4th April 2021 - Sunday Church Service | How to Avoid Being Deceived - Zac Poonen
4th April 2021 - Sunday Church Service | How to Avoid Being Deceived - Zac Poonen
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the critical need for believers to guard against spiritual deception, referencing Jesus' warning about false prophets and false Christs. He acknowledges the difficulty of discerning truth amidst deception, comparing God's wisdom to the vast difference between heaven and earth, and points to the Fall in Eden as an early example of God allowing temptation.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Why is being delivered from self-deception so important?When the disciples asked Jesus about the signs of the end of the age, the very first warning He gave was not to be deceived.
Why does a loving God allow deception?God allows deception to test our hearts, similar to how wheat is separated from chaff or gold is refined in the fire, because holiness requires our personal will to choose God over attractive worldly things.Isaiah 55:8–9
How money and other idols test our true masterJesus taught that no one can serve two masters; whatever call we respond to in testing times reveals whose servant we actually are.
The forces that work against usThe devil, our own deceitful human heart, and deceitful lusts all conspire to trick us into believing we are spiritually fine when we are not.Jeremiah 17:9
The two reasons people are allowed to be deceivedAccording to Thessalonians, those who perish do so because they do not receive the love of the truth and do not want to be saved from sin.
Self-deception in speech and spiritual prideJames and Paul warn that if someone thinks they are spiritual but cannot control their tongue, or thinks they are important when they are nothing, they are only deceiving their own heart.
Why do we fall into sin?God gives grace only to the humble, so whenever we slip and fall into sin, it is because pride caused us to miss out on receiving God's grace.1 Peter 5:5
The double ministry of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit shows us the glory of Jesus in the mirror of God's word and actively transforms us into that same likeness.2 Corinthians 3:18
Cleansing ourselves and living with a clear conscienceBelievers are called to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, judging themselves daily so their conscience remains clear before the judgment seat of Christ.
