Participants: David Asscherick
Series Code: EHE
Program Code: EHE000006
|
00:16 Good evening friends and welcome to another edition
00:19 of the Eleventh Hour Evidence coming to you 00:21 live from the cereal city, Battle Creek, Michigan, 00:24 my home town. Where David Asscherick is 00:27 bringing us powerful messages night-by-night. 00:30 This evening he is going to be telling us a little bit 00:32 more about why we can trust the Bible. 00:34 But, before we go to that presentation, my friend 00:38 Dan Grentz and his friend Loyd Callimore standing by 00:40 right now to share with us a special musical selection. 00:43 What, what do you have for us tonight friends. 00:44 The love of God. Oh! Why don't you 00:46 just take it away right now. 00:56 The love of God is greater far 01:04 Than tongue or pen can ever tell; 01:11 It goes beyond the highest star, 01:18 And reaches to the lowest hell; 01:25 The guilty pair, bowed down with care, 01:33 God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, 01:47 And pardoned from his sin. 01:58 Could we with ink the ocean fill, 02:05 And were the skies of parchment made, 02:12 Were every stalk on earth a quill, 02:18 And every man a scribe by trade; 02:26 To write the love of God above 02:33 Would drain the ocean dry; 02:40 Nor could the scroll contain the whole, 02:47 Though stretched from sky to sky. 02:54 O love of God, how rich and pure! 03:01 How measureless and strong! 03:08 It shall forevermore endure 03:16 The saints' and angels' song. 03:24 It shall forevermore endure 03:32 The saints' and angels' song. 03:48 The love of God friends, what a glorious message 03:51 that is that God has loved us so much that he gave us 03:55 his only begotten son, isn't that powerful. 03:57 Friends, I would like to take this moment just 03:59 before David comes on to say to you with all my heart 04:02 and whoever is watching right now, friends. 04:04 Jesus Christ is alive. Amen. And you know, why we 04:08 know Jesus Christ is alive because he spoken to us 04:11 through the authorative, or the 04:12 authoritative word of God. And not only that, but he 04:16 has spoken to us in our personal experiences, 04:19 can you say amen to that. Amen. 04:21 I'm so excited about the word of God that powerful 04:24 word that tells us that Jesus is alive. Now, I want to ask 04:27 you a question real quick before we get started here. 04:29 How many of you, have at least on three occasions in 04:33 any given meeting that David's done been unable 04:36 to figure out what one of those words was, 04:38 would you raise your hand with me right now? 04:40 Good, good, good and my wife and I were thinking 04:43 about that, we were sort of a poor ministerial couple 04:45 and we're thinking you know this is an excellent 04:47 opportunity. So, for 25. 95 we're offering you this 04:51 Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. 04:53 A one time, no I know it's not; it's not true, 04:57 it's not true, but isn't it exciting that God's 05:00 word is so clear. God's word is so unequivocal 05:03 that you can bank your salvation on it. 05:06 And there is no doubt about that in our 05:07 messages is there? God has been clear, 05:11 Pastor Asscherick, the Lord bless you. 05:13 Amen. As you open his word. 05:14 What does unequivocal mean? And Webster's Dictionary. 05:17 What does unequivocal mean? 05:18 Unequivocal? you tell me brother. 05:22 Oh! You just used it. Talk about deer 05:24 in the spotlights, unquestionable. 05:27 Oh! Good evening everyone. Good everyone. 05:30 You know, I didn't see Jason all day today. 05:33 Until just moments ago because he was off buying 05:35 a car. And I was off visiting some friends today. 05:39 And, I, I heard him say those nice sweet things 05:41 about me. Wasn't that nice of him? 05:44 See, he thought I wasn't listening, but I was 05:45 listening. Right through that door, right there. 05:48 And I just want to go on record to saying that it 05:50 has been a real privilege to spend time with Jason and 05:54 his beautiful wife Stephanie and their two children 05:57 and for those of you that have Jason as your pastor. 05:59 How many here are locals, Jason is your pastor. 06:01 You're blessed, amen. Amen. 06:04 Amen, and so you can say it about me, I can say it 06:06 about you. He's been saying all these nice things about 06:09 me all week. And to me and so finally I said alright, 06:13 you listen to me mister. The first week, you get to 06:15 talk nice about me and then it's my turn, I get to talk 06:17 nice about you. Well, our message tonight is an 06:21 important one, I hope you enjoyed 06:23 last night message, amen. Amen. 06:24 It was about the Bible and how we know the Bible is 06:26 the inspired word of God. We're going to talk a little 06:29 more about that and the reason for that is, is that 06:31 really need to understand why it is that we 06:34 trust the Bible. Many people have an 06:37 unquestioning trust in the Bible and that's okay. 06:39 There is nothing wrong with believing that the 06:42 Bible is true and that it is God's word, but we should 06:44 at least know the reasons why we 06:46 believe the Bible, amen. Amen. 06:47 Otherwise we sound silly. I mean I have friends who 06:50 are Muslims and if they come to me and say, 06:51 now why do you believe the Bible, instead of the Quran. 06:54 I'm gonna sound kind of silly, if I say well, 06:56 well I believe the Bible because I want to. 06:59 I mean that's not particularly compelling is it. 07:01 I should be able to know, the reasons why I choose to 07:04 believe the Bible over say the Quran or the Hindu 07:07 Bhagavad-Gita or the writings of Buddha, amen. 07:10 Amen. We need to have good answers, remember 07:13 how we began this with First Peter chapter 3 07:15 and verse 15. But, sanctify the Lord God in your 07:17 heart: and be ready always. How often? 07:20 Always. Always to give an answer to every man that 07:23 ask of you a reason of the hope that is in you with 07:25 meekness and fear. The reason that we have 07:27 titled this series Eleventh Hour Evidence, is that there 07:30 are many Christians who know what they believe, 07:32 but they do not know why they believe what 07:35 they believe. Do you see, how that could put us into 07:38 a, a severe predicament. To know, what you believe, 07:41 but not have any clue as to why you believe 07:43 what you believe? So, that's why this series is 07:46 Eleventh Hour Evidence. It's the juxtaposition of 07:48 that conviction that we're living in the Eleventh Hour, 07:51 but also our desire to provide evidences for that, 07:55 to provide what everyone? Evidences. Evidences, 07:58 and friends you notice night-by-night. 07:59 We preach from the Bible. We make no apologies for 08:01 that. But, if we're going to spend 14 evenings talking 08:05 about the Bible and what the Bible teaches, 08:07 it probably would be hover to spend at least two 08:09 evenings talking about why we believe 08:11 what's in this book, amen. Amen. 08:13 Because friends, if this book can't be trusted and 08:16 you're able to, to cause people's confidence or trust 08:19 or belief in this book to be moved away then the other 08:22 eleven or twelve messages are totally 08:24 meaningless, amen. Amen. 08:26 If we preach what he Bible says, but you have no 08:28 reason to believe what the Bible says or to have 08:30 confidence in it, then it's basically a 08:32 meaningless proposition. So, we're going to spend 08:33 last night and tonight talking about the, 08:36 the uniqueness of this book, 08:38 the specialness of this book 08:39 and tonight it's a very pointed message, 08:42 it's entitled, Be Not Deceived A "How To" Guide. 08:46 Be Not Deceived: A "How To" Guide. 08:47 And, we will be talking more tonight about the 08:49 Bible and it's importance and it's role in the 08:51 life of the believer. So, let's begin with, 08:53 what everyone? Prayer. 