Sermon Notes | Sermon Video

WARNINGS, WARNINGS, WARNINGS—they are all around us. From an early age, we are accustomed to being warned about many different things from parents, relatives, teachers, and friends. If you are grown now, yet still immature, you might still be receiving warnings. During your toddler years, you were undoubtedly told, “Don’t put your finger in that outlet; don’t put objects in your mouth; and don’t put that bag over your head.” As you got a little older, they warned you to, “Look both ways before you cross the street; and to brush your teeth at least twice a day.” In reality, the list of warnings could probably fill a book. In some ways they did!

Imagine if you didn’t obey and decided to stick that metal doohickey in that electrical socket. If you tried that as a youngling, you’d probably become a very strong advocate for prevention of that “shocking” mistake. When you experience the consequences of ignoring a warning, you then “become the warning.” Instead of just a herald you become an object lesson. These are very different. One is a voice; the other is an experience. The experiential displays more meaning and carries more weight than a talking head, better for the student, not so much for the teacher! This should not be shocking (excuse the pun)!

The human heart and emotions are the same today as in ancient days. We are fooling ourselves if we believe those Bible stories of old are outdated and have no relevant meaning for today. From one perspective, the Bible is one massive word of warning that we might receive like this; “Do not yourself become the warning.”

In other words, if you choose to ignore God’s Word, you will indeed become that warning. Peter best describes what God does with these sorts of people; He “makes them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” Our minimal aim as Christians should be to live by the Spirit and follow after the precepts of Yahweh, so our very testimony preaches the warning, rather than a disobedient life that then causes us to BE the warning. DO NOT BECOME the arning!