Jesus Warned About Deception | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Maranatha Shabiba Conference 2022)

Good morning, hope you rested well without wasting any

fraction of time. Let's open our Bibles to The

Gospel. According to Matthew in chapter

24, Matthew chapter 24. And if you get there, please

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

meet me in. Verse 3, Matthew 24 verse 3.

Matthew 24:3

And our brother just prayed, but we're going to pray one more

time and ask the Lord to help us with the scriptures.

I'm reminded in Luke 24 that when Jesus met with his

disciples and his resurrection. It says that he opened their

minds to understand the scriptures.

And so even in understanding the scriptures we need an

intervention from the Lord for the sake of comprehension and

for application. And so that's what we're going

to ask the Lord to do, okay? You might be a little weary this

morning, I heard some footsteps running around and this in the

halls and stuff, so I get it. Conference but we need God's

help. Lord.

We ask you this morning, grateful for your common Grace

in the weather and the sun in our energy.

Thank you for soundness of mind. Thank you for the energy in our

bodies though. We pray as you have shown Us in

the scriptures that we are dependent upon you to open our

minds. But Lord, our minds are not.

The only thing that we ask for. We ask that our hearts would

burn within us as your scriptures are And as we hear

the word of the Living God that we would sense the warmth and

the Embrace of your wisdom of your affection of your grace and

mercy, Lord just apprehend all intrusion and dominate and every

faculty of our being in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Matthew 24:3, I hope you're

Matthew 24:3

there. This chapter Matthew.

According to these words, here, we see with Matthew chapter, 25

is known as something as the Olivet discourse, here's Jesus

speaking on the Mount of Olives, about a particular subject and

the theme really of this discourse is centered around the

second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the events that will

precede it and more specifically this Lengthy teaching from Jesus

is a response to the inquiry of his disciples who were

wondering, when will these things be?

What will be the sign of your coming and the End of the Age?

It was a question based on what Jesus said concerning the

destruction of Jerusalem. And what's interesting to note

is that when these disciples asked this question, Jesus gave

the lengthy ascensor to any question in the Gospels.

Yes. In other words, if you want to

leave longest answer that Jesus gives to any question in the

gospels here it is, which is very telling.

Because that informs me, at least that Christ found it

necessary to give us in. Great detail, the events that

would lead to his triumphant return and Christ found it

absolutely necessary to give certain exhortations around

that. Climactic event.

This is important to the Lord. But instead of dedicating this

entire weekend to explaining the events that will lead to his

return instead of explaining these signs and the sequence of

them, I believe it will be of great value.

If we simply focus on one particular warning, in this

prophetic Masterpiece and the one warning that we will focus

on is found here in verse 3 and verse 4.

As he said on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to

him, privately saying, tell us, when these things, when will

these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of

the end of the age and Jesus answered them.

See that? No one leads.

You astray. Yes, Christians today.

What will be the things? That will come, that will be

evident the things to look for. In preparation for the return of

Christ. What you will usually get as

common answers are the things that Jesus says, after verse for

natural disasters, the increase of violence and moral

degradation. We see here Israel's political

and religious activity as a sign to the return of Jesus Christ.

But how often is it that you would hear from people?

How often is it? That people really understand

that the very first thing that Jesus mentioned the significant

sign that he starts off with has to deal with the growing

intensification of deception. Jesus here starts off his

teaching, with warning his people, his disciples that as we

lead up to that climactic event. There will be sweeping Dynamic,

profuse deception. Around the globe.

It will be powerful. It will be magnetic, it will be

so strong that even Jesus, if possible, even the elect can be

deceived And what's amazing here is that when we see this

warning, Jesus is not giving it as a mere observation.

He is giving it as an exhortation as a practical and

Urgent warning. My people understand there will

be an unleashing of seducing spirits that can even numb the

minds and persuade the hearts of those who profess Jesus Christ.

As Lord. Now it would be one thing for

Jesus to just say that initially.

But he repeats it in different ways.

A total of three times in the same teaching, You there in

Matthew 24 verse 4, but come with me to Matthew 24 verse 11.

Matthew 24:4 Matthew 24:11

Jesus says again and many false prophets will arise and Lead.

Many astray, Matthew 24, verse 24 for false, Christ's and false

Matthew 24:24

prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders.

So, as to lead astray Eve, Eve possible.

Even the elect It's fascinating. How Jesus does not repeat about

fires about floods about riots about earthquakes.

The thing that our Lord puts an emphasis on Is that in the end?

People will be duped? Hoodwinked, persuaded into

falsehood about the most important thing in this life.

And that is the truth about who God is, and what his will is.

Now we see here that Jesus is obviously trying to warn.

His people and whether you believe that Jesus is speaking

to the group of Christians, who will be there during the

tribulation or not. There is one thing that is

emphatically. Clear throughout the Bible and

it is this that it is very possible for those who profess

to follow Jesus Christ to fall into deception.

You can't debate that or else we have, we have to pull out her

scissors and cut out and cut out something almost in at least

every epistle. And as we are racing toward the

culmination of the age, as we're racing towards the closing

chapters of History. I'm just curious to know and the

past two years. How many here have said out of

their lips? We're living in the last days,

just lift your hand, with only 14 people in year five people

how many people have been told we're living in the last days.

Has anybody said to, you were living the last days?

We are living in the last days. Not because something

significant necessarily happened, but because since the

book of Acts, we've been living in the last days.

And if we're living in the last days, then they were living in

the last days. Then surely we are coming to the

closing minutes of History. And Jesus said here deception in

the last days as we come closer and closer to that Sky splitting

open and a glorious resurrected. Lord will descend on the earth,

deception will be more severe and will be more serious than at

any time in history with the intensification of earthquakes

and natural disasters. And all these things will come

also false narratives false, philosophies false ideologies,

this A weekend is dedicated to understanding deception.

