Terrible Prayer

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When a rogue kisses you count your teeth It's a
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Hebrew proverb when the fox preaches look to your geese
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It's a German proverb Abraham Lincoln said you can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time
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But you got cannot fool all the people all the time And a Chinese proverb goes this way fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me
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In the last week with all the power outages and all those things I thought what am I going to do if only 35 people attend the church we didn't even think we're going to have power today
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I didn't want to continue in Matthew chapter 6 because I didn't want the church body at large to miss
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The next installment of Matthew 6 that we're talking about forgiving Having our sins forgiven by Christ So I did something a little bit differently and today.
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We're going to look at the topic of deception Next week on the week to follow will be in Matthew chapter 6 but for today
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Sometimes we have snow days or other days like today with catastrophes locally I'll switch up the sermons, and so that's what
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I did last night as well. I want to talk about deception I Want to talk about not being deceived.
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You know if you're not careful. You can be duped Frankly I hate to be swindled
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I hate to be taken advantage of I hate to be taken as it were and If we are not careful as Christians we can be deceived
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Matter of fact four times in the New Testament The two Greek words which translate into more than that in English Occur do not be deceived
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Implying that if you're not careful you can be deceived in these particular areas I just think the
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Lord is so good that he's given us his word and as a father would want Children not to be taken in the business world as a father would want a daughter not to be swindled in some kind of Pyramid scheme as a father would want a son to make sure he he goes above and beyond some kind of Financial improprieties where he could be deceived so too does our father
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God Want us to think properly so we don't get tricked in the spiritual aspects of life
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Turn your Bibles of 1st Corinthians chapter 6, please this morning We're going to look at four passages and expound these four passages
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It will be exposition verse -by -verse exposition looking at four passages that all have this key phrase do not be
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Deceived meaning that if we're not careful we could be deceived Why would God say don't be deceived if we never would have an opportunity to be misled?
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So we're going to look at all four New Testament illustrations where this is used do not be deceived
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And we want to be very very careful because we are not God we have finite minds and those finite minds are also fallen put on top of our finite fallen minds we have an
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Acknowledgement from scriptures that Satan is real that Satan is not some kind of just Force, but Satan is a real being
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Paul says in the other book 2nd Corinthians Satan disguises himself as an angel of Light and so we want to make sure we are very careful when it comes to the scripture, so we are not deceived
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I have a mandate as a preacher, and it's Tozer's mandate He said we who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as a public relation agent
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Sent to establish goodwill between Christ and the world we must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make
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Christ Acceptable to big business the press are the world of sports are modern entertainment
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We are not diplomats, but prophets our message is not a compromise, but an ultimatum
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And I as a pastor we as an elder board get to preach to a group of Saints these called -out ones here at West Boylston who want that kind of preaching who know that the
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Word of God is a authoritative be sufficient and See inspired by God himself breathe out for our good for our profit and here you can just imagine a son
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Who's 14 or 15 years old getting taken to the side over by the workbench of his father and say son?
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Let me just make sure you understand life in life lessons. I don't want you to get tricked in this particular area and These four will probably be surprising for you if I were going to make up these four
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I'd probably say things like this congregation if a man on TV or a woman on TV says
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Send Jesus your money, and here's my address don't be deceived
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But here these are different ones and we left to ourselves could be
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Snookered and ripped off, but not necessarily by other people, but by our own sinful
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Fallible hearts the one who deceives us the most is not Satan although he deceives
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It's not the world system. Although it deceives the one we have to watch out for most is our own
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Hearts because the Bible says even as redeemed people we have hearts that are fallen and the heart is desperately wicked
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Deceitful above all else and who would like to be tricked by another I Wouldn't but it's even worse if you're tricked by your own what?
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heart and so we're going to look at four passages that say Do not be deceived by the way the word deceived in the
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Greek text is where we get the word planet PLANET and Planets back in the old days if you looked at the planets going around up in orbit
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It would seem like they're they're going astray. They don't seem to be having some pattern now
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We know differently now, but to the eye on earth It seems like the planets kind of are are spiraling around in some kind of weird going astray fashion
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And so we've got the term to go astray planet do not be deceived
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Number one the first New Testament example of this this phrase do not be deceived is found in first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9
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Paul as you know is writing to this Church of Saints And he's dealing with all kinds of issues and problems and here comes another big problem
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Number one if you're looking for the outline today the first Words phrase do not be deceived found in verse 9 and the way we'll think about it this way
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Let me phrase it in this manner You can't live like you used to before you were saved verses 9 and following don't be deceived
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There will be a change in your life If you call yourself a Christian, and you're not different than you were when before you were saved you are what?
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Deceived you can't call yourself a Christian and live the same way you used to and if you're not careful
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You might be deceived Let's jump right into the verse fascinating passage and fascinating idea that God protects us in his good
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Kindness as a father to make sure we aren't deceived And through the words of Paul the inspired
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Apostle he writes in verse 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God those?
