Do not be deceived
Notes
Transcript
Throughout the bible, there are a few phrases that come up regularly that have to cause us to think.
I like the word therefore - in scripture it comes up to tell us to consider all of the context and prepare for instruction - or - consider the context and apply it to a certain truth.
“Do not be deceived” shows up a lot less often than “therefore,” but it carries the same kind of weight. It should cause us to think. To consider the fullness of what is being said next. This morning we are going to follow this phrase in scripture.
We are an equipping church. We exist to Glorify God, to equip the saints for the ministry of the gospel, and to share the gospel. Improving the way that we study the bible, equips you to exist in relationship with God while living in a fallen world. Following this phrase through scripture helps us to know some of the things God wanted to warn us about while we live in that world.
This is a warning sign.
Danger ahead.
Do not be deceived.
To be deceived means to be mislead, to fall for a lie, to be convinced to live as if a falsehood is true. This can be evident in your thoughts and in your behavior. The liars are always talking. So the question for us this morning is - how gullible are you? And for most of us, I believe that depends on who the liar is. And the liars we are going to talk about this morning are the world, the enemy, and yourself. Let’s pray.
PRAY.
This morning I want to go through a few of the times the warning not to be deceived is found in scripture, and just work through them. We will start with an easy one.
James 1:16–18 (CSB)
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Do not be deceived - every good and perfect gift is from above
How might that be twisted? The warning that James is coming out of is that we might believe that we are tempted to sin by God. We might blame God for the things in the world that are bad.
Typically the liar here is the enemy. If he can convince you that God has done this great terrible thing to you, you might fall away.
The enemy has used this lie time and time again.
How does the world try to reconcile it? They ask this:
“why do bad things happen to good people?”
Such a loaded question. If you open that door during a time of suffering, there is a claymore mine strapped to it without a doubt. You will not be able to console someone in their time of grief with a true answer to that statement. The enemy uses pain, to pull you into a hatred of God and inevitably to unbelief. You can’t believe in a God that will condemn you.
What is the answer?
There are no good people. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. We live in a fallen world where terrible things will happen to all people until the Lord returns and sets it straight. The only hope we have is in Jesus.
I can’t imagine why the enemy would want to fight that truth.
Good things come from God. God gives good and perfect gifts. He is loving enough that we receive some mercies while here on earth, despite our own behavior or earnings.
The enemy is a lair - this nonsense gets in our head.
We are going to come back to James, for now lets go to 1 Corinthians. Paul writes Do not be deceived a couple of times.
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
This one gets a little trickier.
The world shouts at us to be accepting, and says “Jesus spent time with sinners!”
Paul writes a warning. You can spend time with sinners, but you can’t spend all of your time with sinners. We conform to the image of those around us. The world knows this on the professional level. You need a mentor, your top five friends determine who you will become ect.
The fact is the people we spend time with set the baseline for what we believe is okay.
We lie to ourselves here too. I can change them! I can lead them to Jesus.
Yes and amen. But.
Lady there are 12 of them and one of you.
Are you going to share the gospel?
Peer pressure is real. And you can’t use them to excuse your behavior.
I remember trying that as a kid - “but everyone is doing it” and my moms answer to that was to say “if they jumped off a bridge would you?”
As if to say it is my responsibility to know what is right and wrong regardless of who I am with and what they are doing. but that’s a dumb question! Of course I did, in college - freshman year at evangel we went bridge jumping.
Bad company corrupts good morals. Even if you ARE in a good place, spending time with people who don’t love the Lord will pull you in the wrong direction.
Other lies tied to this...
If I don’t have them, I don’t have friends...
I need them in my life.
I love them.
They helped me so much.
But he loves me.
And so we give into it. and we spend the time. And we go the directions.
Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost more than you want to pay.
Galatians 6:7 (CSB)
7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,
Do not be deceived.
God is not mocked. You will reap what you sow.
Such a powerful statement.
God is not mocked.
You’re not tricking him, you’re not pulling the wool over his eyes. You don’t have something figured out. Our God is All powerful, all knowing and all present.
We lie to ourselves when we say “God doesn’t care about this little sin”
We lie to ourselves when we say “me and the man upstairs are okay”
God is not mocked.
And the next part of that goes harder.
What you sow you will reap.
This is the law of the universe. God made gravity work, but he put this into his word. Recorded it for you and I to know forever.
You will reap what you sow.
If you plant corn, you get… corn.
If you plant an apple tree, you’re going to get apples.
If you plant unforgiveness, you are getting unforgiveness.
If you broadcast selfishness, you will receive selfishness from others.
If you plant hostility you are going to get hostility.
And yet…
if you plant generosity, you will receive generosity.
If you plant kindness, you will receive kindness.
If you plant forgiveness, you will receive forgiveness.
Now - this isn’t transacitonal.
It isn’t necessarily if you forgive your brother than he will forgive you. Sometimes the dirt isn’t good.
He may not be ready.
Or he may not be able.
God covers the balance.
When you give to those in need, it is very unlikely that they will pay you back.
And if you expect them to, that is a loan and not a gift.
I want to give unto the Lord, and let him take care of me. His promise looks like this:
38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
God covers the balance.
This works the other way too..
If you sow evil, and don’t get it back… God is covering that balance. Just wait.
We lie to ourselves and say that we deserve something different.
The world lies to us when they say that God doesn’t care.
The enemy lies to us when he says that we can pour into our flesh and have no consequence.
When do you believe those lies?
Do not be deceived.
9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males,
10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.
Do not be deceived. God has set a standard. If you live this way - you do not inherit the kingdom of God.
You cannot be in relationship with Jesus and live this lifestyle.
You must repent. You must die to yourself.
The lie of the world is that it is wonderful and should be celebrated.
The lie of the enemy is “You were made this way”
The lie I told myself was that I am broken. I have inherited these things.
Jesus says to those who practice lawlessness that he never knew them.
That is not my story.
God redeems that.
Romans 8:1 is my story.
Romans 8:12 is my legacy.
There is no practice.
There is denial of the flesh.
Do not be deceived.
How do we do that?
First, I think we need to know that it is happening.
We are on the receiving end of these lies. And they are a constant pounding at our door. BELIEVE ME!! YOU MUST BELIEVE ME! the lies say.
The reason we are warned not to be deceived is because the deception is common. Because it is easy for us to fall into. Because there are constant efforts.
Second I think we need to know who the liars are.
22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
3 But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!
The liars are always talking.
You know how to tell a politician is lying? Their mouth is open.
Spiritual liars are the same way.
IF the world is trying to influence you - they are probably lying.
If the enemy has said something to you - he is lying.
Sometimes it is the enemy. Sometimes it is the world. Sometimes it is a religious nut on TV.
Sometimes it is our flesh.
We need to know who the liars are.
So that we can know the truth.
What are we listening to?
The word of God is sharp as any two edged sword.
We can trust God’s word.
What have we been deceived about by the enemy?
How have we mocked our God?
What are we hiding?
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.
8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them,
9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
10 For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place.
11 For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Let us pray. And ask that God would save us. From the deception of the enemy. The deception of the fallen world around us. and the deception of our own flesh.
And take God at his word.
