Sermon: Standing Against Deception #3 We have been looking at Storms and how to stand in them. Matt.7: 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it. This makes it clear everyone faces problems in life and the only factor separating failure from stability is doing the Word This same principal of being a DOER of the WORD is found in another parable. Mark 4:15 No understanding of the Word 16 Understanding and did well for a while, but become offended. 18,19 Produced Fruit for a while but become unfruitful. They BACKSLIDE 75% of the people were not DOERS OF THE WORD. Only 25% of the people were DOERS OF THE WORD and produced FRUIT Fear was a reason for failure 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom." He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty." The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. "But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door." Answered the jury foreman: "Oh, we did look. But your client didn’t." Riches are not the reason for falling but the deception of riches. God gave us riches for our enjoyment. 1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; Here the rich are reminded of a danger in where priories are placed. Riches are only part of the deception that Satan has in mind for you. Say these words aloud. "If Satan can’t deceive me, he can’t defeat me." You’ve just uttered one of the most profoundly simple yet powerful truths in all of God’s universe. But it is also one that few Christians seem to understand. The only weapon Satan has at his disposal since Jesus stripped him of all authority is deception. Satan can’t make you sick, plunder your finances, destroy your marriage, steal your kids or ruin your life without first deceiving you. God said in Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 06:40:08 +0000