Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Guarding against deception Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA February 15, 2004 Main Scripture text: Jeremiah 17:1-10. In this text, the prophet is speaking to God's people, not outsiders. They have been deceived into thinking that their possessions are the result of their own ingenuity and labor and not the inheritance God gave them. They're still God's people but they are deceived, and their deception will result in their destruction. Deception is a dangerous and destructive thing. It a) breaks trust and thereby b) destroys relationships and thus c) destroys the community that we all need. Now this text is about deception in general, but specifically it is about self-deception -- the most insidious type of deception. In verse 9, Jeremiah tells us a frightening truth: "The heart Is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." Even those closest to God are not exempt. Remember David and Bathsheba? David learned the hard way about the deceitfulness of the human heart. Let me suggest three things to help guard against this insidious and dangerous evil. We must: a) Recognize our weakness. We cannot trust our own hearts. No matter how religious we might be; no matter how close to God we may feel, we are vulnerable to deception especially self-deception. b) Be accountable to others. True Christian fellowship occurs when we are accountable to one another for our spiritual life and growth. It takes great humility and courage and diplomacy to live this way, but honest fellowship is absolutely essential to guard ourselves against deception. c) Pray Psalm 139:23-24 regularly. God has to show us -- through prayer and through gifts of the Holy Spirit at work -- the true condition of our hearts and lives. Until we are willing to share life in honest fellowship with a few Christians to whom we can tell anything, we'll not know the freedom, peace and joy that Jesus promised us. Heed the words of James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Also Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill law of Christ."  Supporting texts: Psalm 32:1-4 | Psalm 139:23-24 | James 5:16 | Galatians 6:2 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here. (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of the sermon summarized above is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 040215a: Guarding Against Deception. © 2004 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us