08:55 Prayer, I invite you to pray with me as we 08:57 commence. Father in heaven, we're so 09:01 privileged to come tonight and to so study this word. 09:04 Father, a word that we did not deserve, 09:06 you revealed it to us. Father, in this word are 09:09 contained things that we couldn't have known, 09:11 if you hadn't shown it. And, so Father tonight 09:14 as we open up the pages of scripture, as we open 09:17 up these holy pages, we pray that you will speak 09:19 directly to our hearts as well as to our minds that 09:23 we may come away with a renewed conviction that 09:26 these are in fact your words, powerful 09:29 words from on high. Be with us now, as we 09:32 open these words, speak directly to us. 09:34 We ask it in Jesus name, and everyone can say, amen. 09:38 Why don't we begin by going to Acts chapter 17 09:41 to settle a little bit of a context. Acts chapter 17, 09:44 as you recall last evening we talked about turning 09:47 off the television and turning on the Bible, amen. 09:50 Amen. Now, I, I want to go on record to saying 09:53 that there is nothing evil about the television itself. 09:56 The device is simply an electronic cathode ray 09:59 emitter that in and of itself is not evil or good. 10:03 It's what comes through that box that makes it 10:06 so dangerous. Okay, so I just want 10:08 to be clear on that. Many of us have, have 10:11 brought the devil's very teachings. 10:14 And his very philosophies and ideologies right into 10:17 our homes not in the box itself, because you can 10:20 put beautiful nature programs or educational 10:22 documentaries on that box and watch them, but 10:25 we have brought cable in and other things in and 10:28 we're spending most of our time not watching 10:30 3ABN friends, but watching other kinds of programs. 10:34 Now, before the Adventive television people 10:37 were far more literate. They were far more, 10:40 what everyone? Literate. Literate, in fact there 10:42 are significant studies that are basically 10:43 demonstrating that television is dumbing 10:46 down our society, because the television 10:48 is doing so much of our thinking for us, that was 10:51 not the case in the days of the Apostle Paul. 10:54 Go with me to Acts chapter 17, and notice 10:56 with me in Acts chapter 17, beginning in verse 10. 11:00 Acts chapter 17 beginning in verse 10, 11:02 it says, then the brethren immediately sent Paul 11:04 and Silas away by night to Berea. 11:07 To what word is that everyone? 11:09 Berea. To Berea, when they arrived, they went into 11:12 the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair 11:15 minded then those Thessalonica in that they 11:18 receive the word with all readiness and searched 11:22 the scriptures daily to find out whether these 11:24 things were so. Notice the result of their 11:27 searching the scriptures. Verse 12 says, therefore 11:30 many of them believed, and also not a few of the 11:33 Greeks, prominent women as well as men. 11:37 Now, I want you to notice that according to verse 11 11:39 how often was it that they searched the scriptures? 11:42 Amen. It says they searched the scriptures daily. 11:45 Now, who was preaching? Who was 11:47 preaching there in Berea? Paul. 11:49 It was the Apostle Paul. Now, think about that. 11:50 Was Paul somebody that was well-known in the 11:53 first century, yes or no? When Paul came into 11:56 town and began to preach, did people know 11:58 who this man was or was he just some sort of 12:00 vagabond off the streets. Do you think they knew 12:02 who the Apostle Paul was? Surely they knew who he was? 12:04 And here the Apostle Paul friends. 12:07 The modern day equivalent of our Mark 12:08 Finley or Doug Batchelor stands up and begins to 12:11 preach and all of the people instead of 12:14 just saying, Oh! That's right, must be right 12:16 because Paul said it. Oh! That must be right 12:19 and just undiscerningly swallowing it. 12:21 The Bible says that they listened to what Paul 12:23 says, they received the word with all readiness 12:26 of mind, but they didn't receive it uncritically. 12:29 They didn't just let it come in unfiltered. 12:31 The Bible says, they then went home and searched 12:34 the scriptures. Notice that word there, searched. 12:37 Now what word everyone? Searched. Searched, 12:40 that shows effort. It shows energy and 12:42 diligence. It says, they searched the scriptures 12:44 not monthly, not weekly, but daily to see whether 12:49 or not what Paul was preaching was true. 12:52 Now friends if those faithful in Berea were 12:54 willing to checkout the Apostle Paul, then you 12:57 and I should be very quick to check out 12:59 everybody who preaches us or purports to preach 13:02 the word of God myself included, amen. 13:04 Amen. Now, friends think about that. 13:07 The fact that they went to the word of God 13:09 to checkout what Paul was saying proves that 13:11 the Bible is authoritative. What did I say, 13:15 the Bible is? Authoritative. Authoritative, friends 13:17 remember that word yesterday Canon, 13:21 it doesn't mean boom a powerful gun that shoots. 13:23 A Canon is a measuring rod, what is it everyone? 13:26 A measuring rod. A measuring rod, 13:27 and so Paul came in and he was 13:28 preaching his doctrines. He was preaching 13:30 his teachings and so the Bereans being the, 13:32 the students of the word that they were, they took 13:34 their measuring rod and they held it up to the 13:37 Apostle Paul to determine, if whether 13:39 or not what he was saying was true. 13:41 They didn't say, Oh! He so charismatic, 13:44 it must be true. Oh! He is the Apostle Paul, 13:46 it must be true. What they said is, if it squares with 13:50 the word then we know it's true. 13:52 Are you with me now, yes or no? 13:53 Amen. Now the reason that I bring this out is that 13:56 many people in this day and age are, are, are very 14:00 prone to be carried away by charisma. 14:02 Oh! He is a great preacher or to be 14:05 carried away by reputation, by what word did I say? 14:08 Reputation. Oh! It's Mark Finley. 14:10 Oh! It's Doug Bachelor. Oh! It's David Asscherick, 14:12 it must be true. Friends even 14:14 David Asscherick makes mistakes, amen. 14:16 Amen. Where is my wife? My wife is 14:18 2000 miles away saying, amen. 14:21 Now, friends the point here is just this, 14:23 the Bereans searched the scriptures daily and they 14:27 received the word with all readiness of mind. 14:29 If the Apostle Paul needed to be checked 14:31 out to be sure that all of his message was filtered 14:34 from deception then surely in these last days, 14:36 we should be filtering everything that comes to us. 14:39 Through the word of God. Amen. 14:42 Now, our message tonight is entitled. 14:43 Be Not Deceived A "How To" Guide. 14:45 And let's begin by giving a definition of deceit. 14:48 The definition of deceit, this is taken from 14:51 Webster's dictionary. I should have just had 14:52 the dictionary right there Jason. 14:54 Number one, any declaration, artifice or 14:57 practice, which misleads another, or causes him 15:01 to believe what is, what's the next word? 15:04 False. False. So, in a sentence deceit is 15:06 when you try to cause somebody to believe 15:09 something as true that is what everyone? 15:11 False. False, notice the second part of the 15:13 definition here. The leading of another 15:16 person to believe what is what's that word? 15:19 False. Falseor not to believe what is true, 15:22 and thus to ensnare him. So, the definition of 15:26 deceit is to cause somebody to believe that 15:29 which is not true or to cause them not to believe 15:31 that which is true. And, let us continue here. 15:35 There are three types or three 15:37 categories of deception. How many types of 15:40 deception, everyone? Three. Three number 15:42 one is intentional deception. That is when an, an 15:45 individual sets out to purposely deceive. 15:48 To what word, did I say everyone? 15:50 Purposely. To purposely deceive, you say, 15:52 I'm going to deceive this person. 15:54 This is the preverbial crooked used car salesman. 15:57 This is the person, who knows that he has a 15:59 lemon, but he wants you to convince that the car 16:01 was manufactured with your name on the 16:03 dashboard, are you with me? Intentional deception. 16:07 Now, the second kind is just as dangerous, but the 16:09 motivations are different and that is 16:11 unintentional deception. In other words, maybe the 16:15 very individual himself or herself, who is teaching 16:18 whatever it might be they might actually believe it, 16:20 but if it's false, it doesn't mean that, that their 16:22 sincerity makes falsehood true. 16:24 Are you understanding that, yes or no? Amen. 16:27 So, let's use the car salesman analogy again. 