Guarding Against Deception

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Guarding Against Deception</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="After Failure, Then What"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id150.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lord Fights For His People"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Joshua 8.30-9, January 14, 2001pm, Berean Bible Church, “Guarding Against Deception”</B></div> <bR> <div>      Our enemies who deceive us want to destroy us and our growth in Christ and our service for him. The enemies of the believer: Satan and his angels, the world-system (dominated by Satan), the flesh/sinful nature.  Don’t be deceived and destroyed by these. We have God and his word to trust! But <I><B>we must understand and apply biblical truth to guard against deception.</B></I></div> <bR> <div>      For Israel in Joshua 9, This was a time of excitement and spiritual victory, following battles of Jericho, Ai, and reading the Law/renewing the covenant.  They were not expecting a ruse, but that is what they experienced next.</div> <div> — <I><U>Vss. 1-13</U></I>, Gibeon deceives Israel (into an improper alliance). Why was such an alliance wrong? Ex 23.32-33, “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” Deut 7.2 “make no treaty with them, show them no mercy.” Deut 9.4, “it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.”</div> <div> Israel initially hesitated – why?, vs. 7, they might live nearby, and if so, they knew it would be wrong.</div> <div> — <I><U>Vss. 14-15</U></I>, Joshua and leaders made a treaty with them to let them live. This was because they were deceived.</div> <div> — <I><U>Vss. 16-17</U></I>, Israel discovers the truth, after 3 days.</div> <div> — <I><U>Vss. 18-27</U></I>, Israel keeps their word.  The leaders insisted that they keep their oath; but they forced the Gibeonites to become servants.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Areas of Deception:</B></div> <div>      Some of the world’s deceptive ideas include – “If it feels good, do it.” “Take care of yourself<I> first</I>.” “Get all you can get — you only go around once.” “Be open and tolerant of all ideas.” “Money buys happiness.” “Commitment doesn’t matter.” (Israel should be commended for keeping their vow.)</div> <div>      For Christians, we are often deceived by the following: “This choice isn’t wrong, it’s not really a sin.” “I can do this and get away with it; no one has to know.” “This little sin won’t hurt anyone.” “It doesn’t matter how I live as long as I am going to heaven.” “After what he/she said, I just can’t forgive him.” “I simply can’t give up that ‘mistake,’ I have been making.” “I don’t have to answer to anyone about that — after all, I am under grace.” “The Bible is just a book of old ideas that doesn’t relate to today’s culture.  It doesn’t have authority over me.”</div> <div>      Don’t be deceived that you can earn favor with God; that you don’t need time with God; that you don’t need God’s strength.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Principles to avoid this kind of deception:</B></div> <div> 1.  Seek God’s wisdom.  Continue faithfully in the word. Be discerning based on God’s word.</div> <div> They had reviewed the law of God but failed to apply it, Josh 8.30-35. See <I><B>Ps 119.97-104</B></I> (wisdom, insight, understanding) and<I> </I><I><B>2 Tim 3.16-17</B></I> (profitable). There is no substitute for diligence in studying and applying God's word.</div> <div> 2.  Avoid following the principles of the world-system.  Exercise discernment in what you choose to do and choose to believe.  Evaluate the choices you make (i.e. commitments). See <I><B>1 Pet 5.8-9</B></I>, be sober, alert, resisting the devil who seeks to destroy as a roaring lion.</div> <div> 3. Minimize the influence of the world, maximize godly influences. Be careful of TV, pop culture. </div> <div> What is “common sense” to the world is usually different that what makes sense in God’s economy, i.e. “Love your enemies.” See <I><B>Col 2.1-8.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> We must understand and apply (obey) biblical truth to guard against deception.<I><B> </B></I>We can trust the Word and the God who gave it to us.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>