Frankie Mazzapica - Satan's Little Black Book of Lies - Part 1
We’re starting a new series today. This is part one. So if you enjoy it, I know that you’ll enjoy part two next Sunday. The series is Satan’s Little Black Book of Lies. I’ve got four major points for you today, and I’m going to use my iPad a little bit from time to time because I wrote a few things down that I want to make sure I say. But point number one is blind obedience. In Satan’s Little Black Book of Lies, there’s this element of blind obedience. Then there’s this delay method where he tries to get us to delay things, and I’ll unpack that. Then number three is this fault-finding magnifying glass that he wants all of us to possess. And then number four is he wants to steal moments. Steal moments.
Let’s jump right into it. This is the first point. Let me share a scripture to support it: Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2. Let’s read this one out loud, everybody: 1, 2, 3… You used to live. Oh, my son wasn’t reading, so now everybody’s got to read it again. All right, thanks a lot, Luke. Okay, 1, 2, 3… You used to live. All right, let me jump at one thing: the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Does anyone know someone who refuses? I’m not- I don’t care. Anyone? I don’t care. Don’t get mad at them. But what you need to do is pray for them because this is not something you can talk into a person. Satan is at work within them. That was kind of heavy. But watch this: obeying the devil any time Satan says, «Just look at it. Just say it. Just do it.» And you say, «Okay,» you are obeying the devil.
Anytime he whispers that, see, there is a nanosecond-it’s not even a full second -it’s a nanosecond where somebody says something to you, and it’s on the tip of your tongue, and you have a nanosecond to say it or do it. And right down in here, not out loud, you can feel the Holy Spirit say, «Don’t say it.» And the enemy whispers to you, «Just say it.» There’s a nanosecond between doing something and not doing something. It’s a split second. It is quicker than a blink, but yet it’s in slow motion. Should I do it or not do it? And when you do it, when I do it, this message was for me before it’s for you. You’re obeying Satan. When you think it, you’re just sitting there thinking it, thinking it, thinking it, thinking it, thinking it. You’re obeying him.
So if I say, «Hey, everybody here, stand up! Hey, everybody here, lay down on the ground! Everybody walk over there! Hey, walk over here! Turn around three times,» and you’re doing what I tell you to do, you’re obeying me. And this is what Satan is doing. He’s saying, «Just do it!» And we are obeying him. This is number one in his small book of lies. We have to back up and say, «I will not obey you.» And he just says, «Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!» Split second. Now, nod at me if you know what I’m talking about- you know that nanosecond. «Just do it! Just do it! Just do it!» Nike’s slogan started in the 1980s, where it says, «Just do it!» Nod at me if you know what I’m talking about. «Just do it!» There are so many commercials. They’re known for it. And it’s wrapped around sports: «Don’t think about it! Just do it! Just do it! Just do it! Just do it!» And they came out with commercials, obviously, to emphasize this point. And one of the very first commercials that they did was in the 1980s, and I really enjoyed it. I think you will too.
Take a look at this: I run 17 miles every morning. People ask me how I keep my teeth from chattering in the wintertime. I lead in my locker. If you’re taking notes, would you write this down? When Satan and I–I’ve already said it, but I want you to write it down-when Satan whispers and you do it, you’re obeying him. Point number two: the power of delay. This was the first scripture that I’ve drilled into a crowd before. It’s in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Say that with me: 1 Thessalonians 5:17. One, two, three. First Thessalonians 5:17. All right, everyone.
Now, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. You’re going to memorize a Bible verse today. It says, «Never stop praying.» One, two, three. Never stop praying. You’re smoking today! All right, let’s put it together. First Thessalonians: never stop praying! We’re going to say that five times, so I may as well participate. Ready? One, two, three. First Thessalonians: never stop praying! Again. Again. Listen to this: I want to say it the same way I wrote it down. Satan’s tactic isn’t to forbid you from pursuing God; it’s to delay you. What do I mean? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, «Don’t stop praying.» You’re in your car-"I love you, Jesus.» You’re in the house-"I love you, Jesus.»
You don’t have to pray like Moses or quote an entire psalm. It’s just, «I love you, I love you, I love you.» And then, you know everyone knows that they need to have an appointment with God. And I want to encourage you: if you don’t have an appointment with God, you can afford 10 minutes. It’s not going to throw your day off. Go into a room and have a 10-minute appointment-10 minutes. We’re like, «I don’t know what to say.» First Thessalonians 5: 17. I’m not going to stop! «I love you, I love you, I love you.» You can say that for 10 minutes. It’s an appointment with God. Now, everyone here is saying, «I can do 10 minutes.»