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characterized by not righteous things doing the right things before God and man but Unrighteous those who live like that as a lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of God slang for not slang
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But shorthand for inherit heaven, and then he says it do you see it?
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I'd underline it if I were you for English words do not be deceived
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Don't be deceived now don't be deceived in the future keep on never being deceived Don't be deceived because you might be deceived you might have a loved one you might have a child you might have a parent you
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Might have a grandparent you might have a friend at work, and if you're not careful you would have the desire That would be a good desire.
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I want them to go to heaven. I want them to be a believer I want them not to suffer the torments of damned of the damned.
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I want them to go But they just kind of made a profession their lives never changed. I see him on Easter.
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I see him on Christian Christmas The family doesn't think they're different, but they just have Jesus as Savior, and I want him to be in so badly
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That my mind plays tricks, and I think somehow you can have Jesus as Savior not Lord And so Paul writes
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God writes don't be deceived and then he gives a list of things That characterize an unbelievers life now certainly
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Christians can do these sins But when they sin first of all it's a struggle
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Second of all they hate it when they do third of all it's not done to the same degree that is to say there is a
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Sanctification process and there is a struggle with this sin where when they sin they know it's wrong And they're just not sinning with the same attitude and the same frequency as they did before So he says do not be deceived 1st
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Corinthians 6 9 neither fornicators sex before marriage nor idolaters any kind of worship
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Anything or anyone that is higher than God nor adulterers nor effeminate nor homosexuals
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Thieves nor covetous he could have said all kinds of things But he gives some of the things that the
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Church of Corinth was struggling with and those around the Church of Corinth were struggling with in this port city
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Nor the drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers, and he says it again what he said in verse 9
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Shall inherit the kingdom of God Then he says something great you used to be that way
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Church of Corinth I used to be this way you used to be that way and then God saved us and Changed us and so it says in verse 11 with just one of the greatest verses in all of 1st
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Corinthians or 2nd Corinthians 29 chapters of Dealing with sin, maybe one of the most magnificent verses and such were some of you
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You used to be that way, but you're not that way anymore. You're different. You've been changed by the omnipotent
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Triune God how can God change you and you still live the way you used to live? Can that happen can the
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God of the universe make you a new person in Christ? Regenerate you change you give you a new nature new appetites new desires new everything and you go
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I just keep on living the exact way I used to keep living But when our friends our children our parents our spouse says they're a
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Christian and there's no change in their lifestyle Paul's trying to tell them don't lower the standards of salvation to get your family members in You used to be that way
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But you're not anymore. Why look at all these words that show what God has done to a Christian you were washed think about how dirty we were and soiled and and and Corrupted and we're washed.
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We're clean But you were sanctified again what God has done to the
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Christian what he's done to those believers here in this room But you were justified in the name of the
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Lord Jesus Christ and in the spirit of our God you have this great justification God has declared us not guilty based on the work of Christ the
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Spirit of God has changed us Regenerated us all these things have happened and we think we can just wander the way we used to wander
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No, I never have forgotten the story of Jessica Hahn who used to be the church secretary for Jim Baker Who was the former host of the
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PTL Club? And she said God gave her a real piece to plot to pose for some kind of horrible
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Pornography magazine if I got to talk to Jessica, I would say you call yourself a
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Christian You aren't that way anymore. You're not that person anymore If you're a
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Christian, I know you'll stumble with sin like we talked about last week Christians think they're sinning more but they're really sinning less
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They're sinning less because God has worked worked a work in their hearts and in their lives
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But they think they're sinning more because they're recognizing the mind of God more But you take somebody who says, you know what?
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I used to live with my boyfriend I live my girlfriend and now God saved me and I still live my boyfriend or my girlfriend
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What would you say to them? I would say and such are
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Some of you and if you're an are not a were there's a problem if any man is in Christ He is a new what old things have
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Passed away. That's exactly right We don't live the way we used to because God has worked a mighty work in our hearts
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Resurrection power has been granted to us. I've been saved And so Paul makes it very clear.
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By the way, do you see the text back in verse 9? It's a present passive imperative present meaning ongoing.
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Don't be deceived Imperative Paul needs to tell us with the command force.
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Don't do it You may be tempted to you might feel like it your neighbors might say it's fine the church body may all agree
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World magazine might agree. I don't know what they might do, but everybody might be there But don't you and it's passive means it can be done to you.
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It's not like you're deceiving yourself It's influence from the outside. Don't be led astray
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Don't be led astray these people are Sinful and sinners and their lives were characterized by this sin and then
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God interrupted them God saved them God Said I I'm not gonna punish them for who they are
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My son will stand in their stead assuage my wrath and now they're different I've heard but heard one man say, you know, you look at somebody else's life
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Never ever be a fruit inspector. You can't inspect their fruit.
