A. The story is told of a man with two badly burned ears who went to the emergency room for medical treatment.
1. “What happened,” asked the doctor.
2. “Well, my wife was ironing while I was watching the ballgame on TV,” began the man.
3. “She put the hot iron near the telephone and when the phone rang, I answered the iron.”
4. The doctor nodded, “But what happened to the other ear?”
5. “Well, no sooner had I hung up,” said the man, “then the phone rang again.”
6. Ultimately, getting burned is no laughing matter!
B. Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as “Tiger” is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time.
1. Woods grew up in California, and was a child prodigy, being introduced to golf before the age of two, by his athletic father Earl, who was an excellent amateur golfer and one of the earliest African American college baseball players at Kansas State University.
2. Before turning three, Tiger entered and won the Under Age 10 section of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition, held at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California.
3. At age three, he shot a 48 over nine holes at the Cypress Navy course, and at age five, he appeared in Golf Digest and on ABC’s That’s Incredible.
4. Tiger’s father, Earl, wrote that Tiger first beat him when he was 11 years old, with Earl trying his best. Tiger beat his father every time from then on.
5. Woods graduated from Western High School in 1994 at age 18, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" among the graduating class.
6. Woods was recruited very heavily by college golf powers, and chose Stanford University where he won the first collegiate event he entered.
7. At age 20, he became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles, and he won the NCAA individual golf championship, and after two years of college decided to turn pro.
8. Currently he is ranked #1 in the world, and has been World Number One for the last 275 weeks and for a total of 617 weeks in his career. (More than 12 years of his 14 year career)
a. Just for comparison, Greg Norman is second on the list of those who have held the #1 world ranking, and he held it for 331 weeks during his career.
9. Tiger is the highest-paid professional athlete in the world. So far this year, Tiger has earned an estimated $90.5 million from winnings and endorsements.
10. Woods has won 14 professional major golf championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus, who leads with 18.
11. Woods has won 71 PGA Tour events – many pro golfers haven’t even won any!
C. On a personal level, Tiger became engaged to Elin Nordegren, a former model from Sweden, in November 2003.
1. They married about a year later at a resort on the Caribbean island of Barbados.
2. They settled into a suburb of Orlando, Florida, but also have homes in Jackson, Wyoming, California, and Sweden.
3. In January 2006, they purchased a $39 million mansion in Florida.
4. On June 18, 2007, Elin gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter, Sam Alexis Woods.
5. On February 8, 2009, Elin gave birth to their son, Charlie Axel Woods.
D. I must admit that I have been a Tiger fan over the years.
1. I enjoyed watching him play and win.
2. I enjoyed seeing him become a family man.
3. I enjoyed watching him break the racial barriers that excluded people of color from the world of golf in the past.
4. I am very saddened by the terrible mess he has made of his family life in the last year.
E. On November 25, 2009, The National Enquirer published a story claiming that Woods had an extramarital affair with a nightclub manager, a claim she denied.
1. The story began to attract media attention when Woods had a car accident a day and a half later as he left his home around 2:30 A.M. in his SUV.
2. Tiger refused to speak to the police and the accident fanned intense speculation for two days, until Woods released a statement on his website taking blame for the crash and adding that it was a private matter; he also praised his wife, Elin, for getting him out of the car.
3. Woods announced shortly afterward that he would neither play in nor attend his own charity golf tournament, nor any other remaining tournament in 2009.
4. Interest in the story grew, until a San Diego cocktail waitress publicly claimed in the gossip magazine Us Weekly that she had a two-and-a-half-year affair with Woods, producing voice and text messages that she said Woods left her.
5. Then over a dozen women claimed in various media outlets that they had affairs with Woods.
6. On December 11, Tiger released a statement, admitting to infidelity, offering an apology, and announcing an indefinite hiatus from professional golf.