16:29 Let's pretend that the car salesman is genuinely 16:31 convinced that this is an incredibly good car, 16:34 but if he has not checked it out. 16:36 If he is not gone under the hood and if he is not 16:38 kicked the tires, friends he might be convinced 16:40 that it's true, but that doesn't make it true. 16:43 And he could sell you a lemon and unintentionally 16:46 deceive you. Do you see the difference, yes or no? 16:48 Now, here is the point. The motivation is 16:51 different, but the end result is the same. 16:53 We're going to talk more about that in just a bit. 16:55 And we're going to talk a little bit tonight about 16:57 Self-Deception. This was the third category of 16:59 deception. So, number one is Intentional 17:01 Deception; number two is Unintentional Deception 17:04 and number three is Self-Deception. 17:07 Now, in order to understand this and to 17:09 really put this into a Biblical frame work 17:11 I want to bring one very salient point out 17:14 and that is this. The danger of deception 17:17 is precisely this. The essence of deception 17:20 is that you are unaware that you are being deceived! 17:24 Do you follow that? The whole idea, the whole 17:27 essence, the strength and subtlety of deception is 17:30 that you're unaware that you're being deceived. 17:32 For example, you've never seen anybody with 17:36 a sign hung around their neck that says, I'm being 17:39 deceived right now. Have you ever seen that? 17:42 No, people don't say, I'm being deceived by the 17:45 way because if they have knowledge that they are 17:47 being deceived, it proves that it's not deceit. 17:51 The whole idea of deception is that you're 17:53 just sure you're on the right path, when in reality 17:56 you're on the what? Wrong path. Wrong path, 17:58 and so you're all sitting here tonight, you're 17:59 thinking Oh! I'm glad I'm here tonight at this 18:02 seminar, I'm glad I'm not deceived. 18:06 The problem is that's exactly how deceived 18:08 people think. Do you understand the paradox? 18:12 Deceived people are just confident that they 18:14 are not deceived. Now, this is paradoxical. 18:17 It's a little bit like sleeping and this is the 18:19 illustration that I use that really helps to impress 18:21 it upon the mind. You're totally unaware that 18:24 you're sleeping until you wake up. 18:27 Try that experiment at your house sometime. 18:30 Right, you're sleeping. And you unaware that 18:33 you're sleeping until you awake up. 18:35 And, after you've a woke then you have a context 18:38 with which to evaluate your fore mistake. 18:41 You understand that, yes or no? Amen. 18:42 So, if you're sitting here tonight. 18:44 I'm just glad I'm not deceived. You better be 18:46 sure you're not deceived because that's exactly 18:48 how deceived people think. Friends, the essence of 18:50 deception is that you're unaware that you're 18:53 being deceived. Do you understand 18:54 this point, yes or no? Amen. Now, with that in 18:56 mind go with me to the first book of the 18:57 New Testament. That is the book of Matthew, 19:00 what book everyone? Matthew. Matthew 19:02 and in Matthew chapter 24, what theologians call 19:04 the Olivet Discourse Jesus is describing what 19:07 it will be like just before his return. 19:10 He is describing the condition of the world 19:12 in the last days. In the what days everyone? 19:15 In the last days. Last days, beginning in 19:17 verse 1 the Bible says, then Jesus went out and 19:19 departed from the temple and his disciples came to 19:21 show him the buildings of the temple. 19:23 And Jesus said to them, do you not see all these 19:25 things assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall 19:27 be left here upon another that shall 19:28 not be thrown down. Jesus had just left the, 19:31 the temple for the last time. 19:33 In fact, if you notice that beginning in Matthew 19:35 chapter 23, just a few verses before 19:37 notice verse 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 19:40 the one who kills the prophets and stones 19:42 those who are sent to her, how often I wanted to 19:44 gather your children together, as a hen gathers 19:47 her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 19:49 See, your house is left to you desolate. 19:51 For I say, you will not see me anymore until 19:53 you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the 19:56 name of the Lord." Jesus has just left the precinct 19:59 of the temple for the last time. 20:02 There must have been something in his face. 20:04 He must have looked for a lawn or even dejected 20:07 and as he, he was sitting there in this condition. 20:09 The disciples came to cheer him up. 20:12 Why do they come, everyone? Cheer him up. Cheer him up. 20:14 Oh! look at the temple Jesus, look at how 20:16 beautiful it is. Look at the way the Sun glistens off 20:18 of its beautiful stones. And then Jesus says to them. 20:21 Do you see all of these? You see all of these 20:23 things that you love and that you're trusting in. 20:25 Not one stone will be left upon another that will not 20:28 be thrown down. Jesus here foretells the 20:30 destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by the Roman 20:34 General Titus. Now, notice what happens 20:38 here in verse 3. The disciples are incredulous, 20:40 they cannot believe this. In verse 3, it says, now, 20:44 as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came 20:45 to him privately and saying, "Tell us, when 20:48 will these things be and what will be the sign of 20:50 your coming and of the end of the age?" 20:52 Now, we're not going to go into that sermon 20:53 tonight particularly. I wish we had time to 20:55 do that, but they are really asking two questions. 20:58 How many questions everyone? Two. Two questions, 21:00 number is when will these things be? 21:02 When will the destruction of the temple take place 21:04 and the other is what will be the sign of the 21:06 end of the age? So, they've really asked 21:08 two questions, but in their minds, they think 21:10 they've only ask one. Now, notice the beginning 21:12 of Jesus response. Verse 4, and Jesus answered 21:15 and said to them. Now, he goes into a long 21:17 explanation here friends. All the rest of chapter 24, 21:20 and all of chapter 25 is the answer to this 21:23 question, but notice what's the first thing that 21:25 he says there in verse 4. He says, take heed that no 21:29 one, what's the next word? Deceives. Deceives you. 21:33 Now, now they say that if I give you a list of ten 21:36 things to remember that you will forget the middle 21:38 seven and you will remember the first two 21:40 and maybe the last one. You remember the first 21:43 part and the last part. And, so the very first 21:45 thing that Jesus says, is be careful, take heed, 21:49 be aware that no one, what's the word? 21:52 Deceives you, now notice he repeats this very same 21:55 idea in verse 11 of the same chapter, jump down 21:58 to verse 11. Jesus speaking, he says then 22:00 many false prophets will arise and what's the 22:03 next word? Deceive just a few precious 22:06 ignorant individuals. Amen. 22:08 What does it say, how many? Many. 22:10 Will deceive many, notice also verse 24 of the same 22:12 chapter. It says, For false Christ's and false 22:16 prophets will arise and show great signs. 22:18 We're going to comeback to that. 22:19 They're going to show great, what everyone? 22:20 Signs. Signs or wonders or miracles, great signs 22:24 and wonders to deceive. If possible even who? 22:30 Even the elect. So, three times remember the 22:32 disciples had asked, what's it going to be like 22:34 just before you return. When will this take place 22:36 and three times Jesus says, be careful you're not 22:39 deceived, be careful you're not deceived, 22:40 be careful you're not deceived; deception 22:42 will be rampant in the last days. 22:45 Amen. Did Jesus believe that deception was a 22:49 legitimate danger, yes or no? According to Jesus, 22:52 deception would be widespread and 22:54 dangerous in the days just before his return. 22:59 Now, let me show you something fascinating 23:01 here, you're in the gospel of Matthew, so just stay 23:02 there and go to chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7 and 23:06 notice with me verse 15 very quickly. 23:08 Matthew chapter 7 and verse 15. 