Just because something:
- SEEMS True
- FEELS True
- STATED True
Doesn’t Mean it’s true…
New Series:
A TWISTED TRUTH
A twisted truth contains SOME TRUTH but is still a lie
What is truth?
Truth aligns with how God created the world; falsehood contradicts God’s reality, even if it still “exists” in some sense within this fallen world.
Truth Is:
- More than just facts and appearances
- Knowledge of what is right in God’s sight, rather than man’s alone.
Human beings have been created to seek the truth
- But we cannot know all truth in ourselves, and so we need God to lead us to the Truth
- We can easily be led astray by falsehood.
The devil is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and he is behind every lie circulated in the world today
- He can only be defeated by God’s Truth.
Truth = Order, Flourishing, Joy, Hope
Lies = Chaos, Pain, Confusion, Suffering
What does the Bible Say about Truth?
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the FULLNESS of Truth
John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
We worship God when we submit to the truth
John 8:31-32
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Freedom is FOUND in the truth
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the TOTAL EMBODIMENT of the Truth
John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
We are FILLED with the SPIRIT OF TRUTH (Holy Spirit)
Satan, as the father of lies, uses TWISTED TRUTHS to lead people astray
For Every Truth of God – The Enemy of God has a Counterfeit
Enemies Of God:
- Satan
- Culture
- Mind
Genesis 3
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
A Twisted Truth -> Temptation to doubt -> Sin -> Shame
TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1: Jesus was BOTH fully God and FULLY MAN
2: Satan’s lies were to distract and derail his purpose of Death and Salvation
3: Jesus’ temptations we ENTIRELY REAL
4: We have a Lord who UNDERSTANDS us
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
We will discover 3 DISTINCT Twisted Truths the enemy uses
- Tactics
Matthew 4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Temptation 1:
PHYSICAL Temptation (Doubting God’s Goodness)
This twisted Truth asks…
“If God really loves you, He would want you to do what feels right to you”
“Do what feels right” always speaks to:
- Our Needs
- Our Weakness
Never where we are strong
BACK TO JESUS:
- Jesus was
- Hungry
- Tired
It didn’t come at the beginning, but at the end, when he was most tired
Jesus answers with SCRIPTURE = GOD’S TRUTH
How to tell the difference between God’s Truth and Satan’s lies
The enemy always speaks to your needs, whereas God speaks to your potential
This twisted truth is trying to get us to…
Satisfy what God can ONLY satisfy
- Physical lusts and desires
How to spot this TWISTED TRUTH in our culture…
- If God is good, then…
- Do you feel right
- Do what makes you happy
Matthew 4
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
Temptation 2:
EMOTIONAL Temptation (Doubting God’s Faithfulness)
This twisted Truth asks…
“Does God Love me?”
Satan uses SCRIPTURE… A twisting of the truth
- Ps 91:11-12
Tempting Jesus to say…
- “If God loves me, then He’ll protect me.”
The Need for CONSTANT REASSURANCE
- God Already said at Jesus’ baptism that he is pleased with Him
This twisted truth makes us question that all the time
- Allow our feelings in a moment to override our knowledge of God’s love for us
“If God really loves you…”
If God must MEET your demands for you to know that He loves you, then you don’t understand His Love
- Our emotions don’t dictate what God should be doing
How to spot this TWISTED TRUTH in our culture…
- Feelings over facts
- “If God is all loving, then I can…”
- “I asked God for something, and he didn’t do it so he must not exist”
Matthew 4
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.
Temptation 3:
CONTROL Temptation (Rejecting God’s Authority)
This twisted Truth says…
“I can be in charge”
“I can take a shortcut to what I want”
“Only you should sit on the throne of your life.”
Tempting Jesus to Take the easy way to AUTHORITY
- Don’t have to go through suffering and death
- Take what you want without God’s approval
Just like in the garden
- Wanted wisdom on their own terms
When you choose to take over the throne of your life, you become RESPONSIBLE for everything in your life
- We are not capable of handling that responsibility
- God created us to be led by him
- Away from him, we destroy ourselves and others
You cannot sin your way to a blessing
- Can’t have things God says no to and expect good to come
- Can’t shortcut his process to his provision/protection/blessing
How to spot this TWISTED TRUTH in our culture…
- “You do you…”
- “It’s you life, live if like you want…”
- No one can tell you…
- Who you are
- What you can be
- How you can live
- Who you love
- “No one’s in charge of my life but me”
How do we overcome the TWISTED TRUTHS of Satan, Culture, and our hearts?
1: Recognize the pattern
- News days, Old lies
2: Respond with God’s Word
- Real Truth