How To Be Free From Deception | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Maranatha Shabiba Conference 2022)

That's Pastor Daniel said earlier this weekend flew by and

that's I think a good indication of a wonderful time and time

seems to just slip out of your hands.

And I don't want to say too much because I want to take the

remainder of our session in the word, but I think it would be

unjust for me, not to thank. So many people, I can't name You

by name but beyond the surface. There are people have been

working tirelessly in the background.

We have a shopping crew that had to go get stuff.

We have a prayer crew that has been praying, not just over the

weekend, but even the days leading up to this event, we

have the ushers. We have, we have people who are

doing so much beyond what we see the sound team.

We had a Sunday School going on through this whole weekend so

that people can come with their families.

And just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and

we want to just now show appreciation to everybody just

say thank you. And so for those who took so

much of their time who missed these meetings even to serve so

that you can be here. We're so grateful, especially to

Bishop and Phoebe. Thank you guys so much.

Every year, they oversee this, they prepare this, and they have

done with so much excellence. What we get to experience every

single year and they do it because they love the Lord.

I see that firsthand and so we're so blessed by you

especially without further Ado today this morning at the end of

this weekend I want to speak to you from the word of God, of how

you. And I based on the principles of

the word of God can live a life free from deception.

In other words, how you? And I can be deceived proof,

deceit proof between now and when The truth capital T takes

us home. I hope you would be passionate

about what this has to offer. Because Jesus, as I now make

this a full circle, Jesus told us that we are only heading

towards greater deception. That even will have if possible

the elect to be to be tricked, will even have the elect to look

and question. If this is sincere, if it is of

god but we can be assured based on the word of God that you.

And I can have a shield a filter because our God loves us, and he

cares for us and he Longs for us to be prepared, he Longs for us

to be strong, he Longs us to have eyes Beyond these things on

our faces. And I want to prove that to you

from one verse and it's in the book of second Thessalonians.

In verse 3. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:3.

The Apostle writes to this group of believers.

Let no one deceive you in any way.

For that day will not come unless the Rebellion comes first

and the man of lawlessness is revealed the son of Destruction

who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or

object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of

God proclaiming himself to be God.

Do you not remember, you not remember that when I was still

with you, told you these things? I want you just to look at that

first phrase, in verse 3, let no one deceive you in any way.

Now, when Paul wrote this, he is issuing a charge because of a

situation that is occurring with Isola Thessalonians.

They were alarmed. They were shaken by some

supposed Revelation or a misinterpretation of Paul's

teachings that the Lord had returned.

He had retrieved his bride and apparently they were numbered

among the redeem because here they are, they're still there

still here, they are left behind and this clearly shook them to

the core that news. Came to the Apostle and he seeks

to bring clarity about this Doctrine.

He wants to remind them of the sequence of events that have to

take place, even even before the Lord would return in judgment.

But we see here as Paul addresses this, as he seeks to

bring Clarity to the specific. Doctrine is a statement that

reaches beyond the scope of this particular situation at hand.

With this church, do not be deceived or let.

No one deceive you. You not just concerning the

doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ, but in any way in any

way, God Longs for you and I to be able to detect and diverted

from any scheme of deception, that comes our way that would

seek to lead us into Disobedience that would seek to

cause us to believe something that is untrue.

And cause damage as a result to be, unfulfillable if I can use

that word, and if you look quickly at verse 2, you get

another Insight of how deception can be so subtle, the means of

deception. Well, let's start from verse 1.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ and are being gathered together to him.

We ask you Brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarm.

Pause. See when you have a deceive

proof life. You're not easily feared anxiety

concern. Is diminished.

Verse 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarm either by a

spirit, or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us to

the effect that the day of the Lord Has.

Come. What impresses me about that?

Verse is not how his Spirit can directly deceive.

Even Believers. It's the fact that Paul warned

of the possibility of forged letters to be written in the

names of the Apostles, to have some kind of authority, and then

lead Christians into a Direction.

What? That tells me is that Satan even

at this time utilized the technology of Paul's day to

bring deception and his tricks are no different today.

And how much more should we be discerning?

With the engineering that is able to engage with all of our

senses. I believe, even if you read

Revelation, there are clues, that technology will be strongly

used by the system of the Antichrist.

