Laying Down the bag of Lies
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Last week, we talked about how to resist the counter attack of the devil. And he will counter attack.
24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
When the enemy counter attacks, he does it with lies.
Remember, lies can hold you captive.
Game…
Three truths and a lie...
Three truths and a lie...
1. I ran track in high school
1. I ran track in high school
2. I was an eagle scout
2. I was an eagle scout
3. I played the tuba in High School Band
3. I played the tuba in High School Band
4. I derailed a train in middle school
4. I derailed a train in middle school
Mark down which of those you think is a lie…
That’s kind of funny, but lying is not funny and the devil is a liar and he wants you to believe lies he says about you and to you. He is the father of lies. If his lips are moving, he is lying.
31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” 39 “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40 Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” 42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 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. He has always hated the truth, because 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. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!
Long story short… anything that is true came from God. If it’s a lie it come from the devil who hates you and your family.
He lies to you and he tried to get you to believe those lies so that he can keep you bound up in a stronghold based on a lie.
Lies the Devil wants you to believe
Lies the Devil wants you to believe
1. He lies when he tells you that God cannot be trusted
1. He lies when he tells you that God cannot be trusted
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Satan caused Eve to doubt God’s goodness. He got her to think that God was trying to hold her back from being like Him. He implied that God was stingy, strict and selfish by not wanting Eve to share in HIS knowledge of good and evil. He helped her forget all the things God had provided for her and focus on the one thing she did not have.
So,
Eve decided that God could not be trusted.
Eve decided that God could not be trusted.
Now we do the same thing today. God has blessed us with so much and we ignore him and do things our way. He tell us to put him first above everything else, but we don’t. He tells us to forgive others so we can experience freedom ion our lives, but we don’t. He tells us to tithe and our finances will be ok, but we don’t. He tells us to avoid sexual immorality (any sex outside of marriage between a husband and wife) but we don’t. We don’t trust God anymore than Eve did. We fall for the lie that God doesn’t want what’s best for us.
Here is the truth to replace that lie with.
God can be trusted because He is good and he has good plans for us.
God can be trusted because He is good and he has good plans for us.
We can trust God because he is always on our side… working on our behalf.
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
God is always working for our good. He wants us to become more and more like Jesus so He uses the events in our lives to do that. So when God says, “Don’t do that… do this” he is saying that to protect you from something bad and provide something better for you.
God wants to protect you from something horrible and provide you with something wonderful.
God wants to protect you from something horrible and provide you with something wonderful.
You were created with a purpose and a plan for your life. Look at
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
God has good plans for you. Too many people are afraid of what God wants them to do, but his plans are for good and not bad.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Did you know you were God’s masterpiece. Turn to your neighbor and tell them, you are God’s masterpiece. Even before you were in your mother’s womb, God had a plan for your life. He created you to fulfill those plans.
The enemy of your soul will try to convince you that your way is better than God’s… that he is just trying to hold you back from some fun… You call him what he is… a liar. You can do that because God is a good and holy God who loves you and has good plans for you.
2. He lies to you when he tells you that you will never change
2. He lies to you when he tells you that you will never change
How many of you have been told this… you will never change… You are no good… I wish you had never been born… You are just like…
Your enemy the devil wants to destroy your life and he will lie to you and tell you that you will never change. He will tell you that you are an addict… just live with it. He will tell you that you are just ???? and you can’t do anything better for you and your family.
Satan will take every setback and try to convince you that you can’t succeed. You try to get freedom from a stronghold and fall… he tells you that you can’t beat it… stop trying. You try to be a good parent but forget they had a report or something… then he tells you what a bad parent you are and always will be…
Most suicides occur when we believe we can’t change or that our situation will never change. That’s a lie from the devil.
God is in the changing business
God is in the changing business
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
God changes who we are… from the inside out. When you give your life to Jesus Christ, he re-creates you into a new person. Your old identity is gone.
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He took your sin and my sin and gave us HIS righteousness. Tell the devil to put that in his pipe and smoke it. You are no longer that nasty person you were, you are a new person whose been given the righteousness of God himself.
Not only that, he is living inside you and through you.
