Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

BEWARE  OF  THE  LITTLE  FOXES

SONG OF SOLOMON 2:15-16

15 "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." 16 "My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies."

INTRODUCTION:
Little foxes spoil the vines. The grape growers had been careful about the big foxes. But the little ones were forgotten. In our life there is to be an abundance of spiritual fruit. Nine graces of the Holy Spirit are called the fruit of the spirit. Why don't you and I have more of this fruit produced in our lives ? It may very well be that little foxes spoil the vines. Little foxes can represent acceptable sins. Sins about which the preachers don't preach. In fact some preachers practice them and some deacon do them. In general the church folk just gloss over these sins. But they are sin and I suggest they are little foxes.
 
 
 

1.    THE LITTLE FOX OF . . BAD ATTITUDE.


A.    Murmuring
Exo 16:8 "And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD."

1 Cor 10:10 "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."
 

B.    Sow Discord.
Prov 6:16-19 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven
are an abomination unto him: . . .19 he that soweth discord among
brethren. KJV
 
 
 

II.    THE LITTLE FOX OF . . AN UNCONTROLLED TONGUE. 


A.    WORDS OF GOSSIP

        1.    I Heard
        2.    Have You Heard
        3.    They Say
        4.    Everybody Says
        5.    People Say
        6.    Did You Hear
        7.    Isn't It Awful
        8.    Don't Say I Told You

B.     Tale Bearer
Lev 19:16 "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD."

Prov 11:13 "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."
 

C.    Wounding with words
Prov 18:8 "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."

Prov 20:19 "He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips."

D.    One Who Causes Strife
Prov 26:20 "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth."

E.    Idle Talkers
Mat 12:36 "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."

F Busybodies
1 Tim 5:13 "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."

ILLUSTRATION: NEW PREACHER IN TOWN
1. I would never go into a club meeting and disturb my wife..

2. I certainly know better than to make a scene publically.

3. I emphatically deny the charges.

4. Lastly sir I am not even married.
 

PASTOR AT CAVE SPRINGS CHURCH-- Falsely accused and the church stood with him and --STILL DOES

PILLOW OF FEATHERS thrown to the wind like -- UNWISE IDLE WORDS
 
 
 

III.    THE LITTLE FOX OF . . SEXUAL SINS. 


Acts 15:29 "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

1 Th 4:3 "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:"

A. Pornographic Material

B. Addictive Possibilities
 
 
 

IV.    THE LITTLE FOX OF . . EATING SINS
        1 Cor 6:13 "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body."

1 Cor 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

A. Gluttony.
        1.    Glut: To over supply any article so that there is no sale for it at the asking price.

        2.    Obese.

ILLUSTRATION: I can't believe I ate the whole thing
 
 
 

V.    THE LITTLE FOX OF . . SELF SUFFICIENCY 

A.    Self sufficient with vain knowledge
Job 15:2 "Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?"

B. Self sufficient vs Spirit filled
Eph 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
 

CONCLUSION:
INDIAN CUSTOM --
YOUNG WARRIOR ALONE IN WOODS ALL NIGHT FATHER IN BACKGROUND
ALL THE TIME

We Need to know the Lord wants us to have victory over the little foxes.