Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

1. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2 Text: I Thess. 2:17-18 Scripture Reading: I Tim. 4:1-5

2. Intro Have you ever felt hindered by something or by someone? I Thess. 2:17-18 (II Cor. 11:3) 17. But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18. For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. Jn. 8:44 (I Pet. 5:8-9; Job 1:7) 44. "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Satan is good at hindering! What are some other tactics or means which Satan uses in his efforts to hinder men? Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

3. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Double Minds • Js. 1:6-8: “A double minded man is unstable in all his • ways” • Js. 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” • Mt. 6:24: A double minded person does not concentrate • upon one thing, for he has divided affections” • Col. 3:1-3: Saints are not to be divided, but to set their “minds” (KJV: “affections”) on things above, not on things of the earth! Mt. 6:24 24. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

4. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Double Minds • Rev. 2:14, 20: Satan desires for people to defy God by • believing they can serve both! • The church at Pergamum (2:12, 14) and Thyatira (2:18, 20) were both being hindered (a “stumbling block”) by buying the lie of the doctrine of Balaam and the immoral doctrine of Jezebel and needed to repent (2:16, 22)! • I Kings 18:21: Elijah challenged the double-mindedness of the Israelites! • Rev. 2:13, 17, 23-25: To those in Pergamum and Thyatira who had “not known the deep things of Satan” they were to hold fast what they had and overcome! Rev. 2:14, 20 14. 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 20. 'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

5. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Double Minds Js. 1:6-8: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” Mt. 6:24: A double minded person does not concentrate upon one thing, for he has divided affections” Rev. 2:14, 20: Satan desires for people to defy God by believing they can serve both! Saints need to purify their minds and be steadfast and unmovable in their devotion to God! (Js. 4:8; I Cor. 15:58) Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

6. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Deadness • Deadness of Faith: • Men believe delusions: false teaching on “faith alone” without obedience! (Mt. 7:15: Wolves amongst the sheep) • He fills men's hearts with the lie that faith alone is all that is required to save them (Rom. 3:28: Luther added, “alone” to faith). • Js. 2:14-17, 19, 26: “Faith without works is dead.” (Gal. 5:7) Js. 2:17, 26 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 26. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

7. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Deadness • Deadness of Conscience: • I Tim. 4:1-5: There are those who sin till they become callous, as if their conscience were seared by a branding iron. • Jer. 6:15; 8:12: God described the Jews as not being able to “blush” with shame. • Eph. 4:17-19: Paul warned Ephesians not to become like the Gentiles, who were “callous” and ran to immorality with greediness! • Heb. 10:26-27: The outcome of such a one is a terrifying judgment! Eph. 4:17-19 17. So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18. being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19. and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

8. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Deadness Deadness of Faith Deadness of Conscience Saints must remember the “old self” was crucified and they must live with a renewed faith and resolve not to sin, and have the humility to repent when they do! (Eph. 4:20-24; I Jn. 1:9) Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

9. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Delay • Delay obeying the gospel: • Acts 24:25: Felix waited for a more convenient day which never came. • Delay following after Jesus: • Lk. 9:57-62: Some people told Jesus they would follow Him wherever He went! But, first, they had to bury their father and bid farewell to those at home. • Delay repenting of sin: • Rev. 2:20-22: Jesus told the church at Thyatira, in regards to those who sinned with Jezebel, that they had time to repent and they didn’t want to. Acts 24:25 25. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you." Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

10. Satan Hinders By Encouraging: Delay Delay obeying the gospel Delay following after Jesus Delay repenting of sin Delays can be tragic and cause us to lose our souls! (II Cor. 6:2: Now is the day of salvation!) Whatever the cost, saints must not let Satan hinder us in doing what’s right! (II Cor. 6:2; Js. 4:17) Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

11. Conclusion • Paul and those with him were hindered by Satan in • coming to the Thessalonians (I Thess. 2:18) • We may not know what method Satan used to produce the hindrance, but he knows how to hinder and is very subtle with his efforts(II Cor. 11:3). • Saints ought to take warning and be ready to resist him • Js. 4:7; I Pet. 5:9: Satan can be resisted! • Eph. 6:11, 13, 16: We can stand firm in our faith (as with a shield!) Eph. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

12. Conclusion • To “firmly resist” him we must resolve to: • Remain wholly devoted to God! • Avoid sin by overcoming temptation, and if sinned, repent! • Obey God, whether in coming to Jesus or repenting of sin, without delay! II Cor. 6:2 2. for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION"-- Let us not be deceived by Satan’s “craftiness” (II Cor. 11:3) but be ever vigilant in our faith to take hold of truth (Col. 1:5)and hold fast what is good! (I Thess. 5:21) Satan Hindered Us Pt. 2

13. “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)