Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 19 Issue 13 April 19, 2009
Pulpit Series Volume 19 Issue 13 April 19, 2009
I have a Is there a thief in your house? I hope this will prove to be a very practical message for you. There may be a thief in your house or a thief stalking you!
Some of you may notice from time to time that things are missing. You think you’ve just misplaced them Others of you are being robbed blind and can’t put your hands on the reason. This thief is Procrastination Alias: Mananaya - Tomorrow Later for that - Some other time
Whenever you go to do something of eternal value
Whenever you open your heart to the precious seed of God’s Word this thief who is stalking you - following you into your house, your place of employment and even into your church tries to steal from you.
Procrastination is a major cause of spiritual ruin of many a well intended soul.
Some scriptural examples are:
¨ Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
¨ Luke 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Procrastination defined is:putting off something, postponing actions habitually
John 10:10 The thief comes to steal and to kill and destroy…
Think about it how often have you had these thoughts:
I’m too tired to read the Word!
I’m too tired pray! Manahanya
This thief tries to divert your attention away from the things of God. Come on folks - you all know that the minute you set your mind to pray you remember all those things that need to be done.
You can forget all day long certain responsibilities, yet as soon as you go to prayer - you are reminded of it immediately.
Procrastination comes in many ways!
People get sick and they know they should get it checked out by a doctor.... yet for whatever reason they put it off and put it off. Finally they can’t avoid putting it off any longer and they go to the doctor only to find out that its too late..... this all could’ve been avoided if they had but come in earlier! Doctor 24 hours—
That which applies in the physical also applies to the spiritual!
Many a Christian know from God’s Word what they ought to be doing.... but they put it off… in the end they don’t do it!
If Satan can’t keep you from hearing the truth he’ll do the next best thing - he’ll get you to put off obeying what you hear!
Augustine said it well: “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but he has not promised a tomorrow to your procrastination.”
Procrastination is as deadly as outright rebellion to God’s Word! (The results are the same - you don’t obey the Word!)
Matthew 25:10 while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. The five foolish virgins were aware of the closeness of the Wedding - yet they put off being prepared until it was too late! They said we have lots of time!
They weren’t murdering scum, petty criminals or drug dealers - their only crime was wasting time!
And no matter how hard you beg for more grains of sand to be put in the hour glass - tomorrow is gone and can’t be given back! Procrastinators are the spiritually lazy! Amazingly - we can all get done what we want to get done!
Psalms 90:12 teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
We will all be held accountable for the time that we waste! Hebrews 6:12 .... be not slothful
Jeremiah 48:10-11 Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work negligently and cursed be he that keeps back his sword from blood. This is a picture of the spiritually lazy!
One of the big problems with spiritual laziness is that the work of God is held back! Jeremiah 48:11 Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
We need to be provoked to righteousness! You who have gathered here don’t mind being disturbed - because we have learned that there is something about the flesh that unless we
are provoked to righteousness we just settle down.
And the problem with settling down is that our taste remains in us! .... therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
Hear God’s call to the procrastinator: God judges us for our sins of “omission”. It cannot be any clearer! James 4:17 to him that knows to do good and doesn’t - it is sin.
It is not only sinful to do wrong! It is sinful not to do right!
You can sin by doing something or by doing nothing!
¨ Matthew 25:45 truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.
¨ Matthew 25:24-26 ... you wicked and lazy servant...
The lazy servant that hid his talent failed not because he did any wrong with his talent, he failed because he did nothing at all with it.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands so that he may have to give to him that is in need.
Isaiah 1:16-7 put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Be quick to obey God’s call to you to repent of your procrastination! Psalms 119:60 I made haste, not delaying to keep your commandments.
Isn’t it about time that you…
fulfilled that promise you made to God about giving Him the best hours rather then the left over ones
Sent that letter of encouragement you’ve been putting off. Went and sought forgiveness from that one you offended
Fulfilled that pledge you gave to God regarding your support
Kept the promise you made to your spouse
Hebrews 3:13 exhort one another daily while it is called Today
A mark of revival is an immediate putting into action the Word!
