1 00:00:00,571 --> 00:00:02,687 James 1. 2 00:00:02,687 --> 00:00:06,055 My attention is called to this theme in v. 16. 3 00:00:06,055 --> 00:00:08,355 James 1:16. 4 00:00:08,355 --> 00:00:12,574 "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." 5 00:00:12,574 --> 00:00:14,383 I say this theme, not this verse, 6 00:00:14,383 --> 00:00:17,460 because this is a repeated verse 7 00:00:17,460 --> 00:00:20,569 in the Bible. 8 00:00:20,569 --> 00:00:24,892 A repeated verse and a major theme. 9 00:00:24,892 --> 00:00:27,415 Have you ever noticed that? 10 00:00:27,415 --> 00:00:30,195 "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." 11 00:00:30,195 --> 00:00:32,605 Now, it's a negative, 12 00:00:32,605 --> 00:00:34,231 kind of like the Ten Commandments. 13 00:00:34,231 --> 00:00:35,593 A lot of them are negative: 14 00:00:35,593 --> 00:00:38,313 Do not do this and do not do that, 15 00:00:38,313 --> 00:00:39,607 but that's alright. 16 00:00:39,607 --> 00:00:42,766 The negative for the Christian is a positive. 17 00:00:42,766 --> 00:00:46,605 A stop sign - that may save our life 18 00:00:46,605 --> 00:00:49,798 if we obey it. 19 00:00:49,798 --> 00:00:52,590 So, it is a negative command 20 00:00:52,590 --> 00:00:54,581 in the New Testament. 21 00:00:54,581 --> 00:00:57,667 A negative warning. An admonition. 22 00:00:57,667 --> 00:01:00,693 But it's a very tender admonition. 23 00:01:00,693 --> 00:01:05,269 Here he addresses the brethren. 24 00:01:05,269 --> 00:01:08,933 He said, "do not be deceived, my brethren." 25 00:01:08,933 --> 00:01:11,333 My brethren. My beloved brethren. 26 00:01:11,333 --> 00:01:12,678 Something for the Christian. 27 00:01:12,678 --> 00:01:13,571 Something for us. 28 00:01:13,571 --> 00:01:15,699 The warnings are very, very valuable; 29 00:01:15,699 --> 00:01:18,454 very applicable; very helpful 30 00:01:18,454 --> 00:01:20,533 for the Christian in his walk 31 00:01:20,533 --> 00:01:22,411 and in his warfare. 32 00:01:22,411 --> 00:01:25,886 And so is this theme of deception. 33 00:01:25,886 --> 00:01:29,026 I'm going to use the word 34 00:01:29,026 --> 00:01:31,167 "don't kid yourself," 35 00:01:31,167 --> 00:01:33,462 and that's really that same idea. 36 00:01:33,462 --> 00:01:35,375 Don't fool yourself. Don't kid yourself. 37 00:01:35,375 --> 00:01:39,152 Don't deceive yourself. 38 00:01:39,152 --> 00:01:40,488 Some things, you know, 39 00:01:40,488 --> 00:01:42,074 there's this matter of deception 40 00:01:42,074 --> 00:01:43,714 that's not too costly. 41 00:01:43,714 --> 00:01:47,443 I've been deceived out of some money. 42 00:01:47,443 --> 00:01:49,063 I remember back in high school 43 00:01:49,063 --> 00:01:50,950 when somebody tricked me into 44 00:01:50,950 --> 00:01:52,886 a stamp collection deal. 45 00:01:52,886 --> 00:01:56,915 I probably lost $30, $40, $50 on that. 46 00:01:56,915 --> 00:01:59,181 At least once, I've been deceived 47 00:01:59,181 --> 00:02:02,224 on purchasing a used car. 48 00:02:02,224 --> 00:02:04,629 That motor wasn't what I thought it was 49 00:02:04,629 --> 00:02:06,753 or what I was told it was. 50 00:02:06,753 --> 00:02:08,665 And some of those things, 51 00:02:08,665 --> 00:02:11,580 they can be kind of costly. 52 00:02:11,580 --> 00:02:15,858 But nothing compares to being deceived 53 00:02:15,858 --> 00:02:17,509 in spiritual matters; 54 00:02:17,509 --> 00:02:19,424 being deceived in the spiritual realm; 55 00:02:19,424 --> 00:02:24,093 being deceived in the matters of our soul. 56 00:02:24,093 --> 00:02:26,212 That is where it's really costly. 57 00:02:26,212 --> 00:02:27,989 That's where it's big - 58 00:02:27,989 --> 00:02:30,203 being fooled in that category; 59 00:02:30,203 --> 00:02:33,377 being deceived in that category. 60 00:02:33,377 --> 00:02:36,479 And so he says, "do not be deceived, 61 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:38,062 my beloved brethren." 62 00:02:38,062 --> 00:02:39,709 Don't do that. 63 00:02:39,709 --> 00:02:41,062 Don't let it happen. 64 00:02:41,062 --> 00:02:42,151 Watch out. 65 00:02:42,151 --> 00:02:47,275 Don't be deceived, my beloved brethren. 66 00:02:47,275 --> 00:02:49,035 It's addressed, you know, 67 00:02:49,035 --> 00:02:50,257 it's addressed as though 68 00:02:50,257 --> 00:02:51,903 it were a personal responsibility; 69 00:02:51,903 --> 00:02:53,688 as though we were responsible in it, 70 00:02:53,688 --> 00:02:56,333 and indeed we are. 71 00:02:56,333 --> 00:02:57,786 Looking here in verse 22, 72 00:02:57,786 --> 00:03:00,026 he says "prove yourselves doers of the Word 73 00:03:00,026 --> 00:03:01,704 and not merely hearers 74 00:03:01,704 --> 00:03:03,899 who delude themselves." 75 00:03:03,899 --> 00:03:05,148 Isn't that something? 76 00:03:05,148 --> 00:03:07,536 That we can delude ourselves. 77 00:03:07,536 --> 00:03:09,458 And the same in verse 26: 78 00:03:09,458 --> 00:03:11,794 if anyone things himself such-and-such 79 00:03:11,794 --> 00:03:13,259 and such-and-such, 80 00:03:13,259 --> 00:03:15,945 he deceives his own heart. 81 00:03:15,945 --> 00:03:17,128 Isn't that something? 82 00:03:17,128 --> 00:03:20,213 That we can deceive our own heart? 83 00:03:20,213 --> 00:03:21,785 That we can fool ourselves? 84 00:03:21,785 --> 00:03:23,479 That we can bring it on ourselves? 85 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:25,630 That we can mess ourselves up? 86 00:03:25,630 --> 00:03:28,605 That we can go astray ourselves? 87 00:03:28,605 --> 00:03:31,157 Put ourselves astray, and a lot of times, 88 00:03:31,157 --> 00:03:34,217 that Greek word is translated that way. 89 00:03:34,217 --> 00:03:36,105 It means to go astray. 90 00:03:36,105 --> 00:03:38,455 It means to be led off track. 91 00:03:38,455 --> 00:03:40,498 And so, do not be deceived, 92 00:03:40,498 --> 00:03:42,375 my beloved brethren. 93 00:03:42,375 --> 00:03:44,481 We have a responsibility in it, 94 00:03:44,481 --> 00:03:46,955 and yet behind it all, 95 00:03:46,955 --> 00:03:51,204 who is at work? 96 00:03:51,204 --> 00:03:52,929 It is the devil, isn't it? 97 00:03:52,929 --> 00:03:57,048 We see this in Revelation 12. 98 00:03:57,048 --> 00:04:01,113 I'm going to appeal to you to turn some pages. 99 00:04:01,113 --> 00:04:02,588 It helps to look at it 100 00:04:02,588 --> 00:04:04,046 right before your very eyes 101 00:04:04,046 --> 00:04:06,798 on the sacred page and see it, doesn't it? 102 00:04:06,798 --> 00:04:08,563 I was thinking about this last night 103 00:04:08,563 --> 00:04:10,010 as we gathered together 104 00:04:10,010 --> 00:04:11,957 for prayer and Bible reading. 105 00:04:11,957 --> 00:04:14,034 I get a lot more out of that 106 00:04:14,034 --> 00:04:16,042 so-called family devotion time 107 00:04:16,042 --> 00:04:18,181 when I've got the Bible right in front of me 108 00:04:18,181 --> 00:04:19,495 and I'm doing the reading, 109 00:04:19,495 --> 00:04:21,122 rather than if one of the children 110 00:04:21,122 --> 00:04:22,099 is doing the reading 111 00:04:22,099 --> 00:04:23,725 and I don't see the words. 112 00:04:23,725 --> 00:04:26,023 And so it does help to turn to the passage 113 00:04:26,023 --> 00:04:27,992 and see it right before our very eyes. 114 00:04:27,992 --> 00:04:29,499 There it is. I'm reading it. 115 00:04:29,499 --> 00:04:30,966 It's mine. 116 00:04:30,966 --> 00:04:34,906 And so it says here in Revelation 12:9, 117 00:04:34,906 --> 00:04:40,553 (incomplete thought) 118 00:04:40,553 --> 00:04:42,468 "And the great dragon, 119 00:04:42,468 --> 00:04:45,201 he was thrown down." 120 00:04:45,201 --> 00:04:47,619 And we can tell by the following context 121 00:04:47,619 --> 00:04:50,724 he was talking about what happened at Calvary. 122 00:04:50,724 --> 00:04:52,842 "The serpent of old, 123 00:04:52,842 --> 00:04:54,787 who was called the devil and Satan, 124 00:04:54,787 --> 00:04:57,694 who deceives the whole world, 125 00:04:57,694 --> 00:05:00,030 he was thrown down to the earth 126 00:05:00,030 --> 00:05:04,523 and his angels were thrown down with him." 127 00:05:04,523 --> 00:05:06,621 Underline that in your mind. 128 00:05:06,621 --> 00:05:11,027 He deceives the whole world. 129 00:05:11,027 --> 00:05:12,766 It takes a little bit of cunning 130 00:05:12,766 --> 00:05:14,549 to deceive one person. 131 00:05:14,549 --> 00:05:16,742 You might be sitting at a table playing cards, 132 00:05:16,742 --> 00:05:18,441 you know, and trick the other guy, 133 00:05:18,441 --> 00:05:21,145 but if there's a whole bunch of people around the table, 134 00:05:21,145 --> 00:05:23,821 I'm just imagining, it would be much harder to deceive 135 00:05:23,821 --> 00:05:25,062 that other person. 136 00:05:25,062 --> 00:05:26,328 But think of this. 137 00:05:26,328 --> 00:05:29,139 Think of the skill of the deceiver 138 00:05:29,139 --> 00:05:32,645 that he has deceived the whole world. 139 00:05:32,645 --> 00:05:34,438 You look out there on the scene 140 00:05:34,438 --> 00:05:35,550 of the whole world, 141 00:05:35,550 --> 00:05:37,096 and he is skillful enough, 142 00:05:37,096 --> 00:05:38,177 he is tricky enough, 143 00:05:38,177 --> 00:05:39,323 he is crafty enough, 144 00:05:39,323 --> 00:05:40,501 he is subtle enough, 145 00:05:40,501 --> 00:05:41,573 he is big enough, 146 00:05:41,573 --> 00:05:43,251 he is smart enough 147 00:05:43,251 --> 00:05:46,360 to trick the whole world. 