Later Series

Pt. 3 - Later

Introduction

You may think these shelves are full but even if they were completely empty they still couldn't hold the number of books self-published just online in one year. Did you know that in 2018 the total number of print and e-

books that were self-published was 1.68 million in the US alone? That's over 4,500 self-published books being created each day. That doesn't even include the thousands of books published by publishing houses. Everyone is talking. Everyone has something to say. Words have become abundant. Truth is harder to discover, only because it is now surrounded by more lies. That is certainly true spiritually too. The one Scripture says is the father of lies, has become more prolific and polished in his presentation of deception. This is why think it is so critically important to our spiritual survival to uncover the words the enemy has in his dictionary so that we can learn to discern when he is talking even in the avalanche of words we are covered with daily. I am convinced that our enemy uses a small number of words to try to destroy us. I think this is the case because he has proven that we fall prey to the same words over and over again and so there is no need to adjust or learn a new vocabulary. The words he continues to use are effective.

We have talked about the word never. We have uncovered the small but deadly word if. Today, I want us to us to look at another word that may be one of the most insidious in its consequences because of its long reach. This word not only impacts our today but its tentacles stretch forward and steal our future and destiny. One of the deadliest aspects of this word is that we have come to accept it as totally innocent so that when the enemy utters this word we never even stop to think past this moment and what it could mean later on for us.

Are you ready? Wonder what word could possibly be this dangerous and deadly? OK, hang on I will tell you later.

I want to take you to an account in Scripture that is important. Wait . . . did you even catch it? I used the deadly word. Like I said we have come to the place where we don't even notice it anymore. The word I was referencing was the word "later!" The devil has learned to insert that word so well that we lay down any sense of urgency or uneasiness with delay.

Jesus attacks the concept of later in a parable He told. It is found in:

Matthew 25:1-10

“God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’ “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

I recognize this parable certainly speaks to preparation and anticipation. However, if you take another look you can also see that Jesus is literally showing us that putting off what was supposed to be done today until tomorrow - what should have been right now when put off until later is deadly.

Jesus teaches us that delay destroys.

The devil has learned that if he can whisper later to us and cause us to push off what we are told, commanded or instructed to do today until tomorrow, then we will miss the blessings attached to the command because we will miss the window of that opportunity. That door is suddenly locked when we try to access what lies inside. The door was locked because they were late. How many of us lose simply because we are late?

I have said, as have others, the opportunity of a lifetime is only good in the lifetime of the opportunity.

Jesus confronts "later" again when He encounters the man who was lame by the pool for 38 years. The man's willingness to accept delay and later has resulted in year after year of sickness and now threatens to keep him sick even in the presence of God Himself. You can't wait! Don't delay!