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I'm thinking Well, that sounds good, I mean I can just imagine walking down past some peach trees don't be a fruit inspector
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What am I supposed to do if I've got a friend who's still a fornicator and still an adulterer and still a swindler and still
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All these things and calls himself a Christian. What do I do? Can't expect inspect the fruit judge not lest you be judged
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Not allowed to do it or should I say they're doing all those things in well, they're certainly saved
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Let me read you a verse that blew my mind when
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I first read it don't turn there But just just mark it down first John 3 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious It is obvious the children of a child of Christ and a child of the devil.
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Is it obvious? Is it hard do I have to go to seminary to understand? It's obvious Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God Nor the one who does not love his brother
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It's not a one -time slip -up. It's not a sin here there It's practice as a lifestyle the
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King James would say as a conversation as a a pattern you have a pattern of sin God saves and in in a great triune way the
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Father in Eternity past has chosen the Son has died in the place of that sinner
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The Spirit of God quickens and regenerates makes alive. There's a difference Don't be deceived
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So I've kind of two comments here for our church the first comment is this are you deceived about your own salvation
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I Hated if people sat here week in a week out. We're never challenged with their own salvation can you look back not necessarily to a time or to a
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Specific moment, but can you just look back and say I'm a different person by the grace of God?
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I'm different and I still have some thoughts. I still do some sins, but I can tell
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I'm different I long for Oh honoring God. I long for trying to love my neighbor
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I don't do those things and when I think about them I'm mad and repent and want to forsake and confess
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But now I'm a new person and I'm going a different way and I'm going the righteous way and I can tell
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God has done that Say well, I don't like to examine myself.
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Oh Who does second Corinthians chapter 13 is is clear test yourselves or Examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith.
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Are you in the faith? Do you believe one of the ways, you know, you believe is you say I'm banking my eternity on Trusting on what
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Jesus did in my behalf. He was raised from the dead. That's the only thing I have to cling to That's a good way to do it, but it's also good to look back and say here's how
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I used to live God interrupted me. He saved me He cleansed me he washed me and I'm not that person that I used to be
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I'm different Sometimes there's a time frame in there. You don't know the exact time justification is a time
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Regeneration is that same time? But you look back and you go I'm different your friends know it your family knows that the church knows it
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You're different by the way, your friends wall. This is all happening. Probably say this at least this is what they said to me
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Oh, he's in a he's in the latest phase He's going through something first he went through this then he went through that now he's into something else
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But interestingly when God's in it It's not a phase. It's for good.
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Isn't it? I'm different. I'm a different person It's one thing to believe in Jesus.
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It's another thing to have a life that shows Righteous living lots of people believe and don't have a righteous life
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John chapter 2 many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself to them John chapter 12 many believed on him, but because of the
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Pharisees they did not confess him Luke chapter 8 these people that hear the word with joy only believe for a while Did you know you can believe for a while you can say you believe in Jesus?
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And if your life isn't changed, then there's no change of status before God People say well,
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Jesus is my Savior, but he's not my Lord when you hear that beloved. Here's what I want you to do I want you to think a
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I think that way if God didn't correct my mind and B. I think they'd be a good person to evangelize because how can you have
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Jesus as Savior and not Lord? What does that sound like to you? Does it sound strange to you? Sounds strange to me
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Especially when I think of Christmastime for today in the city of David there has been born for you a
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Savior who is Christ the Lord Acts chapter 2 therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made
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Jesus both Lord and Christ a
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Hodge the old Princeton theologian said you cannot take Christ for justification unless you take him for Sanctification J.
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Packer said if ten years ago you had told me that I would live to see literate Evangelicals some with doctorates and a seminary teaching record
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Arguing for the reality of an eternal salvation Divinely guaranteed that may have in it.
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No repentance. No discipleship. No behavioral change No practical acknowledgement of Christ as Lord of one's life and no perseverance in the
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Saints I would have told you that you were out of your mind stark Staring bonkers is the
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British phrase. I probably would have used Are those in your family your children your parents your spouse who say
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I name the name of Christ different? Certainly, there's maturity. There's growth We understand that we're not looking for perfection as my pastor used to say but the direction of your life
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Is it longing for righteousness? Or do you do things or do they do things like verse 12 of 1st
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Corinthians chapter 6? Come up with these kind of cloaking devices for sin some kind of excuse so they can do what they want
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Whether it's I'll get older all or I'll have some kind of Freedom in Christ thing look at verse 12 of 1st
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Corinthians chapter 6 I mean it just almost I want to just belly laugh almost when I read it
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All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable all things are lawful for me
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But I'll not be mastered by anything. I Like to sin God likes to forgive
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I'm free in Christ. I got another slogan, too Here's the slogan verse 13 food for the stomach in the stomach for food
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Food for the stomach in the stomach for food food for the stomach in the stomach for food Food for the stomach in the stomach for food.