148 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,090 And to do it from the beginning of time 149 00:05:49,090 --> 00:05:51,211 when he deceived Eve, 150 00:05:51,211 --> 00:05:53,872 the very first woman. 151 00:05:53,872 --> 00:05:56,325 It says it was not Adam who was deceived, 152 00:05:56,325 --> 00:05:58,149 but the woman being deceived 153 00:05:58,149 --> 00:06:00,439 fell into transgression. 154 00:06:00,439 --> 00:06:03,179 By his subtlety, he did that. 155 00:06:03,179 --> 00:06:07,187 So the world - the whole system - 156 00:06:07,187 --> 00:06:09,637 it's not just one or two on the train 157 00:06:09,637 --> 00:06:11,022 that are fooled, 158 00:06:11,022 --> 00:06:13,945 but the whole train is on the wrong track. 159 00:06:13,945 --> 00:06:16,310 The whole thing is a sinking ship 160 00:06:16,310 --> 00:06:21,013 and smiling on their way down. 161 00:06:21,013 --> 00:06:23,737 And we tend to think, well, that's just secular, 162 00:06:23,737 --> 00:06:25,297 but it's more than secular. 163 00:06:25,297 --> 00:06:27,663 It's more than the secular realm, isn't it? 164 00:06:27,663 --> 00:06:29,863 It's the religious realm too. 165 00:06:29,863 --> 00:06:31,210 It's Christendom even. 166 00:06:31,210 --> 00:06:34,667 It's not just Islam and so on, 167 00:06:34,667 --> 00:06:36,446 but even Christendom. 168 00:06:36,446 --> 00:06:38,179 And I'm taking that from verses 169 00:06:38,179 --> 00:06:40,662 like Matthew 7 where it speaks 170 00:06:40,662 --> 00:06:43,106 of the narrow way and the broad way. 171 00:06:43,106 --> 00:06:45,390 The narrow way leading to life; 172 00:06:45,390 --> 00:06:48,123 the broad way leading to destruction. 173 00:06:48,123 --> 00:06:52,812 But the few in contrast to the many. 174 00:06:52,812 --> 00:06:54,023 The few and the many. 175 00:06:54,023 --> 00:06:55,751 That is that most are headed 176 00:06:55,751 --> 00:06:57,676 on the broad road to destruction. 177 00:06:57,676 --> 00:07:00,329 Who are those many? 178 00:07:00,329 --> 00:07:02,200 You can tell by the context 179 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,543 that the Lord is not contrasting 180 00:07:04,543 --> 00:07:06,531 the Christian with the world, 181 00:07:06,531 --> 00:07:08,227 but He is contrasting the Christian 182 00:07:08,227 --> 00:07:10,459 with the false Christian. 183 00:07:10,459 --> 00:07:12,935 The Christian with the false professor. 184 00:07:12,935 --> 00:07:14,816 You can tell that by the context. 185 00:07:14,816 --> 00:07:17,529 So, in other words, we are forced to conclude 186 00:07:17,529 --> 00:07:19,784 that most of the church goers 187 00:07:19,784 --> 00:07:22,349 are deceived and are going to tumble into hell 188 00:07:22,349 --> 00:07:24,612 off a church pew with a prayer on their lips 189 00:07:24,612 --> 00:07:26,192 and a Bible in their hand. 190 00:07:26,192 --> 00:07:28,193 Deceived you see. 191 00:07:28,193 --> 00:07:29,769 Many will say to Me in that day: 192 00:07:29,769 --> 00:07:32,290 Lord, Lord, didn't we do this and that? 193 00:07:32,290 --> 00:07:34,670 and He will say in utter reality, 194 00:07:34,670 --> 00:07:36,742 "I never knew you." 195 00:07:36,742 --> 00:07:39,930 And so it goes deeper than just the secular realm. 196 00:07:39,930 --> 00:07:44,297 It goes into Christendom as well. 197 00:07:44,297 --> 00:07:47,770 And in 2 John 7, he says 198 00:07:47,770 --> 00:07:51,261 that "many (not few, but many) deceivers 199 00:07:51,261 --> 00:07:53,643 have gone out into the world." 200 00:07:53,643 --> 00:07:56,208 It says in 1 John 4, 201 00:07:56,208 --> 00:07:58,528 "Many false prophets have gone out 202 00:07:58,528 --> 00:07:59,779 into the world." 203 00:07:59,779 --> 00:08:01,048 Not a few, but many. 204 00:08:01,048 --> 00:08:03,060 There are a lot of them out there. 205 00:08:03,060 --> 00:08:05,140 And they're getting worse and worse. 206 00:08:05,140 --> 00:08:06,540 In 2 Timothy 3, 207 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:07,898 "In the last days, 208 00:08:07,898 --> 00:08:10,197 evil men and deceivers will grow 209 00:08:10,197 --> 00:08:11,228 worse and worse 210 00:08:11,228 --> 00:08:13,823 deceiving and being deceived." 211 00:08:13,823 --> 00:08:15,969 It's getting worse. It's getting darker. 212 00:08:15,969 --> 00:08:18,349 That which looks like light 213 00:08:18,349 --> 00:08:21,053 is not light, but rather darkness, 214 00:08:21,053 --> 00:08:23,390 and it's getting darker all the time. 215 00:08:23,390 --> 00:08:26,824 And lest we sit here in any smugness, 216 00:08:26,824 --> 00:08:29,029 you know we ought to remember 217 00:08:29,029 --> 00:08:32,594 that Titus 3:1, "We also ourselves 218 00:08:32,594 --> 00:08:36,272 were once deceived and disobedient 219 00:08:36,272 --> 00:08:38,952 and worthless for any good deed." 220 00:08:38,952 --> 00:08:40,974 It got us. He got us too. 221 00:08:40,974 --> 00:08:42,884 We were there. We had fooled ourselves. 222 00:08:42,884 --> 00:08:44,341 We had kidded ourselves. 223 00:08:44,341 --> 00:08:47,059 We were on the wrong track even ourselves. 224 00:08:47,059 --> 00:08:49,385 Lest we think anything of ourselves 225 00:08:49,385 --> 00:08:52,068 as being so smart, so secure, 226 00:08:52,068 --> 00:08:53,919 we've got it all together. 227 00:08:53,919 --> 00:08:55,881 We were fooled ourselves. 228 00:08:55,881 --> 00:08:59,122 Let God be true and every man a liar. 229 00:08:59,122 --> 00:09:02,027 Isn't it something the way they esteem this man, 230 00:09:02,027 --> 00:09:05,089 this singer, this musician James Brown? 231 00:09:05,089 --> 00:09:07,418 I mean, the world, U.S.A. mourned 232 00:09:07,418 --> 00:09:10,282 over his funeral last week or so, 233 00:09:10,282 --> 00:09:13,482 and here the man was a no-good man. 234 00:09:13,482 --> 00:09:14,910 He spent time in prison. 235 00:09:14,910 --> 00:09:17,070 He was an addict and so on. 236 00:09:17,070 --> 00:09:19,769 Unless there's something I don't know 237 00:09:19,769 --> 00:09:21,499 about him repenting at the last, 238 00:09:21,499 --> 00:09:25,577 but here the world esteems men 239 00:09:25,577 --> 00:09:29,253 that are not worthy of being esteemed. 240 00:09:29,253 --> 00:09:33,088 So the world - Satan has deceived the world. 241 00:09:33,088 --> 00:09:42,402 Look at this again in 2 Corinthians 11. 242 00:09:42,402 --> 00:09:47,070 2 Corinthians 11:3. 243 00:09:47,070 --> 00:09:50,145 Paul says, "I am afraid that..." 244 00:09:50,145 --> 00:09:52,192 Think of that. Paul had some fears. 245 00:09:52,192 --> 00:09:53,505 This mighty apostle - 246 00:09:53,505 --> 00:09:56,571 this man was filled with the Spirit of God; 247 00:09:56,571 --> 00:09:57,967 had such authority upon him, 248 00:09:57,967 --> 00:09:59,345 he had some fears. 249 00:09:59,345 --> 00:10:01,084 And here was one of his fears. 250 00:10:01,084 --> 00:10:03,258 He says, "I'm afraid for you..." 251 00:10:03,258 --> 00:10:06,649 Corinthians - a church that he had started, you see. 252 00:10:06,649 --> 00:10:10,838 "I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve..." 253 00:10:10,838 --> 00:10:12,840 How? "...by his craftiness, 254 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,613 your minds would be led astray 255 00:10:14,613 --> 00:10:16,874 from the simplicity and purity 256 00:10:16,874 --> 00:10:18,656 of devotion to Christ." 257 00:10:18,656 --> 00:10:20,553 He says I'm afraid that you're going to 258 00:10:20,553 --> 00:10:22,838 get away from the simple and pure - 259 00:10:22,838 --> 00:10:26,636 just simple love and devotion to the Lord Jesus. 260 00:10:26,636 --> 00:10:29,091 I'm afraid you're going to get away from that. 261 00:10:29,091 --> 00:10:30,276 I'm afraid for you 262 00:10:30,276 --> 00:10:33,117 that Satan is going to do a job on you 263 00:10:33,117 --> 00:10:35,196 like he did on Eve. 264 00:10:35,196 --> 00:10:37,176 He's called the serpent here. 265 00:10:37,176 --> 00:10:39,148 He's a snake in the grass. 266 00:10:39,148 --> 00:10:42,722 Terri's dad one time got bit by a copperhead. 267 00:10:42,722 --> 00:10:44,056 He didn't even see it. 268 00:10:44,056 --> 00:10:45,239 He was hidden there. 269 00:10:45,239 --> 00:10:46,638 He was subtle in the grass. 270 00:10:46,638 --> 00:10:48,578 He felt the pain from it and realized 271 00:10:48,578 --> 00:10:51,365 that's what must have happened. 272 00:10:51,365 --> 00:10:53,231 So the enemy is a wolf, 273 00:10:53,231 --> 00:10:57,658 not in wolves' clothing, but in sheep's clothing. 274 00:10:57,658 --> 00:11:01,709 He is a crocodile hiding under the shallow water. 275 00:11:01,709 --> 00:11:04,305 The only thing you see is the two bumps sticking up. 276 00:11:04,305 --> 00:11:07,308 So he is subtle and crafty, 277 00:11:07,308 --> 00:11:08,209 very skillful, 278 00:11:08,209 --> 00:11:10,402 a master at deception. 279 00:11:10,402 --> 00:11:12,166 You know, you think of somebody 280 00:11:12,166 --> 00:11:14,119 who's done some skill, some craft, 281 00:11:14,119 --> 00:11:15,736 some trade for a few years. 