See, Satan is not going to forbid you from doing that; but what he will do is try to get you to delay doing that. Uh, the first time I ever had this moment, I was playing catch. I wanted to play catch with some friends as a little boy, but I didn’t have my glove. So I had to run into the house, into my bedroom, to get the baseball glove. When I was running in, I just felt this moment with God, and I just went, «I just want you to know I love you.» And then I grabbed my glove and I ran out. I remember the first time that happened. We were in Michigan. My dad traveled around and preached, and we were in Michigan. For the remainder of my life, that’s happened-where I run into a room and all of a sudden I think about him. But you know what started happening?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve thought to myself-kinda comes to my mind-I go, «Well, I’m going to pray later anyway; I’ll say it then.» And I, because I’m in a rush. And that’s the trick of the enemy: to delay, to delay, to delay the one-sentence prayer. You intend on having a 10-minute appointment with him tomorrow morning, but then when it comes down to it, you’ll say, «I’ll do it tonight.» It’s delay, delay, delay, delay, delay, delay, delay. It is so funny. I was in my office earlier this week, and I got everything done, and I was just about to pray. I turned the lights off in the room, and I’m just about to pray, and then all of a sudden, my phone rings. I started laughing out loud. I was like, «Devil, you’re good! You’re good!»
And then I finished the phone call and as soon as that happened, I started getting tired. I got eight hours the night before, and I started getting tired. I’m like, «I’ll pray when I get home.» First it was the phone call; now I get tired. Then I look down-I’m like, «Man, I need to get home. It’s dinner time. I want to avoid traffic!» I live about, I don’t know, on a Sunday morning, 25 minutes away; you know, maybe on a Wednesday evening about an hour and 45 minutes away. You know traffic is a mess. And so I think to myself, «I’ll just pray tonight, because I don’t want to sit in traffic.»
Do you see what I’m saying? That the enemy is not stopping me. He’s getting me to delay. It’s a phone call; it’s an email-shoot, I forgot I’m supposed to go home and pick up milk! And then I’ll say, «I’ll just worship in my car. That’s what I’ll do.» Have you ever thought that? «I’m just going to worship in my car.» And then you get in your car and you don’t feel like that, so you get on the phone. Are you with me? Say yes. Delayed! Delayed! Delayed! Delayed! Delay! He’s not going to try to stop you; he just wants you to delay. Are you with me? Say yes.
See, delaying is a human condition. It’s not just prayer. The enemy tries to leverage this. People will start their diet tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. What’s interesting is that at the beginning of every year, everybody goes to get a gym membership. Are you with me? And then you plan on working out tomorrow, right? You’re not going to not work out. You are going to go to the gym, but there’s this delay, and then tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, and then tomorrow doesn’t come around, and then you want to cancel your gym membership because it’s always tomorrow, tomorrow. Um, I heard a comedian talk about this whole gym membership thing, and it resonated with me. It might resonate with you. Take a look at this: I don’t use my gym. Do you use your gym? I wander in every three months, and I go, «I don’t know how to do this.»
My entire workout, the whole thing, this is the discipline I have; the whole thing is based on whatever machine is open. That’s how I do it. I walk around like a lost toddler for three and a half minutes, and then I go, «I guess I’m going to do neck today. Uh, just going to do all neck.» Yeah, I’m just going to bang out a few on the scoliosis machine over here. Just, «Hey, should I sign another waiver? Because this feels dangerous.» That’s all I do. I do three sets of neck, both sides, and then I go home, and it costs $750. It’s so funny because if you watch the entire bit, you know an entire year is like several thousand dollars, and then he averages out, «I’ve only been four times; $750 a workout here.»
Um, but it’s a condition, and in the devil’s little black book of lies, he leverages that condition of delay. The next time you think, «I’ll do it later,» just know the devil’s behind that. The next time you hear that whisper, «Just do it. Just say it. Just think it. It’s not a big deal.» Well, you know what’s interesting about Satan is that he works both sides of the line. Before you do it, he says, «It’s not a big deal.» And then after you do it, he condemns you and says, " I can’t believe you did that.» It goes both sides of the line. Put your hands together if you know what I’m talking about. He works both sides.
