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Live to Grow (7)

Do not be Deceived!
16-18 Sept 22
1. Welcome
2. Worship
3. Warming up
（Based on the previous message, share about the action you have taken this week）
4. Word - 10min

Lying is the sinful nature of human beings, everyone knows how to lie, & everyone has
been deceived before! Being deceived distorts the process of growing up.
The first man being deceived on earth was Adam. The first liar in the world was Satan.
(John 8: 44) 44 … for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.
(1 John 3: 7) 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right
is righteous, just as he is righteous.
[As we grow in life and in the process of learning obedience to God, we can be deceived or
tempted if we are careless. Although we have received grace and redemption, yet we still have
the old nature of fallen sinners. Satan will always attack us with all kinds of deceptions,
temptations and tricks. Therefore, resisting the devil and dealing with ourselves are both
important exercises in our growth.]

(1 Peter 5:8-9) 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…
[Satan caused Adam and Eve to rebel against God through deception. Today, Satan often
succeed in deceiving people. If we want to resist the devil, we must learn to resist deceptions and
temptations.]

The devil's biggest lie is to make people believe that the devil doesn't even exist
[So that people will not be alert to guard against nor resist the devil, thus they do not think they
need God and to believe in God.]

Satan’s Schemes of Deception

1. Causing doubts about God and His Word
Satan's deception is often used to sow doubts in people's minds, making people doubt God and
the Bible.
(Genesis 3:1) 1 Now the serpent was more crafty …He said to the woman, "Did God really
say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
[This is a very familiar phrase in our lives! It's just that it often appears in different versions.]

2. Giving false assurances

[When people's faith in God is not strong enough, and are not familiar with the Bible, Satan will
give them false assurances.]
(Genesis 3:4) 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
3. Providing lie that confuses the truth with the false
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Rationalized arguments that mix lies with the truth that seem to be logical. Half-truths are Satan's
usual tricks to deceive people.
(Genesis 3:5) 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil."

4. Tricking people to follow the way of disobedience

(Genesis 3:5) 5 …and you will be like God…
[The created being wanted to be equal to the Creator, the devil wanted the same authority and
dignity similar to God’s. He disobeyed God and became His adversary. And the purpose of his
seduction is always to make people follow his ways of disobedience.]
5. Enticing people into indulgence
[Satan is well aware of the natural weakness of man, so he always instigates people into
indulgence.]
(Genesis 3:6) 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She
also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
(1 John 2:16) 16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes
and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.

Although the seductive Satan is still prowling and trying to captivate people’s hearts, he is
indeed a failure, as Jesus Christ has destroyed the devil’s work on the cross.
[We can resist the devil and the temptation acknowledging our victory in Christ.]
(Romans 8：37) 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us.

The winning formula against deception

Joseph was a warrior who overcame temptation. Let us consider his example of overcoming
temptation, and the way he did it.
1. Refuse to give in (to overcome false assurances)
(Genesis 39:6-10) 6 …Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his
master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 8 But he refused. …
10
And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be
with her.
(Ps 1：1) 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in
the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2. Recognize that sin is a great evil (to overcome the tricks to follow the way of
disobedience)
(Genesis 39:9) 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing
from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and
sin against God?"
[From ethics and from the teachings of the Bible, we know what deception is. Therefore, in order
to overcome deception, we must strengthen our awareness that sin is a great evil.]
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3. The Fear to sin against God (to overcome doubting about God and His Word)
[As for temptation, not only must we recognize it as a great evil, but we must also fear God.]
(Genesis 39:9) 9 …How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"
[Joseph knew that if he did this wicked thing, he would not only offend his master, but also
against God. The fear of sinning against God can give us victory over temptation.]

4. Stay away from temptation (to overcome lie that confuses the truth with falsehood)
(Genesis 39:10) 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed
with her or even be with her.
(Proverbs 3:7) 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
[To overcome temptation is to stay away from its origin. Do not put yourself in a position of
being tempted.]
5. Run away (to overcome the enticement into indulgence)
(Genesis 39:11-12) 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the
household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with
me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
[When Joseph couldn't handle the temptation, he ran away. Although he was imprisoned for this,
he was being trained for God's mighty work. Later, he became the prime minister of Egypt, and
was in the position to save his clan.]
(1 Tim 2:22) 22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and
peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Edification & Application (30 minutes)
1. Where do you usually fall victim to Satan's scheme of deception?
i) Causing doubts about God and His Word
ii) Giving false assurances
iii) Providing lie that confuses the truth with the false
iv) Tricking people to follow the way of disobedience
v) Enticing people into indulgence

2. With which strategies you normally use to avoid falling into Satan's tricks?
i) Refuse to give in
ii) Recognize that sin is a great evil
iii) The fear to sin against God
iv) Stay away from temptation
v) Run away

Action for the week :

Think about a deception that you are yet to overcome (or one that comes up often), and
meditate on the way to overcome it.