And by the end of this weekend, I hope you make it here till

Sunday morning, because we're ending this for you to leave

here equipped with the word of God, to know how to be deception

proof forever. How to be deception proof

forever, because the Bible is sure is, is that you can live a

life where you do not have to fear being, tricked, or lie to

God, did not leave us to ourselves, God has given us

everything that we need to know so that we can continually walk

in the fullness of his light and revelation.

The seat, the seat is any behavior in words or actions

which deliberately intend to make people believe that

something is not true. Anything and words are action

that has the agenda that has the motivation to try to make you

believe something. Not to be true.

I'm not sure if you've been a victim of deception, I'm not

sure. If you've been told by someone

about something only to find out later that they were

intentionally with a selfish agenda trying to lure you

astray, but it is one of the most humiliating and frustrating

or deals that you can undergo. The feeling of being lied to, to

the point where you invest your emotions and judgments and

decisions into something only to find out later that someone was

was not telling the truth, can be a devastating experience.

And here's the thing about deception, At best, you can be

embarrassed. You can be embarrassed because

when the truth of a matter comes out, you realize that your

discernment was not was not operating at worst deception can

be destructive. And what you have is, people who

can hurt themselves. Or who can wound others with

irreversible consequences? Deception is scary.

The reason why deception is scary is because people who are

deceived, don't know it. Deception is not like sin.

What do I mean by that? When people send sometimes they

can look at send, they know it's wrong and they do it anyway.

Deception is not looking at something wrong and doing it

because you think it's going to advance some personal desire or

satisfying in a certain way, deception is looking at

something that is wrong and thinking it's right.

And then applying it to your life.

We have a duty because Jesus said these things will come.

And he will come embodied as truth to make everything Ryan to

expose all falsehood. But until then, he leaves the

responsibility up to us every single person in here has a

responsibility. To operate in discernment so

that they would not be deceived in any way in any way.

What I'm speaking to you about this weekend is not just

deception about certain doctrines in the Bible.

I'm talking about deception, In anyway, here's my question.

How does the New Testament? Clearly warned Christians.

Do not be deceived. I'm not speaking about how the

New Testament warns, how the world is deceived, or how the

world can be deceived. How does the Bible look in the

face of Believers and say do not be deceived, the warnings are

numerous overwhelming and we're not going to cover every single

warning but I hope that this weekend would stir you on a

personal journey. And that Journey would be for

you to go home and to look at every single warning in the New

Testament is What the holy spirit says, be careful about so

that you'd be fully equipped and assured that you are indeed

walking in the light. And so this is not going to be a

complete thing, it's not going to be an exhaustive thing but

they'll be enough for you to understand that the scriptures

are loud and clear with a very familiar phrase to believers, do

not be deceived. Let me say something before we

begin and dive in. The motive behind this is that

you would know great joy and great Assurance in the Lord.

But for some, this can be a very disturbing weekend.

At least initially. And I want to tell you why meet

with me and First Corinthians 15:34 I want you to see what

1 Corinthians 15:34

Paul says to the Corinthians in this one.

Simple verse and 1st Corinthians 15:34.

We read wake up. Paul says in the ESV, wake up

from your drunken stupor as is right and do not go on sinning

for some have no knowledge of God I say this to your shame.

The two words that start. This verse off, wake the initial

context, the initial meeting means be sober-minded be free

from the intoxicating influence of a certain substance and the

substance that Paul is speaking about is actually in verse 33

with the first four words of that verse.

What does he say in verse 33? Do not be deceived.

Do not be deceived. In other words, deception was

the very thing that was inebriating the Corinthian

Church. And what's amazing here is that

he says, I need you to wake up because you are not aware of

what is overtaking, your judgment.

You are not aware of your own Consciousness that the looming

dangers around, you are presenting themselves as.

And I'm sure most of us in here, have known the unpleasant

experience of being suddenly awakened from sambar.

Some of you experienced that this morning, You can be an

alarm clock. It can be a creative roommate.

It's rarely a joyful thing to have our sleep interrupted at

least in the beginning. And the reason for that is

because we become comfortable. Or in the case of this context

we become numb when we are under the influence of an external

substance that tries to help us escape a reality.

That is painful and our relationship with deception is

like that. Again, let me say deception, is

that looking at something wrong and say I'm going to do it

anyway. Deception is looking at

something that is wrong and believing that it's right in

saying I believe this to be true.

And what you have is when people who are deceived is that they

are desensitized, they become comfortable when they adhere to

a certain belief and here's what happens.

You build your life around that, you build your life around

something that is untrue, but you believe it is true.

You believe it offers something you believe.

It's the right thing. You believe it's true

conviction. And what happens is you build

friends, you Now, invite people into your life will also believe

the same as you do. And some people even go beyond

that and they make a career out of that philosophy or that

ideology because it become so passionate about the very thing

that they've adopted into their lives.

And so here years. Go on believing something to be

truce, believing something to be right?

Believing something to be God. And as you're on that Journey

holding hands with others who are on the same path.

Here's somebody on the side of the road.

Who boldly looks at you and waves at you and says, hey wake

up your head of the wrong way. You're headed the wrong way. and

that's That's disturbing to some it's uncomfortable to son.

And I want to tell you today, that these messages May

initially feel like that You may feel what it's like to be

suddenly awoken. This merciless jolt.

That quickly calls for you to make an action.

Like my dad did so many times in Middle School.

When he would crash into my room unannounced and he was very

creative in the way you would wake me up.

He knew how to play certain songs.

He knew he didn't know how to sing but he would try anything

that he can do to make sure that I don't sleep in.

What was his motive? Because as a father, he knew

that I needed to be somewhere. And I needed to do something.

And if I kept sleeping, I would have missed out on it.

Out of love. He woke me up.

I want you to hear every message from your heavenly father.