23:10 This is the sermon on the mountains and Jesus 23:13 is giving here his first public address following 23:16 his baptism. Matthew chapter 7 just one verse 23:19 very quickly, verse 15. Jesus says, beware of 23:22 false prophets. What kinds of prophets? 23:24 False prophets. False prophets who come 23:26 to you in sheep's clothing, they come in 23:31 what kind of clothing? Sheep's clothing. 23:32 Sheep's clothing, but inwardly what are they everyone? 23:34 Inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 23:38 Now, listen if a wolf comes in a wolf's clothing 23:41 then, then you could say, Oh! That's a wolf, 23:44 I'll stay away. But, false prophets 23:46 don't come looking like this. It's a general rule. 23:48 Nobody shows them and says, I'm a false prophet. 23:51 I'm here to deceive you. Who would fall for that, 23:54 right? That's not how false prophets come. 23:56 When false prophets come, they come looking 23:58 very good, very nice, very charismatic, and their 24:01 message is believable. Their message is, what is, 24:04 what did I say? Believable. Believable, now Jesus 24:07 didn't say again the false prophets will come on the 24:09 scene and say, hi everyone. I'm here to deceive. 24:12 You would all go right out the door. 24:14 When a false prophet comes, he must cloak his 24:16 motivations, he must cloak his teachings under 24:19 a different garb. And Jesus here uses a very 24:22 salient and powerful illustration. 24:23 He says, that when they cone, they are wolves, 24:26 they are ravenous wolves. That is hungry wolves, 24:29 but they're hidden under the garb, under the 24:31 gesture of sheep's clothing. So, you would look at 24:34 outward appearances and you would see what looks 24:37 good, but if you could look inside, you would 24:39 see there is danger and deception. 24:41 Do you understand this point, yes or no? 24:42 Amen. That, that, that illustration right there 24:45 of a wolf in sheep's clothing symbolizes that, 24:47 that slide that we had up that says, the essence of 24:50 deception is the, you're unaware you're 24:51 being deceived. Now Jesus says, three times, 24:55 deception in the last days, deception in the last days, 24:57 deception in the last days, be aware of wolves in 25:00 what kind of clothing? In sheep's clothing. 25:03 Now, go with me to the book of Revelation. 25:05 From the first book of the New Testament to the 25:07 last book of the New Testament. 25:08 Let's see what the book of Revelation has to say 25:10 about deception and the last days. 25:11 Does it have anything to say? 25:13 Revelation chapter 12 and I'm reading in verse 9. 25:16 Now, we're just going to select a few isolated 25:18 verses here to sort of set the larger context. 25:21 We will be spending more time in Revelation, 25:23 as the series progresses, but tonight we're just sort. 25:25 We're going to just, look at a few verses and then 25:27 we'll jump back out. Revelation chapter 12 25:29 and verse 9. The Bible says, so the great dragon 25:33 was cast out that serpent of old called the devil, 25:37 and Satan. Called the devil, and Satan, 25:42 who deceives a small percentage of the world. 25:45 He was cast out to earth, and his angels were 25:47 cast out with him. Is that what your Bible says? 25:49 No. The Bible says, he deceives, what everyone? 25:52 The whole world. It says, he deceives 25:53 the whole world. Now, friends the whole world 25:57 I suppose that means the whole world. 25:58 Amen. Are you with me on that? 26:01 Now, does this is agree with what Jesus said. 26:03 False Christ and false prophets will arise and 26:05 deceives many. Here John says, in the book 26:08 of Revelation that the devil will deceive 26:09 how much of the world. Whole world, now that 26:13 raises an interesting question. 26:14 Who is this devil character? The book of Revelation 26:17 foretells that deception will reach epidemic 26:20 proportions in the last days. 26:22 Deception will be so wide spread in the last days 26:25 that when John looked at it down to the 26:27 corridors of time. He said, Wow! 26:29 The whole world is deceived. Now, who then is this 26:33 character? Who is this devil or this Satan? 26:36 Now, time does not allow us to go into all of the 26:38 Biblical teaching and history here. 26:39 But, let's just give a very quick report. 26:42 Satan has not always been the Satan. 26:44 The word Satan is actually a transliteration 26:46 of the word "Satan." And it means advisory or enemy, 26:50 one who is against. But, God didn't create Satan, 26:54 if you go read Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, God had 26:57 created a high, holy, beautiful angel. 27:01 What word did I say everyone? 27:02 Angel. Angel and his name was Lucifer. 27:06 Friends he was created his Lucifer perfect to the 27:09 Bible says, he stood in the very immediate 27:11 presence of God. He was one of the covering 27:14 cherubs, Ezekiel says. That is one of the two 27:16 angels that dwell in the immediate presence of 27:19 God, yet this high, holy, beautiful, lofty angel 27:23 eventually rebelled against God. 27:25 And he became by his own choice, by his own 27:28 volition Satan. Do you understand that, yes or no? 27:31 He wasn't created Satan anymore than you 27:34 and I walking down the street and we're walking 27:36 down the street and we look down here and here 27:37 is a man. He is in the gutter, he is inebriated, 27:40 he is drunk, he is vomited all over himself. 27:42 He hasn't showered for a month and you and I look 27:44 at one another and say, Huh! What kind of a 27:45 mother would give birth to that? 27:49 Friends, did the mother give birth to what we're 27:51 looking out there. No. No, no, no the mother 27:53 gave birth to a beautiful. You know, how those 27:55 children are there, they look innocent, but you 27:56 will discover in about, two hours flat, they're not 27:59 that innocent but anyway. They look that way, and 28:01 you've got that little. Oh! That little baby, friends 28:03 that's why you gave birth to, not the thing that's 28:06 lying there in the streets. God created a perfect entity 28:11 a perfect being in a Lucifer. What kind of 28:13 a being did I say? Perfect. Perfect, in fact the 28:14 Bible actually uses that word to describe it, but he 28:17 rebelled, he was lifted up by the pride of his own 28:20 heart and the ambitions of his own heart. 28:22 And he rebelled against God. And he was kicked 28:24 out of heaven. And we're going to talk all about 28:26 that, but I have to give you a little synopsis to set 28:28 the context here. That's who the Satan is? 28:32 When we get the picture of the devil, we don't see 28:33 him as this beautiful lofty, glorious angel. 28:36 We get this ridicules character of the devil. 28:39 He looks like the, the you know, the proverbial tail 28:43 with the little point on it and the pitch fort and 28:46 cloven hooves. I mean give me a break. 28:48 Who do you think invented that picture of Satan. 28:49 The devil himself did. He doesn't look like that. 28:53 He is a, as he came to into this room right now, 28:55 he will be the most beautiful being you ever saw. 28:58 You're following me? Amen. Friends, listen to this. 29:00 The reason he can deceive is because he 29:02 doesn't look like an ogre. He looks like a beautiful, 29:05 glorious, angel of light, that's how he was created. 29:10 Now, notice you are still there in Revelation 29:12 chapter 12 and verse 9. Notice Revelation chapter 29:14 13 and verse 14. Revelation chapter 13 29:18 and I am reading in verse 14. So, we'll just look at 29:20 one more passage here in Revelation, chapter 13 29:23 and I'm reading verse 14. And he deceives those 29:27 who dwell, what everyone? On the earth. On the earth, 29:30 there it is again. Deception in the whole 29:33 earth is implicated not just a few ignorance saps 29:36 friends. The whole earth is implicated here. 29:39 He deceives the whole world. 29:41 Now, notice what it says here. 29:42 By those signs, by those what word is that everyone? 29:46 By those. By those signs, have we heard that word 29:49 beside this tonight, have you heard it before this. 29:52 Where did we hear it? Jesus says; remember that 29:54 Matthew chapter 24 in verse 24. 