And so, we have to be very aware that there are different means

by which Deception comes, and this should not cause us to be

feared or worry, but all the more alert the first step to

being deceived free. This isn't a point because I

have three points this morning but a Prelude.

Just a thought. The first step of being deceived

free is to realize of the possibility of being deceived

That's it's as simple as that. People in this world don't care

about truth. I think we're convinced about

that but not only, don't they care about truth.

They want you to believe a lie, there's no neutrality.

And Paul year is worried as he should be.

And this sounds frightening, but we can equip ourselves, we can

be strong and that includes not being deceived with personal

decisions in your life. I'm not just speaking about

Doctrine this morning, Everything from those major

decisions, those choices that will alter the rest of your life

to not being caught up with the friends, he's from the agendas

in the narratives of society. The past two years, in my

opinion has proven. How the Antichrist will be able

to deceive the world? You saw it firsthand, not just

because of one narrative but multiple narratives that came

crashing in from all directions and the things that I saw

Christians so quickly, adopt so quickly say yes to so quickly.

Join and partner with is a testament that deception can

easily swallow up. Anybody's judgment.

But before we get into the three points, can I show you something

inspiring about our Lord? Jesus Christ.

The lord Jesus is our Capital example.

And if you just study carefully, you would see how much of what

he does. In his ministry relates to our

day-to-day living, go to Luke chapter 20, in your Bibles with

Luke 20 · chapter mention

me, Meet me in verse 20 of Luke 20.

Jesus is approaching his final days.

On Earth, he's reaching the point of why he came ultimately

to die on the cross. But before that, there was a

series of Investigations and accusations and the spiritual

leaders of this time sought to get him in trouble.

Before he does any more damage to their idea of who the Messiah

should be. So in verse 20 of chapter

twenty, look what we see. So they watched him and send

spies who protect. I love the way the ESV puts us,

who Pretended to be sincere. That they might catch him in

something, he said. So, as to deliver him up to the

authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

So they asked him teacher. We know that you speak and teach

rightly and show no partiality. But truly teach the way of God

that phrase touches me who pretended to be sincere.

There are pretenders in your life.

There will be Pretenders that will come into your life.

And those types of people are one of the greatest tools that

the enemy uses to try to Allure. And cause the people of God to

stumble to make decisions that will hurt their testimony to

make decisions that will hurt them.

And I love to see the details of how these people were when they

stood before. Jesus, they thought they were

clever, they thought that they have come up with this dilemma

that was really a lose-lose scenario because they would ask

him a particular question about taxes and in their minds, they

thought no matter how Jesus answers this, he's going to get

in trouble with at least one group of people.

If he says don't pay your taxes, the Jews, the Romans rather will

come against him as we just read.

If he says go, yeah, you need to pay your taxes and and you

should The Jews are going to think that he is siding with the

Romans. So this seemed like a perfect

plan, but here's the thing, you can't mess with Jesus.

And the Holy Spirit highlights something that ministers to me

as a follower of the same Christ that I read Up.

In this passage look at verse 23 quickly.

But he being Jesus perceived, their craftiness.

He perceived their craftiness and set to them and I won't get

into what he says perceived their craftiness.

He saw through the flattery He saw through the smoke screen of

sincerity. Oh, we know that you teach the

truth. We know that you don't care

about the opinions of men and they try to disarm him.

They try to let his guard down. And yet, Jesus, through all of

that had laser precision and discernment past the words, past

the actions and right into the mode of the whole thing.

That is the Jesus who is on your side.

The one who sees what you cannot see, the one, who perceives,

what? You cannot perceive he is for

us, and with us, And the best thing that you can do to endure

the deception of these days that will only intensify is hold that

hand who can see what, you can't see.

But this isn't only unique to Jesus.

Listen Satan uses craftiness. All the way from the beginning.

The very mess that were in today with our human nature, all

started with deception, and we have to read our Bible slowly

because in Genesis 3:1, we are told about one particular animal

Genesis 3:1

pre-fall. So if you have this idea that

the reason why Satan used the snake is because it's hideous.

Sorry. If you like snakes.

You have to understand there is nothing frightful there is there

is no sense of evil at this point.

So that this this serpent was used strategically, the enemy is

not going to use something just like he doesn't come to you with

horns and a pitchfork. So he uses the serpent but why

the Bible tells us? Because the serpent was

craftier. And all the other animals.

