Jeremy Utley - Two Ways Satan Deceives Wholehearted Disciples

Jeremy UtleyApril 26, 201720mWatch on YouTube

In this collectionJeremy Utley130 messages

Speaker: Jeremy Utley Title: Two Ways Satan Deceives Wholehearted Disciples Date: 04-23-2017 Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29) We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3) We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Summary

The speaker discusses two primary ways Satan deceives wholehearted disciples, drawing parallels from Joshua's victories and the Gibeonites' deception. The first deception is the temptation to do as much good as possible, which can lead Christians to focus on their own extensive to-do lists rather than solely on what God has specifically prepared for them. True discipleship requires a posture of listening to Jesus's teaching rather than being overwhelmed by the world's perceived needs.

Outline

The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.

The Gibeonite deception and end-times warningsDrawing on the story of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9, the speaker highlights how the Israelites were deceived not by open enemies with swords, but by a subtle trick. Jesus similarly warned that deception would be one of the greatest dangers in the last days.

The first deception: To do as much good as you possibly canBelievers often fall into the Martha mentality of thinking every perceived need is a command from God. However, Jesus did not try to heal every sick person or fix every problem; He only did what He saw His Father doing.

Aligning our list with God's pre-prepared worksEphesians 2:10 explains that God prepared specific good works for us in advance. Failing to discern this leaves us building with wood, hay, and stubble instead of gold, silver, and precious stones, risking having our works burned up by fire.Ephesians 2:10

The second deception: Distracting ourselves with a thousand trivial convictionsWholehearted disciples can become paranoid and legalistic, measuring spiritual progress by an ever-expanding list of permissible enjoyments they have given up. Colossians 2 warns that self-made rules and severe treatment of the body have no value against fleshly indulgence.

Training our senses through the practice of crying outHebrews 5 teaches that mature believers have their senses trained to discern good and evil through practice. Like Jesus in the days of His flesh who offered up loud cries, we must practice crying out to God instead of relying on our own natural instincts.Hebrews 5:14

Stop looking at your lack and start looking at God's fullnessWhen we become discouraged by our lack of discernment, we must follow the example of Abraham and the psalmists. Instead of dwelling on our weakness, we must hope in God, trust His promises, and find rest in His unfailing power.