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You think that guy's crazy man get to get him off the Platform here that people use that for a slogan.
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That was their slogan. Hey, I get hungry. I've got to eat I've got sexual desires. I've got it.
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I've got to indulge It's rationalization for sinful thinking Paul says but God will do away with both of them that's not how a
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Christian talks if God has saved you and you become his child and you have a Divine nature as 2nd
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Peter chapter 1 would talk about I don't mean you're a little God But as God the Father has imprinted himself in your nature in your spiritual
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DNA You will act like your father not perfectly not maturely But to some degree you will have progressive sanctification and you won't have these kind of excuses because people that have these kind of excuses
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Paul wants to say don't be deceived tell them to repent if they're a Christian or repent if they're not a
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Christian God's gonna get rid of the body Stomach rather he's gonna do away with both them yet.
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The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord is for the body Don't rationalize that So we want to be very careful
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We want to make sure when we have friends and family and we start asking questions like this
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How could Jim say he's a Christian and live with his girlfriend? How could sue say she's a believer and be the most unscrupulous business person in town?
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When we start asking questions like that, we don't know the hearts of people. We can only see what they do We can't judge them to hell.
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That's not our prerogative but what we can say is that they might not be Christians at all and we ought not to be deceived and we ought to maybe give them the gospel because Instead of being little
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Christ, they might be little Judas's people can make decisions accept
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Christ walk aisles and Then have no deeds of saving faith and James would say in chapter 2
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It isn't any good my brothers if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds that faith can't save him
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For us though as a Christian I have to tell you this some of the biggest assurance of salvation moments
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I've had in my life or when I look back and say look at how I live for 29 years
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And when I got saved at 29 years of age, I did not become perfect in my actions, but I could tell
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I was different I had different thoughts. I had as Edwards would call them different religious affections and I had a different Philosophy of life a different worldview a different view of everything changed when
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I got saved and since it has changed Now on my dark days on my bad days on my sinful days.
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I look back and say, you know, I am NOT Justified in Christ based on my obedience.
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I'm justified by Christ based on his obedience and by the grace of God I've seen a change in my life.
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And even though I'm caught in some kind of sin I know I'm a Christian because God has changed me
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Wasn't it good to look back and say look what God has done the flip side
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Please don't ever water the gospel down to get your loved ones in the kingdom Because a they're not in the kingdom if you got it watered down We have to preach the gospel to such a high level that nobody could hurdle that without the
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Holy Spirit Right, what would happen to this church if the Holy Spirit left this church?
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Well, we still have worship services on Sunday Well, what would happen the same thing if we if we if we put the gospel up so high
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That no one can hurdle it unless God Changes them and does it for them?
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Don't be deceived People who say they're Christians and live in a pattern of unrighteousness
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Paul says Aren't saved number two The second area of possible deception by the way for those of you that just Traveled a long way and want me to just keep preaching.
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I have my other sermon right here for Matthew chapter 6 So I figure we have no Sunday night service tonight
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I'll preach these four do not be deceived and I'm gonna pull Matthew chapter 6 verse 12 out and we'll look at some more possible
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Misconceptions about the Lord's Prayer. How's that? Where else we gonna go? 43 degree house
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Scott walked in was a wonderful yesterday and brought over his generator and the generator makes a lot of noise and I had the front yard and I was turning it off this morning and The neighbor came over and said it just kept me up all night.
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I'm sorry and What are we gonna do? I don't know and he said well, you know, did you have to run it all night?
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I just trying to be as nice as I could and I said well I tried to get the house hot and then I said and I wanted to keep the jacuzzi hot
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Now He did what you did, but he wasn't smiling. What do you mean you had to keep the jacuzzi hot?
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Oh, yeah, keep the jacuzzi hot and keep my Christmas tree lit up, you know, so I needed the generator I said no the thing the pipes are gonna break and so I put a little 75 watt bulb inside the panel there
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I wasn't keeping the water warm kind of fizzy. Everybody else has no power and there's
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Mike at 3 in the morning. I Should have I got called by Clinton police at 1230 making sure
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I was okay sleeping. Well, so I I don't know That's kind of like when you're in the hospital. How do you feel you're sleeping?
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Okay. All right, where am I? I'm giving a little bit of kind of comic relief in a sense because that first one's fairly heavy
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It's time to just take a breath and say, you know in one sense It's heavy because we all have friends who say they're
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Christians, but don't live like it We don't want to run around and act like someone's
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Holy Spirit But it would be good of us if we would approach them in love and address these issues
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But I'm glad I look at that passage and say not only that but I know I'm saved because I'm different God has wrought a work in my life number two first deception the first Example of don't be deceived in the
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New Testament. It's found in first Corinthians chapter 6 We've just looked at that number 2 is found in 1st Corinthians 15.
