- Intro:
- We’re going to study the topic of deception.
- There are five things that can deceive you and you must defend yourself from each of these.
- Riches will deceive you – Mk 4:19.
- Our country’s problem is not an economic problem.
- Rather, it’s a righteousness problem.
- Righteousness exalteth a nation.
- Your problem is not an economic problem.
- It’s a righteousness problem.
- “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto thee”.
- In Laodicea, riches have deceived the church and the word is well nigh choked out.
- Defense:
- Labor not to be rich.
- The love of money is the root of all evil.
- Trust not in uncertain riches. Live by godliness with contentment.
- Sin will deceive you – Heb 3:13, Rom 7:11. “
- Be not deceived God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap”.
- You cannot sin without paying the cost.
- You can’t just try it like one Lay’s potato chip.
- And you can’t even sit around and just think about it without a bad consequence.
- Your defense.
- Acknowledge what God calls sin and avoid it, refuse it, and run from it.
- Be quick to confess it and forsake it.
- The devil will deceive you – Rev 12:9, 2 Cor 11:13-14.
- He is the master deceiver.
- He is the author of religions, of evolution, of many scientific theories, of mythology, and even of modern translations.
- He’s involved in commerce, in governments [the authority has come from the Lord but the devil has usurped the kingdoms], in many churches, in most communication, and in the world.
- He is the god of this world.
- He is a liar.
- Defense.
- The best way to protect yourself from his deceit is to know the truth and believe it.
- Men will deceive you– Matt 24:4, Eph 5:6, 2 Thess 2:3.
- If you want to find out the truth about any man, go to the Bible and check him out.
- I checked out my old religion and I found out two things.
- One, it was man-made deception.
- My old religion used the Bible to reinforce its doctrines but it was not Biblical.
- The truth had been twisted.
- Two, it had a supernatural “hold” on people, though it was being propagated by men.
- Religious men are deceiving and being deceived.
- That’s true of all the religions of the world.
- The devil is behind them and men are out front pushing them.
- Your defense.
- Read and believe what the Bible has to say about your religion and its doctrines.
- You will deceive yourself – 1 John 1:8, Jas 1:22, Gal 6:3.
- Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things.
- You can easily be deceived about your motives, your judgment, and your will versus God’s.
- To avoid deception,
- You have to step back and see what you’re doing the way that God sees it.
- The thing you may be deceived about has to fit the Bible not just one or two verses in the Bible.
- You must be willing to receive reproof and rebuke, be willing to admit that you are wrong, and be willing to humble yourself.
“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:27