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The Deceitfulness of Sin

TEXTHeb. 3:12-13

INTRODUCTION:

A.  WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT IN THE WILD, THEY OFTEN GET INTO SERIOUS

          PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY REALIZED IT.

B.  THE SAME IS TRUE WHEN PEOPLE GET INTO SIN.

          1.  Problems are in the wild are often hard to get out of.

          2.  Sometimes sin is difficult to get out of (vs. 13).

C.  HOW DOES SIN DECEIVE US?

I.      BY DIRECTING US TO THE WRONG STANDARD.

A.  WE OFTEN MEASURE OURSELVES BY OTHERS (2 Cor. 10:12Luke 18:9-11).

B.  TRADITIIONS PROVIDE A POOR STANDARD (Matt. 15:3, 6).

          1.  Whether it comes from the church (Eph. 1:22-23Col. 3:17).

          2.  Or from men (1 John 2:26Rom. 16:17).

C.  THE ACCEPTED NORMS DO NOT JUSTIFY (John 15:18-193:19-20).

D.  THERE IS NO SECURITY IN THE MAJORITY AS A STANDARD (Matt. 7:13-14).

E.  MAN FAILS WHEN HE BECOMES HIS OWN STANDARD (Jer. 17:910:23).

E.  WHAT IS THE STANDARD GOD GAVE (John 12:48).

F.  HOW DO WE KEEP FROM BEING DECIEVED?  (Acts 17:11).

II.     BY CONFUSING RIGHT AND WRONG DISTINCTIONS.

A.  THE “NOT” IN THE DEVIL’S TALE (Gen. 3:3-4).

B.  AN OLD PROBLEM (Isa. 5:20).

C.  CONTINUES STILL (2 Pet. 2:1-2, 17-19).

          1.  ‘unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness,

                    shamelessness, insolence”  (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

          2.  Sodom and Gormorrah as an example (vs. 6).

D.  EXAMPLES:  Good causes (Rom. 3:8 – Bingo, Lottery, White lies)

          Law breaking, Divorce, Homosexuality,  Promiscuity, Abortion.

E.  Prov. 24:24Isa. 10:1Isa. 32:5.

III.    BY GROWING SLOWLYLIKE A CANCER.

A.  FALLING AWAY USUALLY OCCURS IN A DRIFT (Heb. 2:1-3).

          1.  The more earnest heed is needed (Heb. 3:12).

          2.  Hold the pattern (2 Tim. 1:121 Thess. 5:21).

          3.  Apostasy is accomplished incrementally.  Change agents introduce one small

                   innovation at a time, soon the church is gone.

B.  SEEING ONLY WHAT IS NEAR, CONSEQUENCES GO UNNOTICED (2 Pet. 1:9).

          1.  Examples, Eve, David & Bathsheba, Rehoboam.

          2.  The effect of sin on one’s life is minimized  ie. King Saul (1 Sam. 15).

          3.  There will be a day of reckoning (Heb. 9:27Ecc. 11:912:13-14).

C.  WE BECOME HARDENED SLAVES (Heb. 3:13Rom. 6:16).

D.  THE RIGHT SERVICE MUST BE CHOSEN (Rom. 6:13-14, 17-18).

CONCLUSION:

A.  PAUL PRAY THAT THE EYES OF HEART MIGHT BE ENLIGHTENED (Eph. 1:18).

          1.  We need to see the awfulness of sin.

          2.  We need to know the love of God (Rom. 5:8).

B.  WALK IN THE LIGHT (Eph. 5:6-8).