TITLE:  Beware of the Dog
TEXT:  Philippians 3:1-3
PROPOSITION:  We must learn to heed the warnings.
QUESTION:  Why?
KEY WORD:  Warnings
SCRIPTURE READING:  Same

 INTRODUCTION:

1. Large Rottweiler on the porch – sign on the fence – “I can reach the fence in 1.3 seconds. Can you?”
2. Most just say, “Beware of the Dog.”
3. God also posts some signs for us – alert us to danger

 Beware of the dogs

1. Dogs are often mentioned in the Bible
2. Most often in a figurative sense.
3. Here are some "breeds" to be aware of:
   1. Abominable – Matthew 7:6 – give what is holy to dogs
   2. Filthiness – 2 Peter 2:22 – doge returns to own vomit
   3. Snarling – Psalm 59:6 – They make a noise like a dog, and go around the city
   4. Immoral – Deuteronomy 23:18 – bring price of dog into temple
   5. Not in heaven – Revelation 22:15 – outside are dogs, abominable
4. Jews used this term to describe Gentiles
5. NT uses the word to describe those in covenant with God

 Beware of evil workers

1. Not simply evildoers
2. BUT – men who worked evil, claiming to work for God
3. This is a willful, intentional, deliberate act of wrong
4. 2 Corinthians 11:3 – False prophets, deceitful workers
5. Romans 16:18 – Not serving our Lord Christ, but their own desires
6. Philippians 3:19 – Whose god is their belly

 Beware of mutilators

1. From same word as circumcision
   1. Circumcision – sign of covenant – To cut around
   2. Mutilators – do harm, inflict injury, destroy – to cut (off)
2. There are many (spiritual) mutilators
   1. Cut up and destroy – Bible, God, Jesus
   2. Mutilate – doctrine, morals, local congregations