II Tim 3: 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (THIS IS WHY A TV PREACHER CAN’T BE YOUR PASTOR) 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (ONE OF THE TESTS OF A MAN OF GOD IS ENDURANCE UNDER EXTREME SPIRITUAL CONDITIONS) 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. THE ANSWER 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
UNDERSTAND RIGHT UP FRONT: Spiritual warfare is VERY real! Avoiding it does not keep you safe.
We don’t have to FEAR the DEVIL = But we must understand him!
Trying to stay ignorant is NOT a valid strategy. Ignorance may be bliss, but it will not protect you!
Deception = 1 a : the act of deceiving b : the fact or condition of being deceived
2 : something that deceives : TRICK
God spoke to me in prayer a few weeks ago… When a soul begins a walk with me… it becomes TRICK or TREAT!
( isn’t it interesting that demonic Halloween would come up with that slogan? )
The first level of temptation that comes to us is a TREAT. We are offered the delicacies of our flesh.
PLAIN OLE SIN!
Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
And we would have to admit that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, living soberly, righteously, and Godly, in this present world does, at best, cause us to be considered a peculiar people.
Mark 4: 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
It is true that MANY people do not want to abstain from worldly lusts in order to walk with God.
HOWEVER, it is also true that MANY MILLIONS are willing to do so! (Not everyone is hedonistic)
MY POINT: Once we have resisted and rejected the treat… we will
be offered a trick!
Nothing new here… Lucifer has been at work doing this for 6,000 years!
I Tim 2: 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notice: being deceived does not free you from sins penalty.
Because we have been given the tools needed to survive.
•No one wants to be deceived…
•No one plans on being deceived…
•But seducers will wax worse & worse. Deceiving and being deceived… Even deceivers will be deceived. Wow?
WHAT DRIVES THIS? A Lying Spirit! -------- Here is a foundational truth…
John 8: 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
A LYING SPIRIT… OR SPIRIT OF DECEPTION IS A VERY CRAFTY DEMON
We cannot overcome him without the help of God…
We need some deception perception!
THERE IS GOOD NEWS THO…
I John 3: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
I tangled again with this spirit just a few weeks ago and again just last week…
I felt so utterly finished here.
I felt God wasn’t helping me…
The FEELING was so REAL …
but my EXPERIENCE knew better. (& kept me)
Rom 5: 3 … but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; (keeps you from shameful things)
DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE!
ONE QUALIFICATION OF A BISHOP was experience!
I Tim 3: 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
No matter how spiritually gifted you are… some things ONLY come by experience!
My experience told me that this feeling I had was a deception… a lie! It did not line up with other truths.
God let me know… THIS IS WHAT MANY SAINTS ARE DEALING WITH. (this is why some of them are throwing in the towel)
• Folks – this thing is a mind game!
• We must put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds!
Satan can’t stop us with his power… he can only deceive us into foolishness.
That is why there are so many religions! Often times good people that have been deceived. (trick or treat)
T.W. Barnes was visited in hotel room in Salt Lake by angel Moroni. (identified as spirit of deception)
THIS SAME SPIRIT MET JOSEPH SMITH IN THE WOODS
Joseph Smith among most other religious cult leaders started in sincerity. (very intense leader)
Listen to what the Encyclopedia said about Smith…
“During the 14 years between the organization of the Mormon church and his death, Smith accomplished a great deal. In addition to the Book of Mormon, he produced a series of revelations containing doctrinal pronouncements and instructions regarding everything from organization to finances to a code of health. These revelations are collected in the Doctrine and Covenants (1835). He also published narratives of Abraham and of Moses, adding many details to the biblical books, and a revision of the Bible itself, by “inspiration,” with numerous clarifications. He delivered hundreds of sermons, many of which were preserved in summaries by his followers. As early as 1838 he initiated a collective project to write a history of the church from its beginning”
POINT: I believe Smith was sincere in his passion… but he was deceived. (trick or treat)
Matt 24: 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
SATAN HAS GREAT POWER TO DECIEVE…
Actually, THAT IS HIS POWER!
