If I Were the Devil

This morning, as you're aware, this is the beginning of us contemplating our personal engagement with missions over the next few months.

And what maybe Jesus may want us to do with our lives, with our cash, with our talents, with our giftedness.

And so that we can see a rapid expansion of the kingdom of God throughout the earth.

And so this morning I want to share on the theme of if I were the devil.

Now I know some of you have thought that thought has gone past your mind before.

But if I was the devil, I want us to begin to think in screw, leather, tape mode.

What I would do if I was the devil.

to try to stop the purposes of God taking place in the earth.

And so if I was the devil, I would fully understand that there are strategies I need to put in place to stop God from fulfilling his kingdom purpose in the earth.

Of course, the devil, he's been around a long time.

he's been deceiving he'd been murdered he's been working catastrophic mindless activity for numbers of years on the planet in fact Jesus speaking about the devil in John chapter 8 and verse 44 says this you talking to the Pharisees he says you belong to the father your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desires he was a murderer from the beginning not holding the truth for there is no truth in him When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

So if I was a devil, I would know from my time in heaven that I have a limited time.

I would know from my time in heaven when I was cast away from heaven into the earth, I would know that I am on a limited time span.

I have a limited mission to accomplish my plan upon the earth.

And I basically know that one day my time is going to be up because I know God, who always speaks the truth, has already declared over my life that I have a short time span.

And when that plan and purpose comes to an end, my deal is absolutely complete.

finished.

And so if I was the devil I would actually find ways to make sure I could elongate my period of activity on the earth.

I know I can't stop it.

I know I cannot stop the inevitable happening and the inevitable happening according to Revelation chapter 20 is I'm going to be cast into the lake of fire.

But in the meantime, I'm going to work every devious, every dazzling, every wicked plan I can conjure up that would actually stop the purposes of God from igniting throughout the earth.

And one of the great purposes that God has in the earth is found in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 14.

It says this, "...and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end would come." So if I was the devil, I would know the inevitable is going to happen to me.

and I would know the inevitable is going to happen to me and I would know that the gospel will ultimately be preached to all the nations of the world but what can I possibly do to slow down that process you see if I was a devil my first priority would be to see that the gospel of Jesus was not carried to the four corners of the earth that would be my first priority because as long as that is not achieved then the end cannot come and I won't be cast into the lake of fire So any plan, any strategy I can do that would delay the gospel of Jesus from going to the four corners of the earth so that every tribe, tongue, and nation would have an opportunity to say yes to Jesus, I'm up for that because that gives me a longer period of time to work out my purposes on the earth.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 11 and 12 says this, Therefore, since all things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conduct, godliness, looking for the hastening, the coming of the day of the Lord, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.