Satan then, Satan today, loves to use crafty things and crafty

people to deceive. And his roster is wide.

He listened. He uses gifted musicians.

He uses mesmerizing artists, he uses people who can communicate

and almost put people under a spell.

Just, by the way, they speak Hitler did.

That it was demonic though. He uses crafty things and crafty

people, he uses people and he he has these individuals who don't

come off as adversaries who come off as sincere and genuine and

they know the words to use to to show you that they are for truth

or they are for justice and they even know how to intertwine

God's name and scriptures Satan uses craftiness.

He is not obvious, he's not Lead detectable.

So being mindful that people who are gifted, people who are

smart, people who have abilities, but don't have

Christ. Are who Satan recruits to

deceive God's people? And Eve failed to do what Jesus

was able to do. She could not perceive the

craftiness before her, but Jesus could and Jesus through his

word, gives us the tools to know how to build the ability to

discern. And so, I want to give you those

three points and we're going to try to do this quick.

Number one, if you want to live a deceived proof life.

If you want to be able to amplify your ability to discern,

then do what we see here in the same chapter of second

Thessalonians. Love the truth, no matter what

it costs, you Love the truth, no matter what it cost.

You second Thessalonians chapter 2, 9 and 10.

2 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

The coming of the Lawless one is by the activity of Satan with

all power and false signs and wonders. if you're a signs and

wonders person, That believes a Ministry, has Authority based on

the Miracles. They seem to present an offer

and claim you're in trouble. verse 10 and with all Wicked

deception for those who are perishing, because why will

people Embrace Wicked deception, Why will they be open to it?

Well, he tells us because they refused to love the truth and so

be saved. You may have an intellectual

grasp of the truth, you may be intrigued with the philosophies

around truth. You may even be able to explain

elements of the truth, but none of that equates to loving the

truth. Paul did not say because they

did not know the truth and so be saved.

He said, because they did not love the truth and so be saved.

There's a difference. So the deception that was easily

received was not because of the lack of exposure to biblical

Revelation, it was due to the lack of willingness to surrender

to the claims that the truth makes.

How do you know if you are a person who loves the truth

again? It's not because you can quote

it, not because you enjoy hearing sermons, not because you

have podcast that you listen to, that are biblical the way, you

know that you love the truth, which is the way to be protected

from deception is that you joyfully and willingly submit to

whatever claims the truth, make of you.

That's what it means. And because of the refusal to do

that deception, had a way to enter into these Hearts.

It was the stubbornness it was the refusal to ultimately bow,

the knee to the revealed will of God.

And here's the thing, many people can say, I love the truth

and you would be amazed to know how God will test that and very

challenging ways. someone clearly said, in light of this

scripture, one example of how the love of the truth can be

proven in US, Is by just thinking about your own church

background. Think about the way you grew up

think about what you've learned about God.

Many people in here grew up in that kind of a culture.

I think about the things that you've adopted in your theology

and in your church practice and in your Christianity.

That was based on tradition or maybe even a misinterpretation

of certain scriptures and what do you do when you come to the

point where you personally study the word of God?

And you compare scripture with scripture and you dig and you

pray and you learn something as you grow in this knowledge.

And this is what you realize. This is teaching me something

that I thought was true for so long in my life.

This is, this is, this is saying something.

Contrary to what my parents told me contrary to what my Seminary

professor said, contrary to my church denomination, and what

they Proclaim for centuries, when God by his Mercy, opens

your eyes to a clear, truth in the word of God.

And yet, you have come with presuppositions in your heart

and not because you had a desire to be in anything that is false.

But because you were just raised in a certain way or because you

just easily digest. The certain things, what?

Do you do after 25 years of believing a certain thing in

that moment will determine if you love the truth, more than

your tradition more than your reputation more than the fear of

people saying, you believe this for so long and now you couldn't

see it. Now you do see it.

Love for truth is seeing in your willingness to surrender to it

even if you believe it to be something else.

I believe that is extremely challenging.

And that is one way. You can ensure that you

yourself. Love the truth.

No matter what God's word says, I will do it.

Even if it's been so long since I've heard or believe something

else, if this is the truth, I will submit to it.

