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Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, NC

David Wright

Dealing with Delay

Well, this morning we're going to be looking at dealing with delay.

I know an expression that's easy off my tongue is I hate wait.

That's 1 of the fruits of the Spirit, patience, long-suffering, along with that self-control, right?

But how do we as God's people deal with delay?

You know the French resistance fighters back in World War II, when they were invaded by Nazi Germany, they didn't think that they would be there for long, they thought the Allies would come soon, that they would be delivered from all of this, and so this ragtag group continued to pull together and to try to fight and to resist and to be courageous in spite of some hardship and some capture, some suffering.

They fought long, they fought hard, this French resistance in hopes that soon the Allies would come.

But as you see here in some of these pictures in Paris, and there's Adolf Hitler and others, over time their hope that there would be a rescue began to wane.

Now, not everybody, but some of them were saying, is help ever going to arrive as months turned into years and years, turned into another year and another year?

In fact, some of the comrades decided, you know, rather than try to keep them at bay, we'd probably be better off if we join.

And they said, oh, we'll get more rations, we'll get places of privilege, if we just become part of what's going on.

Here's the Nazi flag over the Paris Opera House.

But the idea of them being weary, of constantly resisting, constantly fighting, and becoming discouraged.

They thought, well, maybe the Allies are too busy fighting these Nazis on all the other fronts.

It was supposed to be the day before, but bad weather prohibited and prevented them.

But on June 6, 1944, at 6.30 in the morning, troops started hitting the beaches of Normandy.

More than 160, 000 Allied troops, the largest amphibious invasion in history.

More than 13, 000 aircraft, 5, 000 ships supported them and went ahead of them.

The total Allied casualties have been estimated at 10, 000 that were lost on that day.

They had all the parts of the beach outlined in these, I think it's 5 divisions with these secret words and terms for each 1.

And while the casualties were high, this was seen as a major turning point in the war.

Finally, their long-awaited deliverance came.

And the freedom fighters who endured to the end were heroes.

And the traitors who helped the Nazis were, well, publicly humiliated, tortured some of them and killed.

My question for us this morning is could it be that the final events in the church, could it be that they could closely resemble those in France during the war?

If you brought your Bible, turn with me to Matthew 24.

We're going to read a section out of Matthew chapter 24 verses 45 to 51 Matthew chapter 24 beginning to read here in verse 45 Who then is faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give food in due season.

Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

If the evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servant and to eat and drink with the drunkards.

The master of the servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in 2 and appoint his portion with the hypocrites, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Notice here in verse 48, the evil servant says where?

He makes no outward announcement initially.

We can see by his fruits, if you will, where his heart lies, but initially it begins in the heart.

And in verse 49, he begins to beat his fellow servants.

This could be verbally, this could be emotionally, this also could be physically.

And to eat and drink with the drunkards, to kind of just decide to do his own thing, because the master has delayed.

Now, the church has been saying, Jesus is coming my whole life.

And if we're not careful in our heart, we can start to say, you know, this delay, what's the point?

Why bother with this health message anyway?

Why bother with this aspect or that aspect?

You know, I don't even see, what's the point anymore?

I'm not even sure if our message, we begin to doubt, doubt, doubt the message and the messengers, right?

I don't know if we can truly trust prophecy, and so we doubt.

2 Peter 3, verse 3 says, knowing this first, that scoffers might come, will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continued as they were from the beginning of creation." You see, there's a connection between doubting his coming and walking after our own lusts, our own pleasures, our own ways.

But we can also find the opposite of that is true.

Faith in Jesus' soon return will have a sanctifying effect.

In fact, if you look at our founders, when they thought Jesus was coming in 1844, they didn't say, who cares, let's do whatever we want.

No, they put every effort into Sanctification in just a few verses still in 2nd Peter chapter 3 a few verses later says therefore beloved looking forward to these things be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless.

First John chapter 3, verse 3, and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.

But the reality is we are in grave danger as seventh-day Adventists If we ever stop believing ever stop proclaiming the soon return of Jesus We're in danger of going our own way doing our own thing.

There's no judgment There's no second coming, but I believe in this delay in this tearing time Jesus is using this time to sift out his true servants from his false servants, to separate the wheat from the chaff.

We are told again and again, we should expect delay.

But if you're like me, you say, but I hate wait.

And if I can't get it now, I'm not interested.

Matthew 25, 5, we've looked at this before here.

But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

We should expect delay, but this is startling.

The true church is It's pictured as spiritually drowsy and asleep to the great opportunities to repair the world for the coming of Jesus Peru project What?

It's that there is a spiritual drowsiness, a spiritual stupor that has lulled us all to sleep.

The secular, the materialistic, godless culture is affecting us as well as the world.

And all will be surprised according to this parable when Jesus comes.

Hopefully some will be watching, some will be hopeful, but according to the parable, We're all asleep.

There's not 1 virgin that's awake and waiting.

And at midnight, a cry was heard, behold, the bridegroom is coming.

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Dealing with Delay

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