As jolting as it may be as sudden as it may be as strong as

it may be with a heart of love because God wants you to be

somewhere. In his will, God wants you to do

something. He has a purpose for you.

And just like sleep and just like in sobriety those things

like deception can rob us from so much.

Much and God loves you too much. To keep you the way you are

clouded by the fog of your own wisdom, clouded by the fog of

somebody else who walked into your life and told you something

that God did not say so. With all that being said, let's

start with something and admonition.

That is very known to Christians but is very much relevant and

needed today. First Corinthians, you're there

already interest rates go to chapter 6 beginning in verse 9,

here's a phrase that you're going to hear.

Most of this weekend do not be deceived, you're going to hear

that a lot or do not deceive yourselves or let, not your

heart be deceived. This is what you're going to

hear over and over again. And here, we see it for the

first time in our weekend together.

First Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul says to this church or do you

1 Corinthians 6:9–10

not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of

God? Do not be deceived, neither the

sexually immoral, nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor men who

practice, homosexuality, nor thieves nor the greedy, nor

drunkards, nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the

kingdom of God. It's obvious when Paul wrote

this that he was disturbed by the news of this church.

This church was extremely gifted this church had so much

activity, but this church had a lot of problems.

And one of the problems that were dominant in this church was

that there was sinful Behavior practice, and sinful behavior,

that was condoned with little to any sign of conviction or desire

for repentance. This news came to the Apostle

Paul and Paul as a faithful leader reached out to this

church. Search and would have this

letter read publicly to say, I'm hearing about things in this

church and I'm concerned about your spiritual State.

And so, I need a call out and say do not be deceived.

So before he lists, this catalog of sins, that must have been,

that must have been going on. In this church, he first boldly

and lovingly says, oh, do not be deceived.

Now, why would he say that the reason why he would say that

because then and even today there are some who are under the

persuasion within the four walls of the church were consistently

attending meetings, who believe that it is possible to live in a

way that the Bible condemns and yet still have eternal life.

Now, I'm not speaking about those who loved righteousness

and hated wickedness but stumble along the way.

I'm speaking about those Who Loved unrighteousness?

And have no heartfelt desire. To be conformed to the image of

Jesus Christ. And to be like him as he is and

his moral Majesty, this is a form of idolatry.

And before we go on to this, because you're going to see,

you're going to see, we're going to go in a different direction,

a moment. I want you to see a, the best

illustrations for sermons is in the Bible.

If you want an illustration book for your sermons preacher, just

go to the Old Testament. I want you to see a very clear

picture that would be branded in your mind, so that you would

understand what this looks like spiritually in our day.

One of the most infamous scenes of idolatry and Redemptive

history has to do with a golden calf.

Moses is up there on the mountain with the Lord receiving

Revelation for the sequential movements of the nation of

Israel, and the people get impatient and they get so

impatient that they asked Aaron their spiritual leader to make

them an idol. And he does with very little

resistance and what I want you to see is what Aaron says when

this Idol is created and Builds an altar before it.

I want you to see it in your own Bibles.

It's an exodus 32 verse 5. Notice what Aaron says and

Exodus 32:5

notice how it translates to the mindset of many today.

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it.

And Aaron made Proclamation and said tomorrow shall be a feast

to the Lord. I'm like speechless when I read

that every time tomorrow. So he looks at this nation,

they're salivating at the mouth of the fact that they have this

Idol not that they can see that they've created that's before

them and Aaron looks to them and he says tomorrow shall be a

feast to the Lord capital L ORD the personal name of God, Yahweh

And here's what I take out of that that in their minds and

even verbally, they're declaring that they are worshiping the

true God, they are proclaiming even in verse 4 that God had

delivered them from Egypt, but in reality, they are worshipping

an idol. So hold on here.

There's Proclamation there's declaration that they are for

the truth that they're worshipping.

The truth that they are serving the true God all while in

actuality they are standing before a beast made out of gold.

It's just like mind-numbing stop.

This is like when you step outside of your like, is this

even real? And it is real and it's real

even today. Because what we see here is that

these people including Aaron In their idolatry did not try to

reject God. They had no intention of

removing the true God from their worship from their vocabulary

from their Doctrine. They knew his name, Lord, they

knew what he's done, he delivered us from Egypt and so

why the golden calf. It's not that the golden calf

replaced. The true God at least in their

understanding. They thought that they can

worship the true God through the golden calf.

And so, how do we understand this?

Well, let's translate it today. You have people today, who claim

the name of Jesus? You have people today who know

what he is done. You have people today who even

say that they worship him, all the while they're actually

worshipping an idol. I think about that.

You can live your entire apparent, Christian Life.

Believing proclaiming declaring even surrounding yourself with

others that you are for the truth.

All the while You've been bowing before an idol.

Sobering. And this is what Paul is

concerned about with this church, the conviction and the

conduct was contradictory. So he writes out not to a

secular school system, not to the White House.

He writes to God's house Do not be deceived and he begins to

list a catalog of sins, the tolerance of unrepentant sin

while claiming relationship to Jesus is truer now than it ever

has been. It's more prevalent today,

especially with a certain sense in which I'm sure you can guess

the unnatural practice of homosexual, Passions.

Pastor Daniel Bennett preached on this, briefly at our church

last week. So I'm not going to spend too

much time on this, but we're not at our local church.

I'm not sure what you believe. I'm not sure what your church

believes, but I have a duty to tell you this.

I'm highlighting homosexuality, not because it's the only sin

but it's the only sin that I know of that has an entire month

dedicated to its celebration if you know of an adultery month if

you know of an anger month, let me know.

I will gladly speak on it. I don't know of anything.

I don't know if anything except for a month that is dedicated to

celebrating propagating praising, what the Bible calls

an abomination. Remember the jolt thing from the

the Sleep? Remember that?