Additionally love for the truth is ultimately proven by a love

for all the truth. If there was a sure way to

invite deception into your life, it is by claiming that God's

word is authoritative until something in the word touches.

A nerve or challenge is something that you really,

really, really, really want to hold on to And here's an example

of how even followers of Jesus Christ who claimed who even

confessed to love the truth. Cannot love all of the truth and

that literally is a foothold for Satan to enter into your

thinking and then persuade you to certain actions, there was a

time when Jesus was walking with his disciples and he many times,

but his initial attempts was telling them I must suffer at

the Of the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and I

will be killed and I will raised on the third day, and on a

particular day, Peter heard this and he felt a little extra

confident because he just had the Revelation that Jesus is the

Christ. He is the Son of God.

And so, Peter does something very bold.

He takes Jesus aside, not a good move, Peter Jesus moves.

You you don't move him, he takes Jesus aside and he rebukes

Jesus. This shall not happen to you.

And in Matthew, 16:23, we read, but he turned and said to Peter,

get behind me, Satan. We talked about you all talk

about highs and lows in your Christian Life.

Get behind me. Satan.

And now he gives the insight to how Peter came to this point of

taking Jesus, and rebuking Jesus.

And correcting Jesus, right after Jesus perfection.

Explain something that's going to happen.

For you are not setting your mind on the things of God.

But on the things of, man, That's how it all started.

Your mind is not completely saturated with the knowledge of

God and the will of God, you see, Peter believed in aspect of

Jesus, you know, which aspect he loved them believed and champion

A conquering Messiah, a triumphant Messiah.

A nation's ruling Messiah and guess what?

He was right to believe that because the prophets pointed to

that and so all he's doing is really just he just reacting to

something that he knew. But what Peter and the disciples

could not figure out not because of their lack of exposure per se

but of their lack of their ability to understand and be

willing to accept it is the suffering Messiah.

A messiah that will die. This can't be.

And so, he rebukes Jesus from what an imbalanced

understanding, and application of the word of God, I like the

Triumph. And Jesus, I'm not very

comfortable of the idea of him suffering.

And when you look at the word of God that way, I like the old or

the New Testament, I don't like the Old Testament.

You have Christians and talk like this, especially in Middle

Eastern Christians. I like the New Testament.

I don't like the Old Testament. We're not going to preach on the

Old Testament. I like the stuff about love and

social justice and the poor. I don't like the ideas of

Holiness, repentance and emphasis on the gospel you have

just opened a door for Satan to enter into your thinking.

When you elevate one truth and diminish another when it is

clear there before you Satan himself, can enter into your

thinking and he is merciless when he does that.

And soul of the truth. The safest place to be in this

is to Bow before the entirety of the scriptures, even the parts

that you cannot readily acknowledge at first perhaps.

But, you know, it's the truth and because of that, know this,

you give Satan very little to work with in your mind.

So, love the truth, no matter what it costs, you more than

just doctrinally. What will it cost you to follow

this word? What will happen to your

relationships? Well, happened to your job.

Well, happened to your future, love the truth.

And here's your inheritance, you will know an honor from God that

will keep you from being Hoodwinked.

Love the truth, no matter what it costs, you not know the

truth, not talk about the truth, love it.

Number two, there is one of the clearest illustrations of

deception at work found in the Old Testament.

And in this case, you see how even God's best men are able to

get dizzy in their discernment because of the ploys of enemies.

And in this particular case, I'm going to bring you there in a

moment. What you see is a very real

example, again of how even the most faithful of God's men and

gods woman, can fall you and I can stumble make mistakes every

day and this teaching is not to say how you can create a bubble

around you or you'll never know a mistake.

What will your never know, trials or difficulties or

afflictions or Temptations? That's not what I'm trying to

bring here. But what I am saying is that

When I can pull up a guard in such a way where we minimize

unnecessary self-inflicted harm. And decisions in life.

Very some decisions. If we get them wrong, have

little consequences like you know, you bought a bad mattress,

you didn't do the research, you didn't look at the reviews and

you didn't care. You just did it.

Now you got to return it, you wasted a whole day, right?

To decisions that can alter the rest of your existence on this

planet. And what we see here is that

there is a point in Israel's history, where the whole book is

really about Conquest in the land.