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
You crucify your old self with Christ and he comes to live in and through you.
Accepting Jesus is not turning over a new leaf it’s beginning a new life under new management.
Accepting Jesus is the first step, then
God continues to change us through changing the way we think
God continues to change us through changing the way we think
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
As we change the way we think, God transforms us into someone different from the old person. It’s the process of replacing the lies of the devil with the truth of God in your life… of unlearning bad habits and replacing them with good habits.
ILL - Prov 15:1 and my story.
When the devil tells you a lie, you tell him the truth. Satan says it’s ok to medicate your pain… God says be filled with the Holy Spirit. Satan says it’s ok to take something… God says to work for it. Satan says you are no good, God says you are created in his image.
God changes us in both of these ways…
God re-creates us into a new person and transforms us by changing our thinking.
It doesn’t matter how many times you fall and fail. God is right there to resume the transformation.
3. He lies when he says the Christian life is no fun
3. He lies when he says the Christian life is no fun
I have heard people over and over say stuff like, I need to live a little before I give my life to the Lord. LISTEN TO ME - The Christian life is way more fun than the lost life.
Jesus gives us a rich and satisfying life.
Jesus gives us a rich and satisfying life.
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Jesus came to give us an rich and satisfying life… a life on a higher plane than the natural life. It’s a life where we can have joy in the middle of difficulties. It’s a life where God will guide us through tough decisions we face in life.
A rich and satisfying life is a life that can do anything it wants to do… God just changes our want tos’.
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Jesus gives us inner peace and joy in our lives
Jesus gives us inner peace and joy in our lives
17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Living the Christian life involves right living which leads to peace and joy in our lives… which pleases God.
ILL - Over and over I have had people tell me that they had so much more fun saved than lost… not wondering if they hit someone driving impaired…
4. He lies when he says this life is all there is
4. He lies when he says this life is all there is
He lies when he says there is no life after death.
Jesus prepared a place for us in heaven
Jesus prepared a place for us in heaven
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
Everyone who has ever lived will stand before the throne of God for judgement
Everyone who has ever lived will stand before the throne of God for judgement
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Everyone will stand before God. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior … whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter heaven and be rewarded. The rest will burn in hell for eternity.
5. He lies when he says that we can enter heaven on our own
5. He lies when he says that we can enter heaven on our own
Satan will say you just have to be good… do good things…
The truth is
Our sin earned us eternal separation from God
Our sin earned us eternal separation from God
All of us have sinned.
10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Because of our sin, we earned death.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Listen, we could not do anything about our situation so Jesus came to die on the cross for us.
ILL - How many of you have ever told a lie? stolen something? thought a mean thought? We are here with a bunch of liars, thieves and murderers.
Salvation is a free gift from God
Salvation is a free gift from God
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
6. He lies when he says we cannot be forgiven
6. He lies when he says we cannot be forgiven
One of the ways Satan will mess with you is by saying you are just too bad… You’ve done too much to be forgiven. He wants you to think that your sin is soooo bad that there is no way you can be forgiven.
God agrees with Satan that you have sinned, but God forgives you of that sin.
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
When you confess, God forgives your sin
When you confess, God forgives your sin
Jesus death on the cross paid the price and he forgives your sins and purifies you.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
It doesn’t just end with that. We have to walk in it.
16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Life your life for Jesus
Life your life for Jesus
When the devil says you can’t be forgiven, tell him you ARE forgiven and remind him of the lake of fire… which is where he is heading.
7. He lies when he tells you that you will have plenty of chances to get right with God.
7. He lies when he tells you that you will have plenty of chances to get right with God.
You are not guaranteed another chance.
2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
ILL - you never know when this life will end. People on the planes that hit the world trade center did not think they would die that day… the people in those buildings had no thought of death.
Satan lies to you saying wait… don’t wait! first give your life to Jesus Christ as Savior and then as Lord of your life. Dont’ believe these lies...
God can be trusted… You can change… The Christian life is the best life possible… We can spend eternity in heaven or hell… preferably heaven… Jesus makes it possible for you to go to heaven… You can always be forgiven when you confess… Today is your Day… not tomorrow.