282 00:11:15,736 --> 00:11:17,255 The more he goes on in it, 283 00:11:17,255 --> 00:11:19,370 the better he is at it right? 284 00:11:19,370 --> 00:11:21,749 So here is the devil who has had 285 00:11:21,749 --> 00:11:27,597 millenniums to get good at what he does. 286 00:11:27,597 --> 00:11:29,516 And he's got workers, right? 287 00:11:29,516 --> 00:11:30,990 He's got helpers. 288 00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:33,651 We find in 1 Timothy 4 - 289 00:11:33,651 --> 00:11:35,881 you don't need to turn to it this time, 290 00:11:35,881 --> 00:11:39,499 but it speaks of doctrines of deceitful spirits; 291 00:11:39,499 --> 00:11:42,402 deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. 292 00:11:42,402 --> 00:11:45,581 Referring to Islam here this morning, 293 00:11:45,581 --> 00:11:48,917 I've just read a book that Ray brought back 294 00:11:48,917 --> 00:11:52,057 from down there at Voice of the Martyrs 295 00:11:52,057 --> 00:11:55,721 entitled, "Unveiling Islam." 296 00:11:55,721 --> 00:11:58,887 And you get to reading more about Islam, 297 00:11:58,887 --> 00:12:00,379 what they believe, and you go 298 00:12:00,379 --> 00:12:02,051 how could anybody believe that? 299 00:12:02,051 --> 00:12:03,829 How could anybody rejoice in that? 300 00:12:03,829 --> 00:12:05,235 Delight in those things? 301 00:12:05,235 --> 00:12:07,278 Those things that they teach. 302 00:12:07,278 --> 00:12:08,868 It's just so unacceptable. 303 00:12:08,868 --> 00:12:11,598 (unintelligible) 304 00:12:11,598 --> 00:12:12,767 There's so many laws, 305 00:12:12,767 --> 00:12:13,873 so many rituals, 306 00:12:13,873 --> 00:12:16,071 so much bondage, you know, 307 00:12:16,071 --> 00:12:17,958 and fear - who would want that? 308 00:12:17,958 --> 00:12:19,972 And yet, look at the masses of humanity 309 00:12:19,972 --> 00:12:22,201 that have been deceived. How? 310 00:12:22,201 --> 00:12:23,980 How? Why would they go for that? 311 00:12:23,980 --> 00:12:25,313 Doctrines of demons. 312 00:12:25,313 --> 00:12:28,756 Deceitful spirits - 1 Timothy 4. 313 00:12:28,756 --> 00:12:31,911 It speaks of that. 314 00:12:31,911 --> 00:12:35,318 Not only that, but look down here 315 00:12:35,318 --> 00:12:39,434 in verse 13. 316 00:12:39,434 --> 00:12:42,353 It speaks of false apostles. 317 00:12:42,353 --> 00:12:45,028 False apostles. 318 00:12:45,028 --> 00:12:48,700 Deceitful workers. 319 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:51,626 Clint and Jenny ran into one up there 320 00:12:51,626 --> 00:12:53,070 near Morris. 321 00:12:53,070 --> 00:12:56,030 That man - he looked real good. 322 00:12:56,030 --> 00:12:58,902 He was very charismatic, right? 323 00:12:58,902 --> 00:13:01,386 He knew the Bible very well. 324 00:13:01,386 --> 00:13:03,954 And he was very zealous in good works 325 00:13:03,954 --> 00:13:05,264 even in foreign countries, 326 00:13:05,264 --> 00:13:07,162 helping the poor and so on, 327 00:13:07,162 --> 00:13:08,783 trying to get the gospel out 328 00:13:08,783 --> 00:13:10,572 and things like that, 329 00:13:10,572 --> 00:13:13,515 but at least one problem 330 00:13:13,515 --> 00:13:15,766 was that come to find out 331 00:13:15,766 --> 00:13:19,372 there was a woman he was closer to than his wife. 332 00:13:19,372 --> 00:13:22,255 And when all the dust settled, 333 00:13:22,255 --> 00:13:26,895 you have to conclude he was a deceitful worker. 334 00:13:26,895 --> 00:13:29,079 It speaks in Revelation 2, 335 00:13:29,079 --> 00:13:31,357 "You allow that woman Jezebel to teach 336 00:13:31,357 --> 00:13:35,439 and to lead my bondservants astray." 337 00:13:35,439 --> 00:13:37,910 The word there is the same word in the Greek 338 00:13:37,910 --> 00:13:41,195 "to deceive" my bondservants. 339 00:13:41,195 --> 00:13:43,281 Now, I mean, these false prophets, 340 00:13:43,281 --> 00:13:45,927 they can affect the saints of God. 341 00:13:45,927 --> 00:13:49,330 We have the consolation that ultimately 342 00:13:49,330 --> 00:13:51,043 we cannot, will not - 343 00:13:51,043 --> 00:13:52,686 if we are true believers, 344 00:13:52,686 --> 00:13:55,080 we will not be deceived. 345 00:13:55,080 --> 00:14:02,503 And we see that over here in Matthew 24. 346 00:14:02,503 --> 00:14:06,378 Matthew 24:24. 347 00:14:06,378 --> 00:14:08,500 "Where false Christs and false prophets 348 00:14:08,500 --> 00:14:12,909 will arise and will show great signs and wonders." 349 00:14:12,909 --> 00:14:16,528 2 Thessalonians 2 speaks of lying wonders. 350 00:14:16,528 --> 00:14:19,371 The activity of Satan with all lying wonders, 351 00:14:19,371 --> 00:14:23,680 "so as to mislead..." same great word - deceive, 352 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:25,946 "if possible, even the elect." 353 00:14:25,946 --> 00:14:29,203 If it were possible - it's not possible. 354 00:14:29,203 --> 00:14:31,781 Not in the ultimate sense. 355 00:14:31,781 --> 00:14:34,824 I mean, I'm glad for this word right here 356 00:14:34,824 --> 00:14:37,029 that the weakest saint will win the day 357 00:14:37,029 --> 00:14:39,436 though death and hell obstruct the way. 358 00:14:39,436 --> 00:14:42,640 "If it were possible, even the elect." 359 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:44,563 But that just tells us something 360 00:14:44,563 --> 00:14:46,711 of the subtlety of the wicked one - 361 00:14:46,711 --> 00:14:49,261 how skillful he is. 362 00:14:49,261 --> 00:14:53,300 So we ought to be on the alert. 363 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:56,391 It speaks in Romans 16, 364 00:14:56,391 --> 00:14:58,634 it says, "they..." speaking of the false, 365 00:14:58,634 --> 00:15:01,374 deceitful workers - "they deceive 366 00:15:01,374 --> 00:15:04,581 the hearts of the unsuspecting." 367 00:15:04,581 --> 00:15:07,837 There is a sense in which we ought to be suspicious. 368 00:15:07,837 --> 00:15:11,042 There is another sense in which we should not suspicious; 369 00:15:11,042 --> 00:15:12,298 should not be critical; 370 00:15:12,298 --> 00:15:15,133 should not be introspective and so on. 371 00:15:15,133 --> 00:15:17,100 There's a fine balance here. 372 00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:18,778 But it says they deceive the hearts 373 00:15:18,778 --> 00:15:20,127 of the unsuspecting. 374 00:15:20,127 --> 00:15:22,785 I did not suspect that he 375 00:15:22,785 --> 00:15:24,808 was a false leader. 376 00:15:24,808 --> 00:15:28,486 And so, we're given this comfort. 377 00:15:28,486 --> 00:15:32,314 We're given also this warning. 378 00:15:32,314 --> 00:15:36,382 Let's look at some areas in which 379 00:15:36,382 --> 00:15:38,994 the Bible either specifically 380 00:15:38,994 --> 00:15:43,844 or by way of implication 381 00:15:43,844 --> 00:15:45,861 gives us a warning - 382 00:15:45,861 --> 00:15:51,027 ways in which we can be deceived. 383 00:15:51,027 --> 00:15:52,487 In no particular order, 384 00:15:52,487 --> 00:15:55,132 but just working from the left to the right. 385 00:15:55,132 --> 00:16:01,093 Proverbs 31:30. 386 00:16:01,093 --> 00:16:04,131 "Charm is deceitful 387 00:16:04,131 --> 00:16:06,367 and beauty is vain, 388 00:16:06,367 --> 00:16:08,302 but a woman who fears the Lord, 389 00:16:08,302 --> 00:16:09,948 she shall be praised. 390 00:16:09,948 --> 00:16:11,839 Give her the product of her hands 391 00:16:11,839 --> 00:16:14,963 and let her works praise her in the gates." 392 00:16:14,963 --> 00:16:16,528 What a striking verse! 393 00:16:16,528 --> 00:16:20,288 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. 394 00:16:20,288 --> 00:16:23,117 This word "vain," do you know what it means? 395 00:16:23,117 --> 00:16:24,686 It means "hollow." 396 00:16:24,686 --> 00:16:29,454 It means "empty." 397 00:16:29,454 --> 00:16:34,293 Beauty is vain, because why? 398 00:16:34,293 --> 00:16:37,229 Because it's so superficial. 399 00:16:37,229 --> 00:16:39,224 It's so temporal. 400 00:16:39,224 --> 00:16:41,883 It's not really where it counts 401 00:16:41,883 --> 00:16:46,344 in the long run in spiritual matters. 402 00:16:46,344 --> 00:16:50,669 Yet, Peter says, don't let your adornment be external, 403 00:16:50,669 --> 00:16:55,314 but rather let it be the hidden person of the heart. 404 00:16:55,314 --> 00:16:56,568 The hidden person. 405 00:16:56,568 --> 00:16:58,885 The inner man, not the outer man. 406 00:16:58,885 --> 00:17:01,338 Don't worry so much about that. 407 00:17:01,338 --> 00:17:03,915 But rather, the hidden person of the heart. 408 00:17:03,915 --> 00:17:06,027 "...With the imperishable quality 409 00:17:06,027 --> 00:17:08,569 of a meek and quiet spirit, 410 00:17:08,569 --> 00:17:12,440 which is precious in the sight of God." 411 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,812 That's God's economy. 412 00:17:15,812 --> 00:17:17,112 Beauty is vain. 413 00:17:17,112 --> 00:17:20,642 God is looking for the beauty of holiness. 414 00:17:20,642 --> 00:17:23,308 Right? 415 00:17:23,308 --> 00:17:25,232 Charm is deceitful. 416 00:17:25,232 --> 00:17:26,828 It looks so good, 417 00:17:26,828 --> 00:17:28,812 but it deceives the one who has it 418 00:17:28,812 --> 00:17:30,271 and deceives others 419 00:17:30,271 --> 00:17:33,549 if we're not careful. 