29:56 He said, that many false prophets and false Christs 29:58 will arrive and they will show signs, great signs 30:01 and wonders. So, apparently miracles will 30:04 be employed and sings will be employed in order 30:07 to, to bring about deception. 30:09 To bring about what everyone? 30:11 Deception. Deception, now lets read the rest of that 30:13 verse, verse 14. And he deceives those who grow 30:15 on the earth by those signs which he was 30:16 granted to do in the side of the beast, telling those 30:18 who dwell on the earth to make an image for the 30:20 beast, who was wounded by the sword and lived. 30:22 So, even according to the Book of Revelation, 30:24 deception will reach epidemic proportions 30:27 in the last days, if that's clear, say amen. 30:29 Amen. The whole world friends. 30:32 The whole world deceived. Now, as the, as the 30:36 seminar progresses we're going to look at the 30:37 nature of some of those deceptions, but tonight 30:39 let's just be clear that worldwide deception is a, 30:43 is a Biblical reality. We shouldn't say. 30:45 Oh! If we find the whole world is deceived, 30:47 we should be surprised and say, Oh! I can't 30:49 believe that the whole world is deceived, 30:50 amazing. We should say that's exactly what 30:52 we'd accept according to the Bible, amen. Amen. 30:55 According to the very teachings of Jesus. 30:57 Now, go with me to the writings of Paul. 30:59 We've looked at the writings of Matthew. 31:00 We've looked at the writings of John. 31:02 Now, let's go to the writings of Paul in 31:03 Second Corinthians, chapter 11. 31:06 Second Corinthians chapter 11, that's the third 31:10 of Paul's epistles, you have Romans, 31:12 First Corinthians, then Second Corinthians 31:14 chapter 11. And notice this here Second 31:17 Corinthians chapter 11, I'm reading in verse 13. 31:21 Beginning in verse 13. Second Corinthians 31:24 chapter 11, in verse 13. The Apostle Paul says, 31:26 for such are false apostles, what kinds of apostles? 31:30 False. False Apostle, what do you suppose a 31:32 false apostle would look like? You think, he'd look 31:35 like a false apostle? What do you think, he'd look like? 31:38 That's exactly, right. He looked like an apostle. 31:41 That's Paul's whole point; notice what he goes onto 31:43 say here. For such are false apostles, deceitful 31:46 workers transforming themselves into Apostles 31:49 of Christ. According to that verse, what is a false 31:53 Apostle look like at first investigation? What, what 31:56 will be your initial, your original 31:58 impression that they're what? 32:00 Apostles of Christ. Apostles of Christ, 32:02 they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Notice verse 14, 32:07 And no wonder, says Paul, I'm reading the 32:09 New King James and there is a, there is a, 32:11 there is an explanation point there and no wonder! 32:13 explanation point. For Satan himself 32:16 transforms himself into an angel of darkness. 32:21 Amen. Into an angel of light. Into an angel of light, 32:25 therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also 32:28 transform themselves into ministers of righteousness 32:30 whose end will be according to their works. 32:34 Now, according to the writings to the 32:35 Apostle Paul here. This being, this Satan, 32:38 this devil being can transform himself and 32:40 to an angel of what everyone? 32:42 Light. Light, that's why I said, if he came into this 32:44 room tonight, if he just suddenly appeared, 32:46 you wouldn't say, Oh! It's the devil. 32:48 You would be tempted to believe the exact opposite. 32:52 You would say who is this? So, beautiful, the 32:54 way he speaks, the way he carries himself, 32:57 so gracefully, so elegantly, so majestically, 33:00 you would be tempted to say it must be from God. 33:04 Are you understanding now, yes or no? 33:05 When you read the description of this creature 33:07 in Isaiah 14 and in Ezekiel 28 he is absolutely, 33:11 totally, resplendently, iridescently beautiful. 33:15 Friends, that's why the devil is so strong, it's not 33:18 because he is mighty and power. He's subtle, he is 33:21 clever, he is deceitful. Is this all kind of 33:24 coming together, yes or no Yes. And notice this, Paul 33:27 also warned against widespread deception just 33:31 before the return of Jesus. Now, are we're beginning 33:33 to see a pattern here. The answer is yes. 33:35 Jesus, Paul, and John in the book of Revelation 33:39 make it clear that miracles, signs and 33:42 wonders will be employed by Satan to deceive. 33:47 Question for you, does God still miracles? 33:49 Yes. Does God work signs? Hallelujah, amen. 33:53 Amen. I will tell you, I have seen miracles in my 33:55 own life right after I became a Christian, 33:56 I broke my ankle. I fell off a rock, I was acting 34:00 silly and I had my, my head up above my, or my 34:03 foot up above my head and I was climbing in the 34:04 rain, which I really shouldn't have been doing 34:06 and I slipped off this rock and I broke my ankle. 34:08 Just like that third time. Now, I become a 34:11 Christian about four months earlier and 34:13 I prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ, I wish I had time 34:15 to go into to all the story. I prayed, I said, Lord 34:17 Jesus please heal my ankle and I wanna tell 34:19 you a story God healed my ankle overnight 34:21 instantaneously. I took my crutches back the next day. 34:23 The lady who had given me the crutches just the 34:25 day before said, what are you doing. I said God 34:27 healed my ankle. She said you must have a twin. 34:30 She thought I, she thought I was somebody else. 34:32 And so I had to lift up my sock and to pull lift up 34:33 my pant leg, and pull down my sock and this, 34:36 this swelling was gone, but the 34:38 blackness was still there. I said look, it's healed 34:43 and then I went right into work and Oh! I got to tell 34:45 you this story real quick. I went to work that was 34:47 day and I was working in a vegetarian restaurant 34:48 and the very doctor, who had x-rayed my ankle the 34:51 day before and who had pronounced it broken 34:53 came in to eat. And I walked up, I said hey 34:57 good to see you Dr. Gary, oh nice to see you. 35:01 What are you doing, you should be on your crutches. 35:02 And I said, I said doctor, Jesus healed my ankle. 35:05 And he said, he must have because it was 35:07 broken yesterday. Amen, Amen, 35:09 Friends, God still works miracles, but that doesn't 35:11 mean that every miracle is from God. 35:14 Amen, Now, do you have indications that Satan can 35:17 work miracles. Oh! Yes, we do. We talked about 35:20 it yesterday and remember there in, in Pharaoh's court 35:22 and Moses threw down his stick, boom it becomes 35:24 a serpent, but then they, they retaliated and they 35:27 threw down their sticks became a serpent. 35:29 God turned all the water there into blood and, 35:31 and the Pharaoh's magicians were able to do 35:33 the same and God sent the frogs and they could 35:35 do the same. He has limited miracle working power. 35:41 Now, according to the Bible, these miracles are 35:43 going to be used in the last days to deceive 35:46 people and to get them away from the firm 35:49 foundation namely the Bible. Now, this raises a 35:51 paradoxical situation. What if somebody comes 35:54 in the name of God talking like you would 35:56 expect an apostle of God to speak, working 35:59 miracles that looks like miracles of God, but then 36:01 they say something that ever so subtly, ever so 36:05 discretely and, and, and to a small degree is contrary 36:09 to what the word of God says. Now, what do you do? 36:14 Friends, now you're faced with a severe dilemma. 36:16 What kinds of miracles do you think false 36:18 prophets would work by the way, anyway? 36:21 Killing people right, that's, that's, that's how 36:24 we'll know they're false prophets, because they 36:25 are gonna come on the scene and they're gonna 36:27 say, die and they will all die, it was a, no, no, no 36:30 friends that's not a kind of miracles a false prophet's 36:31 gonna work. They are going do the opposite, amen. 36:34 Amen. If they are false prophets, and they are 36:37 false Apostles and there are false Christs, they are 36:39 going to do the very kinds of miracles that the 36:41 apostles and, and Christ did in the first century. 36:43 Not causing people to die, but causing them 36:46 to be healed and become better. 