How Do We Avoid Being Deceived?

Let's start out in prayer, father.

We just thank you, lord, for today this is the day you've made will rejoice and be glad in it.

So, father, I just thank you, father, that our hearts are open to your word, our ears are open.

Holy Spirit, have your way.

It is not my words, father, but it's the Holy Spirit working through me and revealing Himself in a fresh and a mighty new way.

And so I just thank you, father, for your word.

I thank you that we are for what you've done, that you gave us your very best, you gave us Jesus Christ, so we don't have to live down here, underneath, in the pit, that we can live above, that.

We're overcomers, and so we just thank you and we give you all the glory and all the honor in Jesus' name, amen, amen.

So I just want to share a couple of scriptures with you guys tonight.

Pastor, I don't know if y'all have been here on Sunday mornings.

You guys are, like, are seasoned veterans.

Of course you have.

He just did I believe it was like a four-part series on deception, defeating deception, right?

Is that what it was?

Yeah, and I thought it was just phenomenal.

It was so good.

I just love when he's like practical like that, not that he's not ever practical, you know, but it was just a really minister to me, so I'm just going to share.

I really don't have a title.

I did put like avoid pitfalls.

So I'm going to teach on deception tonight.

So a definition that I wrote down is deception the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.

And so we know who's the deceiver the enemy, right, he's the deceiver.

And so his plot in life is to try to get you to accept something that is true and swap it for like hey, no, that's false.

And so my first scripture is Galatians 6-7.

Galatians 6-7 says do not be deceived.

That means you can't be deceived.

Right, the word says do not be deceived.

God's not mocked.

Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

And so we have to make sure to renew our mind.

I like to say thinking right.

Right, we have to make sure that we're thinking right.

Thinking like God is thinking.

You know, his way, the scripture, his ways are higher than ours, but you know, we can come up.

We can come up If we're thinking like him.

I'm going to be thinking higher, I'm not going to be thinking down here, and so we have to make sure that we properly evaluate ourselves and the Holy Ghost can help us.

He can show us areas where you know what you're missing, it there's something there, and so we have to make sure that we're skillful at thanking God's thoughts.

You know our kids.

We are blessed to have two young adults that love Jesus, that want to serve God.

We only have to face their harms.

They love God and they serve God.

And Ethan the drummer that's our son, our oldest son, and he played baseball since he was like wee little.

So we've been in baseball fields a long time, and so he played college ball also.

But he got skillful at baseball not just by practicing every great once in a while, but he got skillful because we would take him to private lessons, you know.

And then he went to high school.

We still got to do right, but he became skillful hours and hours of training and being out there with the team and being a good team player and just knowing all you know he was a pitcher and he did all outfield and shortstop, I think he played everything.

Yeah, like what did he not play?

So he became skillful in that, and so we have to make sure that we become skillful in thinking God's thoughts right, because deception can kind of, because you can be thinking the right thing in a certain area, but then, like this area over here is, like you know, maybe not so good, and so we just again, the Holy Ghost can help us to make sure our foundation is fortified, because deception is a huge thing and it's part of your foundation.

And if so, if it's not fortified, like there's going to be cracks there and you're going to wonder like why is this happening?

And so it can be like you're deceived in a certain area.

And so I have a couple of points, three ways believers get deceived.

Number one is sin.

Sin is the number one deceiver.

Romans 711, and the amplified, says for sin, seizing its opportunity through commandment, beguiled and completely deceived me and, using it as a weapon, killed me, separating me from God.

And so you know what sin separates us from God.

We have to make sure to close the door on sin, close the door on wrong thinking.

So I put here when you partake in sin, you're partaking in deception, amen.

So there's no other way to say that.

So sin deceives the unsaved Sin deceives the saved Sin deceives, and so sin steals the plan of God for your life.

Through sin, you give that plan up, and so that's what the enemy wants.

First, on 2, 16 and 17.

I didn't write that down, I just wrote.

If we can put that up in the, do we have the passion translation?

If not, you can hand me my phone.

I screen captured it, but I just didn't write it down.

First, on 2, 16 and 17.

I am, for the most part, organized For all that the world.

Thank you for all that the world can offer us the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world and the obsession with status and importance.

None of these things come from the Father, but from the world.

Verse 17,.

This world and its desires are in the process of passing away, but those who love everybody say that's me those who love to do the will of God live forever.

Those who I like that, those who love to do the will of God, live forever.

So we cannot.

Yeah, we're in this world, but we're not of this world.

And so, again, you cannot live in sin and live carnally, just like Pastor mentioned this morning, and fulfill the plan of God.

If you think you can, you're already.

You're deceived.

Matthew 6, 25 and the amplified, for I tell you, to stop being worried or anxious, perpetually uneasy, distracted about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, as to what you will wear.

Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing?

So what does stop mean?

I mean worry is a sin.

Sometimes we just think of it as this little, you know, this little thing and like no, if you're here, he's saying stop being anxious, stop being worried.

And so you know you have stopped being stopped, and so we can't coast along when it comes to our thought life.

Right, we can't.

The enemy is going to throw thoughts at us and we have to make sure that we're full of the word of God.

We have to make sure you know just that we have a plant and you take out our weeds and you take those weeds.

That well, if you don't plant something there, some weeds are going to keep on coming up, and so you have to replace that with something good, amen.

And so we have to make sure that you know your thoughts are seeds and so they'll eventually produce something.

You can't just you know, let your thoughts wander.

They're going to produce something.

Your thoughts are seeds, they'll produce something.

And with this, now, when the light of the word comes, and to not obey it is deception, right, and so, hey, there's light, the word is full of light, it is light, and so to not obey it, you're deceived.

So that's not us.

So number one sin.

Three ways believers get deceived.

Number one is sin.

Number two through people, Through wrong fellowship we use that word a lot around your fellowship, who you hang out with, right.

Romans 16, 17 and 18 in the Amplify it says I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations for others to commit sin, acting in ways contrary to the doctrine which you have learned.

Turn away from them, for such people do not serve our Lord Jesus, but their own appetites and base desires.

By smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting, the innocent and the naive.

So men will deceive, right, the enemy will use people, men, to deceive.

And so a lot of times, you know, instead of calling it deception, like people may maybe say, like, oh, I just have a different way of thinking about that or different understanding on that.

No, like you're deceived.

And who you hang out with is so important.

And now with the World Wide Web, you can, you can chat with anybody you can find, you can go, you know, like Facebook and Instagram and and I'm like, who are these people?

I don't even know.

I'm like, why are you right?

So like social media, so you can form relationships with people you should have never come in contact with, right, that you should have never crossed paths with, and that's what the enemy wants to do.

That is who you hang with and who you talk to and who you form relationships with is so important because they can bring deception into your life.

You're like, oh, it's not a big deal, I just need to help them.

I, they need my.

No, you better make sure that that's a God connection, like you got to make sure like, hey, god, is this real?

No, if they're taking you like there's no neutral ground, they're either bringing you close to God or they're taking you away.

And so you have to make sure you have to guard those relationships.

You have to make sure you have to put high value on your relationships and who you talk to and who you come in contact with.

I say that to the kids all the time, you know, especially these little kids with the phones.

I'm like parents, y'all better have controls over those, because let me tell you, that's a road you do not want to go go down.

And so, again, I'm talking about deception.

The devil will always find someone to bring into your ears the deception of another plan, the accepting of sin.

So I wrote that down.

So the devil thought he, you know, he's here to steal, kill and to destroy, and sometimes, if it's not throughout, it's through other people.

And so you have to be I don't say on guard, but you do.

You have to be aware.

You have to, just like Pastor tells us, wake up.

Part of waking up is being vigilant, being like you're surroundings.

Who am I contact?

You know, who am I in contact with?

Who am I sharing information?

Who am I allowing in my life?

So it's very important you can't pick and choose.

You know, like Pastor says, it's a Lubies where you get to go through the line and you pick and choose.

Well, I want that as a friend and I don't want that one and that looks good and that.

No, no, no, no.

You better be praying God.

Who do you want me to be in contact with?

Send me people that are godly Right, send me supernatural relationships, right.

And so I told the kids you pray that you may not have, because that's another thing that kids, as they go through you know these phases and as they get to be young adults, they see their peers going this way, even ones that came to church, ones in our youth group.

They didn't stick to the course, and so the kids can be like, well, what happened?

Well, hey, listen, I'm not their parents.

You know, they chose, they had choose life or death.

They, we present the word of truth to them, but it's up to them.

What are you going to do with that Right?

What friends are you going to choose?

Who are you going to hang with, amen?

And so, number three we deceive ourselves.

So three ways believers get deceived.

Oh, another scripture.

First, corinthians 1533, the amplified bad company, grew up Good morals, that's a good one.

So, number three, we deceive ourselves.

And let's see second, corinthians 13, eight and nine in the new King James.

For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth, for we are glad when we are weak and you are strong, and this also, we pray that you may be complete now wrote some Commentary here that I wanted to read to you, for we can do nothing against the truth.

Paul, even as an apostle, could do nothing against the truth.

Even the apostles were not above the truth.

Paul Could only work effectively for the truth, not against the truth.

This passage of special interest as fixing the limits of an ecclesiastical Astical power, whether ordinary, miraculous, the promise of our Lord that what the church binds on earth shall be bound in heaven, is limited by the Condition that her decisions being accordance with the truth, for we are glad when we are weak and you are strong.