7. The day after the statement, several companies indicated they were reconsidering endorsement deals with Tiger.
8. On February 19, 2010, Woods delivered a televised speech from the PGA Tour headquarters in Florida. He admitted that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He said he used to believe he was entitled to do whatever he wanted to do, and that, due to his success, normal rules did not apply to him. He said he realizes now that he was wrong to have had extramarital affairs, and apologized for the hurt his behavior caused to his family, friends, fans, and business partners. Woods also stated he had been in a therapy program for 45 days, and would be returning there soon. He stated he planned to return to competitive golf in the future, but was unspecific on details. He did not take questions.
9. Finally, on August 23, less than a month ago, Tiger and Elin were officially divorced.
a. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. But as TMZ first reported, Elin is set to receive $100 million dollars.
b. Elin’s lawyers released the following statement on behalf of the couple: “We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future. While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us. Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being. The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern.”
10. How very, very sad.
a. I hope that Elin and the children can make it through this terrible situation and put their lives back together.
b. I hope that Tiger will find the Lord, and truly change his ways.
F. You might be wondering why I am spending so much time on the story of Tiger Woods.
1. Last August, while on vacation, I heard the news that Tiger’s divorce was finalized.
2. Two few days later, we had the privilege of attending the Wednesday night services of the Martinville church of Christ, a small rural congregation made up of many of Diana’s relatives.
3. They were studying through the book of Proverbs, and happened to be looking at chapter 5, and the subject was “The Folly of Infidelity.”
4. As we read that chapter that night, I couldn’t help but think of Tiger Woods.
5. I decided that night, that I would address this subject in a sermon after we returned from vacation – and here we are today.
G. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve titled today’s sermon “Playing With Fire,” and I’m sure we are all familiar with the old saying, “if you play with fire, then you will get burned.”
1. I want us to look at what Solomon wrote in chapters five, six and seven about playing with fire and getting burned.
2. I’m going to do something that I rarely do - I’m going to read part of chapter 6, and all of chapters 5 and 7 of Proverbs.
3. I’m going to do that because I don’t think the impact of what God is trying to teach us will hit us without taking it all in.
4. Let’s notice how Solomon describes the seduction of sin, the destruction sin causes, and the prescription for overcoming temptation.
H. Proverbs 5:
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,
2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house.
11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!
13 I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors.
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by
her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?
21 For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths.
22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.
23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.
I. Proverbs 6
20 My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake,
they will speak to you.
23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the
way to life,
24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;
34 for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.
J. Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman;
5 they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.
6 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.
8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)
13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:
14 “I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”
21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose
23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.
26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.
K. Let’s begin by summarizing the way of seduction as Solomon described it.
1. As we consider these verses, we need to keep in mind that all seduction comes from Satan, and then often through individuals.
2. Solomon is talking to his sons about the seduction that comes through ladies, but it works the other way also – seduction can come through men.
3. Did you notice the number of times in these chapters that the seduction came through seductive words? Sooth, sweet talk, promises of pleasure with no consequences.
4. Solomon also mentioned that the seduction came through provocative dress and brazen sexual advances.
5. Satan is busier than ever in the business of seduction.
a. Society, culture, the media and the internet are all at his disposal.
b. We are bombarded by sexual ideas and images on the radio, television, movies, magazines, and the internet.
c. Satan whispers through the seductress: “It’s okay…you deserve this…I can make you happy…you mean everything to me…if you love me, you will give yourself to me…we’ll be married soon…what’s a piece of paper?...no one will ever know.”
6. The trap is laid, the seduction takes place, the bait is taken – then comes the consequences.
L. Look now at the way Solomon describes the destruction caused by sin.
1. That which is sweet as honey, quickly turns bitter and sharp.
2. Once the bait is taken the person is caught in the trap – like an ox going to slaughter or a bird in a snare. “The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast” (5:22)
a. There’s an old saying that is so powerful and true: “Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.”
b. The entrapment might include a sexually transmitted disease that you have to carry the rest of your life.
c. The entrapment might include a pregnancy that you didn’t intend.
d. The entrapment might include an addiction – studies are coming out that suggest that addiction to pornography may be as difficult to break as addiction to cocaine or heroin. When a person involves themselves in pornography, powerful chemicals in the brain and body are released, and they become addicted to that high.