420 00:17:33,549 --> 00:17:35,282 Men, young men, 421 00:17:35,282 --> 00:17:40,407 what kind of a woman do you want to look for? 422 00:17:40,407 --> 00:17:42,775 This verse tells us. 423 00:17:42,775 --> 00:17:44,408 "The woman who fears the Lord, 424 00:17:44,408 --> 00:17:46,684 she shall be praised." 425 00:17:46,684 --> 00:17:47,782 Don't be deceived. 426 00:17:47,782 --> 00:17:49,619 Look for a woman who fears God. 427 00:17:49,619 --> 00:17:51,700 Look for a man who fears God; 428 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:53,791 who has enough about him 429 00:17:53,791 --> 00:17:57,065 to turn away from sin. 430 00:17:57,065 --> 00:17:58,493 I mean, that's a lot of times, 431 00:17:58,493 --> 00:18:01,132 the way the fear of the Lord is defined, right? 432 00:18:01,132 --> 00:18:02,887 Job was a man who feared God 433 00:18:02,887 --> 00:18:04,598 and turned away from evil. 434 00:18:04,598 --> 00:18:06,042 And it says that repeatedly. 435 00:18:06,042 --> 00:18:07,795 Same thing in the book of Proverbs. 436 00:18:07,795 --> 00:18:09,192 Turn away from evil. 437 00:18:09,192 --> 00:18:13,617 "Fears God..." that is, he or she realizes 438 00:18:13,617 --> 00:18:16,256 that it is God with whom we have to do. 439 00:18:16,256 --> 00:18:21,155 It is God that I have to center my life around. 440 00:18:21,155 --> 00:18:22,720 It's God that I must love. 441 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:24,833 It's God's Word that I must deal with. 442 00:18:24,833 --> 00:18:26,496 Look for a man; look for a woman 443 00:18:26,496 --> 00:18:28,757 who's thinking about things above 444 00:18:28,757 --> 00:18:30,858 where Christ is at the right hand of God. 445 00:18:30,858 --> 00:18:35,855 He's heavenly minded; she's heavenly minded. 446 00:18:35,855 --> 00:18:39,096 Dealing with sin, reading good books, 447 00:18:39,096 --> 00:18:41,115 talking about the things of God, 448 00:18:41,115 --> 00:18:43,841 exercising self-denial. 449 00:18:43,841 --> 00:18:46,199 Look for a woman who fears the Lord; 450 00:18:46,199 --> 00:18:48,012 has enough of God about her 451 00:18:48,012 --> 00:18:52,267 that she is able to veil that beauty 452 00:18:52,267 --> 00:18:57,999 with what Paul calls modest apparel. 453 00:18:57,999 --> 00:19:02,267 Fears the Lord - she shall be praised. 454 00:19:02,267 --> 00:19:06,847 And it says here a specific in the next verse: 455 00:19:06,847 --> 00:19:10,792 "Let her works praise her in the gates." 456 00:19:10,792 --> 00:19:14,265 She is a woman (or a man - either way) 457 00:19:14,265 --> 00:19:16,989 who is serving the Lord. 458 00:19:16,989 --> 00:19:21,420 Her works - what kind of works 459 00:19:21,420 --> 00:19:23,052 is he talking about here? 460 00:19:23,052 --> 00:19:24,663 Well, according to chapter 31, 461 00:19:24,663 --> 00:19:28,327 he's talking about the home work 462 00:19:28,327 --> 00:19:30,277 and the way that she cares for the family 463 00:19:30,277 --> 00:19:31,915 and the way that she reaches out 464 00:19:31,915 --> 00:19:34,299 to the poor and the needy and so on. 465 00:19:34,299 --> 00:19:37,119 Rebekah was chosen not for her beauty, 466 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,027 but rather because she saw 467 00:19:40,027 --> 00:19:41,311 that there was a need here 468 00:19:41,311 --> 00:19:42,887 to get the water for those camels 469 00:19:42,887 --> 00:19:49,134 and she ran for it. 470 00:19:49,134 --> 00:19:51,751 Don't be deceived. 471 00:19:51,751 --> 00:19:53,890 Like someone was bringing out earlier today, 472 00:19:53,890 --> 00:19:55,757 look at the movie stars 473 00:19:55,757 --> 00:19:59,456 with all their glamor, charm, beauty, 474 00:19:59,456 --> 00:20:02,431 and all of the repeated divorces 475 00:20:02,431 --> 00:20:05,986 and remarraige. 476 00:20:05,986 --> 00:20:07,499 Don't be deceived and think 477 00:20:07,499 --> 00:20:09,228 you've got to have a pretty woman 478 00:20:09,228 --> 00:20:12,653 to be satisfied. 479 00:20:12,653 --> 00:20:14,773 Let's go on to Matthew. 480 00:20:14,773 --> 00:20:22,205 Back to Matthew 22:29. 481 00:20:22,205 --> 00:20:24,233 "But Jesus answered and said to them, 482 00:20:24,233 --> 00:20:26,638 'You are mistaken...'" same Greek word - 483 00:20:26,638 --> 00:20:29,129 deceived it could be translated. 484 00:20:29,129 --> 00:20:31,556 "...Not understanding, not knowing 485 00:20:31,556 --> 00:20:36,907 the Scriptures, nor the power of God." 486 00:20:36,907 --> 00:20:38,757 We can deceive ourselves 487 00:20:38,757 --> 00:20:41,593 if we have a low view of God. 488 00:20:41,593 --> 00:20:43,745 I mean, that was going on in Christendom 489 00:20:43,745 --> 00:20:45,940 because they do not understand, 490 00:20:45,940 --> 00:20:47,476 know the power of God. 491 00:20:47,476 --> 00:20:49,336 They do all these tricks to try to get 492 00:20:49,336 --> 00:20:50,926 people into the kingdom 493 00:20:50,926 --> 00:20:52,807 and make a decision for Christ 494 00:20:52,807 --> 00:20:54,639 because you don't have appreciation 495 00:20:54,639 --> 00:20:55,768 of the power of God. 496 00:20:55,768 --> 00:20:59,433 You answer in anger, or things like that, you see. 497 00:20:59,433 --> 00:21:02,087 And not trusting that God is big enough 498 00:21:02,087 --> 00:21:03,969 to change the heart or take care, 499 00:21:03,969 --> 00:21:06,235 you see, for me. 500 00:21:06,235 --> 00:21:08,094 And then secondly, He says, 501 00:21:08,094 --> 00:21:09,333 "not understanding, 502 00:21:09,333 --> 00:21:13,188 not knowing the Scriptures." 503 00:21:13,188 --> 00:21:17,411 Deceived - not knowing the Scriptures. 504 00:21:17,411 --> 00:21:20,410 If we neglect the Bible, 505 00:21:20,410 --> 00:21:22,832 we are going to be deceived, 506 00:21:22,832 --> 00:21:25,447 or we're deceived already. 507 00:21:25,447 --> 00:21:29,032 Deceived not knowing the Scriptures. 508 00:21:29,032 --> 00:21:31,338 I mean, are we going to try to make it 509 00:21:31,338 --> 00:21:34,477 to the celestial city without a road map? 510 00:21:34,477 --> 00:21:36,672 Are we going to try to build character 511 00:21:36,672 --> 00:21:39,243 without a blueprint? 512 00:21:39,243 --> 00:21:40,654 Are we going to try to walk 513 00:21:40,654 --> 00:21:42,133 the path of righteousness 514 00:21:42,133 --> 00:21:44,373 without a map? 515 00:21:44,373 --> 00:21:45,656 A lamp unto our feet 516 00:21:45,656 --> 00:21:47,671 and a light unto our path? 517 00:21:47,671 --> 00:21:49,485 Are we going to think about standing 518 00:21:49,485 --> 00:21:51,115 before the judgment seat of Christ 519 00:21:51,115 --> 00:21:52,799 without first judging ourselves 520 00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:54,446 by the Word of God? 521 00:21:54,446 --> 00:21:56,052 It says in Hebrew 4:13 522 00:21:56,052 --> 00:21:59,311 that it's quick, powerful, 523 00:21:59,311 --> 00:22:01,262 sharp as any two-edged sword, 524 00:22:01,262 --> 00:22:04,097 piercing to the dividing asundry of soul and spirit 525 00:22:04,097 --> 00:22:05,296 and of joints and marrow, 526 00:22:05,296 --> 00:22:07,477 as is a discerner of the thoughts - 527 00:22:07,477 --> 00:22:09,521 a judge of the thoughts 528 00:22:09,521 --> 00:22:11,435 and the intents of the heart. 529 00:22:11,435 --> 00:22:13,734 That's why you read the Bible, right? 530 00:22:13,734 --> 00:22:14,937 Search me, Lord. 531 00:22:14,937 --> 00:22:16,262 Search me with it. 532 00:22:16,262 --> 00:22:18,124 See if there's any wicked way in me. 533 00:22:18,124 --> 00:22:20,616 That's why we like to sit under the preaching 534 00:22:20,616 --> 00:22:22,417 of the Word of God. 535 00:22:22,417 --> 00:22:24,403 Give it to me! 536 00:22:24,403 --> 00:22:26,623 I remember Maynard's dad - 537 00:22:26,623 --> 00:22:27,545 his old dad, Carl. 538 00:22:27,545 --> 00:22:29,733 He used to say I like to hear some preaching 539 00:22:29,733 --> 00:22:36,227 where I have to scratch and scramble a little. 540 00:22:36,227 --> 00:22:37,961 Don't neglect the Bible. 541 00:22:37,961 --> 00:22:40,380 I mean, let me make this statement. 542 00:22:40,380 --> 00:22:43,286 If you right here today, 543 00:22:43,286 --> 00:22:46,259 I mean, as you analyze your life, 544 00:22:46,259 --> 00:22:50,055 if your life is not characterized 545 00:22:50,055 --> 00:22:53,542 by daily reading the Bible - 546 00:22:53,542 --> 00:22:55,381 I mean, if that's not your practice; 547 00:22:55,381 --> 00:22:56,788 if that's not your habit, 548 00:22:56,788 --> 00:22:59,525 a daily delight in reading the Word of God, 549 00:22:59,525 --> 00:23:00,787 be sure of this, 550 00:23:00,787 --> 00:23:03,051 that you are not regenerate. 551 00:23:03,051 --> 00:23:05,081 You are not a Christian. 552 00:23:05,081 --> 00:23:06,461 Be sure of that! 553 00:23:06,461 --> 00:23:09,660 Don't be deceived. 554 00:23:09,660 --> 00:23:14,282 God has given us gold. 555 00:23:14,282 --> 00:23:19,082 Here it is. Let's go on. 556 00:23:19,082 --> 00:23:23,656 Mark 4. 557 00:23:23,656 --> 00:23:33,713 Mark 4:19. 