36:48 Amen. Now, put, put yourself into this situation 36:50 friends, here comes a religious teacher and 36:52 somebody has just been healed before your very eyes. 36:56 And he is preaching from the Bible, but, but 36:58 you're listening you're like the Bereans, you are 37:00 receiving the word with all readiness of mind, 37:01 because you're saying you know, something is not 37:03 clicking here. Friends, all of those miracles and all 37:07 of that charisma, all of that can be piled up into 37:10 one balance and you put just one little 37:12 inconsistency with the word of God and the 37:14 other balance and you've got a false prophet in 37:16 your hands. No matter, how good he looks, how 37:18 good he sings, or how nice he preaches. 37:20 Amen. Amen. But see most people 37:23 aren't that discerning today. Most people just open 37:28 wide and insert whatever. They imbibe it, they are 37:32 not studying, they are not searching, they are not 37:34 discerning like the Bereans were. 37:38 And, friends when miracles get in play, 37:39 people are being deceived in this day and age 37:41 without the use of miracles. How is that, that deception 37:44 going to increase exponentially, when 37:45 rampant miracle working is taking place? 37:48 It will be off the charts, off the charts and most 37:51 people know more about sports, they know more 37:54 about television, more about the latest movies, 37:55 and more about any other subject under the Sun 37:58 than the word of God and they're not even going to 38:00 know that these people are false prophets and 38:02 deceiving them. One of the great preachers of 38:04 yesteryear HMS Richard said these words. 38:07 He said, you should know your Bible well enough to 38:09 know when someone is misquoting it. 38:11 Amen. Sometimes I purposefully misquote my 38:15 Bible just to see if people will pick it up. 38:17 And it's amazing, now what I do obvious ones. 38:19 He transforms himself into an angel of darkness, 38:21 everything no, no, no that's an angel of life. 38:24 But, one time I was meeting with a group of deacons. 38:26 A group of, what did I say everyone? Deacons, 38:28 we were have a little morning worship and 38:29 I said you know, the spirit of God has really laid 38:31 something in my heart. And I want to share with 38:33 you this morning. Let's go to the book of Hezekiah. 38:36 With all of the earnestness and sincereness 38:38 I could muster. Now, friends these were 38:39 deacons and I was just, I didn't led on it all. 38:42 I said let's go to the books of Hezekiah and all of 38:44 those deacons had six deacons head down in to 38:46 word and, so I see them going back to the 38:52 beginning, this is true story, they are going back 38:55 to the beginning Hezekiah, Hezekiah. 38:56 It took them a good two minutes to figure out 38:58 Hezekiah wasn't in the Bible. 39:02 Now, friends let me tell you something, 39:03 that's dangerous. Amen, Amen, Amen. 39:07 I have turned on television stations, what, 39:09 what was the camera at, which one are you on here? 39:11 This one right here, I've, I have gone to 39:13 television stations not 3ABN, amen. 39:16 Religious stations, well I have seen religious 39:18 people preaching foolishness. 39:21 I mean all kinds of foolishness. 39:22 One time I saw this guy, who was preaching his 39:24 heart out and he was, he was up front and the 39:26 people were, were streaming down to the 39:27 front and dropping money on the stage. 39:29 I mean piles of money and, and he, you could 39:32 tell he was lost for words. As he was making this 39:33 sort of alter call, this appeal and he said, 39:36 just like the scripture says. So, into the anointing. 39:41 He's preaching his heart out. 39:42 People by the hundreds are coming down and 39:43 dropping piles of money on to the stage. 39:45 Like the scripture says, so into the anointing. 39:47 I said I'm onto something here, so we kept saying 39:49 that the, you must so into the anointing come 39:51 forward, you want to be blessed, so into the 39:53 anointing and I thought so into the anointing. 39:57 Umm! Well, I've, I've, I'm been a preacher for a 39:59 little while and, I wonder where that text is. 40:02 So, I you know, start looking through, not 40:04 finding it, get on my little computer Bible type in, 40:06 so anointing, anointing, anointer, anointed. Umm! 40:09 So, maybe he meant sowing like you sow a 40:11 garment no, no, no friends I can't find that 40:14 verse in the Bible. And yet people were 40:17 streaming forward by the hundreds to lay their money. 40:20 Friends, I was incredulous. Any charlatan, any 40:25 miracle worker can get on that stage and if he looks 40:27 good and he talks good, and he says good, 40:29 most of people don't know their Bibles well 40:31 enough to know, when they are being led down 40:32 the primrose path, amen. Amen. 40:38 Now, friends to compound things as if 40:40 this wasn't enough perhaps the most 40:43 dangerous kind of deception is self deception. 40:46 Go with me to Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9. 40:48 As, if all these wasn't enough if it wasn't 40:51 enough that John said and Paul said, and Jesus said 40:53 the third deception in the last days. 40:55 We not only have these elements working from 40:57 outside, we've got some bougtent enemies 41:00 working from the inside. Notice with me John 41:02 chapter 17, John chapter what everyone? 41:04 17. 17 or Jeremiah pardon me, Jeremiah chapter 17 41:08 and notice verse 9. Jeremiah chapter 17 41:11 and verse 9. Now, this is a tough one friends, 41:13 it says the heart, the what everyone. 41:17 The heart. The heart, now that doesn't mean the 41:18 cardiac muscle. It means the, the mind with the 41:22 seed of the emotions that's what it meant to the 41:24 Hebrew, the mind with the emotions wrapped up in it. 41:27 It says the heart is deceitful above how many things? 41:31 All things! Oh! And it gets worse friends, 41:34 I'm sorry and desperately wicked, who can know it? 41:39 What is deceitful above all things? 41:42 The heart. The heart, now that's must mean that if 41:44 the heart is deceitful above all things then it 41:46 must even be more deceitful than Satan itself 41:48 or himself. So, friends think about this. 41:51 You've got, you've got a war on the outside, false 41:53 Christ's, false prophets, false apostles and Satan 41:56 himself trying to deceive from the outside and then 41:59 you have got an enemies in the gates. 42:00 Namely your own heart that you're so desperately 42:03 wicked. You and I in an unconverted, 42:05 unregenerate state we, listen carefully now. 42:07 We want to believe alive. Especially if that light 42:11 caters to our carnal nature. Oh! Really I can sin all 42:15 I want to sin and I'm still heaven bound. 42:17 Oh! I like this sound of that. 42:18 I'm going to his church. You understand, Pastor 42:22 Saint Albert says, Oh! You know, we talk too 42:24 much about sin, let's talk more about grace. 42:26 Oh! I like the sound of this. I want to go to his church. 42:29 Friends listen, there is no sense in talking about 42:32 salvation, if you don't talk about sin. 42:33 Amen. Amen. Amen. Safe from what? Sin. 42:38 I can remember when I would see those bumper 42:39 stickers Jesus saves, before I was a Christian. 42:41 I thought saves from what? Don't go preaching 42:45 grace until you're first preach the 42:47 somebody's lost, amen. Amen. Now, people don't 42:50 like to hear that, but too bad. I'm not paid to make 42:53 you happy and neither is Jason, amen. 42:55 Amen. We're paid to preach the word. 42:56 And if you don't like it, too bad. 42:58 Amen. Amen, we're not out to win popularity 43:01 contest, none of the prophets in the Old Testament 43:02 were, they were sawn in half, chopped in two, 43:05 pulled apart not because they were saying things 43:07 that people liked. Because they were saying things 43:09 people didn't like. And, so friends the heart, 43:12 it wants to believe that which, which allow it to 43:15 do any old things it wants to do and still be heaven 43:18 bound. Friends, the heart is deceitful above all 43:20 things and desperately wicked. Amen. 43:23 So, people self deception becomes an actual reality 43:25 and now notice several quotations here, James 43:27 chapter 1, verses 22 and 26. Notice these verses, 43:29 but be doers of the word and not hearers only, 43:32 deceiving yourselves. If anyone among you thinks 43:36 he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, 43:38 but deceives his own heart, this one's 43:40 religion is useless. Now, friends think about that, 43:43 whose job is it to deceive you? Whose job? 43:46 It's the devil's job to deceive you? 43:48 And what James is here saying, is that some 43:50 people will do the devil's job for them for him. 43:53 They are deceiving themselves. 