Be Not Led Astray Series

INTRO.- ILL.- On Sunday, November 15th, I saw in the Office Depot ad that they had a Windows 7 laptop computer for sale for only $319.99. I found out that the store opened at noon on Sunday so I went to the store after church. I figured that perhaps there would be several people there for that bargain.

I waited for about 15 minutes before they opened. One other person showed up to get the bargain laptop. It was a lady who was going to buy one for her son.

When they opened the door we went in and immediately to see that laptop and they said, “Oh, we didn’t get any of those laptops.” We (the lady and I) said, “Your ad says that you would have a minimum of three per store.” The lady shopper said, “That’s false advertising!” And it was.

I don’t care much for any retail store that advertises something that they don’t have and especially, when they don’t give you a raincheck for the item you wanted to buy.

Brothers and sisters, I don’t like false advertising! It’s false. It’s fake. It’s deception! It’s a lie! Be not led astray!

ILL.- I read that one time that Volvo had an ad that showed a Volvo withstanding the crushing weight of a truck driven on its roof. However, the car had been specially reinforced to survive the weight. BET THEY DON’T SHOW THAT AD ANYMORE!

Did anyone ever sell you a bill of goods? The devil has been doing that for thousands of years to all mankind. He says things like, “Go ahead and enjoy all of life. You only go around once in life. And this is all there is to life.” And we know that there is more to life than this life and we need to prepare for the next life. THIS LIFE IS A PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY.

And the devil is a big liar. He lied from the beginning and he’s been lying ever since.

PROP.- In our text, John tells us how we can be led astray in regard to important spiritual matters.

1- Be not led astray about righteousness

2- Be not led astray about the devil

3- Be not led astray about the Son of God

I. BE NOT LED ASTRAY ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS

7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Don’t let anyone lead you astray in regard to righteous living.

ILL. - A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him.

She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said,”I hope I haven’t made you feel ill at ease, it’s just that you look so much like my late son.” He answered, “That’s okay.”

“I know it’s silly, but if you’d call out ‘Good bye, Mom’ as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy.”

She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, “Goodbye, Mom.” The little old lady waved, and smiled back at him.

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone’s day, he went to pay for his groceries.

“That comes to $121.85,” said the clerk. “How come so much? I only bought 5 items!” The clerk replied, “Yeah, but your Mother said you’d be paying for her things, too.”

Brothers and sisters, there are some people (and maybe many)who would pull a trick like that. And, of course, it’s a con, it’s a lie, and it’s stealing! It’s certainly not right living! It’s not righteousness! And he or she who does what is right is righteous. That’s what John says in this text. And for the most part, it holds true.

Matthew 12:33-35 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

Brothers and sisters, we know that some people think it’s all right to do something when we know well and good that it isn’t right.

What are we talking about? Stealing, murder, abuse, child abuse, greed, lust, etc. There are many people in our world who THINK these things are ok, but if you stack them up with the Word of God we know that they are NOT right or righteous.