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Don't be deceived. You need to have an eternal perspective Don't be deceived
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Christian. You need to guard the hope of the resurrection Let's turn to 1st
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Corinthians chapter 15 and there are two of these don't be deceived in 1st Corinthians.
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Let's look at the second one Having an eternal perspective by the way quite difficult the last few days to have an eternal perspective as I'm in the
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Garage on the garage floor with my hammer and a bunch of coffee beans Inside the plastic bag trying to grind my coffee.
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I was not thinking about eternal perspective at all. I should have been Worked by the way if I had to tell you
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First Corinthians chapter 15 Describes you would say what? the resurrection
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So, why do we go to this verse and pull it out? Like it's some kind of particular proverb not related to the resurrection at all.
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Look at verse 33 for the first Second illustration of don't be deceived in 1st
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Corinthians, but remember where it's at. This is not a proverb. This is not Solomon It's not
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King. You Lemuel This is Paul and it's there in context Do not be deceived the exact same
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Greek two words found earlier in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 Don't keep on being deceived.
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It's a present. It's a passive. It's an imperative never be deceived and it with a command force
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Don't be deceived and you can be deceived if you're not careful Paul then says and we'll look at this in context in just a moment, but verse 33 says don't be deceived bad company corrupts
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Good morals Why is that verse in chapter 15 you have to say to yourself
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Paul is spending an inordinate amount of time Dealing with the Church of Corinth because they've got problems with thinking about the resurrection got all these false teachers talking about the
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Impropriety of the resurrection of Jesus Christ the literal bodily resurrection So why does he place that there the way to find out is always back up or read a little bit farther?
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So let's back up and find out what this passage says in context Then we'll figure out why 33 is more than just a proverb
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That applies to every situation. It does apply to every situation, but it has a particular emphasis here in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 15 and I'll telegraph that and it's basically this if you live around people that don't believe in the
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Resurrection they will not believe in a future accountability standing before God and their influence of living for today
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And who cares about the future will rub off on you If your entire life is spent only with people who deny the resurrection those same people deny future judgment
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Therefore those same people live unholy lives and can influence you No resurrection live for today.
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No accountability can influence the Christian Let's go up to verse 20 to find out what the context is just to drive this home because I think it's important And we want to be careful.
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We just don't misinterpret the Bible I think there's a truth in just reading that verse, but that verse is in chapter 15 for a reason
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Deny the resurrection and hang out with those who do you will be influenced, but let's just see how it works verse 20
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Please look at how Jesus has blazed a trail for your resurrection but now
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Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who are asleep chapter 15 verses 12 to 19 had a bunch of negative statements as it were
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And now it's switched but but now here we see the positive testimony Jesus raised from the dead
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The first fruits of those who are asleep The word asleep a beautiful picture of death.
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It's where we get our word Cemetery for since verse 21 by a man came death
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By a man also came the resurrection of the dead Remember Paul is driving everything in chapter 15 to say there is a resurrection
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There is life afterwards and if Jesus has raised from the dead you too will be raised from the dead with his agricultural metaphor
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Jesus has raised from the dead He's the first fruits and when you get a first fruit, you know, there's later fruits
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And so if Jesus has been raised from the dead believers will be raised from the dead as well You've got to live like you're going to be raised from the dead and stand before God Verse 22 for as in Adam all die.
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So also in Christ all shall be made alive By the way, the New Testament uses those words made alive only for believers never unbelievers
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Everyone did die in Adam, but all those believers in Christ are going to be made alive Verse 23 the resurrection your resurrection.
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It's all planned Verse 23, but each in his own order There's an order to the resurrections
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Christ the first fruits after that those who are Christ it is coming see there'll be some stages to the resurrection if Jesus has been raised from the dead and Paul says he has been
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Remember, this is written later 20 some years after Jesus has been raised from the dead. Then there's hope for your resurrection as well
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Each according to his own group verse 24 Then comes the end when he delivers up the kingdom to God to the
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God and Father When he's abolished all rule and all authority and power and Paul is just waxing and praising
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God for all these great things He's done and how he's the king over death And he he's the king over the kingdom of God and then this a great majestic verse in verse 25 for he must reign
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Till he's put all enemies under his feet Complete and total conquest the last enemy verse 26 that will be abolished is death
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He's even going to kill death. He's going to murder death as it were verse 27 Why because death is part of all things for he has put all things in subjection under his feet
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When he says all things are put in subjection. It's evident that he is expected That he is expected who put all things in subjection to him.
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And so here's the focus beloved You say it's getting too complicated then zero back in on this truth
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Jesus was raised from the dead You'll be raised from the dead if you have to stand before God after you die
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There will be an accounting by the way that has a very Cleaning process doesn't it even for the
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Christian to realize? As a pastor, I have to account for everything I've ever preached to you
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Maybe I better double -check that Greek word to make sure it's the one I think it is Those are the kind of things that go through your mind and you think
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I'll slack off today. I don't need to do this today I'm gonna stand before God there's going to be a resurrection.