1. Mark Kastleman, author of The Drug of the New Millennium said that pornography has always been around, but now it is a widespread crisis because of the three A’s – it’s accessible, affordable, and anonymous.
e. Another terrible entrapment that may occur is the death of the marriage – getting addicted to pornography or getting involved in an affair very well may lead to the end of the marriage.
3. When fire is played with, the person gets burned.
4. Solomon says that in the end the person looses everything.
a. They lose their reputation – “blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away” (6:33)
b. They lose their health – “at the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent” (5:11)
c. They lose their money – “lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house” (5:10). “though it cost him all the wealth of his house” (6:31)
d. They lose their life.
1. Death and destruction are the destination to which the path of sin leads.
2. “He will die for lack of discipline” (5:23)
3. “little knowing it will cost him his life” (7:23)
4. “Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.” (7:27)
5. Certainly not a pretty picture, but a very sure outcome – there is no doubt where sin leads.
M. Thankfully, Solomon doesn’t just describe the way of seduction and the total destruction it brings, he also describes the prescription for avoiding that end.
1. First of all, Solomon tells us that a key to our victory is the Word of God.
a. We must pay attention to God’s Word.
b. We must store up the Word in our hearts and keep it in our minds.
c. We must obey God’s commands, putting them into practice.
d. God promises that the Word will guide us, watch over us and will keep us from that which seduces.
2. Second, Solomon suggests that we must avoid that which is tempting.
a. He says not to lust in our hearts. (6:25)
b. He says to keep far away from her, do not go near the door of her house (5:8).
c. The foolish one in chapter 7 wandered down her street, he went near her house.
d. A simple prescription is to simply avoid what tempts us.
3. Third, Solomon suggests that our best defense against sin and adultery is to invest in our marriage.
a. God is not against sex – He created it and made it to be celebrated in marriage.
b. Outside of the boundaries of marriage, sex is destructive and damning.
c. Inside the context of marriage, sex is wonderful, and powerful, and beneficial.
d. So Solomon says that we should drink water from our own cistern – that means that we should share a loving sexual relationship with our mate.
e. What a husband and wife have together should never be shared with others.
f. Solomon says that we should do whatever it takes to remain captivated by the love of our spouse – that means we need to love and appreciate our spouse, and invest ourselves in the relationship.
4.
4. One final safeguard that Solomon gives us is the reminder that God sees everything.
a. Solomon said, “A man’s ways are in full view of the Lord and he examines all his paths.” (5:21)
b. We may fool ourselves and others, but we can’t fool God.
c. God sees and God knows, and God knows what to do about what He sees.
N. I hope and I pray that none of us will ever walk down the path of infidelity, like Tiger Woods has – He had everything and now he has lost so much!
1. If you are a young person, or a single person, then I want to challenge you to make the commitment to be pure and to save yourself for your future spouse.
2. If you are married, then I challenge you to affair proof your marriage by maintaining your purity and your love and commitment to your spouse.
3. But maybe you are here today, and whether you are single or married, you have really fallen into some kind of sexual sin and you are wondering if there is any hope for you.
a. I want you to know there is hope, because our God is a God of grace.
b. King David of the Old Testament – someone who had been a man after God’s own heart – really fell into some terrible sin – adultery and murder.
c. When King David was confronted with his sin, he repented.
d. God forgave David and took away the spiritual guilt of David’s sin, but God didn’t take away all the earthly consequences.
4. If we have sinned, we must turn to God, confessing and repenting of our sin.
5. When we do that, God promises to forgive us of our sins.
6. Breaking the entrapment of sexual sin can be very difficult and usually requires some kind of assistance and accountability.
7. If this is an area of weakness and struggle for you, then I would encourage you to find someone who can help you be accountable to your commitment to change – please feel free to talk with any of the elders or their wives, or Jon or Julie Singleton – we promise that you will find us to be loving and gracious.
8. Let’s end with Jesus’ wonderful invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30)