Hold on to that. Because of the aggressive

Applause behind homosexuality. It is the church's Duty and

responsibility to address it with absolute Clarity for that

is the only solution to the desensitization that is coming

Upon Our Generation, including the generation of those who

claim to follow, Jesus Christ. Again, I don't know what you

believe, I don't know what your church believes, but the word of

God is clear that this practice of homosexual Behavior, whether

it's monogamous, which is really the case.

Or whether it is a lifestyle that is free.

This idea of sexual Liberation, it's sin.

It's in the Bible, condemns it, and those who live in it, with

no desire to be saved from it with no desire to be redeemed

from it. Listen will not inherit eternal

life, not that Jesus cannot save them, he can saving this gospel.

So powerful, it can save anyone. But those who believe they can

Embrace this lifestyle and still claim the Savior at the same

time. Don't just have a different

opinion. They are strongly deceived. now

if you're a professing Christian who believes otherwise if you're

someone in this place who has friends or family that do live

in are part of that community, or maybe you're somebody in here

who struggles with those Passions, May be publicly may be

privately. But you're justifying it because

your conception of Jesus affirms unit.

Again, I need to let you know that your emotions have duped,

you Your emotions have tricked. You your conscience is in

darkness and any tolerance in the name of compassion that we

might think we are showing to others by accepting them the way

they are. And that's in is only a

contribution to cementing them in their deception.

Be very careful believers. Homosexuality is one of the

strongest expressions of self worship.

It is a detrimental assault on the flourishing of any

civilization. You want to study world history

and know why some Empires rise and fall.

Do you want to know one of the major contributions to that

homosexuality? Homosexuality is one of the

major contributions to civilizations cracking and

crumbling to fine powder. It dismantles, the family

function. While sabotaging the natural

order of reproduction. And if you think about on a

deeper level it distorts the message of the Gospel that God

seeks to powerfully display and something that he is created

called marriage but only in a marriage between a man and a

woman. This message is not about

homosexuality. I just need to address this in

passing, but let me also say this, that the Christian

solution to homosexuality is not calling people to be straight.

The Christian solution is to call people to surrender to

their maker. And to come to Christ, who has

the supernatural ability to reshape their identity to such a

degree that it can even influence their sexuality and he

can mold them and shape them to such a point where their desires

triumph over their flesh and their and their lust, and their

longings and their fantasies and check this out.

He doesn't not in a way where you're forced to be molded into

something, your molded into the way you were.

So you are now in the fullness of joy, this comes with a joy,

this comes with delight, this comes with your intended,

purpose by God, that can only come through the blood of Jesus

Christ. And so I want to let you know,

if you know somebody, or if you are somebody that is in this and

you have been comforted because there are parades about this and

then and your celebrities love this and they praised its your

politicians. Our ones who are applauding

this. Listen shake out of it, shake

out of and realize God's intended design for your life

and realize that the way to it is not behavioral modification.

It's to come to the foot of the cross.

Because Christ sees you in that and he does not Reserve his

grace. And mercy.

He longs to extend it and to make you into a testimony.

Listen, I know people who have been saved from this and I

cannot hold back. I'm not ashamed of the gospel,

because I've seen its power. I've seen its power And so, take

that into heart, take that into consideration but notice

something because this message isn't about homosexual.

I look back at this list and First Corinthians 6, 9 and 10,

Notice that as we come to these verses, there are interesting

things that are brought up and I want to bring something to your

attention. Don't mind the buzzing we're

trying, something new, I guess. In First Corinthians, 6:9 and

10. As you read this list, what

you'll notice is that there are different things that Paul

brings up. And one thing in the ESV that I

find quite interesting in verse 10 nor thieves nor what's the

other one. The greedy, the greedy greed

greed is mentioned on this list. Now, think about that for a

moment because Paul is saying something quite insightful,

greed, those who are greedy will not inherit the Kingdom of

Heaven. How would I read that?

I thought to myself, I understand adultery.

I Anderson idolatry I understand thievery.

Agreed. Another translation is the word

Covetous. What does it mean?

No matter what English word you use?

If you're faithful to the original, this is the simple

understanding of it. Those who have a desire for

something or someone that does not belong to them, will not

inherit heaven. Those who have a desire for

something, or someone that does not belong to them, will not

inherit Heaven. That's exactly what this word

means. It's extremely sobering, but

that's the point. You wondering, is that really a

sin? And I say yes, it's a sin

according to the Bible. So serious that it will bar

people from even having eternal life and if you want to know the

essence of that send really behind it, it's telling God I I

am frustrated with your providential leading in my life.

I hate how you have led my life, I despise where I am today, and

since you're the one who claims to have control over what I

have, and what I experienced, I hate you.

If it was up to me, this is what I would have.

And so it's really an assault on the sovereignty of God, that's

the essence behind it. And Paul says, shockingly those

who are greedy. Now, listen, This is this is

something that might jolt us because as somebody cleverly

said, greed is in that category of respectable sins.

Respectable sins. So it's not so flagrant, it's

not so obvious, it's not so gross.

It's like, it's like a classy sin, right?

It's a sin that doesn't really disturb others.

It's a sin that's just internal. It's a sin, that doesn't cause

much destruction. And yet the holy spirit says,

the greedy will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

How many of us would ever think that somebody who's not a

homosexual, somebody who's not an adulterous, somebody's not an

idolatry. But at the same time is consumed

with greed is just as much in need to be radically born again

than any of the other ones. The reason why I'm bringing this

to your attention. Is because we don't see sin the

way God sees sin. This is what I'm trying to bring

to us. The reason why is because by

default we do not perceive sin, the way God does.

And my friends, that is one of the strongest way to invite

deception into our lives. let me say this way, when we don't have

a trusting view of the world, by having the lens of God's

holiness ever before us, then our perception of life becomes

blurred to the point where Meek we make dangerous judgments

about everything including sin sin in our own lives sin, in the

lives of other people. And so we see here that this is

an example of how God has a very different standard of Holiness

than you. And I can, I give you an example

in the Bible that will challenge Us in that when you make the

word association between David, the king of Israel and sin.