If Paul's weaknesses could contribute To the strength of the Corinthian Christians, he would be glad.

His real concern was that the Corinthians may be made complete, and that good.

And so Now we're down.

Basically, we are here to serve the truth.

If left to my own thoughts, if left to the plan I choose for my own life, it's full of weakness, right.

So what we think?

What our plan?

Higher God has a plan for us, but our plan, it's full of it's full of weakness, and in the word wealth, this word complete means improving, equipping, training, discipling.

It includes making the necessary adjustments and repairs.

The related verb Cut cut that I eat, so is used for the disciples Mending their nets, and Matthew 421, and I thought that was really interesting, that the mending of the nest, that that, hey, god wants us when you're deceived.

It's like you, you have a net and God wants to fill this net with all these these goodies and the fish and overflowing.

But if you're just a little bit deceived at that net and you have a rip in that, that's all those fish and all those blessings are just gonna be swiped away, and so God wants us to go, come, be complete amen, I thought that was so good equipping, training and discipling and so he wants us to be complete again.

So we want to make sure we're not deceiving ourselves.

We want to make sure our nets are mended, that there's no offense in there, that there's no jealousy, bitterness, all the things of the flesh.

We have to make sure date.

And it's a daily thing, right, it's not like once upon a time I was saved and I'm good.

It's a daily thing where we get up in the morning just like pastor said oh, sometimes I don't feel like you know, but hey, no, talk to your body.

This is the day the Lord's made.

We will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and so we have to Encourage ourselves.

And there was this down.

But when I decide I'm gonna serve the truth, deception has no place in me.

So when you decide, when you make that decision and it is a decision that you're gonna hear to serve the truth, no, it's like oh, not, not what she said, not what he said, and we got to hear both part.

No, what is the baseline?

The truth of the word of God.

We are here to serve the truth, amen.

Okay, just a couple of points.

How do we avoid it being deceived?

Number one have a pastor and follow your pastor.

Amen.

Y'all are here on a Sunday night.

You know this.

Ephesians 4, 11 and 12, and the new King James and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets and evangelists and some pastors and and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and so we need a shepherd.

You know what kind of sheep are you?

Not all sheep or correctable sheep.

We have to make sure that we have that.

We do have a pastor and follow him.

You know a lot of times when I see on Facebook everybody and I didn't diss anybody, but, like you know, I just see certain people like they post this pastor and they post that evangelist and they do this and they, I'm like, who you listen to?

You just posted like 50 pastors and who what?

That's confusing me and I'm not throwing shade on that.

But hey, stick to your local church, stick to your pastor.

If there are a lot of people talking, if there are a lot of voices and you're like it's hard to decipher which who, what you know, right, I tell the kids when they're on they said this example before it but I'm like how about if I come and minister the word to you and I'm eating a bag of chips?

Right, like that's distracting, I can't.

Or if I'm studying the word and I got chips and I got this and I have the TV on and on, that's distracting, right.

I'm just thinking about this nacho cheese and then my brain's gonna be like, oh, I'm hungry for something else, right.

And so you have to make sure to stick to your pastor, stick to the word, be strict about that, because that's one way that the enemy can deceive.

Where you're listening over here, and you're listening over here, that sounds good and that's a popular evangelist and that, oh, he looked, that looks nice.

You know, like no, stick to the word.

Stick to your pastor, because that's an area where you can be deceived, hearing a lot of voices.

Number two again I'm talking about how do we avoid being deceived.

Be a doer of the word.

James 1.22, in the New King James says be doers of the word, and not only here, is deceiving yourself.

And then the message translation it says don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but Letting the word go in one ear and out the other.

Act on what you hear, act on it right.

If you are here only and never implement it, you, you deceive yourself, not the enemy, you deceive yourself.

Here it's plain, right.

So when we hear the word well, that sounds good.

No, now God's telling us hey, to act on the word right.

Love your enemies, okay.

So love my enemies, right.

Do good to those.

And so we have to act on the right, on the word of God.

Number three, and I mentioned this earlier hang out with the right people.

Deception is that you won't be affected by them.

So God again, god will send people into your life and you can pray God send me godly people, godly men and women, right Ones who will fortify me.

Iron sharpens iron, and so he'll send them.

He'll send them to you.

We've met many great people going to Pastor Mark and Trinna Hankins, and just going to all of the meetings and just being around other pastors is just so encouraging to see other men and women who are just so joyful.

Number four don't be entertained by this world.

Again, I'm talking about how to avoid being deceived.

Don't be entertained by this world.

So easy to do.

Right, when you're bored, people get bored.

Let me go see a movie.

Well, have you done any research on that movie?

Do you know who made the movie?

Do you know the actors in the movie?

Do you know what it stands for?