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It's important What you believe influences what you do and he goes on and on about these
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Implications of the resurrection verse 30 Resurrection even puts temporal trials in proper perspective.
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You look past these trials of no water and no food and no electricity Paul says, you know what if there's no resurrection why even endure?
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Why are we all so in danger every hour? I Protest brethren by the boasting in you which
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I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily I'm going to risk my life on a daily basis because I'm gonna stand before God one day and he's going to say based on the merits of Christ Welcome, I will stand before God one day it changes the way you live
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Verse 32 if from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus What does it profit me if I'm going to die and not stand before God with the resurrected body?
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Why put myself through all this trouble if the dead are not raised then let's have a party
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Let us eat. Let us drink Tomorrow we die So now we come to the verse
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The resurrection chapter has a verse and so then he says in verse 33 don't be deceived
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Don't somehow forget thinking about this Spend some time mentally reflecting
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Because bad company corrupts good morals Bad company that is to say those who say there's no resurrection those who say there's no accountability
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Those who today would say listen you came from a big pool of goo in a big bang someplace
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And so why stand before God there is no God you've made up God And if you hang out with those people all the time at the exclusion of the church ministry fellowship the one another's
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You will be affected if you work all day with a bunch of people who deny the resurrection
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You're taught at college all day by people who hate the resurrection You you're surrounded by maybe even family members who deny the resurrection
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Do you think it's important for Christians to be washed with their word? And do you think it's important for Christians to be around other
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Christians who say it's worth it there is a resurrection We'll stand before God. The answer is we know the answer
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You will be influenced The problem is sometimes we think we're so strong that we can just stand up against the wave of those who say no
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Resurrection live like you want. So what does Paul say to the Church of Corinth? And what do I say to you verse 34?
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Become sober minded as you ought You got to wake up and think about it come to your senses man, that's the idea
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Stop sinning for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame We've got something to do and that is not be influenced by the culture that says live and eat and tomorrow we die
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We come to the culture and say there is a resurrection Jesus has even guaranteed judgment by raising
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Jesus from the dead here is the gospel If you're not preaching the gospel actively to people and living out the gospel actively you are actively being influenced by these other people
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So when it comes to being deceived, first of all, I don't think we should be deceived To think this is not related verse 33 is not related to the resurrection, but specifically we want to make sure that we
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Remember that there's a resurrection. It will be worth it one day. We have a citizenship in heaven
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First John 3 3 says everyone who has fixed his hope on Jesus purifies himself
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Directly related the eternal perspective and how we live. Okay, we've got to hurry We got two down two to go 40 minutes for the first two 50 minutes for the next two.
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All right, let's go No, we'll go faster Did it take anyone here longer than an hour to get to worship service today?
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Pretty close. All right, there's one So for six dough, this is for you For New Testament Commands don't be deceived.
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Number one. Don't be deceived You can't live like you used to before you're saved and call yourself a Christian number two
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Don't be deceived You need to have an eternal perspective knowing that you can be influenced by those who deny the resurrection number three
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Let's turn to James chapter 1 don't be deceived. You must never blame God for anything let alone
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Sin you can't blame God for anything. We touched a little bit about this blame game last week
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But let's go to first chapter of James verse 16. Don't be deceived You can just hear this grandfather talking to the young grandson or granddaughter.
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Let me tell you about the way of the world Let me tell you what's in store. You think you kind of got the world by the tail?
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But there are people who are out there who will swindle you I just read this week about some of the billion swindled on Wall Street by people who probably thought they were smart
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We don't want to be spiritually swindled. So the third do not be deceived is never blame
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God for sin or anything Verse 16 of James 1 do not be deceived the exact same
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Greek words my beloved brethren Implying the context here we could be deceived if we're not careful
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We might somehow say God did this or God made me do that or the devil made me buy this dress something might happen
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Anybody who laughs I know is about as old as I am are older Go back up to verse 13.
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Let's see the context Evil temptation is not from God verse 13
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Let no one say present imperative never say this never say it
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Don't utter it make it a habit that you never say it make it a characteristic in your life Never ever ever ever blame
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God and say this when he's tempted. I'm being tempted directly by God God is tempting me
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Why should we never ever say this For God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself
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Emphatically when you see the himself there, it's emphatic. He himself does not tempt anyone
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What kind of depths of depravity exist in the human heart to blame God for their own sin
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The woman you put me put here with me. She gave me some of the fruit and I ate it
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You can't say God is tempting me directly God. You're tempting me to do that and Indirectly God.
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I'm human God. I have this disorder God I have this temperament God. I have this environment that I put in God.