What comes to mind Bathsheba? Bathsheba adultery.

And further than that murder, he killed her husband to have her

to try to cover his sin. And that was a sin.

That was a severe sin. That was a sin that God sent the

Prophet by the name of Nathan to confront David about.

And I want you to see how the Bible words.

David's, confession. David and second Samuel, 12, 13,

and second, Samuel 12, 13 David said to Nathan.

I have sinned against the I have sinned against the Lord, and

Nathan said to David, the Lord also has put away your sin, you

shall not die. He confessed.

It wonderful. Beautiful much different than

Saul but here's what's amazing. When David confessed, there were

still consequences, right? And the major consequence to his

sin is that four of his sons would die for of his sons would

die in the reason why, for of his sons would die is because

when Nathan came with a parable, a very clever Parable to bring

David to make a judgment in that, Parable, he actually

pronounced judgment on himself and that's another study for

another time. So, God took him at his word and

the standard by, which he judge, which Jesus told us will be

brought upon us. And so for of his sons died, Now

here's the thing there is another episode in David's life

where you can say, he had a major downfall.

It was much later than this moment and for some reason it's

not usually in the association when we make sin and David

brought together in the same thought.

And what we see in that confession, because David

confesses, which is a wonderful example by David he sinned yet.

He was a man after God's heart and one of the reasons because

he confessed his sin continually, sincerely, he

repented of it when he was caught in it.

And even before he was caught in it.

In some cases, listen to this. You go down a few years later

from David's Infamous sin with Bathsheba, you go to chapter 24

in the same book and look at verse 10 and I want you to see

how David words, his confession there.

And second Samuel, 24 10 but David's heart struck him a firt

after he numbered the people. So what does David do?

As a king he calls out for a census and the nation of Israel

and he asked his men to number the the Army, the strength of

his army. And after he does this, even

though joab pleaded with him. Listen, King David, you don't

want to do this. Now that's strange to us like

what's the big deal of counting numbers?

God has a whole book called numbers.

God is not against numbers. If we have this idea that God

cares doesn't care about numbers.

Go to the book of Acts, he numbers, the amount of people

who are saved, God, is is for numbers calculating.

But the way David deida did it his motives were in pure, they

were Unholy, he was trying to publicly Flex his strength.

His military might in defiance of the dependency that he was

called to have in God and more than that, you read, Exodus 30,

David didn't do the senses, the way the Old Testament told the

nation to do a census. So he he does this and then he's

pricked in the heart he's convicted and then it says here

in the second part, in David said to the Lord I have sinned

greatly and what I have done but now O Lord please take away the

iniquity of your servant for I have done.

Very foolishly Did you notice it?

when David was confronted about his sin with Bathsheba, he said

I have what sin When he was confronted for numbering the

nation. I have sinned greatly.

And what I have done. Greatly and then he adds to it

at the end, I have done very foolishly.

David was a New Covenant believer in Old Testament time.

You see that in so many of the things that he says, and does.

And he was one of those examples, David saw his sin of

pride and arrogance. As a greater offense.

Than the sin of adultery and murder. how many of us have were

honest with say that we can contrast those two things and

say that they are in the same category or ones more intense

than than the other we would say the adultery in the murderer is

David. I have sinned greatly against

the Lord. And here's what shocking maybe

God actually agreed with that. Because the consequence of this

sin was not for of his sons dying.

You read in the same chapter you know how many people died

because of the sin 70,000? 70,000 people died as a result

of David's sin as a leader over God's people.

Apparently, the Lord agreed with David.

But what our judgement be the same as gods. when we actually

say that was a great sin David for what you did, I don't think

we would and maybe we need another example to widen our

understanding from the New Testament cuz when you bring up

Old Testament you have some people that's the Old Testament

brother. Okay.

Let's go to the New Testament. Let me show you a man who sinned

three different times on three different days and how God

answered those sins differently. So you go to the book of Acts in

chapter 12 and there's a king. Another king.

His name was Herod, another leader and Herod make some

decisions. Himself Herod has no

relationship to the true and living God.

If any relationship she had with God, it was killing his people.

And in verse 1 of chapter 12, what do you read about Herod?

About that time Herod, the king laid, violent hands, on some

people who belong to the church and verse 2 of Acts 12.

He killed James, the brother of John with the sword, he killed

one of the Apostles. He killed one of the leaders.

Of this new movement. And look what happens in verse

3. And when he saw that, it

pleased, the Jews. He proceeded to arrest Peter.

Also, he was bloodthirsty because he was thirsty, for the

praise of men, the Jews. Love the fact that he killed one

of the leaders of the church. And so, he sets up a new

campaign to have Peter executed as well.

So, he arrests Peter and this was during the days of

unleavened bread. So he want to wait till the

feast was done. He already killed a man, and now

he is meditating to kill and murder.

Another man, that's one day. You fast-forward to acts 12

Acts 12:19

verse 19, Peter miraculously, escapes, an angel comes and

rescues him. He goes to the church to testify

about it and Herod finds out. And in verse 19 of chapter 12,

we see, and after Herod search for him, and did not find him,

he examined the centuries in order that they should be put to

death, then went down from Judea to sister and spent time there.

So he comes into the room and goes, where is he?

And the soldiers were surrounding him all day and all

night says. No, you don't know.

You're all dead. Maybe give you time to see your

family. May even give you time to see

your wife's you're dead now calls for the execution.

