Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Explores discerning deception in our daily lives, standing firm in faith, and applying God's wisdom to navigate through the trickery of the world.
Good morning, beloved. We gather here today with hearts full of hope and minds eager to understand. We stand on the precipice of a new understanding, ready to embrace the wisdom God has for us.
Our focus today is on 2 Timothy 3:13, which says,
"But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Such a powerful passage, isn't it? It's a clear warning, a call to vigilance, a reminder to be discerning in a world that often cloaks deception in the guise of truth.
G.K. Chesterton once said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." How true this is, especially when we face the cunning and deceit of the world. It's not easy to stand firm in our faith, to resist the lures and lies that surround us. But we are not alone. God is with us, and His Word is our guide.
Satan is the father of lies: He's a master deceiver, an expert at twisting the truth to suit his purposes. He knows our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, and he uses them against us. He tempts us with promises of pleasure, power, and prosperity, but these are nothing more than illusions, mirages designed to lead us away from God.
We are not defenseless: We have the armor of God, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We have the power to resist the enemy, to stand firm in our faith, to hold fast to the truth. We have the wisdom to discern the truth from the lies, the real from the fake, the genuine from the counterfeit.
We have the Holy Spirit: He is our Helper, our Guide, and our Comforter. He leads us into all truth, helps us to understand God's Word, and empowers us to live it out. He convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and He helps us to make wise decisions, to choose the right path, to walk in the ways of the Lord.
We have the fellowship of believers: This is the body of Christ, the church. We are not alone in our struggle against the enemy. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who stand with us, who pray for us, who encourage us, who help us to stay strong in our faith. We have pastors, teachers, mentors, and friends who guide us, instruct us, and inspire us to live for Christ.
We have the promises of God: This is the the assurances of His love and the guarantees of His faithfulness. God is not a man that He should lie. His Word is true, His promises are sure, and His love is unfailing. He has promised to be with us, to guide us, to protect us, to provide for us, and to give us the strength to overcome the enemy.
The nature of truth: Truth, in its purest form, is unchanging and absolute ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO