Series: Lies Satan Tells 5/22/05a RRC
THE ANATOMY OF A LIE
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Today, we begin a series that I simply am calling, “Lies Satan Tells”. From the very Garden of Eden Satan begins his attack and attempted destruction on mankind through the primary weapon of his lies. I am fully convinced that THE Major problem not only the world today, but also in the church is that we have bought into lies of Satan and therefore we are paying terrible consequences. I will warn you now that you may become very uncomfortable over the next few weeks as we expose the lies of Satan.
But before we look into the specific lies of Satan, today we want to examine the Anatomy of a Lie.
I. WHAT IS A LIE?
*an untrue statement made with intent to deceive
(c)2000 Zane Publishing, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.
*A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. (Dictionary.com)
*an intentional violation of the truth.
Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary
A. Intentional Act
No lies by accident
B. Purpose is to Pervert Truth
(Georges Braque) Truth exists; only lies are invented.
II. WHY CAN WE BE SO EASILY DECEIVED?
(Why Do We Fall So Easily for Lies?)
A. The natural man is selfish in nature and want his desires met
- the easiest way out
- the cheapest way out
- the quickest way out
B. The natural man is prone to respond to emotions rather than facts
Therefore, A Good Lie or a Good Liar always ...
1. Tells the other person what he wants to hear
Recently I watched a show on the history channel which biographied one of the greatest counterfeiters even known, Mark Hofman. As a pre-med student in Salt Lake City he claimed to find a letter which came to be known as the “White Salamander Letter” which discredited the Mormon Church. He continued to find important Mormon documents which he was paid handsomely for. Later, he moved to Philadelphia and Washington where he discovered letters from our famous forefathers. Although, he was very efficient in his work, experts claim that he worked off the emotions of the people because he knew what people wanted and he would give the what they wanted.
One observer “Mark Hofmann was a forger and shrewd observer of human behavior. Like any good con man, he knew part of his success manufacturing and selling fake historical documents depended on willing victims –– people who wanted to believe his claims.”
- how can I have my desires met
- how can I have my problems solved
- the easiest way out
- the cheapest way out
- the most pain free way out
- the quickest way out
- how can I feel good about myself
2. Focuses on the emotions rather than the facts
3. Mixes in enough truth to make the lie appear realistic
III. WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF ALL LIES?
(John 8:44) (NLT)For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
A. The Devil, who is the father/source of lies
B. The Devil, whose verse character is to lie
Joke: You Can’t Believe a Work He Says
(from Mikey’s Funnies)
A guy sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a black mutt just sitting there. "You talk?" he asks.
"Yep," the mutt replies.
"So, what’s your story?"
The mutt looks up and says, "Well, I discovered my gift of talking pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired." The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. The owner says, "Ten dollars." The guy says, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"
The owner replies, "He’s a big liar. He didn’t do any of that stuff." You can’t believe a word he says.
IV. WHAT IS THE DANGER OF BELIEVING A LIE?
A. Blurs one’s Perception of Reality
Reality is Truth
B. Wrong Perception of Reality leads to Wrong Choices
C. Wrong Choices lead to Severe/Painful Consequences