So this man was ruthless. He killed those who are clergy

men, he killed leaders in the church and he even goes beyond

that and he kills people who served them and who were

innocent in a matter. He had no regard for justice, no

regard for investigation. He was frustrated, he lost out

of this. You're the reason why I'm going

to kill you and he does Another day in verse 21 in the same

chapter. On an appointed day Herod, put

on his Royal robes, took his seat upon the throne and

delivered, an oration to them. And the people were shouting,

the voice of a God, and not of a man.

Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did

not give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and

breathed his last. This is why we need to read your

Bible. Slowly likes, take a step back

and consider the sequence of events.

This man murdered one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ.

He was planning to murder. Another one, this man killed

innocent people who served him. No intervention from heaven.

But the moment people begin to praise him to flatter him.

Really? That was a reason and he basked

in that Glory. Immediately, he sends an angel

and God has him killed. When he received worship, he

crossed a line when it came to murder, God was willing to delay

his judgement, he was going to judge him when he came to Pride.

It brought a stench to Heaven, that God could no longer

tolerate and brought immediate Swift discipline.

Fascinating isn't it? Is our judgment like God's do we

see sin the way? He said I'm afraid not I'm

afraid not if we had a choice to stop Herod after he was

murdering Or after he enjoyed the praise of men.

Which one would we choose? Which one would be more patient

with In God's mind. He could not tolerate Pride.

Here's the Temptation Of You Ready, the thoughts that are

dude. It may be creeping in.

Well look, If that's the case, and I might have a better sense

of Judge God's justice, then then he does, I might have a

better standard of righteousness, then he does.

How can drinking in adoration from others, be anywhere near

murder. But here's the thing, I don't

think God is giving us these examples to tell us that he

thinks less of adultery less of murder less of thievery and more

of Pride and more of envy and more of these things that's not

the point. The point that he's trying to

make is of how seriously he takes the sins that we don't

even think about. That we have, we have no grid

for, that's not even in our top 10.

So to speak, the reason why God brings these examples to show

that his standard of Holiness is much much higher than ours.

How many today justify sin? Listen based on this.

Well doesn't hurt anybody, right?

I've talked to too many unbelievers on the streets in

meetings like this and afterwards when you present the

gospel and you might have a conversation with somebody and

you ask them about their life, you ask them about their their

faith and when you bring up the concept of sin, here's the main

objection about their goodness. Well, I'm not hurting anybody.

Well they're not hurting anybody.

And what you just heard here through these examples is that

God is reminding us that in your understanding of how sin works.

There is a vertical Dynamic to this.

It's not just that you're not hurting anybody even in your

most private hidden sin. There is a person who is

affected. That's God himself.

That's the point. There is a heart that is being

affected. There is a law that is being

violated. There is someone who's being

Assaulted in it. We don't see that.

And that's why these examples are given to us.

And when you and I listened understand, the vertical

relationship between our sin and God, we now only will have a

greater motivation to be intolerant about it in our own

lives. But we will actually be more

urgent about the gospel in a culture where we believe that we

are good. And that even that is becoming

skewed. But, listen, I'm going to end it

here. This includes this includes a

greater comprehension not just of how we affect God, how it

affects him as a person, but of the eternality of his Justice.

As a judge. Ephesians 5.

Verse 5. Paul says to the Ephesians, For

you, may be sure of this that everyone who is sexually immoral

or impure. Who is Covetous that is in

adultery idolatry. Rather has no inheritance in the

Kingdom of Christ. And God, pause same thing.

That really said in First Corinthians 6, right?

The Covetous, the person who has a desire for those things that

do not belong to them. Is an idolater.

Has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ in God.

Now look what he says when he adds this in verse six, he had

something that isn't added First Corinthians.

He says in verse 6, let no one deceive you.

Let no one deceive you with empty words.

For because of these things, the wrath of God.

Comes upon the sons of Disobedience.

So, Paul here says this deception, Goes further than not

inheriting the kingdom of God. This deception includes thinking

that God's Wrath won't be poured out, that God doesn't have

wrath. That God doesn't have judgment.

That God doesn't have a sense of Holiness that needs to be

satisfied through Justice righteous Justice.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, empty words, words

with no meaning words with no backing words, with no Authority

words that say, Hell, doesn't exist.

Judgment isn't coming. We're all headed towards the

same path. Those are empty words and people

are deceived. Listen, let no one deceive you.

The Christians the church. Let no one deceive you with

empty words. Because the wrath of God will

come upon these things. If you think about our human

justice system, the severity of many of the punishments is often

determined by the value of the victim and the nature of the

victim, right? So if you catch me one of these

nights killing a mosquito, I doubt that you're going to call

the police to charge me. you see me swatting a fly and Your heart

is disturbed by that. I don't think that you would

file a lawsuit against me. But then you consider our

federal law, and if you look at it carefully, you realize that

there are some animals who are protected by federal law.

I remember being in Hawaii long time ago for a basketball

tournament in my unsaved days. And when we were there, we had

time on the beach and a sea turtle approach, the shore, and

the moment it did the people in charge put a red rope around it.

And we were told even when we were swimming, you can you might

see sea turtle, if you harass the turtle, if you harm the

turtle thousands of dollars in fines thousands of dollars in

fines and in some cases even jail time.

Why? Because because of the nature of

that animal, the value of that animal in the Judgment of our

government. If I harm your household pet,

it's not going to have the same consequences as if I kill the

Bumblebee. Because there's a value.

There is a nature. What if I harm a child?

What if I kill another human being?

Not just a human being, not just my neighbor.

What about a top official in our government?

What about somebody? Who has an important role in

society? What will come about that?

Greater consequence. That is in direct correlation to

the value. Of that individual the value of

human life. Universally now, what happens if

I salt, somebody who is infinitely.

Holy. Infinitely.

Good infinitely. More valuable than anything else

in this universe, including human life.

If you hold on to that logic, you can't abort.

Now you hold on, tighter strap-on.

You agreed with me with the Bumblebee and you agree with me

with the dog, you agree with me that another human life.