It's about physical Warfare where Israel comes into the land

of Canaan and they receive and they fight for their inheritance

in God. But what's interesting is in the

midst of all of that, you think it's all about swords and Spears

and strange commands to see miracles happen.

So walls can come down and Stones can fly from the sky.

But in the middle of all of that, you see this aspect of

warfare. That is very much familiar.

Today we don't use sorts today. We don't use bone arrows.

We don't use guns are weapons are not against flesh and blood.

What we do see is in Joshua chapter 9, deception in Warfare

Joshua 9 · chapter mention

and this deception, please, listen, it's not just limited to

Doctrine. This deception deals with all

aspects of life. Israel was commanded, cleanse

the land cleanse, the land. These people who inhabit the

land of Canaan are my enemies. They are perverted.

They have persisted in their sin for centuries and my judgment is

going to be through you, invading the land.

And removing those who are my enemies.

No mercy. They already had a chance to

have mercy read Genesis 15. Centuries of chances to be able

to come to repentance and so their focus was within the

boundaries of the land of Canaan and as they come.

A group, a mysterious group, approaches Joshua, and the

leadership by the name of the gibeonites.

The gibeonites were inhabitants of the land of Canaan and they

learned very early on. These guys are coming in to take

over and they're doing very well.

We heard what they did in Egypt, we are what happened with those

kings outside of Israel, just by the Jordan.

And now they're here. We got to do something, we will

fail, we will lose. So they have a scheme, they come

up with a crafty plan and here's the crafty plan.

They approached Joshua, and they heavily emphasized to appeal,

pay attention now to the senses. They want to convince this

nation that we are not among the inhabitants of this land, we're

from a distant land and and some wonder if they knew somehow of

God's instructions to the nation of Israel, because God's

instructions were with the cities outside of the parameters

of Israel. You had a different negotiation

with these places but within no talk it's done.

If that is true, then that is a clear example.

How Satan knows the word and uses the word against the people

of God, but they come and so they seem like they're from a

distant neighbor, how are they going to do this?

And we're going for the rest of this time.

We're going to stay in Joshua chapter 9.

Joshua 9 · chapter mention

Look at what they do. In verse 14 of Joshua chapter 9,

Joshua 9 · chapter mention

Let's go back to verse 12, these are the gibeonites speaking to

Joshua, I want you to Envision it.

Here's Joshua lined up with the other elders.

And here, are these gibeonites, these ambassadors who are

approaching Joshua and are trying to now, convince them to

make a covenant so that they can be saved from judgment Joshua

912. Here is our bread, It was still

warm when we took it from our houses, as our food for the

journey on the day, we set out to come to you now behold.

It is dry and crumbly These wineskins were new when we

filled them and behold, they have burst and these garments

and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.

Unfortunately Joshua would make a grave mistake.

He would make a judgment simply because of what he saw.

What he saw, what he felt. What he tasted.

And there are times in life, when our senses help confirm

something. Right there are times when our

senses help us make sense of something, right?

But what we see here is that their critical moments in life,

where we need to do something much more than just agree with

what we perceive in the natural. I believe the lord gave this

chapter for his people, so that they would not make the mistake

of making serious confirmations unconditionally based upon what

you see and feel. See what I'm saying.

They're not that we are enemy against our senses but to make

unconditional judgments based on our senses, it's extremely

dangerous. and if you want to be humbled, By this truth, in a

simple way. There's something known as the

McClurg affect, anybody hear about the McClurg effect.

The McClurg effect is really interesting.

It's an auditory visual illusion that essentially reveals how

sometimes What you see can override and reinterpret, what

you hear? so what happens is based on your

visual sensory that can actually change the sound that you are

perceiving, So it's a conflict of the senses and you can

experiment with this. You want here, say thank you for

this. You're going to make your trip a

little bit more fun. You can actually experiment with

this. I want to experiment with it

because I'm a skeptical individual.

So there's a test go on, go on the internet.

There's a video online. Look it up and here's what it

is. You have a professor looking at

the screen, you watch it on your phone to the laptop and you see

his face. And all he does is repeat the

sound bad. Bye.

Bye. Bye.

And he's staring at the screen, bye-bye and you're hearing.

Bye. Now, what he does now in the

second clip is he changes the movement of his lips but he

doesn't change the sound that he's making.

So when you transition to the second clip, he's actually

saying bah, bah, bah. But what you hear is 555,

Immediately like this is a hoax. I see it.

