Examples of Enticement

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Solomon's admonition in Proverbs 1:15 as 'preventative medicine,' designed to immunize against evil. He describes this warning as negative in form ('walk not,'…

Martin uses the analogy of flu shots (preventative) versus penicillin shots (therapeutic) to explain that Solomon's admonition is preventative medicine, designed to immunize against future temptation.

When you go and get a shot, a flu shot, that's preventative medicine. It's intended to enable your body to build up a resistance to a particular flu virus or however flu bugs come under whatever form. I'm not being perhaps as accurate in my medical terminology, as I could be. And with Mr. Hamilton here, I must be careful.

25:21 - 25:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Solomon's admonition in Proverbs 1:15 as 'preventative medicine,' designed to immunize against evil. He describes this warning as negative in form ('walk not,'…

He illustrates the necessity of negative commands by describing someone warning a person nearing a cliff edge, arguing that a clear 'Don't!' is an act of love, not a lack thereof.

This idea that love and negative instruction are somehow incompatible is not diplomatic. If I happen to be walking in a place where there's a deep, steep precipice falling off into a deep chasm and I see a man who's not aware of the danger of enjoying the scenery and he comes within a few feet of the edge of it, if I have any love or compassion in me whatsoever, I shall give one distinct, clear, ringing negative direction and I'll yell out, Now, that's negative, I admit. But I tell you, that man will feel a debtor to me for the rest of my life for my bold, uninhibited negativism.

29:15 - 30:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Solomon's admonition in Proverbs 1:15 as 'preventative medicine,' designed to immunize against evil. He describes this warning as negative in form ('walk not,'…

Another analogy of a child reaching for a hot stove is used to show that a parent's negative command, 'Don't!', is a loving and protective act, even if not immediately appreciated by the child.

If a child is about to put its little fat hand up on the stove, doesn't know what hot stoves can do, and just as I see that hand reaching up, I clap my hands and say to the child by name, Don't!

30:07 - 30:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that carrying sinful corruption within means avoiding unnecessary associations with evil men.

Martin uses the metaphor of carrying a box of dry tinder (sinful corruption) and avoiding areas where sparks are flying (unnecessary associations with evil men) to emphasize the danger of flirting with temptation.

A man who knows that he's carrying around a box of dry tinder on his back doesn't go flirting in areas where sparks are flying.

35:49 - 35:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not forget the facts of life: God's existence, His law, your accountability, and His judgment.

He describes a man planning a journey to a village through a marsh, mountain pass, and burning flatland, but ignoring these realities. This illustrates the folly of living as though the facts of God, His law, and judgment do not exist.

Imagine with me a path to a certain village or a road, a walkway, and it must go through a marshy area, boggy, must go up over a cold mountain pass. That same path comes down through a burning flatland. Can you imagine the man who sets out to get to that village as though the marshy area never existed, brings no boots, as though the high mountain pass didn't exist, brings no warm clothing, and sets out without a flask of some kind of beverage, water to drink as he passes through the burning flatlands as though they didn't exist? What would you think of a man who says, Well, the village is out ...

41:45 - 42:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second reason for the admonition is that the path proposed by evil men is a sure path to self-destruction, both now (gnawing conscience, hardened heart) and in the world to…

Martin expounds the parable of a fowler not spreading a net in plain sight of a bird, using it to explain that evil men, in their self-destructive greed, are less intelligent than birds who avoid obvious traps.

What's the meaning of that little parable? Well, the commentators go up and down and around and in and out on it. But I think, I think, the proper understanding is one of two things. If you're going out to catch a bird with a net, as the fowler would do, you remember the scripture speaks of being protected from the snare of the fowler.

44:03 - 44:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second reason for the admonition is that the path proposed by evil men is a sure path to self-destruction, both now (gnawing conscience, hardened heart) and in the world to…

The story of Judas betraying Christ for 30 pieces of silver and subsequently hanging himself is used as a vivid example of self-destruction resulting from greedy gain.

The destructing influence of a gnawing conscience, of a hardened heart, of judicial blindness, of temporal judgments. Look at the illustrations in Scripture. Judas for 30 pieces of silver would destroy his Lord.

48:33 - 48:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not destroy yourself by thinking you are too smart to listen to your godly parents.

Martin humorously challenges young people's perception that their parents plot to make their lives miserable, using it to highlight the loving motivation behind parental admonitions.

Why do we tell you don't consent to the enticements of evil? Is it because we get together at night when you've gone to bed and plot out how we can make your life miserable? That's what some of you think. You really do.

56:31 - 56:47 Read in full sermon