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I'm only human human God you could have Made Adam so he never was allowed to sin
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God Why did you and your wisdom say that Adam sin was credited to my account?
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I wasn't even there and the list goes on and on God cannot be tempted by evil And he does not tempt anyone said in a double way.
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So we never ever talk like that Why don't we ever blame God because of God's character?
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He's holy he's too pure to look on evil he can tolerate no wrong
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Not just his character, but his activity. He never tempts anyone He may test you to strengthen your faith, but he's not going to entice you to sin
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He never temps based on his character. He can't be tempted based on his action.
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He never tempts He may test Abraham he may test
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Job he may test Israel, but it's never with evil and Then as we learned last week verse 14, the temptation is not from God.
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The blame really is our own blame You're the one to blame. I'm the one to blame verse 14 15
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But each one is tempted not by God not by a God who's got good character and holy qualities
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But he's tempted when he's carried away and enticed by his own lusts
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We looked at that a little bit last week The sad results of falling to temptation verse 15 then when lust has conceived
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It gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death
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No, still births here birth When sin is full -grown it brings forth death
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So then he says in verse 16 do not be deceived my dear brothers kindly
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Pastorally as the half -brother of Jesus James says now don't fall temptation. Don't fall to that Make no mistake about the origin of evil.
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God is a giver of good. He is good and it does good Don't switch it around So we want to be very careful as a church and without belaboring the point from last week
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We never want to blame God's providence. We never want to blame God's wisdom We never want to blame
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God at all for any of our sin or any of the world's problems with some kind of how Could you
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God I? Think it'd be better if we'd say something like this verse 17
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Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from Industry, it's from above you can see the language even as a
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Jew. He he could say God He could say Yahweh, but he says coming down from above coming down from the father of lights
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This father of lights, there's no darkness in this God with whom there's no variation. He gives good.
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He gives good He gives good and there's no eclipse to his goodness So much so you want to know how good God is verse 18 in the exercise of his will who saved you
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Friend not your free will not your bound will not your will that Satan has bound whose will saved you
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God's in the exercise of his will he brought us forth by the word of truth That's how good he is if he gives the greatest gift
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He'll give everything else a God who saves us and then we say yeah, but you're to blame for those other things God we ought never to do that and I'm not trying to Slam you all because I think you ought you probably would do that.
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I don't think you would But all of us could be tempted to do those things and we need to remember the creation order in Genesis God saw the light was good
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God saw the dry land was good. God saw the vegetation. It was good God saw all that he made and it was very good from salvation to food from children to our bodies to taste buds to enjoyment to laughter to friendships to children and clothing,
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I think I already said children to shelter and Clothing everything is good
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He gives it perfectly All right, last one last Possible deception if we're not careful we might be deceived on who's going to heaven and who's not we might be deceived by thinking somehow we can stand the tide of living in the world without belief in the resurrection
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Number three, we must never blame God for anything and now number four don't be deceived
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Galatians 6 Lay up treasures in heaven lay up treasures in heaven. That's what we need to do
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Galatians chapter 6 Let's go there verse 7 the final do not be deceived for this morning
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And again as I give you these I have to remember that the Spirit of God must help us not be deceived
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By our own sweat and toil and labor. That's not enough So you might even make these as for prayer requests this week to pray for the church body and to pray for yourself
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Lord, I'm weak and I don't want to be deceived in these four areas Help me not to be deceived
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Galatians chapter 6 verse 7 very common and I would say 95 % of this room takes it out of context 95 % of the people in this room
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Take this verse as some kind of Solomonic proverb like we did with first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33 there is a context here and Why we'll we need to find out what that context is verse 7 of Galatians 6
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Paul is writing this letter that is very Tough and firm because if you mess with the cross
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Paul will bring his rod out Do not be deceived Same to Greek words same for English words same present ongoing same passive.
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It could happen to you same imperative It's a command don't be deceived. God isn't mocked for whatever a man sows this he will also reap sounds like an
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Unbeliever eternal judgment verse to me doesn't it at first reading with no context
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Haven't you thought about this when you've seen somebody on TV do something horrible? Haven't you thought about this when some unbeliever has done something or said something you see evil in the world and you think you know
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You might want to get away with it. Now. You may think you're getting away with it now, but God isn't what? God isn't mocked
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You sow that and you plant sinful corn seeds There's gonna be sinful corn growing
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You're gonna reckon yourself with God one day, but it has nothing to do with that chapter 5 We've seen the fruit of the
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Spirit love and joy and peace Chapter 6 we have an illustration of the fruit of the Spirit Show me a person who has the fruit of the
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Spirit and I'll show you someone who deals with another sinner Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 in a kind way in a forbearing way in a way
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That's not how could you but I want to help you Chapter 5 the end of it in chapter 6 the beginning of it are tied together
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And then after there's this discussion about how do we come alongside of those comrades who are fallen into sin?