He's going. Ah, he's doing that.

I know how words. Work, ba ba, there's no way that

this is a different. This is the same sound, so I

watched it again. I looked at the comments,

obviously, to make sure I'm and the consensus.

And sure enough. They were disagreeing with me.

So I watched and I watched you guys, so you know what this is

why I'm going to do. I'm going to rewind this thing.

But this time I'm going to close my eyes.

Let's see if this is true. Because here's what's crazy.

Even when the man at the end explains explains, the whole

phenomena explains, the illusion explains this bizarre effect,

even after he explains it, you watch it again and you still

don't see the difference. Where you see the difference?

Rather, it's your brain still tricks or even after the guy

tells you the trick some like this there's something wrong

you. So I went back.

I close my eyes and to my shock throughout the whole video.

You know what I heard bad. Still didn't believe it.

So now there's something weird here.

So this is what I said, I'm going to watch it.

I'm going to close my eyes but halfway through the second clip

when he I'm confident is saying fa.

I'm going to disprove this whole thing.

I'm gonna get the most likes for my comment.

So I close my eyes. Here's this man by bah-bah-bah

Or rather bye-bye. And I open my eyes and to my

greater shock immediately 555 lat, I try to look at different

points in the second clip that yeah.

Baba baba 555. Bye, bye.

Bye. My old convinced.

And I believe God. In his wisdom uses.

Things like this uses, science to prove a spiritual truth.

You can lie to yourself, man. You can trick yourself.

You can actually believe something to be true when it is

not true at all. And so as I kept contemplating

on this, I realize a spiritual principle.

How true is it that we interpret truth not with the conflict of

our eyes and our ears, but our flesh.

Divine revelation. How much of this do we

reinterpret? And actually believe to be

right. When in reality, it's saying

something completely different. I was convinced that it was two

different sounds. The reality was one and you have

people who are so strongly, convinced that some aspect of

Truth, some aspect in their life is right, or it's wholly or it's

God's Will, and it isn't Some of you think you have bad and fan,

it's really bad. How do we protect ourselves from

this fearful possibility? How do we Shield ourselves from

spiraling into our own world? Filled with delusions the?

Same text and Joshua tells us something incredible.

Look at verse 14, Joshua 9:14. So the men took some of their

Joshua 9:14

Provisions but did not ask counsel from the Lord How to

live a life free from deception? Number to bring all matters.

Of earnest prayer before God. This was their error.

This was the core reason why they made their mistake that

would cost them generationally because they did not in their

humility and understanding that, even what they see and perceive

can be wrong to come before the Lord and say, Lord is this

right? Is this your will?

Is this true? Is she the one?

Is this where you want me to go? Is this the right opportunity?

And I meditate on this and I thought to myself how could have

got answered like what would he have done to remove the veil

from the gibeonites? The veneer, what would he have

done and that the Bible is not clear and telling us what he

would have done? And that kind of comfort to me

more than anything else because it wasn't telling us that there

was a specific way that he was going to answer and they should

look for that thing. All it says is that they were

fault for not seeking counsel. Here's my responsibility in

yours in this life, bring it before.

God, that's Part and God will do his part.

A God, who is a god of communication, to make it

exactly know how you need to know about it, to be confirmed

before moving forward. It's not a but about putting

certain things down what you look for, it just simply coming

before him and laying it down before him.

And in humility persisting in that posture of dependency, it's

not about a particular sign. It's not about some kind of a

wonder that will persuade you, it's simply about doing your

part Lord. I see this as a good thing, I

might not understand the depths of it, I don't know the motive

here, but protect me. Protect me.

I don't want to do the wrong thing.

I want to be in your will when you when you talk like that,

when you speak to the Lord, he has a holy obligation.

As a father would for his child to hold you tight in, to make

sure that you will not Veer off into something.

That will hurt you and dishonor, his name.

You sit before the Lord like that here in the safest place in

the world safest place in the world.

And I know some might think that this is overly simplistic.

Maybe even dangerously simplistic.

You know why I get it. The reason why is because you

have some people who are out there who are obviously making

terrible decisions, ungodly decision unscriptural,

decisions. All in the name of, I prayed

about it and God said it was fine, right?

I prayed about it and God gave me peace.