So the first side is just do it. Just do it. Just do it. And then the second thing that he comes back with is just delay, delay, delay. Just do the sin but delay the prayer. Delay the worship. Delay grabbing one scripture. Delay. Number three, I want to talk about this tendency that the enemy uses to cause people to be faultfinders. All right, so I don’t know. Let me read a scripture to base it first. Um, this is in Ephesians 4:26. It says this: Here we go. «And don’t sin by letting anger control you.» This isn’t just think it, just think it, just think it: anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the enemy.
Watch this. Get rid of all. This is a very important scripture. Can we read it out loud? Let’s read it out loud. It’s only two lines. We cheated by putting one word on the third line, okay? One, two, three: Get rid of. All right, let’s do it again. Ready? Real loud. One, two, three: Get rid of. Watch this; leave that up there. We’re talking about evil behavior. Evil. Now, what’s evil? Bitterness is evil. Bitterness is evil. Watch: rage, anger, harsh words, slander. When you’re talking about somebody, and it’s bad, it’s evil. Evil. We’re not talking about shooting somebody in the back of the head; we’re talking about harsh words, and there’s this little split second, like what I was talking about. Just say it. Just do it. Just…
Now if you look at this, this just hit me just now. This is all emotions and thoughts and words. Evil is so there’s this blind obedience. What are we talking about? Satan’s little black book of lies is constantly saying it’s okay. It’s okay to think it. It’s okay to delay it. It’s okay. This is evil. Now watch this. What are we doing here? We are magnifying. I asked the first service this, but is my eye abnormally big to you? All right, it’s totally ADD. But when you and I are obsessed with someone’s weakness, we’re obsessed with it. We see it. It sticks out. It’s the way they chew. It’s the way they talk. It’s the way they breathe. Have you ever thought, «I don’t even like the way you breathe»?
It’s the way they walk. It’s the look on their face. All you see is what they don’t do. This is the lie of the enemy. It’s okay. And when all you see is what they don’t do, there’s bitterness. Satan lives in the heart where there’s bitterness. He lives there, right? When that’s all you see. But let’s flip it. Do you have people in your life that that’s all they see? And you want to look at them and you go, «Can you just please lie to me for a second? Just lie to me. Tell me something awesome about me. Just put the magnifying glass down just for a second. Say something nice.» Please nod at me if you know what I’m talking about. Now here’s the key. Watch this. Most people are not going to change. It just is.
You know, husbands and wives, let me talk to you. When your wife is really, really upset, do you know what helps? It’s when you walk up to her and you say, «Hey, cool down.» Well, only married people laughed at that. You just walk up and go, «Hey, chill out.» That really helps, doesn’t it? So if they’re really, really upset, just walk up to them and go, «Look, you’re really making a big deal out of nothing right now.» So now what are you going to do? What do you do? What do you do? Huh? If you have a mother-in-law, you just go, «All right, I’ve been dealing with this for 20 years, so I’m just gonna say it very simply: Shut up.»
How’s that going to work out for you, right? So what do you do when people…? What are you gonna do? What little child laughed? That was so cute! I love you. How is that funny? It’s really not. This little girl goes, «How is that funny?» It’s not funny. Just when I think I’ve experienced everything, I’ll never forget that moment. How am I supposed to move on? You know, that’s up there. Okay, sidebar. I was speaking at a conference one time, and this person, like, I opened it up for questions and answers after I got done speaking, and this person raised their hand and she goes, «I’m sorry if you’ve already covered this; I fell asleep while you were talking.»
All right, what am I talking about? Oh, people aren’t-they’re not going to change! So now what do you do? You’re going to carry bitterness? You gonna carry anger? You gonna be mad? You’re going to carry offense? You’re going to be upset? Like, what are you going to do? Because Satan lives in the space of bitterness. He owns the heart of anger. He owns it. He owns you. He plays with you like the volume in your car when you’re angry, when you’re bitter, when you’re upset. He just plays with you and laughs the whole time. So what are you going to do? You can’t change them, and you’re carrying offense.
In Matthew 24:12, it says this: In the last days, many will be offended and the love of many will grow cold. Your love grows cold. So what are you going to do? You going to look back? Well, hey, you’re going to look at me like this? Guess what, I’m going to look at you like that. That ought to work! You go before God. And if you don’t learn how to do this, Satan will leverage your emotions and laugh at you at the same time. You close your eyes and you do the best you can to see His face. And you stand there alone. And people are over here. And you stand there and you go, «I’m your son. Father me. Father me. Holy Spirit, help my heart. Help my heart. Just father me. I’m your daughter. Father me. Help me.»
