look like it's something legitimate something that the fish wants to go after that's gonna be a successful trap or snare it's something that's gonna look as close as possible to the real thing you don't just if you just put a hook in the water with nothing on it you're not gonna be a very successful fisherman I'll tell you that much because the fish are gonna look at that and be like that doesn't look like anything I want part of you got to put a worm out you got to put something that that is gonna go after it so watch out for the strange one watch out for all these things because the allure is gonna be there the appeals gonna be to the lust of your flesh but there's a trap it's a trap behind it and it's gonna hurt you and possibly even destroy you that's the the destruction is referred to here by this simple one verse 22 he goeth after a straight way as an ox goeth to the slaughter as a fool the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hazes the snare and knoweth not that is for his life harken unto me now therefore o ye children and attend to the words of my mouth let not thine heart decline to her ways go not astray in her paths for she hath cast down many wounded yea many strong men have been slain by her don't think that you're above oh I'm strong enough I'm spiritual enough it's not gonna affect me I could go spend my time and hang around these areas where the the these strange women these harlots hang out it won't bother me I could go to the bars and hang around with all these wine bibbers and it's not gonna impact me let him that thinketh he stand to take heed lest you fall look there is you are not above sin I don't care how much Bible you've read and how long you've been in church you need to set yourself up to not get involved in this wickedness verse 27 her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death last point beware of the slippery slopes of worldliness you say pastor persons I'm well aware of this stuff and I'm already not gonna get involved in the booze and in in these strange women and you know I hope so praise God like please don't go down that but don't go down the the ways of worldliness we covered some very serious sins and I wanted to make sure we cover the very serious sins and give emphasis to what the Bible's emphasize on things that are really going to impact your life but you know what when you open the door to sin you can very easily slip down that slope way lower than you ever wanted to go as soon as you start allowing things allowing the worldly pleasure of saying oh man you know as a kid I grew up with all these rules why I just want to know what it's like I don't see why I have to have all these rules in place you have the rules because your parents love you because they're trying to follow God's commandments and trying to prevent you from making mistakes don't start opening up the door and allowing yourself to go down because you know what you're gonna start sliding and you may not be able to stop yourself in time look at lot lot was righteous lot soul was saved what happened he pitched his tent towards Adam right he didn't he didn't start off going into some he just pitched his tent that way he started looking at Adam next thing you know he's in Sodom living right among them the Bible says yeah his soul was vexed but you know he didn't move out did he no he stayed right there among them turn a few of the first John chapter 2 Bible says in James 4 for you adulterous and adulterous is know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God everybody can stand to learn from that verse you want to just be friends with the world friends with the ways of the world you just everything that the world does you're fine with that no big deal no problem it's all good Bible says you're the enemy of God if you'll be a friend of the world you're an enemy of God let that sink in when you start looking at the the world's music the world's entertainment what the world has to offer and it's you know it's all your fingertips these days you've got a phone you've got the internet it's real easy to just plug right in again you think nobody's looking you think it's not gonna be that big of a deal oh I'll just check out this TV show I'll just check out this music oh I'll just start getting involved in this stuff and you start enjoying and liking what the world's putting out what the sodomites are putting out and you're pitching your tent towards Sodom watch out because you're gonna slip yeah yeah I've heard this stuff before but but how bad can it really be don't learn by experience take the word of God and take the word of the people that do care about you take it to heart 1st John chapter 2 look at verse number 15 the Bible says love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man loved the world the love of the Father is not in him if you love what the world's putting out you don't love the Father for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that do it the will of God abideth forever don't get wrapped up in the world don't allow yourself to just get sucked into the ways of world look we're in the world it's all around you you're gonna have to deal with this for the rest of your life but don't get sucked into it I'm gonna close with this verse and first in Philippians chapter 3 if I was finally my brother and rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe you I'm sure you've heard everything I preached on that you've heard this before there's nothing new these are all real basic things but you know what to hear them again or for me to preach them again for you it's safe let it sink in look these are the things that are gonna matter take it to heart bow says beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision you know I believe when the Bible saw my dogs there it's talking about reprobates it's talking about sodomites beware of them beware of that watch out beware of evil workers beware of the concision for we are the circumcision which worship God and the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh watch out for the wicked the wickedness out in this world you're all gonna have choices to make as you grow older as I started off with this sermon please don't blow off what you're hearing as oh he just doesn't understand or I could handle it I can deal with it I'm stronger than that you know passive versions is weak or whatever but I'm strong I can deal with it don't be foolish don't be a fool every young person thinks they're invincible at some point in their life I thought I was invincible you're not don't let that thought get to your head where you start making foolish decisions look God loves you which is why he gave you all this wisdom right here I love you and care about you and I don't want to see you fall either that's why I preach a sermon tonight I spent time thinking about this meditating on it and and I really hope that it helps somebody here tonight to just stay with you and don't make the mistakes that so many other people have made it's far I just have a word of prayer do you have any father Lord we love you we thank you so much for instructing us God I pray that you would please help these words to sink into our hearts that that we wouldn't just blow over them or start to feel like we've heard this so many times before and and have this this negative attitude of just kind of pushing it to the side and and not treating it with the importance that that you've given to it dear Lord help us to make wise choices dear God and I pray that that your words would just come back in our minds and would be in our hearts so that we can make good decisions in this lifetime dear Lord's in Jesus name we pray amen