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We get verses 6 and following Don't be deceived God is not mocked for whatever man sows this he will also
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Reap, I mean we understand that how it's not hard to get deceived about that But it could be hard to be deceived if we looked at the context verse 6
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Let the one who has taught the word share all good things with him who teaches
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By the way, I'm not asking for a generator today. I didn't pick this verse because somehow I think you know
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I'm underpaid I almost wanted to just leave this verse out But then I didn't look I wouldn't have looked at all for the
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New Testament illustrations Steve is paid well I'm paid well. This is not a plea for money.
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This is the fourth Do not be deceived This wasn't in the
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Bible. I'd never preach it But here it says let the one who has taught the word share all good things with him who?
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teaches Jews in Israel Were supported by taxation were supported in this theonomic kind of theocratic kingdom rather Gentiles even had to pay fees for Services Making vows and so here's the main point here
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If you have missionaries, we have missionaries over on that board in South Africa in India in Germany Here in the
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United States a couple different places Here's what Paul is after look at the verse again and let the one who has taught the word share
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That's the key word. I want you to think about Share and that is a word that means fellowship our partnership
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Koinonia remember the word koinonia remember I was in a Chinese speaking church I never heard never understood any of the sermon the guy preached for 45 minutes, and I know two things that he said
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Agape and koinonia that I got it. He's talking about love and talking about Fellowship, here's
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Paul's point. You don't pay preachers. You don't pay missionaries. You have a fellowship with them
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If you're not careful, you're gonna think you know We pay this guy and why doesn't he do what we want him to do and he's under our thumb or he's over us
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He says don't be deceived this whole idea of paychecks and earning and all that stuff forget about that There's a gospel camaraderie with leaders and with the church and we share we fellowship we partner
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Steve Cooley isn't paid We share there's a koinonia. It's not some grim duty gotta pay the guy again
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No Paul he took the high road as an apostle he said I'm gonna do it all for free anyway, but he also would write
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Under the inspired word shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing and the labor is worthy of his wages
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You don't pay pastors whether you go to this church or another church you share with pastors So let's just read these verses again and make so much more sense
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Galatians chapter 5 the fruit of the Spirit love joy and peace Chapter 6 an illustration of the fruit of the Spirit the
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Spirit of God Working in the lives of someone coming alongside to restore fallen brothers and also coming alongside pastor and congregation
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Congregation and leadership we share all these things together Fellowship don't be deceived about that.
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Don't think about corporate America. Don't think black and white don't think bottom line Don't think they're paid too much.
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They're paid not enough. Don't think that way at all Don't be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever a man sows this
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He will also reap for the one who sows to his own flesh shall from his own flesh reap corruption but the one who sows to the
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Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life so Paul says yes,
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I could make a Implication here, but Paul is basically dealing with the question of how do you support
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Christian workers in the Galatian Church? And then he says in verse 9 and let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time
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We shall reap the good kind of reaping if we do not grow weary And so he says in verse 10 and as we close so then while we have opportunity
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Let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of the faith
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And so we can lay up treasures on earth or we can lay them up in heaven
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Well beloved we had a change of plans today and that was change of plans included a change of sermon
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Don't be deceived. Can you remember the four first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9? Righteous people who have been saved by God live what?
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Righteously number two first Corinthians chapter 15. If you aren't careful, you will be influenced by those who deny the resurrection
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James chapter 1 don't blame God for anything praise him instead and then Galatians chapter 6
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We have a fellowship between minister and congregation Well, it's interesting as I Have studied this week and Thought about deception quick story from PT Barnum Circus showman
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PT Barnum once ran an animal museum in lower Manhattan People enjoyed the exhibit so much that they would stay for hours
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Preventing others from entering finally Barnum devised a way to get rid of the customers who stayed overstayed their welcome
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Over the cage of the tigress and her cubs. He hung a large sign which read tigress
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Over the doorway next to the cage. He hung another sign to the egress They were thinking they'd go see another curiosity.
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And so they walked through the door and out into the street There's a way that seems right to a man, but it's end is the way of death
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Aren't you glad God doesn't want you to be deceived? He's told us everything we need to know in the word.
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Let's pray our father We look to you this morning. We look to you to do a great work in our hearts through these words
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I pray for our church that you'd give her Greater assurance each and every member who calls the name of Christ who have been truly saved
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I pray that you'd increase their joy and increase their assurance knowing that they're different. I pray that you would help them
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Influence other people who are unbelievers and not be influenced And Lord, I just pray for this congregation that your spirit would be so overflowing and that you'd lavish your spirit upon us that we'd be
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Able to do these things and we'd be able to praise you because we could do them And Lord for those that are without power and all those other things
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We pray that you'd help us to be content Help us to look towards the future and Lord help us to look towards our friends and relatives and neighbors that we could serve