558 00:23:33,713 --> 00:23:36,707 The parable of the sower and the soils here. 559 00:23:36,707 --> 00:23:38,900 The seed that is sown among the thorns - 560 00:23:38,900 --> 00:23:41,874 in verse 19, it says the thorns are what? 561 00:23:41,874 --> 00:23:43,250 The worries of the world, 562 00:23:43,250 --> 00:23:44,691 the deceitfulness of riches, 563 00:23:44,691 --> 00:23:47,150 and the desires or lusts for other things. 564 00:23:47,150 --> 00:23:52,297 But there it speaks of the deceitfulness of riches. 565 00:23:52,297 --> 00:23:57,155 That riches are deceitful. 566 00:23:57,155 --> 00:24:00,349 Riches are deceitful. 567 00:24:00,349 --> 00:24:02,698 Why is that? 568 00:24:02,698 --> 00:24:04,392 Because they can give you - 569 00:24:04,392 --> 00:24:05,930 they don't have to, 570 00:24:05,930 --> 00:24:08,985 but you've got to be careful - 571 00:24:08,985 --> 00:24:12,534 they can give you a false sense of satisfaction; 572 00:24:12,534 --> 00:24:15,554 a false sense of security; 573 00:24:15,554 --> 00:24:20,818 a false sense of success; 574 00:24:20,818 --> 00:24:22,945 a complacency. 575 00:24:22,945 --> 00:24:24,345 If we have riches, 576 00:24:24,345 --> 00:24:26,883 that verse was quoted in 1 Timothy 6, 577 00:24:26,883 --> 00:24:29,721 don't fix your hope on the uncertainty of riches, 578 00:24:29,721 --> 00:24:30,783 but rather on God. 579 00:24:30,783 --> 00:24:33,130 And then he tells them that they ought to 580 00:24:33,130 --> 00:24:35,074 use their riches for the furtherance 581 00:24:35,074 --> 00:24:38,368 of the gospel, meet pressing needs, and so on. 582 00:24:38,368 --> 00:24:40,554 They must be held loosely. 583 00:24:40,554 --> 00:24:42,452 They must be used wisely 584 00:24:42,452 --> 00:24:45,363 for the kingdom of God 585 00:24:45,363 --> 00:24:47,690 and for the furtherance of the gospel. 586 00:24:47,690 --> 00:24:49,044 The deceitfulness of riches. 587 00:24:49,044 --> 00:24:52,222 In Luke 12, it tells about a rich farmer 588 00:24:52,222 --> 00:24:55,155 and his ground produced real well. 589 00:24:55,155 --> 00:24:57,543 And he had many goods laid up for many years. 590 00:24:57,543 --> 00:25:02,094 And he says to his soul, "take it easy." 591 00:25:02,094 --> 00:25:05,433 And God said, "you fool!" 592 00:25:05,433 --> 00:25:07,708 You've been deceived, you see? 593 00:25:07,708 --> 00:25:09,122 You're a fool. 594 00:25:09,122 --> 00:25:11,920 This night, your soul will be required of you. 595 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,016 What good did those riches do for your soul? 596 00:25:15,016 --> 00:25:16,903 And then who shall those goods be? 597 00:25:16,903 --> 00:25:19,735 In other words, they are temporal. 598 00:25:19,735 --> 00:25:21,857 They make themselves wings like an eagle 599 00:25:21,857 --> 00:25:24,883 and fly away, sometimes even before we die. 600 00:25:24,883 --> 00:25:28,625 We can be stripped right down to nothing 601 00:25:28,625 --> 00:25:33,686 with some catastrophic thing. 602 00:25:33,686 --> 00:25:35,296 Deceitfulness of riches. 603 00:25:35,296 --> 00:25:38,487 I know of one man who was a pastor 604 00:25:38,487 --> 00:25:41,127 and he was doing real well. 605 00:25:41,127 --> 00:25:43,526 He was doing real well. 606 00:25:43,526 --> 00:25:45,501 He was bi-vocational. 607 00:25:45,501 --> 00:25:47,682 And then he began to get more and more, 608 00:25:47,682 --> 00:25:49,113 bigger and bigger salary. 609 00:25:49,113 --> 00:25:51,279 Big money he was bringing in. 610 00:25:51,279 --> 00:25:54,399 And it led to his fall. 611 00:25:54,399 --> 00:25:57,562 Don't be deceived that riches are just neutral. 612 00:25:57,562 --> 00:25:59,944 Watch out. 613 00:25:59,944 --> 00:26:09,605 Let's go on to 1 Corinthians 3:18. 614 00:26:09,605 --> 00:26:12,780 1 Corinthians 3:18. 615 00:26:12,780 --> 00:26:16,231 "Let no man deceive himself. 616 00:26:16,231 --> 00:26:19,751 If any man among you thinks he is wise 617 00:26:19,751 --> 00:26:21,491 in this age, he must become foolish, 618 00:26:21,491 --> 00:26:24,989 so he may be wise." 619 00:26:24,989 --> 00:26:27,091 Don't deceive yourself 620 00:26:27,091 --> 00:26:31,415 in thinking that man has the answer 621 00:26:31,415 --> 00:26:33,114 in life. 622 00:26:33,114 --> 00:26:34,775 Man has no answers. 623 00:26:34,775 --> 00:26:37,161 Oh, he may have an answer 624 00:26:37,161 --> 00:26:39,971 for how to fix your car and things like that, 625 00:26:39,971 --> 00:26:42,514 but when it comes to the big things, 626 00:26:42,514 --> 00:26:44,221 man does not have the answers. 627 00:26:44,221 --> 00:26:48,311 I mean, in the matters of metaphysics, 628 00:26:48,311 --> 00:26:50,717 he has no answers - 629 00:26:50,717 --> 00:26:53,429 why anything is here rather than nothing? 630 00:26:53,429 --> 00:26:55,142 Where it came from? Why we're here? 631 00:26:55,142 --> 00:26:56,155 Where we're going? 632 00:26:56,155 --> 00:26:58,378 The destiny of man or of the world. 633 00:26:58,378 --> 00:26:59,662 No answers. 634 00:26:59,662 --> 00:27:01,445 Even in epistemology - 635 00:27:01,445 --> 00:27:03,075 that is the idea of knowing. 636 00:27:03,075 --> 00:27:06,863 He has no basis for knowing anything. 637 00:27:06,863 --> 00:27:08,742 I mean, sure, gravity's there. 638 00:27:08,742 --> 00:27:09,764 It's been there. 639 00:27:09,764 --> 00:27:10,771 The sun has risen. 640 00:27:10,771 --> 00:27:13,015 It's done that for many hundreds of years. 641 00:27:13,015 --> 00:27:15,417 But there's no reason to suppose 642 00:27:15,417 --> 00:27:17,838 that it's going to come up again tomorrow. 643 00:27:17,838 --> 00:27:19,370 It might do something different 644 00:27:19,370 --> 00:27:21,186 for zillions of years in the future. 645 00:27:21,186 --> 00:27:24,585 Apart from outside infinite reference point 646 00:27:24,585 --> 00:27:27,147 and a basis which is God Himself 647 00:27:27,147 --> 00:27:30,015 who upholds all things by the word of His power, 648 00:27:30,015 --> 00:27:31,353 you don't know anything. 649 00:27:31,353 --> 00:27:33,504 You're just on sinking sand. 650 00:27:33,504 --> 00:27:38,717 You don't even have sand there. 651 00:27:38,717 --> 00:27:41,423 Or morality - that's most easily seen. 652 00:27:41,423 --> 00:27:43,578 You have no basis for right or wrong 653 00:27:43,578 --> 00:27:45,650 apart from God - an outside 654 00:27:45,650 --> 00:27:47,565 ultimate infinite reference point 655 00:27:47,565 --> 00:27:52,395 who says this is right and this is wrong. 656 00:27:52,395 --> 00:27:57,242 Man has no answers. 657 00:27:57,242 --> 00:27:58,792 And so don't be deceived. 658 00:27:58,792 --> 00:28:01,488 If any man among you thinks he's wise in this age, 659 00:28:01,488 --> 00:28:03,338 real clever - got it all together - 660 00:28:03,338 --> 00:28:06,209 if you're going to get anywhere with God, 661 00:28:06,209 --> 00:28:08,259 you've got to come way down 662 00:28:08,259 --> 00:28:09,667 to the bottom of the barrel. 663 00:28:09,667 --> 00:28:12,785 Let him become a fool that he may be wise. 664 00:28:12,785 --> 00:28:14,770 And that's the history. 665 00:28:14,770 --> 00:28:17,113 That's the testimony of every Christian - 666 00:28:17,113 --> 00:28:20,524 how God brought me to nothing. 667 00:28:20,524 --> 00:28:24,741 How God brought me to see myself as a fool. 668 00:28:24,741 --> 00:28:26,909 And I'm going to have to come to Jesus 669 00:28:26,909 --> 00:28:30,416 for my wisdom. 670 00:28:30,416 --> 00:28:31,754 John Sung - 671 00:28:31,754 --> 00:28:33,348 He was converted in America 672 00:28:33,348 --> 00:28:35,047 on his way back to China. 673 00:28:35,047 --> 00:28:37,668 He threw all of his degrees overboard. 674 00:28:37,668 --> 00:28:42,788 Paul said all of my religious qualifications 675 00:28:42,788 --> 00:28:44,967 I counted dung 676 00:28:44,967 --> 00:28:49,883 that I may win Christ. 677 00:28:49,883 --> 00:28:55,377 1 Corinthians 6. 678 00:28:55,377 --> 00:28:56,888 Here's another one. 679 00:28:56,888 --> 00:29:01,199 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. 680 00:29:01,199 --> 00:29:03,419 "Do you not know...?" 681 00:29:03,419 --> 00:29:05,205 You should know this. 682 00:29:05,205 --> 00:29:06,942 "...That the unrighteous will not 683 00:29:06,942 --> 00:29:08,299 inherit the kingdom of God. 684 00:29:08,299 --> 00:29:10,253 Do not be deceived. 685 00:29:10,253 --> 00:29:13,804 Neither fornicators..." and so son. 686 00:29:13,804 --> 00:29:15,644 Don't be deceived he says. 687 00:29:15,644 --> 00:29:17,122 And you can talk to people 688 00:29:17,122 --> 00:29:19,891 everywhere all around that are deceived 689 00:29:19,891 --> 00:29:21,850 on this very thing, 690 00:29:21,850 --> 00:29:23,705 thinking that the unrighteous 691 00:29:23,705 --> 00:29:27,317 will go to heaven because they have professed Jesus. 692 00:29:27,317 --> 00:29:29,250 Obviously, you wouldn't be deceived 693 00:29:29,250 --> 00:29:30,484 about a non-professor - 694 00:29:30,484 --> 00:29:32,685 it's talking about a professor. 695 00:29:32,685 --> 00:29:34,403 Somebody who professes Christ, 696 00:29:34,403 --> 00:29:36,986 but lives like the devil. 697 00:29:36,986 --> 00:29:38,670 Don't be deceived about that. 698 00:29:38,670 --> 00:29:40,058 You know, without holiness, 699 00:29:40,058 --> 00:29:41,490 no man will see the Lord. 700 00:29:41,490 --> 00:29:44,078 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 701 00:29:44,078 --> 00:29:45,775 Don't be deceived about that. 702 00:29:45,775 --> 00:29:47,899 I talked to a fellow - a Baptist pastor - 703 00:29:47,899 --> 00:29:49,535 a few months ago, 704 00:29:49,535 --> 00:29:52,722 and I gave him the example. 