THE DECEPTIVE DAYS OF THE END TIMES
Pastor Joel Bernardino – November 2, 2025
INTRODUCTION
We live in a world overflowing with information — but not all information is truth.
• In just one minute of scrolling through social media, we hear hundreds of voices.
• Some speak truth, others twist it.
• Some appear spiritual, yet they slowly lead people away from Christ.
When the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3),
• The first thing He mentioned was not about wars, earthquakes, or famine.
• The first warning Jesus gave was this: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
In the End Times, deception will be one of the greatest spiritual dangers.
So today, let’s learn together what deception looks like, how it spreads, and how we can stay faithful to the truth of Jesus Christ in these last days.
1. THE FIRST SIGN OF THE END TIMES IS NOT CALAMITY, BUT DECEPTION
Matthew 24:4–5, “Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
Before the shaking of the world comes the twisting of truth.
• Jesus’ main concern was not the chaos of the world, but the confusion in people’s hearts.
• The enemy knows he cannot destroy the Church from the outside — so he tries to deceive it from within.
Satan’s greatest weapon is not persecution, but persuasion.
He doesn’t always fight with force — he whispers with falsehood.
Deception is subtle — it sounds spiritual, looks religious, but leads away from truth.
• That’s why Jesus said, “Watch out.”
• It means: be spiritually alert, not gullible.
Illustration:
When banks train tellers to detect counterfeit money, they don’t study the fake bills — they study the real ones until they know every detail.
Likewise, the more we know the real Jesus, the harder it is to fall for a fake one.
Reflection:
Do I know God’s Word deeply enough to spot a lie that sounds right?
Do I recognize when something is popular but not biblical?
2. THE WIDESPREAD CONFUSION AND RISE OF FALSE TEACHINGS
1 Timothy 4:1–2, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
We live in an age where truth is being watered down and falsehood is being dressed up as light.
• Many churches now preach what people want to hear, not what God wants to say.
• Messages entertain more than they transform.
• Emotions are stirred, but hearts are not changed.
False teachers talk much about blessing but rarely about repentance.
They emphasize prosperity but ignore purity.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 — “They will gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
This is not new — it’s an ancient deception in modern packaging.
• They use Scripture but twist it to suit their own advantage.
• They preach comfort without conviction, and favor without faithfulness.
Illustration:
A glass of water with one drop of poison still kills.
That’s what false teaching does — it mixes a little lie with a lot of truth.
Why do people fall for it?
• Because deception feels comfortable.
• It tells us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear.
• But truth — real truth — confronts before it comforts.
Warning:
Even believers can fall if they stop testing everything by Scripture.
Even ministries can drift if they start prioritizing popularity over purity.
3. THE SPIRIT OF DECEPTION IS NOT ONLY IN THE CHURCH — IT’S SHAPING OUR CULTURE
When truth is silenced in the pulpit, lies multiply in the streets.
• People now define truth based on feelings, not faith.
• Social media has become a global pulpit for false prophets and self-made saviors.
• Media, entertainment, and education are powerful tools now used to normalize sin.
What used to be shameful is now celebrated.
What used to be sin is now called self-expression.
Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”
Illustration:
Deception works like the frog in the pot.
If you throw it into boiling water, it jumps out.
But if you slowly heat the water, it stays until it dies.
That’s what’s happening today — sin is being normalized gradually until we no longer feel conviction.
Have we become numb to sin?
Have we allowed culture to shape our convictions instead of Scripture?
4. OUR GREATEST DEFENSE IS DISCERNMENT AND DEVOTION TO CHRIST
The only way to defeat deception is to stay close to the Truth Himself — Jesus Christ.
John 10:4–5, “My sheep know My voice; they will not follow a stranger.”
The closer you are to the Shepherd, the quicker you recognize the stranger’s voice.
Discernment grows through devotion.
• We can’t discern truth if we are distant from the One who is Truth.
• Read the Bible daily — not just for encouragement, but for equipping.
• Pray not only for blessing, but for spiritual clarity.
Hebrews 5:14, “Mature believers have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Illustration:
A lighthouse doesn’t stop the storm — it just helps ships find their way through it.
As long as sailors fix their eyes on the light, they will not crash.
Likewise, fix your eyes on Jesus, the Light of the World.
Stay in fellowship. Isolation makes deception easier.
Stay humble. Pride makes you think you can’t be deceived.
5. EVEN IN AN AGE OF DECEPTION, GOD’S TRUTH WILL STAND FOREVER
Darkness may rise — but the light of God’s truth will never fade.
John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
The lies of this world can deceive many, but they cannot destroy the truth of God’s Word.
Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”
Like a deeply rooted tree, a believer anchored in Christ will stand firm even in strong storms.
Revelation 3:10–11, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will keep you from the hour of trial.”
Our victory is not just avoiding deception — it’s holding on to truth until the end.
John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Deception binds; truth liberates.
Deception confuses; truth clarifies.
Deception fades; truth endures forever.
CONCLUSION
In these deceptive days, we must guard our hearts and sharpen our discernment.
Jesus’ warning still echoes: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
So let’s stay anchored —
• in God’s Word,
• filled with His Spirit,
• and walking in daily obedience.
Because the greatest protection against deception is not merely information —
—it’s intimacy with Jesus, the Truth Himself.
Stay watchful. Stay pure. Stay rooted in Christ.
For even in deceptive days, the truth of Jesus will always prevail.