43:56 Are you understanding, yes or no? Amen. 43:57 Oh! Gets worse though, gets far worse. 43:59 Look at this from, from Galatians 6:3. 44:01 For if anyone thinks himself to be something 44:03 when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 44:06 Notice this from, from Second Corinthians 3:18. 44:07 Or First Corinthians 3:18, let no one deceive 44:10 himself, if anyone among you seems to be wise in 44:12 this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 44:17 Friends, it, it is a dangerous thing to start 44:19 thinking about people being self deceived. 44:22 Self deceived, I want to go through this very, very 44:25 quickly I read a book several years ago call 44:27 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard in that 44:29 store, in that book, she tells a story of one 44:31 cardiac, cataract surgery was first being perfected. 44:34 And what was happening was that they were able to 44:35 take people who had been blind because of bad diet 44:37 and bad lifestyle choices for 15-20 years, they 44:40 could go in, perform this cataract surgery and they 44:42 could suddenly see. Now, these are people who 44:45 thought they would be terminally blind, the man 44:47 comes in, does the, the revolutionary new 44:50 surgery and now they can see. But, she records this 44:53 frightening detail. She says, in that book that 44:56 many of the people who had been blinded, blinded 44:58 for the longest, who have become accustomed 45:00 to being blind. After they've their site restored 45:03 for the rest of their lives they wore dark sunglasses. 45:06 I mean patches over their eyes that prevented them 45:08 from seeing because it was too new for them. 45:10 And they had become accustomed to the darkness. 45:14 Friends that is medically documented. 45:17 People who could see, but opted not to see. 45:21 And friends the, the most terrible, the darkness kind 45:24 of blindness must be willful, chosen blindness. 45:27 Amen. Are you understanding. Amen. 45:29 There was many who know exactly what the 45:31 Bible says, but they blind themselves to it. 45:33 And they think because they can't see it like the 45:35 proverbial ostrich and I'm a birdwatcher by the way 45:37 ostriches don't stick their heads in the dirt, it's a 45:39 total misnomer, but the proverbial ostrich sticking 45:42 their head in there and saying, if I don't see it, 45:44 it must not be there. Friends the heart is wicked. 45:50 The devil is wicked, the heart deceitful, the Satan 45:53 is deceitful, you got a whole a lot working 45:55 against you. The answer is, how, how can we 45:57 prevail over such an on slot against such a salvo 46:01 of a texts. What about Eve? God had said some 46:05 very simple words in the day did not eat us there 46:06 up thou shalt surely die. Four words, thou shalt 46:09 surely die. He said that, plain as day to Adam 46:12 and then a talking serpent appeared in the tree and 46:14 said, you know, when the day that thou eateth there 46:15 of thou shalt not surely die. He inserted a word, not 46:18 surely die. Now, which do you think sounded it 46:20 nice? I will tell you I like that second one. 46:23 I get to do, what I want to do, and I won't surely die. 46:26 And, so she believed what, what she wanted to 46:29 believe friends, if she would have stood on a 46:31 plain thus saith the Lord. Satan's temptations and 46:33 deceptions would have had no efficacy in her life. 46:38 Friends the moment that you step off a platform 46:40 of a plain thus saith the Lord you're on thin ice. 46:44 I'm glad to tell you and I say it with no pride but 46:46 with great humility that every single thing that 46:49 I believe, everything that I believe in the Bible. 46:51 I can trace to a plain thus saith the Lord. 46:54 And friends if you can't trace every single thing 46:55 that and I don't, I didn't say, if Pastor Asscherick 46:58 or Pastor Asscherick can trace what I believe to a 46:59 plain thus saith the Lord. No, no, no you would 47:02 have been able to trace when you believe to 47:04 a plain thus saith the Lord, amen. Amen. 47:07 Friends we need to be standing on those thus 47:09 saith the Lord's. Second Timothy 3:13, its not 47:12 gonna get any better friends, it's gonna get 47:14 verse. But, evil men and imposters will grow 47:16 worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 47:21 Paul said, at the end of time is not gonna 47:22 get better, its not gonna get easier, evil men and, 47:25 and imposters will grow worse and worse 47:28 deceiving and being deceived. Well, what about the 47:31 elixir for deception. Friends, the cure for 47:33 deception is the word of God, amen. Amen. 47:36 John, John chapter 17 and verse 17 says, Sanctify 47:39 them through thy truth; thy word is truth. 47:43 It is the Bible alone that can cut through the 47:47 miasma of deception. Your intellect cannot do 47:51 it, some of the smartest people I know are some 47:53 of the most deceived people I know. 47:54 An education will not get you through deception. 47:57 Amen. Amen. Amen. Friends, listen to me very 48:01 carefully, we must be standing on the Bible on 48:04 plain thus saith the Lord, not a thus saith my pastor, 48:06 thus saith my family, thus saith this theologian, 48:09 but what the Bible says, amen. Amen. 48:11 The word is truth, in fact go with me to 48:13 Second Timothy. Second Timothy chapter 2 48:16 and verse 15. The Apostle Paul was writing to young 48:19 Timothy and his words of counsel are saliently 48:21 advise for you and I. Second Timothy 2, 48:25 Second Timothy chapter 2, I'm reading in verse 15. 48:28 The Apostle Paul say, in verse 15, Be diligent to 48:31 present yourself approved to God, a worker who 48:35 does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing. 48:38 The word means understand. Rightly dividing the 48:42 word of, what's that next word everyone. 48:44 Truth. Truth, what is Paul call the Bible. 48:47 He calls it the word of truth. 48:51 And friends a lie is the opposite of the truth. 48:54 If there is deception, the only way to cut through 48:56 the deception is with the sharp sword 48:58 of the word of God. Amen. Remember that verse 49:01 I quoted for you yesterday, let me quote it again. 49:02 Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12. 49:04 For the word God is quick and powerful and 49:05 sharper than any two edged sword. 49:07 Piercing even to the dividing as under of soul 49:09 and spirit and of the joints and morrow. 49:10 And he is discerner of the thoughts and intense 49:13 of the heart. Remember the difference between 49:15 a butcher and a surgeon. Is that a butcher cuts to 49:17 kill, but a surgeon cuts to heal. 49:19 And the word of God can cut sharp right through 49:23 the devils intricately woven deception, Amen. 49:26 Amen. But, friends, if you don't have the tool in your 49:29 hand, it doesn't do you any good. It might be 49:30 sharp, a good friend of mine, Pastor Torres called 49:32 me one morning, he need to me to preach and he 49:33 said, Pastor Asscherick, is the sword sharp? 49:36 Amen. And I said, Pastor Torres the sword is 49:40 always sharp. The question is can I wield it? 49:42 Amen. Amen. Amen. Friends, this sword is 49:46 sharp, no question about that. The question is this, 49:49 can you wield it? Is it sharp for you? 49:53 Friends, the word of God is a sharp two edged 49:55 sword in Revelation chapter 19. Jesus is depicted as 49:57 coming forth to conquer. To conquer the nations to 50:00 finally set this whole thing right. 50:02 And the Bible says, he has a sharp sword going 50:04 out of his mouth and he doesn't eat a little 50:06 blade friends, it means the word of God. 50:08 Amen. The word of God alone that can cut through 50:10 the miasma, intricacies of deception in these last days. 50:13 Friends, there was a time, where it was illegal to 50:15 have a Bible, if you had a Bible in your purse, 50:18 on your purse, or in your house. You could be 50:20 killed, it was illegal friends. 50:23 It was what word did I say? 50:24 Illegal. You could be killed, your family could be killed 50:27 or ostracized or isolated just for only this book. 50:30 Thousands, tens of thousands have died with 50:32 this book being the main reason that they went to 50:35 that steak or were burned or had their heads cut off. 50:38 And yet this blood bought book sits friends ideally by. 50:41 Well, who was the great preacher C.H Spurgeon, 50:44 who was preaching to his congregation one day and 50:45 he said, many of you have so much dust on your Bible, 50:48 you could right the word condemnation in the dust. 50:54 Friends, there was a time were, wasn't so easy to be 50:55 a Christian. Well, you could be killed for rolling 50:57 this book. There was a time, when Bibles were 50:59 not so easily printed and men and women 51:01 diligently pain sticking, you would sit down and 51:03 copy those words. They would copy those words 51:06 and they knew that if they would found, if they were 51:08 discovered that they would be killed on the 51:10 spot and yet it was so important to them 51:11 to get the word out. Amen. 51:13 Now, the devil has learned that if he can't, 51:15 if he can't beat him, you join him. 51:16 And, so instead of taking the Bibles away. 51:18 He is given us an on slide of Bible and now we've 51:20 every kind of Bible study notes, study Bibles. 51:22 African American Bible, Woman's Bible, 51:24 Death Bible, Devotional Bible, 51:25 every kind of Bible. And yet they sit just like 51:28 it, Oh! That's look nice there. We put it on the 51:33 coffee table and then we take the TV guide and put 51:36 it right on top of that. You're understanding 51:38 friends, hasn't always been that way. 51:41 When you neglect this book friends it is a slap 51:43 in the face to those martyrs, who spend their 51:45 life's and shed their blood to give you this book. 51:48 Amen. You think about that, you think soberly 51:50 about that. In 15, in 1455 in Mainz, Germany, 51:54 Steven Gutenberg printed the Bible. 51:55 The Gutenberg Bible is the first book ever to be 51:57 printed on a printing press. And friends that, that 52:00 printing of the Bible there on the 15 century 52:03 correspondent almost identically and synchronously 52:06 with the coming of the protestant reformation. 52:09 When the Bible got back into the hands to the people. 52:11 They said, wait a minute many of the things that 52:13 the church is teaching and the cardinals, and the 52:15 popes, and the prelates, and the bishops, and the 52:16 priest many of the things they teach 52:18 aren't in the word. And, so they said, Umm! 52:21 I have to make a choice between the church and 52:23 the word and hallelujah they choose to 52:25 staying on the word. Amen. 52:27 Solo scripture, the Bible and the Bible only. 52:31 We're gonna talk more about that as we continue. 52:33 People like Martin Luther and others were, were put 52:36 on trial, burned at the stake why because they 52:39 choose to believe, what the Bible said, and not 52:40 what the church said. But, Revelation chapter 19 52:43 says, the Jesus will come in a sharp sword goes out 52:46 of his mouth. What kind of sword 52:47 goes out of his mouth? A sharp. A sharp sword 52:49 is the word of God. It says, with that sword 52:51 he will smite nations. Friends I urge upon you 52:56 tonight, you can be undeceived. 52:59 It's not going to get any easier from the outside 53:01 and it's not going go get any easier from the inside 53:02 by the way. That's why you need a new heart. 53:05 I quote you the great promise of Ezekiel 26, 53:07 a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit 53:09 will I put within you, and I will take away the stony 53:11 heart out of your flesh and I will give 53:13 you a harder flesh. Amen. Friends, your heart is so 53:16 deceitful from the inside God has to give you 53:17 a new heart. And, the devils not gonna make 53:20 it an easier on the outside, amen. Amen. 53:22 Which is why we must fortify our minds with 53:24 the Bible. We learned last night that the Bible 53:26 can be trusted, amen. Amen. We looked at the case 53:29 with the Bible and the claims of the Bible and 53:30 the consistency of the Bible. 53:31 Last night we looked at the historical record and 53:33 the canonization of the Bible. 53:35 And I'm telling you tonight friends, 53:36 you better stand on the word. 53:38 Amen. Amen. Evil men and imposters will grow 53:43 worse and worse, deceiving and being 53:44 deceived. It's only going to get worse. 53:46 So, then the cure for deception. 53:48 Here it is, are you ready? Our message is entitled, 53:51 be not deceived a how to God. I want to tell you, 53:55 how not to be deceived and it is simple, it is basic. 53:59 Number one, read the word. Let me talk about 54:01 that for just a moment. Read the word, friends 54:05 you need to spend time reading the word, not 54:07 just books about the word, amen. Amen. 54:10 It's okay to read books about the Bible, 54:11 but listen to me. The sum total of time 54:14 that you spend reading books about the Bible 54:16 should not exceed the time that you spend, 54:18 reading the Bible. Amen, Amen. 54:21 So, just, just do a little addition. How much time 54:23 do you spend reading books about the Bible, 54:24 add it all up and if it's more than time you spend 54:26 reading the Bible. You need to make a 54:28 reprioritization, a re-evaluation, amen. 54:31 Amen. So, number one read the Bible. 54:33 Number two, read the word. Number two, study the word. 54:36 There was a difference between reading 54:37 and studying, amen. Amen. Anybody who has taken 54:40 anatomy at the collegian level. 54:42 Will tell you reading an anatomy book 54:44 will not yield an A on the test. 54:46 Probably you get it about a D, if you're lucky. 54:48 Friends, there is a difference between 54:50 reading something through in a shallow 54:51 profiteering way and studying it. 54:53 And God says, study to show by self approved 54:55 on to God. A workmen that need it, not be 54:57 ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 54:59 We must read it, but we also must study it, amen. 55:02 Amen. Got it read and study it. 55:05 Number three is believe it. Believe the word, I, I 55:08 cannot over state the simplicity there just 55:11 believe the word, if the Bible says it I believe it, 55:13 that settles it, amen. Amen. All of the learned 55:16 in the era died and intellectual scholarly men 55:18 in the ages and in the modern times could say 55:21 I don't believe it because it's not scientifically 55:23 accurate or, or philosophically accurate, 55:25 hogwash, I will stand on the Bible 55:27 over and against what, any man says. 55:29 Amen. Amen, I don't care what his degree is. 55:33 Number four, obey the word, amen. 55:35 Amen. Then do you're gonna good to be or hear 55:37 of the word and not to do. Obey the word. 55:39 Number five, cherish the word. Hold that word 55:41 near indeed to your hearts friends. 55:43 Get the Bible and keep it with you, get one of those 55:45 little pocket Bible and keep it in your pocket. 55:47 There are many times in a day, moments in a day. 55:48 When you could be reading it, amen. 55:50 Amen. You waste time in a day; you could be 55:52 reading the word. Put it in your car. 55:55 Put it in your pocket, get it on tape and put 55:57 in your car. And then number six, 56:00 what's that say right there. 56:01 Amen. Don't keep it for yourself friends, if you 56:03 have the cure for the cancer, you wouldn't put 56:04 it in your closet and hide it, amen. 56:06 Amen. Tonight you've been given the cure for 56:08 deception. Share the word, amen. 56:11 Amen. Friends, I recommend to you this book. 56:14 This is the sharp sword that can cut through the, 56:16 through this, through the miasma and through 56:19 the sophistications of deception. 56:20 You must have the word, you must know the word, 56:23 you must read the word, you must believe the word, 56:25 now with the raising of hands. 56:26 How many of you say that's me? 56:28 I want to believe that word, I want know, 56:29 what I want to love it, raise 56:30 your hands high to heaven. |
Revised 2014-12-17