705 00:29:52,722 --> 00:29:54,970 The same example I used when I talked 706 00:29:54,970 --> 00:29:57,409 to a missionary of New Tribes Mission - 707 00:29:57,409 --> 00:30:01,037 a mission representative and then the head theologian 708 00:30:01,037 --> 00:30:03,345 down in Sanford, Florida with New Tribes. 709 00:30:03,345 --> 00:30:04,863 He asked the same question. 710 00:30:04,863 --> 00:30:06,379 Here's a guy that's a drunk, 711 00:30:06,379 --> 00:30:08,328 and he hears the gospel, he's converted, 712 00:30:08,328 --> 00:30:10,452 he lives a clean life for five years, 713 00:30:10,452 --> 00:30:12,456 and then goes back into drink 714 00:30:12,456 --> 00:30:14,178 and lives the rest of his years 715 00:30:14,178 --> 00:30:16,054 as a drunken sot and dies. 716 00:30:16,054 --> 00:30:18,051 Did he go to heaven or go to hell? 717 00:30:18,051 --> 00:30:19,811 And they say, well, you can't tell. 718 00:30:19,811 --> 00:30:22,195 You can't judge, you know. 719 00:30:22,195 --> 00:30:23,523 I quoted this verse to him. 720 00:30:23,523 --> 00:30:25,725 I said, "Do not be deceived," 721 00:30:25,725 --> 00:30:28,918 it says a drunkard won't go to heaven. 722 00:30:28,918 --> 00:30:30,791 And it says the covetous - 723 00:30:30,791 --> 00:30:33,959 other things here that we often bypass. 724 00:30:33,959 --> 00:30:35,528 Buying this, buying that 725 00:30:35,528 --> 00:30:37,107 when you don't really need it. 726 00:30:37,107 --> 00:30:39,688 Delight in shopping - covetousness. 727 00:30:39,688 --> 00:30:41,857 They won't go to heaven. 728 00:30:41,857 --> 00:30:44,120 A reviler it says here in verse 10. 729 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:46,056 You know, he's a back-biter, 730 00:30:46,056 --> 00:30:49,069 fault-finder, critical, peevish, 731 00:30:49,069 --> 00:30:50,717 slanderer. 732 00:30:50,717 --> 00:30:56,610 He won't go to heaven. 733 00:30:56,610 --> 00:30:59,073 And note this, brethren, 734 00:30:59,073 --> 00:31:01,037 that all of the parallel verses 735 00:31:01,037 --> 00:31:03,502 just like this one in Ephesians 5 736 00:31:03,502 --> 00:31:06,221 and Galatians 5 where it lists 737 00:31:06,221 --> 00:31:08,174 heaven-disqualifying sins, 738 00:31:08,174 --> 00:31:09,672 in each place it says, 739 00:31:09,672 --> 00:31:15,018 "Do not be deceived." 740 00:31:15,018 --> 00:31:17,483 He's trying to get something through to us. 741 00:31:17,483 --> 00:31:18,980 And so often you hear that, 742 00:31:18,980 --> 00:31:21,333 well, I don't really know where he's at. 743 00:31:21,333 --> 00:31:24,660 You do too know where he's at. 744 00:31:24,660 --> 00:31:27,054 He's lived a godless life. 745 00:31:27,054 --> 00:31:30,127 You know he didn't go to heaven. 746 00:31:30,127 --> 00:31:35,033 1 Corinthians 15. 747 00:31:35,033 --> 00:31:39,251 1 Corinthians 15:33, 748 00:31:39,251 --> 00:31:40,632 "Do not be deceived. 749 00:31:40,632 --> 00:31:42,963 Bad company corrupts good morals." 750 00:31:42,963 --> 00:31:46,030 Don't be deceived. 751 00:31:46,030 --> 00:31:48,554 Your company will affect you. 752 00:31:48,554 --> 00:31:51,714 It will affect your conduct. 753 00:31:51,714 --> 00:31:54,071 Who you hang around with. 754 00:31:54,071 --> 00:31:56,659 That's almost the first thing it says in Proverbs. 755 00:31:56,659 --> 00:32:00,832 If sinners entice you, don't consent. 756 00:32:00,832 --> 00:32:01,991 Watch it! 757 00:32:01,991 --> 00:32:04,639 Watch who your friends are. 758 00:32:04,639 --> 00:32:06,599 It says in Proverbs 13:20, 759 00:32:06,599 --> 00:32:09,939 "He who walks with wise men will be wise, 760 00:32:09,939 --> 00:32:13,905 but the companion of fools will suffer harm." 761 00:32:13,905 --> 00:32:15,719 It says in another place, 762 00:32:15,719 --> 00:32:18,827 "Don't be around an angry man." 763 00:32:18,827 --> 00:32:20,398 He's sharp with his tongue, see. 764 00:32:20,398 --> 00:32:22,936 Don't be around an angry man, lest you what? 765 00:32:22,936 --> 00:32:27,249 Learn his ways. 766 00:32:27,249 --> 00:32:30,476 I went for 8 months with a mission group in Europe. 767 00:32:30,476 --> 00:32:31,987 When I went to that group, 768 00:32:31,987 --> 00:32:34,726 I knew good and well they were compromised. 769 00:32:34,726 --> 00:32:37,087 But I was going to show God, myself, 770 00:32:37,087 --> 00:32:39,711 and my brother that I wasn't too tight, 771 00:32:39,711 --> 00:32:40,809 I wasn't too narrow. 772 00:32:40,809 --> 00:32:42,275 I could work with other people 773 00:32:42,275 --> 00:32:44,428 who aren't exactly like-minded. 774 00:32:44,428 --> 00:32:46,597 I went into it knowing that. 775 00:32:46,597 --> 00:32:48,535 And I'll tell you before God, 776 00:32:48,535 --> 00:32:50,712 by the time 8 months were up, 777 00:32:50,712 --> 00:32:52,902 I had begun to be deceived, 778 00:32:52,902 --> 00:32:57,239 thinking these things don't matter anyhow. 779 00:32:57,239 --> 00:32:58,742 So what that a bunch of them - 780 00:32:58,742 --> 00:33:01,719 even the leaders - are Catholics? 781 00:33:01,719 --> 00:33:05,221 I was starting to get deceived, I tell you. 782 00:33:05,221 --> 00:33:07,626 By the grace of God I was snatched out 783 00:33:07,626 --> 00:33:11,422 and got off on a different branch on the vine. 784 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:14,536 Let's march on in Galatians 6. 785 00:33:14,536 --> 00:33:18,156 (unintelligible) 786 00:33:18,156 --> 00:33:22,323 I hope you can hang on and not miss it. 787 00:33:22,323 --> 00:33:26,074 Galatians 6:3, 788 00:33:26,074 --> 00:33:28,541 "For if anyone thinks he is something 789 00:33:28,541 --> 00:33:31,048 when he's nothing, he deceives himself." 790 00:33:31,048 --> 00:33:33,899 It's similar to that 1 Corinthians 3 verse, isn't it? 791 00:33:33,899 --> 00:33:37,354 Thinks he's something, but he's nothing. 792 00:33:37,354 --> 00:33:41,116 Just a zero. A big zero. 793 00:33:41,116 --> 00:33:43,365 He deceives himself. 794 00:33:43,365 --> 00:33:45,222 You know, in a way, 795 00:33:45,222 --> 00:33:48,927 God works with the Christian, 796 00:33:48,927 --> 00:33:50,047 over the years, 797 00:33:50,047 --> 00:33:51,779 through many experiences 798 00:33:51,779 --> 00:33:53,518 continually bringing us back, 799 00:33:53,518 --> 00:33:55,481 more convincing us that we, in fact, 800 00:33:55,481 --> 00:33:59,868 are nothing. 801 00:33:59,868 --> 00:34:03,035 That folks can get along without us. 802 00:34:03,035 --> 00:34:05,392 And we really aren't just a shade better 803 00:34:05,392 --> 00:34:07,189 than somebody else. 804 00:34:07,189 --> 00:34:11,371 Just continually bringing us down in humility 805 00:34:11,371 --> 00:34:15,961 to where He can show us more grace. 806 00:34:15,961 --> 00:34:17,566 But it says over and over - 807 00:34:17,566 --> 00:34:20,015 have you noticed the repeated admonition, 808 00:34:20,015 --> 00:34:23,013 "Do not be wise in your own eyes." 809 00:34:23,013 --> 00:34:27,257 You know, watch out for that pride 810 00:34:27,257 --> 00:34:31,590 lest you deceive yourself. 811 00:34:31,590 --> 00:34:34,238 I read the story of Charlotte Elliot. 812 00:34:34,238 --> 00:34:38,563 Anybody know anything about Charlotte Elliot? 813 00:34:38,563 --> 00:34:39,941 I'll tell you. 814 00:34:39,941 --> 00:34:43,192 She was a pretty young woman. 815 00:34:43,192 --> 00:34:47,032 And this would be about a hundred and some years ago. 816 00:34:47,032 --> 00:34:52,265 And she was planning to go to this ball - 817 00:34:52,265 --> 00:34:53,275 this big ball, 818 00:34:53,275 --> 00:34:55,492 and she had a special dress made. 819 00:34:55,492 --> 00:35:00,629 And she had been planning to go to this ball for some time. 820 00:35:00,629 --> 00:35:02,068 And on the way to the ball, 821 00:35:02,068 --> 00:35:05,083 she ran into her pastor. 822 00:35:05,083 --> 00:35:07,126 And the pastor pled with her, 823 00:35:07,126 --> 00:35:08,603 "Do not go to this ball 824 00:35:08,603 --> 00:35:12,212 with these degrading influences." 825 00:35:12,212 --> 00:35:14,432 But she rejected his appeal and said, 826 00:35:14,432 --> 00:35:16,064 "Mind your own business." 827 00:35:16,064 --> 00:35:17,683 And she went to the ball 828 00:35:17,683 --> 00:35:19,980 and she was the center of attention. 829 00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:24,424 But alas, her gaiety was kind of forced 830 00:35:24,424 --> 00:35:27,314 because her conscience was beginning to bother her. 831 00:35:27,314 --> 00:35:29,353 And she got home that night 832 00:35:29,353 --> 00:35:31,866 and God came right down in her heart 833 00:35:31,866 --> 00:35:33,099 and in her room, 834 00:35:33,099 --> 00:35:35,208 and she went on for some days 835 00:35:35,208 --> 00:35:38,417 just feeling her wretchedness. 836 00:35:38,417 --> 00:35:42,445 And she was convicted of her sins 837 00:35:42,445 --> 00:35:43,505 and her sinnership. 838 00:35:43,505 --> 00:35:45,659 And so she goes to the pastor 839 00:35:45,659 --> 00:35:48,391 and tells him, "What do I do? 840 00:35:48,391 --> 00:35:50,312 I'm a wretched person." 