II Thes 2: 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE… To make it…
We are going to have to LOVE truth! And Embrace it strongly!
TRUTH IS THE ONLY ANTIDOTE FOR DECEPTION!
If any lack wisdom… let him ask it of God. We need some deception perception!
I am not afraid of you examining the doctrine I teach… Please do!
Paul experienced the realness of this deceptive / lying spirit… that is why he said…
(Gal 1: 6) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
A RELEGIOUS EXPERIENCE DOES NOT OVERRIDE THE TRUTH OF THE WRITTEN WORD!
I CAN TEACH YOU AS A PASTOR =
BUT YOU HAVE TO GET A HOLD OF IT YOURSELF!
Deception is all about making something look like one thing when it’s really something else!
Let’s Read one of the great deception stories in the Bible… Jacob and Esau!
Gen 27: 5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
IT IS AMAZING TO SEE WHAT LENGTHS SOME WILL GO TO DECIEVE
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. 22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
He KNEW something wasn’t right… but he failed to examine it farther!
You can’t trust feelings alone!
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. 25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Sometimes we overlook obvious doubts because we want so bad to believe something or someone!
Psa 34: 7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Taste (PERCIEVE) and See (EXPERIENCE) that the Lord is good!
“ARRIVAL AND CROSS CHECK!
• A cross checking of the senses!
• Cross check the word,
• the pastor,
• your experience,
• history etc…
II Cor 11: 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Be Not Deceived… ( move thru the list of warnings )
Luke 21: 8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. (better hang more on it before I bite!)
I Cor 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
I Cor 15: 33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.( MORAL HABITS) 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Gal 6: 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Prov 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Mark 13: 5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Rom 16: 17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Eph 5: 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
BUT THERE IS A SAFETY NET PROVIDED…
Eph 4: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO CONFRONT LIES!
It is not enough to just know what is truth…
We have to STAND for truth… and Love truth!
HUMILITY IS A MAJOR PROTECTION AGAINST DECEPTION!
I Cor 3: 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
YOU HAVE TO TRUST GODLY WISDOM AND NOT HUMAN LOGIC.
GET RID OF HAUGHTINESS AND GET REAL BEFORE GOD
I John 1: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
YOU HAVE TO STUDY THE WORD!
II Peter 1: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE WORD… BECAUSE… 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
OUR TEXT SUMS UP HOW TO HAVE VICTORY OVER DECEPTION
II Tim 3: 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
(CONSIDER THE SOURCE------INSPECT THEIR FRUIT )
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
1. Stay steady
2. Study to learn
3. Be assured of the truths (test them)
4. Consider the source!
( just cause it feels real doesn’t make it real )
Line it up with the word!
Remember: Cross check!
Don’t worry about what they call you…
They even called Jesus Beelzebub.
INSTRUCTIONS: BIND = The spirit of Lies & deception
LOOSE = The Spirit of Truth!
John 14: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 16: 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, (HOLY GHOST) he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
THE GOOD NEWS IS (GLORY TO GOD) = THIS WON’T LAST FOREVER!
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING! Lord give us some Deception Perception!
PLEASE STAND!!
With every head bowed and every eye closed I want to ask you a question.
When you stand before God on that great day, and those books are opened and you are judged by what is in those books. What do you think a Just and Holy God is going to say?
Well done my good and faithful servant ------ Or
Depart from me you worker of Iniquity.?
Have you been deceived, or are you deceiving yourself, as the Bible plainly says?
If so there is hope… Even though we are guilty of sinning against God and breaking his laws there is forgiveness and redemption available to us today.
You can know him and his wonderful Grace and Mercy. You can leave this place this morning Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are forgiven and if you take your last breath on earth today, you will take your next breath with Him in Glory.
Is there anyone here this morning that’s not sure?
Is there anyone here that would be honest before God and say Pastor I’m really not sure but I want to be.