So hold on to that logic. And let's take it to a person

who created all of us. What happens if I offend

somebody who is infinitely more valuable than all of us put

together? the natural conclusion, is that

I Heap up a mountain of violations against not just a

life, but the author of life The author of Life himself.

And because he is infinite in his nature, Ian cure, an

infinite debt. And because our punishment is

against a spiritual being, who is eternal, then naturally, I

will inherit spiritual and eternal punishment.

Even think about somebody who takes another life, somebody who

even commits multiple or somebody who is assumed, or have

you ever seen this where they get like an amount of years that

doesn't even make sense? Like there's sentence to like

three, four hundred years. It's like they're not going to

live that long. What are you trying to

communicate their again there's the communication there of the

seriousness of the violation. You took a life.

And so you will pay for it with your life and your existence.

Will be the very thing that will be accountable for robbing

somebody else of their existence, God's existence is

forever. There is no beginning.

There is no end and because of our sin against who he is just

by his nature naturally demands, A punishment that is in direct

correlation to that. Our sin is great because God is

great. And his wrath is great because

he is great. But that is not the only thing

in this whole equation that is great.

Let me take you back to David's words in closing.

When David had sinned in the numbering of his people, he

said, I have sinned greatly. I have sinned greatly against

the Lord, then the prophet. God says, well look, I'm going

to give you a choice. God is letting you have a choice

of the kind of punishment that you want to experience. and he

didn't have much to work with, but the one thing that stood out

to David, Was that there was one punishment that came directly

from God. The other ones had to do with

other means, including human means.

And so David was prompted to go with the one that came directly

from the hand of God. And here is his reasoning and

choosing a punishment that comes from somebody that you just

heard for the past 40 something minutes.

Who is infinitely? Holy who sees something as

hidden as pride and envy and will say you cannot inherit

eternal life because of the lust of your heart and the desires

that that tell me I am not sufficient in my sovereignty,

over your life is not good, that same God David says something so

insightful. In verse 14 of second, Samuel

24, don't turn, their just listen to these words.

It may exalt the greatness of God and second, Samuel 24 14.

Then David said to God, I am in. There's that word again, great

distress let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his Mercy

is great. His Mercy is great.

But let me not fall into the hand of man.

Here's another deception man, believes that they are more

merciful than God. The Bible says the contrary God

is much more merciful than we are.

And David knew that. And though his sin was great and

he knew that God's holiness was great and I God's judgment was

great with all of that. His Mercy is great.

And so great is his Mercy that regardless of the greatness of

our sin, God can greatly forgive that sin?

And let you know something of a goodness and assurance and joy.

Of his love that will never make you doubted for a moment.

So, regardless of this sin in an in mind, regardless of it, Left

to the justice and Holiness of God, we have no hope.

We're sunk, we're done. Let's eat and drink, and be

merry for tomorrow. We die and he'll is our portion.

But that is not the only quality of God, that is exalted in the

scriptures though. I think it is under emphasized

in our day and it is a great crime because when we under

emphasize the Holiness of God, we minimize the greatness of his

Mercy. Always, always good news is not

good news. Until there's bad news that

contrasted And the more serious and sober, we are about the

severity of this bad news that deals with us because we're the

bad ones. In this whole narrative, the

more awesome is the revelation of his goodness because you

realize that we are undeserving of, the great mercy of a great

and holy God and so may I present to you the gospel

knowing that some people will not be here tonight.

Some people will not be here this weekend.

Some people might be so angry with a message like this, that

they will not return to another meeting.

So be it, at least you leave here with the The Holiness of

God. Do you want to see it?

Do you want to see how bright and shining it is?

Do not look to any plague in the Old Testament. do not look to

any infliction of disease upon a man who dared to lift his nose

and Defiance to God, if you want to see The overwhelming Holiness

of God. Look no further than the cross

on Calvary. Because hanging on that cross

was not a criminal was not a man.

Who sinned a few times was a man who never in thought word or

deed. Ever done anything to defy,

God's word. Who hung on that cross God

himself who hung on that? Cross the same God that you see

in David's life. The same God that you see

intervening in herod's life the same God that you see. who

declares his Holiness who has profits melting like a popsicle

stick before burning furnace Who had men who thought that the

most righteous thing about them was their lips.

Proclaiming the truth of God and those very same men, when they

stood before the presence, of God said, that the very thing

they could have boasted in the righteousness was defiled.

That same God who has seraphim hiding their faces in his

presence. You have these people say, when

I see God, I'm going to tell him and ask him.

All these questions you're not even going to be able to stand

in his presence, unless you have a redeemed, mind, and heart.

The seraphim, who if they, if they chose to even just peek

into this place, what have this whole place screeching in horror

because of their beauty and their Majesty?

Those same creatures would not even.

Dare, look upon the Holy One of Israel.

And yeah, that same God who has, who has these creatures

unbothered with the task of continually giving praises to

Him uninterrupted for all of eternity steps.

Off of his throne wraps himself in flesh and comes into this

dump of a world to redeem it. And as he steps into this world,

he does not receive the Praises of creatures that are on fire,

but not consume that sing with perfect pitch in a way that

would even blow your mind physically.

If you heard it, he comes into a world that questions him, that

accuses him, that Slanders him, that there's to blindfold him

and slap him across the face as a prophet who prophesied to you

and spit on that same face. And that, that God silently.

As we sang suffered, like a lamb led to slaughter who could have

at one moment declared for twelve, Legions to break open

the sky and sweep over those Roman soldiers and those proud

Pharisees and consume them within a second that same God

chose to suffer. Because what was beating in his

heart. Was love.

A love that. Doesn't cancel his Holiness.

A love that kisses the Holiness of God at the cross.

And so this idea of cancelling are dead in sin.

Don't get it twisted, it's not that God took our sins and swept

it under the rug. He just transfer the payment to

himself. It has to be paid.