841 00:35:50,312 --> 00:35:53,218 And he says, "You just come to Christ 842 00:35:53,218 --> 00:35:54,596 just like you are." 843 00:35:54,596 --> 00:35:57,436 "But I'm the chief of sinners - I'm a wretch! 844 00:35:57,436 --> 00:35:59,313 I don't deserve anything." 845 00:35:59,313 --> 00:36:00,806 He said, "You just come... 846 00:36:00,806 --> 00:36:03,640 nothing in your hand, you come like you are." 847 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,845 And she went home and did that very thing that night, 848 00:36:06,845 --> 00:36:09,275 and was passed from death unto life. 849 00:36:09,275 --> 00:36:11,463 And she wrote her thoughts down. 850 00:36:11,463 --> 00:36:12,853 You know what they are? 851 00:36:12,853 --> 00:36:14,326 You know the rest of the story. 852 00:36:14,326 --> 00:36:18,357 "Just as I am without one plea, 853 00:36:18,357 --> 00:36:20,747 but that Thy blood was shed for me, 854 00:36:20,747 --> 00:36:23,985 and that You bid me come to Thee, 855 00:36:23,985 --> 00:36:26,618 O Lamb of God, I come." 856 00:36:26,618 --> 00:36:30,836 I've got nothing. 857 00:36:30,836 --> 00:36:33,126 Thinks he's something when he's nothing. 858 00:36:33,126 --> 00:36:35,382 And it's in the context here, notice, 859 00:36:35,382 --> 00:36:37,027 of good works. 860 00:36:37,027 --> 00:36:38,761 Helping others, helping, 861 00:36:38,761 --> 00:36:40,844 bearing the burden - verse 2 - 862 00:36:40,844 --> 00:36:43,164 and reaching out to others. 863 00:36:43,164 --> 00:36:45,230 As we sit in our high and mightiness, 864 00:36:45,230 --> 00:36:48,009 get down, reach out to others. 865 00:36:48,009 --> 00:36:50,097 Now, verse 7. 866 00:36:50,097 --> 00:36:52,093 "Do not be deceived, 867 00:36:52,093 --> 00:36:53,882 God is not mocked. 868 00:36:53,882 --> 00:36:57,436 Whatever a man sows, he will reap." 869 00:36:57,436 --> 00:36:59,171 We are deceived if we think 870 00:36:59,171 --> 00:37:02,834 that we can fool God and sin 871 00:37:02,834 --> 00:37:04,229 and get by with it. 872 00:37:04,229 --> 00:37:05,857 See, God is not mocked. 873 00:37:05,857 --> 00:37:07,466 Whatever man sows, he'll reap. 874 00:37:07,466 --> 00:37:09,493 Of course, the positive side is there too. 875 00:37:09,493 --> 00:37:10,231 Right? 876 00:37:10,231 --> 00:37:12,220 He who sows to the Spirit will reap. 877 00:37:12,220 --> 00:37:14,021 He who sows to the flesh will reap. 878 00:37:14,021 --> 00:37:16,609 And so God is not mocked. 879 00:37:16,609 --> 00:37:19,483 Now there are consequences to sin. 880 00:37:19,483 --> 00:37:21,343 Eve sinned and there were consequences. 881 00:37:21,343 --> 00:37:23,201 David sinned - there were consequences. 882 00:37:23,201 --> 00:37:25,772 Abraham sinned - there were consequences. 883 00:37:25,772 --> 00:37:27,280 Like Rodney was bringing out - 884 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:29,541 broken body, broken finances, 885 00:37:29,541 --> 00:37:32,653 broken relationships and so on. 886 00:37:32,653 --> 00:37:35,665 Eternal consequences - shall reap destruction. 887 00:37:35,665 --> 00:37:37,565 Do not be deceived. 888 00:37:37,565 --> 00:37:41,118 God can see. 889 00:37:41,118 --> 00:37:43,543 He sees. 890 00:37:43,543 --> 00:37:45,408 He knows what's going on 891 00:37:45,408 --> 00:37:47,320 right down deep in the secret place 892 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:48,847 of your heart. 893 00:37:48,847 --> 00:37:50,407 And there are consequences. 894 00:37:50,407 --> 00:37:53,288 Don't think you can mock or fool God. 895 00:37:53,288 --> 00:37:55,771 Don't be deceived. 896 00:37:55,771 --> 00:38:00,697 And then similarly, please, in Hebrews 3. 897 00:38:00,697 --> 00:38:03,570 Hebrews 3:13, 898 00:38:03,570 --> 00:38:07,071 "Encourage one another day after day." 899 00:38:07,071 --> 00:38:09,213 That's what we're hopefully doing here 900 00:38:09,213 --> 00:38:10,596 this very morning. 901 00:38:10,596 --> 00:38:12,888 "...As long as it is still called today." 902 00:38:12,888 --> 00:38:14,502 Hebrews 3:13. 903 00:38:14,502 --> 00:38:18,909 "...So that none of you will be hardened by..." what? 904 00:38:18,909 --> 00:38:21,913 "...By the deceitfulness of sin." 905 00:38:21,913 --> 00:38:24,596 Isn't that quite a phrase? 906 00:38:24,596 --> 00:38:26,396 That sin deceives. 907 00:38:26,396 --> 00:38:28,878 I mean, it's not just a raw product. 908 00:38:28,878 --> 00:38:30,604 It's not just a neutral product. 909 00:38:30,604 --> 00:38:34,100 It's laying there with power in it. 910 00:38:34,100 --> 00:38:36,520 Deceitfulness of sin. 911 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,361 Have you ever tried to fix a car 912 00:38:38,361 --> 00:38:39,804 with that body putty? 913 00:38:39,804 --> 00:38:42,879 It's very pliable, and then you add this other substance to it, 914 00:38:42,879 --> 00:38:44,061 and what happens? 915 00:38:44,061 --> 00:38:46,278 Immediately, nothing happens. 916 00:38:46,278 --> 00:38:49,492 But in short order, it begins to harden 917 00:38:49,492 --> 00:38:51,122 when you add this other substance. 918 00:38:51,122 --> 00:38:53,145 And that's what sin does to our heart. 919 00:38:53,145 --> 00:38:55,038 It hardens our heart. 920 00:38:55,038 --> 00:38:58,634 It says, "hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." 921 00:38:58,634 --> 00:38:59,995 You become calloused. 922 00:38:59,995 --> 00:39:02,454 You become desensitized. 923 00:39:02,454 --> 00:39:04,606 You don't care anymore. 924 00:39:04,606 --> 00:39:06,027 Why try? 925 00:39:06,027 --> 00:39:08,884 It clouds the fear of God 926 00:39:08,884 --> 00:39:10,716 and the eternal values. 927 00:39:10,716 --> 00:39:12,797 And the thing to do is right there 928 00:39:12,797 --> 00:39:14,819 stay away from that sin. 929 00:39:14,819 --> 00:39:16,375 Don't touch it. 930 00:39:16,375 --> 00:39:18,499 Keep your heart clean. 931 00:39:18,499 --> 00:39:25,297 Keep your hands clean, your conscience clear. 932 00:39:25,297 --> 00:39:27,183 In Ephesians 4, it speaks of 933 00:39:27,183 --> 00:39:30,815 deceitful lusts - same thing. 934 00:39:30,815 --> 00:39:33,594 Now, we come last to James. 935 00:39:33,594 --> 00:39:35,987 Back to James where we started. 936 00:39:35,987 --> 00:39:38,723 There's one last thing I'd like to point out. 937 00:39:38,723 --> 00:39:44,194 This is real positive. 938 00:39:44,194 --> 00:39:48,061 This first verse that I read - James 1:16, 939 00:39:48,061 --> 00:39:51,290 "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren," 940 00:39:51,290 --> 00:39:54,612 is right in the context of what? 941 00:39:54,612 --> 00:39:56,576 Right in the context regarding 942 00:39:56,576 --> 00:39:58,751 the goodness of God. 943 00:39:58,751 --> 00:40:02,900 You see, it says up here in verse 13, 944 00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:06,407 "God cannot be tempted by evil." 945 00:40:06,407 --> 00:40:07,659 No, He doesn't do that. 946 00:40:07,659 --> 00:40:08,966 He's not in that business. 947 00:40:08,966 --> 00:40:11,147 Rather we're tempted when we're gone away 948 00:40:11,147 --> 00:40:12,500 by our own lusts. 949 00:40:12,500 --> 00:40:16,327 Don't attribute that evil to God. 950 00:40:16,327 --> 00:40:18,380 See, don't be deceived there. 951 00:40:18,380 --> 00:40:22,185 Then verse 17 after this verse, 952 00:40:22,185 --> 00:40:24,691 it says, "Every good thing given..." 953 00:40:24,691 --> 00:40:26,811 That is, maybe, in the physical realm - 954 00:40:26,811 --> 00:40:28,863 rain from heaven and fruitful seasons. 955 00:40:28,863 --> 00:40:32,600 He did good, you see. Acts 14:17. 956 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,163 Every good thing and every perfect gift - 957 00:40:35,163 --> 00:40:38,108 that is things pertaining to salvation and redemption 958 00:40:38,108 --> 00:40:41,400 is from above coming down 959 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,017 from the Father of lights. 960 00:40:44,017 --> 00:40:46,538 The most basic gift that God has given us 961 00:40:46,538 --> 00:40:47,754 is just light. 962 00:40:47,754 --> 00:40:50,681 "...With whom there is no variation 963 00:40:50,681 --> 00:40:52,069 or shifting shadow." 964 00:40:52,069 --> 00:40:54,144 God does not change. He's still good. 965 00:40:54,144 --> 00:40:55,324 He always was good. 966 00:40:55,324 --> 00:40:58,945 That was the original lie of the devil to Eve. 967 00:40:58,945 --> 00:41:02,347 He says God's holding out on you. 968 00:41:02,347 --> 00:41:04,402 He knows that when you eat of that, 969 00:41:04,402 --> 00:41:05,443 you'll be like God. 970 00:41:05,443 --> 00:41:07,591 God's given you the short end of the stick. 971 00:41:07,591 --> 00:41:10,012 He's not a worthy object of your trust. 972 00:41:10,012 --> 00:41:13,513 And so don't be deceived, my beloved brethren. 973 00:41:13,513 --> 00:41:16,041 God is good - a worthy object of our trust. 974 00:41:16,041 --> 00:41:17,064 He does good. 975 00:41:17,064 --> 00:41:18,586 He withholds no good thing 976 00:41:18,586 --> 00:41:20,017 from those who walk uprightly. 977 00:41:20,017 --> 00:41:22,236 You'll never get the short end of the stick 978 00:41:22,236 --> 00:41:24,639 for following the Lord of Glory. 