So lets all start tomorrow to put into action those things we’ve heard here today! NOT!
Right now lets confess our sin of procrastination.
Some of you may notice from time to time that things are missing. You think you’ve just misplaced them Others of you are being robbed blind and can’t put your hands on the reason. This thief is Procrastination Alias: Mananaya - Tomorrow Later for that - Some other time
Whenever you go to do something of eternal value
Whenever you open your heart to the precious seed of God’s Word this thief who is stalking you - following you into your house, your place of employment and even into your church tries to steal from you.
Procrastination is a major cause of spiritual ruin of many a well intended soul.
Some scriptural examples are:
¨ Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
¨ Luke 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Procrastination defined is:putting off something, postponing actions habitually
John 10:10 The thief comes to steal and to kill and destroy…
Think about it how often have you had these thoughts:
I’m too tired to read the Word!
I’m too tired pray! Manahanya
This thief tries to divert your attention away from the things of God. Come on folks - you all know that the minute you set your mind to pray you remember all those things that need to be done.
You can forget all day long certain responsibilities, yet as soon as you go to prayer - you are reminded of it immediately.
Procrastination comes in many ways!
People get sick and they know they should get it checked out by a doctor.... yet for whatever reason they put it off and put it off. Finally they can’t avoid putting it off any longer and they go to the doctor only to find out that its too late..... this all could’ve been avoided if they had but come in earlier! Doctor 24 hours—
That which applies in the physical also applies to the spiritual!
Many a Christian know from God’s Word what they ought to be doing.... but they put it off… in the end they don’t do it!
If Satan can’t keep you from hearing the truth he’ll do the next best thing - he’ll get you to put off obeying what you hear!
Augustine said it well: “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but he has not promised a tomorrow to your procrastination.”
Procrastination is as deadly as outright rebellion to God’s Word! (The results are the same - you don’t obey the Word!)
Matthew 25:10 while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. The five foolish virgins were aware of the closeness of the Wedding - yet they put off being prepared until it was too late! They said we have lots of time!
They weren’t murdering scum, petty criminals or drug dealers - their only crime was wasting time!
And no matter how hard you beg for more grains of sand to be put in the hour glass - tomorrow is gone and can’t be given back! Procrastinators are the spiritually lazy! Amazingly - we can all get done what we want to get done!
Psalms 90:12 teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
We will all be held accountable for the time that we waste! Hebrews 6:12 .... be not slothful
Jeremiah 48:10-11 Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work negligently and cursed be he that keeps back his sword from blood. This is a picture of the spiritually lazy!
One of the big problems with spiritual laziness is that the work of God is held back! Jeremiah 48:11 Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
We need to be provoked to righteousness! You who have gathered here don’t mind being disturbed - because we have learned that there is something about the flesh that unless we
are provoked to righteousness we just settle down.
And the problem with settling down is that our taste remains in us! .... therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
Hear God’s call to the procrastinator: God judges us for our sins of “omission”. It cannot be any clearer! James 4:17 to him that knows to do good and doesn’t - it is sin.
It is not only sinful to do wrong! It is sinful not to do right!
You can sin by doing something or by doing nothing!
¨ Matthew 25:45 truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.
¨ Matthew 25:24-26 ... you wicked and lazy servant...
The lazy servant that hid his talent failed not because he did any wrong with his talent, he failed because he did nothing at all with it.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands so that he may have to give to him that is in need.
Isaiah 1:16-7 put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Be quick to obey God’s call to you to repent of your procrastination! Psalms 119:60 I made haste, not delaying to keep your commandments.
Isn’t it about time that you…
fulfilled that promise you made to God about giving Him the best hours rather then the left over ones
Sent that letter of encouragement you’ve been putting off. Went and sought forgiveness from that one you offended
Fulfilled that pledge you gave to God regarding your support
Kept the promise you made to your spouse
Hebrews 3:13 exhort one another daily while it is called Today
A mark of revival is an immediate putting into action the Word!
So lets all start tomorrow to put into action those things we’ve heard here today! NOT!
Right now lets confess our sin of procrastination.
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