ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS
Exo 8:8-10 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.
And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
INTRO: In this analogy the frogs represent sin! People often know they should turn from their sin and live for God. But they say tomorrow!
Tomorrow I will give my life to the Lord, Tomorrow I will Pray, Tomorrow I will become a Christian.
Did you ever wonder why Pharaoh said Tomorrow?
I/ PEOPLE KNOW THAT SIN IS FUN
Heb 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
People know sin hurts them, but are often unwilling to give it up. They say "every thing I like, is either fattening, immoral or illegal" Since they won’t accept Jesus offer of Eternal Life, they want all the pleasure they can get from this world. And they want it now!
So Satan first temps them to sin, then uses their sin to block their eyes from God.
II/ PEOPLE REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SIN
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
a. The Lust of the Flesh:
Things which are normal but Satan twist’s them to be harmful.
1. Food - Gluttony
2. Ease - Laziness (Slothfulness)
3. Sex - Unholy desire
b. The Lust of the Eyes:
1. Covetousness
2. Adultery
3. Idol worship
c. The Pride of Life
1. "I’ve done it my way" - seeking our own will
2. Desire for Fame, Fortune, Power & Position
All these will pass away, and people fail to count the tomorrow’s they have wasted in the pursuit of these things.
Like Pharaoh they say: "One more night with my sins" Procrastination is the thief of time.
III/ People do not Understand what Causes them to Sin
Hal Lindsey in his book (Satan is alive and well on the planet earth) said "Even if we are not aware, we are fighting a warfare on Three Fronts. The World, The Flesh, and the Devil"
A. THE WORLD
In the Greek we have several words: "kosmos"= "arrangement or system", "aion" = "age", "oikoumene" = "land or globe". My Greek interlinear tells me that in 1 Jn 2:16 the word used is "kosmos" meaning "system".
The present system under which Satan has organized the world of unbelieving mankind, is based on these principals:
1. Force
2. Greed
3. Selfishness
4. Ambition
5. Pride
6. Pleasure
1. This system began when Adam forfeited his God given authority over the planet earth and now it belongs to Satan
Luke 4:5,6 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
2. Satan’s world system further developed as Cain "went out from the presence of the Lord"(Gen 4:16). Music, Art and Culture were introduced (Gen 4:21), then Industry (Gen 4:22)
3. What is Satan’s purpose? When he can’t reach a person to do Gross Sins, he will switch to pursuits of education, careers, nature, money, fame, etc.
4. Who are they who overcome this "World system"
1 John 5:4,5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
B. THE FLESH
In the Greek the word is "sarx" = Our physical earthly bodies.
Why is it our enemy? Ans: The law of sin operating within us.
Rom 7:14-23 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
How does the flesh manifest itself:
1. Immorality - Sexual intercourse outside of marriage
2. Impurity - Impure thoughts & actions
3. Sensuality - Living only to please the senses
4. Idolatry - Anything that is put before God
5. Sorcery - Occultism and Witchcraft(Desire to know evil)
6. Enmities - Being at odds with people(Holding grudges)
7. Disputes - So called personality conflicts; really selfishness
8. Dissentions - Division, Conflicts
9. Factions - False doctrine, heresies
10. Envying - Based on Covetousness
11. Drunkenness & Carousing - Escape from Reality
Who are they who overcome the Flesh?
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
C. THE DEVIL
1. He is the Prince of this world (Jn 12:31, 14:30, 16:11)
2. He is the Political Ruler of this world (Eph 6:12)
3. He rules the thoughts of the world system (Eph2:1,2)
4. He is the God of this World system. Hal Lindsey says:
"he is always changing the (in thing) so that when you get to (where it’s at) you find you’re (where it was)" In Rev 12:9 John says the Devil "deceiveth the whole world"
I propose he even infiltrates the "Church"
2 Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Who are they who overcome the Devil? (Matt 28:18; Col 1:13,14; James 4:7;Eph 6:11-18 and Heb 2:14,15)
III/ PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF THE FROGS, BUT ARE UNWILLING TO YIELD TO THE WILL OF GOD
People are many times sorry for their sins - Especially if they get caught. And you will be sure they will get caught, if not in this life, in the next.
They are sorry that divorce hurts their children! They are sorry that cigarettes causes lung cancer! They are sorry that laziness makes them poor or that anxiousness and fear causes health problems.
But they want to see God’s deliverance Tomorrow!
INVITATION:
What sins are you holding onto? Today God will get rid of those ugly frogs in your life. Jesus died for you - His Blood was shed that you might be free from your sins.
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