Something has to happen with our sin or as God is Not holy, he is

not just But he translates it upon himself, he puts it upon

his own shoulders and there he is hanging.

With a joy that is set before him in the joy yeses and

pleasing the father in his glory and magnifying him.

But also in knowing that those who would respond to him would

receive eternal life and that his house has Pastor.

Daniel said earlier would be filled would be filled He had

every sin in mind that you've committed from the moment, you

were able to sin. When he died on that cross.

Every sin. And he is so quick to forgive.

And this weekend understand that he is very likely looking at

some in here who need to be forgiven of their sin and he's

waiting upon your confession of that sin for you to make a

conscious decision. I will not live in deception, I

will not worship God through an idol, I will not worship at

Jesus that I've created in fashion with my own hands.

I will see him in his holiness. I will see him in the entirety

of his being. I was seeing the greatness of

his Justice and also the greatness of his love and I will

Embrace him. Because to embrace him is to

embrace the truth and to embrace the truth is to bring about true

freedom in your life. So as you've heard the greatness

of his Holiness, do you at the same time?

See the greatness of his Mercy. Do you perceive it?

Do you see it? What more can he do than what he

is done? And what I just presented to you

leaves us with this point. No men has an excuse No man has

an excuse. I love to use this point because

I've talked to very few who believe this.

But just in case there's even one person who believes is.

I haven't sinned. You know what, first John tells

us he who says he does not sin is a liar.

There you go. You're a liar.

You send. And you need forgiveness.

Let me say this too. Is, there's a giant clock behind

you, right? Is it still there or am I

deceived? Give me a couple minutes to be

very bold. Is that, okay, well, smile at

lunch together. Listen, if you're a Christian in

here, you profess to be a Christian and you're living and

willful sin. You're not bothered by it.

You're in a very dangerous place.

Okay, understand something. I know what it means to be

deceived in the way. Paul warned to be deceived

about. I grew up in a Christian home.

I heard the sermons. But I loved unrighteousness.

Loved it. I love to drink it.

And the only time that I'll be convicted about is when an

embarrassed me, or if I disappointed my mom and dad But

there was no sense of a god. Conscious grief in my sin, I

have a special burden for people who grew up in the church

because I know what it's like to sit in meetings like this.

And to almost be so numb that no matter who goes up there and

says, what, if barely moves, you barely moves, you can, I present

a possibility, could it be, could it be that despite the

name of God on your lips? And despite the understanding of

his ways that could it be, that you're deceived I don't want to

project a doubt upon those who are truly saved.

That is not my intention. I don't I don't like that kind

of preaching. And my intention here is not to

get emotional reactions, this weekend, I am in favor more of

like calculated logical planning with your soul more than it was

so powerful and then you go back to do the same thing.

Could care less about the tears really.

So I want I want to ask you. Could it be young guy?

Could it be sister? that the, the fact that you're

undisturbed about your worldliness, It's not because

Jesus is so merciful and he'll let you do what you want is

because you have a false Jesus that you are bowing down to

everyday. Consider that deception and the

way that I was able to escape that deception.

God was very merciful to me. Is when I realize that this sin

was not satisfy me, which is an awesome Evangelistic tool and

bringing it to Jesus, this lack of satisfaction was so obvious

that I came to the word. And when I discovered in my own

Bible that I didn't own in college that have to go fetch

from my dad's library and bring it back to my apartment, what I

realized was not Just who Jesus was that?

Who I was. I was not the real thing to

begin with. I wasn't even the real thing.

And one of the verses it's still in my journal 2012, one of the

journal entries that still are just embedded.

In my conscious was, when I Came Upon that part in Mark where it

says, they honor me with their lips but their hearts are far

from me. I said that's me, that's exactly

who I am. And so, I ask you, I really do.

I'm not going to, I'm not going to yell at you.

I'm not going to beat you over with anything.

I'm just going to ask you to do something.

Have you ever come to the word of God?

Honestly and said, am I the real thing?

Like am I the real thing? Or am I deceived?

If that is your heart, desire to know, God will speak to you.

He will reveal himself to you and he will make its own own.

He'll deliver you. And I hope that you will

endeavor to do that in this place if you're not sure.

You're not sure. My prayer.

My goal is I close here. I said that a couple of times at

night is that every person would leave here deceived free with

the most important Clarity that you can have in this life and

that is a matter of your salvation.

I know that I'm saved the spirit bears with me within me and

witnesses to me. That I am a child of God.

That is my desire for you. Lord, we ask you this morning.

Thanking you for the words that have highlighted how you see sin

differently than us. and Lord, we just pray that this weekend,

as we explore, how the New Testament, your word tells us

not To be deceived about tells us how we can be assured of

certain aspects of Our Lives that there would be an eagerness

in a hunger to know the truth. Lord, we all confess in this

place that our sin and deed is great.

Even the things that run in our minds, even the things that live

in our hearts that no man sees, you see it Lord.

And we thank you that though the magnitude of our sin is

deserving of great judgment. So great is your mercy.

That not only matches it, but deals with it.

Lord, we ask that every person in this place would have

confidence. Not in their ancestry line, not

in their parental upbringing, but Lord in their own personal

knowledge of the Gospel. That through repentance and

faith in what you've done on the cross. they can be saved, we can

be saved and we can know that Mercy that satisfies us deeply

Lord Hold Us by the hand and lead us through this word about

how we can be secure from deception and Lord, mayor

conversations be edifying. May they be challenging if need

be so that we can sharpen one another and know with greater

certainty that we indeed are fellowshipping with you in the

light. Well, we want to magnify you

because your mercy is great. That you've forgiven that you're

willing to forgive and so Lord, if there's even a few, if

there's even one who might be deceived about their own

salvation rescue us rescue us That we may be free in the

truth. Jesus name we pray.

Amen.