979 00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:26,393 He's worthy of our trust, 980 00:41:26,393 --> 00:41:27,486 worthy of our pursuit, 981 00:41:27,486 --> 00:41:29,971 worthy of my life, my love, 982 00:41:29,971 --> 00:41:32,475 my soul, my song. 983 00:41:32,475 --> 00:41:34,781 Don't be deceived on that 984 00:41:34,781 --> 00:41:37,069 and think that you're going to come out short 985 00:41:37,069 --> 00:41:39,089 by following the Lord 986 00:41:39,089 --> 00:41:41,830 and leaving self and sin and Satan behind 987 00:41:41,830 --> 00:41:45,570 and society's standards and smiles. 988 00:41:45,570 --> 00:41:49,570 In conclusion, what should we say to these things? 989 00:41:49,570 --> 00:41:53,791 We ought to examine our own heart. 990 00:41:53,791 --> 00:41:57,048 Be vigilant. Be vigilant. 991 00:41:57,048 --> 00:41:58,293 Watch it! 992 00:41:58,293 --> 00:41:59,891 It says the heart is deceitful 993 00:41:59,891 --> 00:42:01,453 and desperatly wicked. 994 00:42:01,453 --> 00:42:03,078 I don't know what to make of that. 995 00:42:03,078 --> 00:42:06,662 I mean, I know the Christian has a good heart - Luke 8. 996 00:42:06,662 --> 00:42:08,983 But nevertheless, there's something there 997 00:42:08,983 --> 00:42:10,323 that's deceitful within 998 00:42:10,323 --> 00:42:12,041 that we've got to watch. 999 00:42:12,041 --> 00:42:15,330 And forget the high theology, 1000 00:42:15,330 --> 00:42:17,478 we do need to be careful. 1001 00:42:17,478 --> 00:42:20,420 1:16 shows us that. 1002 00:42:20,420 --> 00:42:23,463 So watch over your heart with all diligence. 1003 00:42:23,463 --> 00:42:25,445 Watch it. Watch your heart. 1004 00:42:25,445 --> 00:42:26,933 Keep a clean conscience. 1005 00:42:26,933 --> 00:42:29,599 Watch out for hypocrisy you see. 1006 00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:31,274 Here in verse 22, 1007 00:42:31,274 --> 00:42:33,189 "Prove yourselves doers of the Word 1008 00:42:33,189 --> 00:42:34,592 and not merely hearers 1009 00:42:34,592 --> 00:42:37,254 who delude themselves." 1010 00:42:37,254 --> 00:42:41,710 You see, we can sing that Psalm 19 1011 00:42:41,710 --> 00:42:45,558 that the Word of God is sweeter than honey 1012 00:42:45,558 --> 00:42:47,640 and more desirable than gold - 1013 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,147 even much fine gold. 1014 00:42:49,147 --> 00:42:50,626 We sing these songs, you see, 1015 00:42:50,626 --> 00:42:54,042 and lo and behold, we never do much 1016 00:42:54,042 --> 00:42:55,728 read the Bible. 1017 00:42:55,728 --> 00:42:57,370 That's hypocrisy. 1018 00:42:57,370 --> 00:42:59,874 Don't be a hearer only, 1019 00:42:59,874 --> 00:43:01,335 but be a doer. 1020 00:43:01,335 --> 00:43:03,194 Watch out for hypocrisy in your life. 1021 00:43:03,194 --> 00:43:04,642 Be honest about it. 1022 00:43:04,642 --> 00:43:06,299 Lord, this just doesn't match up. 1023 00:43:06,299 --> 00:43:07,526 This is inconsistent. 1024 00:43:07,526 --> 00:43:08,555 Pray about it. 1025 00:43:08,555 --> 00:43:09,679 Pray about deception. 1026 00:43:09,679 --> 00:43:11,832 Proverbs 30, he says, 1027 00:43:11,832 --> 00:43:13,788 "Two things have I asked of the Lord." 1028 00:43:13,788 --> 00:43:15,275 One was what? 1029 00:43:15,275 --> 00:43:18,380 Keep me from lies and deception. 1030 00:43:18,380 --> 00:43:20,460 Don't let me be deceived. 1031 00:43:20,460 --> 00:43:27,469 Pray about that. Ask God to do that very thing. 1032 00:43:27,469 --> 00:43:29,647 Tremble at the Word of God. 1033 00:43:29,647 --> 00:43:32,680 Stay right true to the truth, you know. 1034 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:35,165 It says in 2 Thessalonians 2, 1035 00:43:35,165 --> 00:43:44,164 he says, "the deceitfulness of wickedness in those 1036 00:43:44,164 --> 00:43:48,656 who do not receive the love of the truth 1037 00:43:48,656 --> 00:43:50,405 so as to be saved." 1038 00:43:50,405 --> 00:43:52,807 The deceitfulness of wickedness 1039 00:43:52,807 --> 00:43:55,605 toward those who do not receive 1040 00:43:55,605 --> 00:43:57,843 the love of the truth so as to be saved. 1041 00:43:57,843 --> 00:44:01,268 Oh, we better just stay true to the truth. 1042 00:44:01,268 --> 00:44:02,372 Stay true to the Word. 1043 00:44:02,372 --> 00:44:04,641 Stay right on the roadmap, you see. 1044 00:44:04,641 --> 00:44:13,101 And you'll be alright. 1045 00:44:13,101 --> 00:44:15,597 We can help one another, can't we? 1046 00:44:15,597 --> 00:44:17,298 Help one another in these things, 1047 00:44:17,298 --> 00:44:18,832 in this matter of deception. 1048 00:44:18,832 --> 00:44:20,355 If somebody comes to you 1049 00:44:20,355 --> 00:44:22,034 with a word of reproof, 1050 00:44:22,034 --> 00:44:24,663 boy, you better cherish it. 1051 00:44:24,663 --> 00:44:26,411 You better cherish it. 1052 00:44:26,411 --> 00:44:28,539 Don't get mad at them. 1053 00:44:28,539 --> 00:44:30,491 You better cherish that. 1054 00:44:30,491 --> 00:44:32,355 It says in James 5, 1055 00:44:32,355 --> 00:44:35,925 "My brethren, if any of you strays..." 1056 00:44:35,925 --> 00:44:39,017 There's that same Greek word as deceived. 1057 00:44:39,017 --> 00:44:41,276 "...Strays from the truth 1058 00:44:41,276 --> 00:44:45,905 and one of you turns him back, 1059 00:44:45,905 --> 00:44:49,491 don't you know that you've saved a sinner 1060 00:44:49,491 --> 00:44:54,449 from..." how is it? Anybody know it? 1061 00:44:54,449 --> 00:44:57,168 Right at the end of James. 1062 00:44:57,168 --> 00:44:58,709 That saves a sinner 1063 00:44:58,709 --> 00:45:00,249 "from the error of his ways 1064 00:45:00,249 --> 00:45:03,598 and will save his soul from death 1065 00:45:03,598 --> 00:45:06,101 and cover a multitude of sins." 1066 00:45:06,101 --> 00:45:08,740 See? We can help one another 1067 00:45:08,740 --> 00:45:10,745 to avoid deception. 1068 00:45:10,745 --> 00:45:14,294 That's why God has put us around one another 1069 00:45:14,294 --> 00:45:16,138 is to help one another on to heaven - 1070 00:45:16,138 --> 00:45:18,794 to not be a hindrance, but a help. 1071 00:45:18,794 --> 00:45:27,110 So, in this regard, again I emphasize 1072 00:45:27,110 --> 00:45:30,427 that verse we looked at in 2 Corinthians 11. 1073 00:45:30,427 --> 00:45:33,229 He says, "lest Satan by his subtlety 1074 00:45:33,229 --> 00:45:35,499 lead your mind away from the purity 1075 00:45:35,499 --> 00:45:38,688 and simplicity of devotion to Christ." 1076 00:45:38,688 --> 00:45:42,325 All to Christ. Death to self. 1077 00:45:42,325 --> 00:45:44,352 There is safe ground. 1078 00:45:44,352 --> 00:45:47,750 When it comes right down to it, 1079 00:45:47,750 --> 00:45:49,254 that's what the devil is after. 1080 00:45:49,254 --> 00:45:50,736 He's trying to get away 1081 00:45:50,736 --> 00:45:55,672 from love and loyalty to Christ. 1082 00:45:55,672 --> 00:45:57,758 You know, it makes me appreciate 1083 00:45:57,758 --> 00:46:00,732 our Lord and Savior in this regard. 1084 00:46:00,732 --> 00:46:03,739 There's a verse in Psalm 89:22. 1085 00:46:03,739 --> 00:46:07,117 It says, "the enemy will not deceive Him." 1086 00:46:07,117 --> 00:46:08,483 I like that. 1087 00:46:08,483 --> 00:46:10,260 The Lord Jesus - He made it through 1088 00:46:10,260 --> 00:46:11,568 without being deceived. 1089 00:46:11,568 --> 00:46:12,947 He could have been deceived 1090 00:46:12,947 --> 00:46:14,681 about being subject to His parents. 1091 00:46:14,681 --> 00:46:16,038 He could have been deceived 1092 00:46:16,038 --> 00:46:17,407 about His need to pray. 1093 00:46:17,407 --> 00:46:18,723 He could have been deceived 1094 00:46:18,723 --> 00:46:20,307 about His need to go through it 1095 00:46:20,307 --> 00:46:21,570 and call on angels. 1096 00:46:21,570 --> 00:46:23,009 He could have been deceived 1097 00:46:23,009 --> 00:46:24,933 and let them make Him a king by force. 1098 00:46:24,933 --> 00:46:27,145 He could have been deceived in the wilderness 1099 00:46:27,145 --> 00:46:29,737 and eaten food out of the will of God, 1100 00:46:29,737 --> 00:46:31,995 and cast Himself down presumptuously, 1101 00:46:31,995 --> 00:46:35,314 and taken an inheritance prematurely. 1102 00:46:35,314 --> 00:46:36,746 He could have been deceived, 1103 00:46:36,746 --> 00:46:39,284 but the enemy did not deceive Him. 1104 00:46:39,284 --> 00:46:40,646 He made it through. 1105 00:46:40,646 --> 00:46:42,671 He won the victory for us. 1106 00:46:42,671 --> 00:46:45,438 He was the one Man who never was deceived. 1107 00:46:45,438 --> 00:46:49,641 And so, ah, what a Savior we have! 1108 00:46:49,641 --> 00:46:53,235 A Savior, it says in Hebrews 5:2, 1109 00:46:53,235 --> 00:46:55,820 we have a Priest who is able 1110 00:46:55,820 --> 00:46:58,850 to deal gently with those who are ignorant 1111 00:46:58,850 --> 00:47:01,305 and out of the way. 1112 00:47:01,305 --> 00:47:03,823 And again, it's that same Greek word: 1113 00:47:03,823 --> 00:47:04,725 deceived. 1114 00:47:04,725 --> 00:47:06,522 Able to deal gently with the ignorant 1115 00:47:06,522 --> 00:47:08,883 and those who are deceived. 1116 00:47:08,883 --> 00:47:14,189 So, suffer the word of exhortation.