Series: Traps of Satan, Are They Effective Today?
Part 3 - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
INTRO: A couple of weeks ago, I started a series, "Traps of Satan, Are They Effective Today?." I dealt with the money trap Satan uses to snare people and prevent them from serving God. I dealt last week with another trap he uses, Sexual or Sensual Traps. Today I want to look at the Trap of Time he uses upon us.
Does anyone have enough time these days? Does anyone have any extra? Does it not seem to you that the clocks run faster than they used to run? Satan uses time against us to trap us and snare us.
When it comes to traps, he wants to either capture and hold us, kill us (our effectiveness and this life) or slow us down and divert us. It is with this in mind, I want to read Heb. 9:27.
Heb. 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
As I begin my message this morning, I want us to realize Satan uses time in four basic ways. He wants to give us too much time, he wants to give us too little time ,he wants us to waste what time we have, and he wants to take our time away. I know that the first two sound contradictory, but you will see.
I. Satan wants us to have too much time (In our mind)
He wants us to put off accepting Christ - Acts 24.25 - like Felix
(Acts 24:25) And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
He wants us to make all kinds of plans - like Lot
(Gen 19:16 KJV) And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
He wants us to be in debt and need time for that
He wants us to "see" a retirement down the road
He wants us to live OUR lives run by a clock
He wants us to be busy - Felix was looking for a less busy time
He wants us to be very busy - 5 foolish virgins had no oil
He wants us to not have enough time for everything we want to do
He wants us to be involved with unimportant items
He wants us to feel stress because of time constraints
He wants us to hurry all the time
He wants us to not have enough time for God, Bible Study, Prayer, Church, Worship, etc.
He wants us to think it will get better next week, month, year, etc.
III. Satan wants us to waste what time we have -
He wants us to NOT use our time well for God
He wants us to waste time with frivolous items
He wants us to NOT make plans for God
He wants us to NOT follow through with plans we do make for God
He wants us to NOT give time to important things like family
He wants us to put off giving God time until we are old and feeble
He wants us to spend too much time on self, fame, fortune
He wants us to spend time chasing evil things
V. Satan wants to take your time away
He wants you to think time is your friend, and you have an abundance of time
He wants you to be frustrated with your lack of time
He wants you to fail to get the good things done you need
He wants you to run out of time without having God in your life
Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist Church - 080600am