SERVING SATAN - # 3
A little girl was being watched by her uncle.
This uncle was gruff and impatient.
When it was bedtime the child said, “Uncle, please tell me a bedtime story.
Please, please, please tell me a story.”
The uncle finally said, “All right; get in bed.”
The little girl climbed beneath the covers and then the Uncle said these words.
“Once upon a time there was a little girl named Red Riding Hood.
She met up with a wolf and the wolf ate the grandmother. Now shut up and go to sleep.”
There are times when people are impatient. People do not want to wait or even stop waiting.
This happens in both the physical and spiritual realms.
In the spiritual realm this is a tool in the hands of Satan
We have previously observed some of the ways that Satan snares people.
We have seen how Satan deceives people through deceit.
The devil allows people get close to salvation so they feel secure.
Today we are going to study a third technique that he uses.
This tactic may be described as impatience.
Satan has been using this trap for a long time.
One early example of it comes from the book of Exodus (Ex. 32:1).
God brought freed the Hebrew people from Egyptian bondage.
The people of God had seen several miracles.
The cattle belonging to the Egyptians had died but the cattle belonging to the Israelites had not.
This is recorded in Gen. 9:6.
The people knew about the plagues of flies, frogs, locust, lice, boils, and fish.
They had seen hail destroy the Egyptians but not them.
They knew how the firstborn in
They
had seen the parting of the
Miracle after miracle had been performed.
Yet, about 30 days after all these miracles this is what the Bible says.
Ex. 32:1.
Moses delayed. He didn’t come down as soon as the people thought he should.
Because Moses was away for 40 days the people of God turned away from what was right.
They became impatient and said, “Make us gods.”
A lot of time has passed but things haven’t changed. Men and women are still impatient. People become impatient with God and this impatience causes some to lose their souls.
Let’s move from the Old Testament to a story that is recorded in Mt. 24:44-50.
The first part of this chapter deals with the destruction of Jerusalem.
The second part of this chapter (verses 36f) deal with the Lord’s final return.
Verses 44-50 deal with Jesus’ final return.
This sections begins with a command to be prepared (ready, verse 44).
Jesus will come at a time we do not expect Him.
To those who are ready the Bible says they will be “set over his household (verse 45).
There will be some who are not ready when Jesus returns.
Notice verse 48.
Perhaps this servant was obedient for a while.
At least it appears this man was obedient on the inside.
On the inside this man began to think, “My Lord tarrieth.”
This is the same principle we found in Ex. 32. Moses was gone.
The people had waited for 40 days.
They got tired of waiting and said, “We want a new god. Aaron, make us an idol.”
The servant in Mt. 24 also got tired of waiting.
This man began to beat the fellow servants (verse 49).
He started to eat and drink with the drunken (verse 49).
The servant’s master returned.
What happened to the servant who got tired of waiting?
Verse 51.
Satan deceived the children of Israel.
Satan used the same trick on the servant in Mt. 24.
The devil convinces people that they have waited long enough.
This is a good trick.
A few days ago I left the office to take a short lunch break.
I went to Wendy’s.
Moments before I got into line a crowd of college age kids filled up the waiting area.
Less than a minute later a family of about 6 people came in.
They waited for perhaps 5 minutes and left. They were too impatient.
There are times when all of us leave. We get impatient. We don’t want to wait any longer.
People run red lights or make illegal turns because they don’t want to wait.
How many us have ever tried to call a business—NIPCSO, phone company, or credit card company.
We heard something like this: “Thank you for calling. Due to higher than expected call volume your hold time may exceed five minutes.”
Many become frustrated and hang up.
This is what people do in the spiritual realm.
When God does not do what some want some hang up on Him.
If God does not move as fast or furiously as some want people turn away.
This happened in the nation of Israel.
Jesus Himself said that people do this.
Other New Testament writers add their testimony to this problem.
In 2 Pet. 3:3 Peter spoke of mockers.
The apostle described people who did not have faith in God’s promises.
These people did not believe the Lord would return.
One of the reasons these people lacked faith is in verse 4.
Those in the first century said, “All things are unchanged.”
“Christ has not returned and there are no signs that the world will end.”
“Nothing is different and for this reason we do not believe.”
These people became impatient.
Christ never promised to return in the first century.
He never promised to return when thought He should come back.
Satan uses a lack of patience to bring people—especially Christians—into his kingdom.
Because this tactic is so effective the Bible contains some warnings.
Perhaps as we read scripture we do not pay enough attention to these warnings.
Let’s look at some of the places where these warnings are found.
The first one comes from Rom. 8.
Paul said that God’s people were “saved in hope.”
When we hope for something we are dealing with the future.
If we attain what we are hoping for the hope ends.
Hope only exists in cases where we have not attained what we desire.
In dealing with the hope of heaven Paul said, Rom. 8:25.
Paul said that Christians wait.
He also said we wait with patience.
Why wait with patience, Paul?
Paul knew that if we do not patiently wait we can easily be lured away by Satan.
Without patience and endurance our souls are at risk.
Paul made a similar statement to another group of Christians (the Galatians).
In Gal. 5:5 he said, we “wait for the hope of righteousness” (heaven/salvation).
Even the Philippians were told to wait.
Paul said (Phil. 3:20) that our citizenship is in heaven.
This is where a Christian’s true home is.
We wait for the saviour Jesus Christ.
The Thessalonians were taught (1 Thess. 1:10) to wait for the Lord.
We also have two beautiful passages about waiting in the book of Hebrews.
I am going to read both of these texts.
The first comes from Heb. 9 and the second will be taken from Heb. 10.
The first is Heb. 9:28.
Jeuss is coming back for those who are waiting.
He is coming back for the people who are faith.
According to what was read from Mt. 24 He is also coming back for those who didn’t wait.
He is coming back for all.
Heb. 9 means He is coming back to bless and save those who faithfully waited.
The other reference from Hebrews is found in Heb. 10:36.
The recipients of this letter were told that they needed patience.
They needed to wait.
If they waited they would receive the promise.
Heb 10 36