CAUGHT UNAWARE

By DR MICKEY CARTER, Pastor

LANDMARK BAPTIST CHURCH

2222 E. HINSON AVENUE

HAINES CITY, FLORIDA 33844

Luke 21:15-36

This prophetic passage speaks of the signs of the times during the Tribulation. God did not want these things to slip up on the people unaware. Sometimes ignorance of the truth can make you unaware of something developing. But some-times familiarity with the truth can make you dull of understanding and suddenly you find yourself in trouble when you knew better.

You can be caught unaware if you are self-deceived. Some don't want to face the truth. There are none so blind as those who will not see. Scripture can be clear as day but if the person chooses to ignore it they will be self-deceived and be unaware of both the approaching problem and the solution.

In the story of the 10 wise and 10 foolish virgins at the wedding feast, half of them had oil for their lamps. The other half knew they had to have oil but didn't provide for themselves. Then the bride groom came and the 10 foolish ones suddenly expected the 10 wise to also fail by sharing.

The wise did not shorten their own supply, the unwise simply did not go to the wedding. They knew what they had to do, they deceived themselves into thinking every- thing was in order when they knew it was not.

Some are caught unaware when they try to hide their sin. Achan (Joshua 7) took an ac- cursed thing from a battle and hid it beneath his tent. He thought it was hidden by everyone and evidently thought that God did not care or did not see. When the next battle with Ai ended with a disaster for Israel the leaders brought an investigation that uncovered Achan's sin. He was unaware his sin was causing the nation to stumble and innocent men to die. He became unaware when it was too late.

Numbers 32:23 days, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Sometimes it is not people who find out. God already knows about it. It is your own sin that finds you. You think you have it hidden and BANG, there is your sin, staring you in the face.

Then again, others try to defy God and are totally unaware of their judgment. Belshazzar was having a feast honoring his gods. He brought out the golden vessels from the house of the Lord and drank his filthy booze in them, praising the gods of silver and gold.

The hand of the Lord appeared and wrote on the wall that Belshazzar's judgment would take place that night. Instead of re- penting he tried to reward Daniel, who had read the writing to him. Belshazzar was unaware death and judgment were that close.

Finally, people can be caught unaware when they think they have plenty of time. Some think they have plenty of time to get saved. I suppose hell is full of people who intended to get saved someday. Someday did not come, doomsday came, instead. Death is an appointment for which none will be late. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27)

Some think they have plenty of time to be a good mother or father. Days pass, weeks fly by, school years come and go. Then the children are grown and gone and sometimes Moms and Dads never got started teaching their children. They did not teach them spiritual values or even good living. "Plenty of time" is a sure hook for being unaware.

The cure for being unaware is to start paying attention to spiritual things. Maybe you need to get saved. Maybe you need to begin personal or family devotions. Do you need to make peace with someone with whom you have quarreled? Do you need to call and apologize to someone? Tell someone you love them? Pay back something you have bor- rowed?

What? You have plenty of time to do all that? You are unaware and it will bite you like a spider inside your shirt.

The Landmark Anchor – September 2007