Yeah, so pray about it. That's all you need to do.

You forgot the first point? Before you can even pray about

anything. You first need to establish in

your heart that you are a lover of the truth.

You're a lover of that which is true.

You are totally sold out for the will of God.

In your life and if that is not established pray all you want

get all the sensation of peace and calm that you can get.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:9 if anyone turns his ear away

Proverbs 28:9

from the law even his prayer is an abomination.

That's scary. This is say that he won't listen

to your prayer. He says, your prayer is an

Abomination. If you have no regard for my

word, my will my sovereignty. My providential leading in your

life. If you do not ultimately

surrender to where I take you and what I want to do with you

pray, all you want, it's futile. And will take you anywhere.

What needs to happen first is a person who has the conviction of

the truth being the driving seat of their lives. and if not, Even

prayer can lead you astray. Because you're not praying to

the god of Truth. What God looks for first in that

heart that desires to know his will?

Is that? Is that desire?

There is a living. Is it Supreme is a primary if

not can't hear your prayer, I'm sorry.

So that's why I've seen so many people in life nose.

Dive into concrete. And they backed up that trust

when they flew off the ceiling or the roof because they prayed

about it. Jesus says something astounding

and John 7:17 highlight this one.

John 7:17

He says, if anyone's will is to do, God's will he will know

whether the teaching is from God?

Or whether I am speaking on my own authority, look at the first

part. If anyone's will, is to do God's

will he will know? So there's a principal there

that God looks at the motive. God looks at the heart.

God looks at the sincerity. God looks for the longing.

God looks for the purity of a person who wants to be where God

wants him to be, who wants to believe the truth that will

save. And once the accurate

Revelation, Jesus said, if that is your will to do gods with,

you will know That's glorious. Carry that with you, step by

step. but there is something that Joshua failed to do here

before even his His decision not to seek God and we may miss it,

if we read the text very quickly because the interaction that he

has, where they give you a knight's reveals another

biblical principle, which I will close with.

That will help us be deceive proof for the rest of our lives

will help us minimize the chances of going the wrong way

go back to Joshua 9 and we're going to end it here.

Joshua is engaging with the gibeonites.

He doesn't know that they're gibeonites.

And we read here in Joshua 9 verse 6 and they the gibeonites

Joshua 9:6

went to Joshua in the camp at gilgal and said to him.

And to the men of Israel, we have come from a distant

country. So now make a covenant with us.

That's pretty bold. Very general, very

straightforward. And I applaud Joshua's

leadership here verse 7, but the men of Israel said to the

hivites. Perhaps, you are living among

us, then how can we Make a covenant with you.

Great question! Great, screening and guess who's

really nervous at this point? They give you a nice.

You know how I can tell look how they answer in verse a.

They said to Joshua. We are your servants.

So nervous, you can tell it's like we're your servants.

And he presses. They continue to ask, they

continue to investigate. And Joshua said to them, who are

you? And where do you come from?

Who are you and where you come from?

Remember that because what you will see after this is in their

answer, very lengthy and pretty sentimental, pretty heartwarming

actually, but they didn't answer the questions.

The questions were, who are you? Where do you come from?

Here's their answer, at least in verse 9.

They said to him from a very distant country.

Your servants have come because of the name of the Lord your God

for we have heard a report of him and all that he did in

Egypt. My question is, who are you?

Where did you come from? We are your servants were from a

distant country. Joshua red flag.

Red flag, they're not answering your questions, they're not

satisfying, the measure that you need to know in order to make

this decision. And although I can applaud

Joshua up to this point. It goes downhill from here

because they continue to speak and listen, they use the name of

God and they even, they even show some knowledge of his ways.

This is what you did to Sion. And this is what you did to OG.

And we heard what happened in Egypt, and to top it all off, as

the cherry on everything else, they brought these elements that

seemed to indicate that they did come from a far place and Israel

missed it. Here's what I am pointing to, as

we close. While you are cultivating a love

for the truth. And while you have a Perpetual

practice of ringing matters before the God who can make

things known in very creative ways, doesn't have to speak

audibly. He and his great Providence and

is a visible hand. Can maneuver things to protect

you. And I while we do those two

things, those foundational things, those pillar of

practices. We each have the responsibility

to test everything. Joshua failed.

Not because he asked questions but he didn't ask enough.