Oh, I'm just bored, I just want to go do something.

Don't be entertained.

I'm not saying seeing a movie is bad, right, but I'm just saying don't be entertained by this world.

Colossians 2-8 in the New King James says beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy or empty and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ.

So you have to make sure that you are not deceived.

And then 1 Corinthians, 6, 9 through 10 in the New Living says don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Don't fool yourselves.

To those who indulge in sexual sin or worship idols or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or abusive or cheat people, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

Some of you were once like that, but you were cleansed, you were made holy, you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord, jesus Christ and the spirit of our God.

And so here he's saying hey, don't you realize that these people aren't going to inherit the kingdom of God?

So we shouldn't be.

Our standard is the word of God, and it's again.

Our foundation needs to be fortified.

And so what are your morals, what are your standards?

What are your values?

They should be.

The word of God should be in there, right, because everything else is going to crack, it's going to fill under pressure, and so we want to make sure our nets are fortified.

We want to make sure there's not a little tear in there, right, that there's not, that we're not being deceived by someone or something, right?

Or what our ears are listening to, or what we're watching or what like.

Is this, is this the truth, god?

Show me right, simple prayers, show me Holy Spirit.

We got the Holy Spirit living inside of us.

He's our comforter, he's our guide, and so a lot of times we just don't take the time and like show me Holy Ghost, what is this the truth?

Am I, am I missing it in an area?

And so He'll show us?

He will Again.

Our standard is the word Stick with the word in every decision.

My last scripture is Ephesians 1, 19 through 22 in the New King James.

Let me just read it.

Turn to it Ephesians 1, 19.

We can start Well, all of it.

Of course it's Ephesians 1 prayer.

But and what is the exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he worked in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places?

Far above it was a far above All principality and power and might and dominion in every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come, verse 22,.

And he put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

So we have what we need, amen.

We have what we need to stop deception and defeat it.

We have the weapons.

God's given us authority right here.

He says we're far above, we're not down here, we're far above all principalities, far above, seated at the right hand of the Father.

So when we mess up, we can say God forgive me, and he cleanses us and we're made like we never even sin.

Today is a brand new.

His mercies are new every morning.

So a lot of times I think people just get, well, like I messed up, I did, I get you know all the things, and like no, hey, we're seated far above, far above.

And so the enemy will try to deceive you every day and he will try to throw those thoughts your way.

But you have to.

We have the weaponry.

We have this right, we're seated far above, and so we take our place of authority, we take our place in him.

We're not down here below, weak worm of the dust, right, easily deceived easily, you know, tickling ears.

Just tell me what I wanna hear, right?

No, we stick to the word of truth.

Right, we stick to the word of truth, no matter what.

And so, when that foundation, when you stick to the word of truth, every area trickles in every area right, tickles in your marriage, trickles over in your finances.

When you're truthful, right, stick to the truth.

What does the word say?

Right, sometimes it's easier not to say anything, but, hey, sometimes you gotta have tough conversations, right, but it's the truth, it's the word of truth.

We stick to the truth.

And so, when that's in your foundation, your foundation is fortified, right, nothing can stop you.

No devil in hell can stop you, because you're speaking the truth, you're thinking the truth, right, you're walking in the truth.

The enemy is all about the lies.

It's all about the lies deceit lies, trickery, right, what are they thinking?

What are they?

Oh, I can't, I don't know, I don't.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

You stick to the truth, and the truth it's in the word of God.

That's what fortifies our foundation, amen.

So let's pray, father, god, we just thank you, lord, for this word.

I thank you, father, that our foundation is fortified.

Father, we just praise you.

We thank you, father, we thank you for everybody here.

I thank you, father, that love plus unity equals miracles, Father.

So I just thank you, father, that we're mending our nets.

Father, I just thank you if there's any area in our lives that needs to be mended, father, I thank you that we look in the mirror, we look in the word of God, father, and I just thank you that you show us areas where maybe we've missed it or we've come short or fallen short, thinking our own thing and having our own opinions, father, but I thank you, lord, that we stick to the word of truth.

We thank you, father, that truth does prevail, father, and I just thank you for what you've done in our lives.

Father.

We are thankful kids, father, and we want our lives to bring glory to you, father.

We want to be Christ-like.

We don't want to just do our thing, but we want to be Christ-like In Jesus' name, amen.

So I pray that that blessed you tonight.

I know it wasn't Pastor preaching about deception, but I just thought his series was so good.

Really, you can do a lot of messages on deception, especially the age and the time that we're living now, how so many people are deceived and so many kids and teenagers, but the truth wins out.

We have to proclaim the truth, not just for us but for the next generation.

For the next generation.

So when you don't say something, you are saying something, and so we have to make sure we're saying something, and that something should be the word of God Amen, amen.

So you are empowered.