And what you’ll notice is that you will refuse to walk around with an offense. You refuse! So you just say, «You can look at me like this all you want to, but I’m not going to be mad. I’ve changed me.» Are you with me? Say yes. Point number four is that Satan’s little black book of lies is that he wants to keep you in the past or he wants to keep you worrying about the future. So Jimmy, why don’t you come on up here real quick? I’m going to illustrate this point. Um, does everybody appreciate Jimmy leading worship for us? He did such a good job, man.
All right, I want you to hold this rock in one hand and I want you to hold this rock in the other. Okay? This rock represents his past, as of one minute ago, but it goes all the way back as far as he can remember. This is his past. This rock represents his future. The past is full of regret. The future is full of concern. And so Satan lives in the worry, and he lives in the regret. He lives in the concern. He lives in your anxiety. He lives there. This is where he lives. When you’re full of anxiety, worry, and fear, you’re entertaining his presence. When you’re swallowed up with regret, you are entertaining his presence. This is the presence of God. You cannot experience him in the future because you’re not there. You cannot experience the presence of God in your past because you can’t go back. The only place that you can experience his presence is right, right now.
Now watch this. Don’t put the rocks down. Just keep carrying regret and keep carrying all your worries and concerns. But at the same time, right here in the present, I want you to take this box. You cannot experience the presence of God when you’re so concerned about what’s going to happen. You cannot experience the presence of God when all you can think about is what’s happened in the past. You can’t. The only way you can experience his presence now is you have to drop both. So go ahead and set down the rocks. The here and now, God’s presence can only be experienced now.
So the next time, absolutely the next time you’re thinking about somebody who is vexing you and you’re worried, the next time you’re beating yourself up for something that you did, the next time you’re worried that something bad is going to happen in the future, the next time you feel like the troubles that you have-listen to this-the troubles that you have are going to last forever, back up and say, «I’m not carrying those moments.» Right here, right now, I want you to know that I love you and I want you to help me drop everything. And when you do that, all four things that we talked about that the enemy does crash down because you’re not delaying. He’s not stealing your moment. And he’s whispering, «Just do it.» But you’re doing exactly what he doesn’t want you to do. Satan lives in the worry of the future and the regret of the past.
Let’s give the Lord a standing ovation. Would you stand up on your feet? Come on, let’s give him our best. Lord Jesus, we love you. We love you. In regards to content, actually everything but content, especially, I’m really excited about part two. I really believe it’ll encourage you. I’d like for our prayer partners to come down. All the prayer partners. The reason why we have prayer partners is sometimes you just need somebody to pray for you. You just like somebody to pray for me. And so I’d like for all the prayer partners to come down now throughout the building.
Just come down real quickly. Real quickly. Real quickly. If there is any part of this message that just kind of resonated with you, you have a tendency to delay. You’re obeying, «Hey, you know God’s real. You’ll get serious about it later.» Delay, delay, delay. You know you’re going to forgive, but just forgive them later. You know eventually you’re going to stop doing that. Don’t worry about it, you’ll stop. Or maybe it’s this: I need to figure out how to experience you in the moment. And I’ll tell you, if you turn on worship music, it helps. And you can’t-watch this-this is very interesting.
You can’t think about something contrary to what you’re saying out of your mouth. So when you’re saying, «I love you, I love you, I love you, God, you got this, God, you got this, God, you got this,» it cancels out the concern for the future and the worry of the past. But maybe you’re in this room and you’re just like, «I need someone to pray for me because I can’t do that very well.» And some of you are in this room and you know that if your heart were to stop beating in the next five minutes, you’re not ready to see God. And if that’s you, you’re the most important person in this building because the enemy will say you can take care of that later. But today is the day.
So I want to invite you to come out of your seat, come down here, take the hand of a prayer partner, and let them pray with you. If you look down here and all the prayer partners are praying with somebody, just come out of your seat anyway. You’ll stand at the bottom of each aisle, and an usher will point you to the first available prayer partner.
There’s no official dismissal. You can leave whenever you get ready. But let’s just worship him just one more time. Let’s just sing this song together one more time through. You can stay as long as you want to, but let’s just worship him one more time together. May the Lord bless you. May he keep you. May his face shine down upon you and be gracious to you. May his countenance be lifted up on you, bring you peace, and may his joy be your strength. May the blessings of God be upon you and your family in Jesus' name. Amen.