That's where you feel. If you had asked more, if you

had pressed the, perhaps everything would have been

exposed, Paul told the Thessalonians not in his second

letter, but the first in verse 20 of chapter 5 do not despise

prophecies but test everything. Do not despise prophecies but

test everything, hold fast. What is good?

The nasb would read it this way but examine everything

carefully. Christianity does not call us to

give our hearts to Jesus and abandon our brains at the altar.

But for some reason, many have this belief that rational

thought is the enemy of spirituality.

And so what you have is intellectualism apparently is a

temptation is a temptation to avoid since it is an obstacle to

spirituality because now spirituality even amongst this

generation of Christians is synonymous with sensation, If it

feels good, if it makes me cry, if it makes me do this, if it

caused me to do that, then surely this experience that's

producing some level of good. At least initially is spiritual.

And so in order for me to prevent going in a different

direction with this message, let me just say one thing with that.

Thought the God, who is spirit that God who perform signs and

wonders and can still do Miracles today, the god whose

Supernatural did a surgery in the heart of your soul.

And now fills you with real tangible observable power that

same God chose to out of all. The means to communicate and

reveal himself through a book. A book.

Meaning, you got to pick it up and read it and study it and

compare it, and dig into it. In other words, Christians

should use their brains We're not a brainless religion.

We are not some syrupy softie if it's all, yes, that's fine.

Just because somebody said God said, just because a Bibles in

their hands, just because the music makes me feel in a certain

way. That's not us.

And what's important to understand here is that even in

the context of a spiritual experience, with the

Thessalonians where somebody is prophesying.

Now, whether you believe that means preaching, or speaking

with a spontaneous revelation of the Holy Spirit, concerning a

matter that couldn't be no naturally, both rules, apply

test, everything. If it comes with the autograph,

this is the Lord or this is of God.

That's the ask questions. Compare pause step back, talk to

people that, you know, love God's word fear, God's word.

I've talked to some people listen.

I've seen this in my short time in Ministry.

There are some all it takes is, God said And there, what wrapped

up in a whirlwind and you never see them again, or there are

haunted by his statement, just because somebody came off

spiritual and you, how to quote a few verses or knew them for

about few months and said, the Lord showed me and the Lord told

me. And then when you approach this

person and when you try to be past all you try to be a friend

who loves people because you love God and you're holding

somebody called me said, what's what's going on?

Well, I don't want to be skeptical, I don't want to doubt

God. Hey, the same God that you're

worried of displeasing for apparent, lack of faith, is the

god who said test everything So, test it.

He's telling you, you want to please God in this whole

experience test. It will just swallow it up.

Examine it evaluated and depending on the nature of the

truth, don't be quick to get caught up in it. and my brothers

and sisters, we can continue for the rest of this morning to do

greater things that we can apply but these three suffice when you

love the truth, in your heart, whatever it cost you Whatever

cost you for your own Pride, whatever cost you in your life.

And when you know how to come before God for Ernest council,

with a Bible tightly gripped in your hand. and when you know how

to exercise the command given to us to use this brain, And to ask

specific questions and to examine.

And to look, before you give a judgment, you can know a deceive

proof life. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you for this weekend together.

Thank you that your word has equipped us.

For what is ahead? Lord has James told us.

We do not presume that tomorrow will come.

We do not presume that our plans, next year will be in

place, but we say if the Lord wills, and Lord between now, and

next year though, we long to be reunited.

We know that events can quickly change, not just in our own

lives. But around the world.

Around the world to such a degree that it will alter Our

Lives. We do not fear the future.

We do not fear the future for your church for the Gates of

Hell will not Prevail and we will not fear our own Futures

because you are a God who leads us perfectly.

And all you ask is for the humility to trust and obey.

Lord, we ask that leaving this place.

There would be an excitement. And that there would be a

clarity. There would be a Clarity, like

we've never known. And all aspects of Our Lives.

We give you the glory for you or for us and you are with us and

we pray that we would be testimonies of Truth in an age

that hates the truth. We love you with all within us.

Protect us as we go back home to our own Ministries, Throne

families, thrown workplaces. May what has been deposited

within us translate in our daily living We believe that you are

able to do it and we would joy Rejoice at the truth As we sing

together as final time in Jesus name we pray.

Amen.