[0:00] I trust most of you notice the roof is missing above our heads, so if that downpour gets serious then we might be in trouble this morning.
[0:12] We'll find a way. So I'm going to start something this week and probably carry into the next week, I trust, that I'm going to call the power of persuasion.
[0:23] So, as you're familiar with your Bible, you're familiar with your enemy, your adversary, the devil, and some of his methods to cause man to fall, to corrupt you, to corrupt your mind, and ultimately to destroy your life.
[0:43] And I don't believe that you individually are necessarily his target, but I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is his target. And if you're connected to the Lord Jesus Christ, then he's automatically against you.
[0:55] I think his ultimate goal is to keep God from receiving the glory that he deserves and that he desires. And so if your life has the potential to bring glory to God, then now you're on his radar.
[1:09] But I don't think you individually, from the day you're born, he's after you, attacking you and attacking you like some ideas. Or people get the idea that, oh, Satan's really bombarding me all day long today. And I don't know if that's entirely true as much as people like to say it.
[1:25] But he is the tempter in the Bible, and he is a deceiver. And he's good at conniving and conning. Well, let's start in Genesis 3 and just pick this out here.
[1:37] Notice in verse 1 it says, Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field. Later on, Paul uses that same word and says that the serpent, he says, Through his subtlety, he deceived the woman in 2 Corinthians.
[1:52] Actually, it's in 1 Timothy where he describes the woman being deceived by Satan. When Satan approached Eve, he approached her in a way that ultimately deceived her.
[2:06] He lied. He misrepresented the truth, speaking about the fruit. He misrepresented what God commanded in verse number 3, where God said not to eat of the tree.
[2:17] He said in verse 3, he said, neither shall ye touch it. I'm sorry, the woman said that to him. He says in verse 4, you shall not surely die. And I trust you understand the story here.
[2:29] What he does is subtly deceives the woman and causes her to sin against God. God said, don't do it. So she's got the idea that don't do it.
[2:40] Can't do it. Not going to do it. But then a little bit of deception, a little bit of persuasion, and there she is making a decision to go directly against the only thing that God told her not to do.
[2:55] There's power in persuasion. And I've come across some methods in business and some things that really have intrigued me. And I found a study that showed six principles.
[3:07] And as I read and learned about them, I realized these are principles that are used to deceive us, to persuade men and women to go against what they're supposed to do.
[3:20] It's interesting to me, and I think it will intrigue you as well, because I don't see where Satan can force you and I to sin. I don't think he can touch us. He could touch Job by permission, but he couldn't force him to do anything.
[3:35] He can't force you to do something you know is wrong, but he can persuade you. He can deceive you. And I think being deceived is the worst place you could possibly be in the world.
[3:46] It's one thing to think that you're, to be wrong about something. It's one thing to be wrong. It's a whole other thing to be convinced that you're right when you're dead wrong.
[3:57] You'll do a lot of foolish things when you're deceived. And so I found some tactics in business and in marketing that I found very intriguing to me.
[4:08] And I think that I found them in the Scriptures. If there's any truth to it, then I found it in the Scriptures and realized that the power of persuasion is a real thing.
[4:19] Now, I've always been intrigued with business and with just successful people or making money, and that's just in my flesh, seeing the power and seeing the prestige and all of that.
[4:30] That's always intrigued me. And as a young man, when I left school, I had the goal of being rich, of being successful. And I knew there was a calling of God in my life, and I didn't want it because I wanted something bigger in my mind, something grander, something where I could excel.
[4:48] And so I, as Jonah, I didn't go on the ship to Nineveh. I went to Tarsus, and I went the wrong direction, and I knew it the whole time, and I had dreams of going someplace else and escaping God's call.
[5:04] And so, thankfully, the Lord took that out of my system and washed me of that and gave me a love for His Word and for serving Him in the ministry. But the business end still intrigues me, and the things that have always kind of stuck out to me still stick out to me.
[5:22] And I'll notice a commercial, for instance. I don't know if I'm peculiar in this way, but there'll be a commercial on television. I'll see it, and I'll just think, that is so bad.
[5:33] It's the, I think, now I don't just be like, that was stupid. I think somebody got paid to produce that. And then I'll think somebody pitched that idea in a room, and they said, let's go with that.
[5:49] And so I think all the way through, and like, that's where it started. That person should be fired, or that marketing firm should be done away with. I'll see a bad commercial, and I'll think all the way through, like, how did that ever make it to my eyes?
[6:01] It was terrible. I remember in a school setting in our high school in Pennsylvania, they had an economics class, and so they did a, I guess, an exercise where the individuals of the class at lunchtime, they were given a classroom, and they each were able to set up different booths where they were able to sell certain items.
[6:25] And the teacher worked with them, coordinated what they would sell and how they would set their pricing. They were trying to learn all of this. And so I came through the room and just kind of looked at their stuff and saw which ones were kind of doing well and which ones were tanking.
[6:40] And, I mean, I'm no major in any of this, but I just started pitching some advice to a couple of guys. They were trying to sell soda. Do you call it soda here? It's pop or soda? I don't know what you call it.
[6:51] There wasn't fountain drinks. In a can. And so they're selling, like, I don't know, they might have had six different brands.
[7:01] And I walked up to them, I said, which one are you trying to, like, which one's selling the most? And they're like, Mountain Dew. I'm like, well, why don't you ditch all the rest of them and just sell that one and sell it at a great price and, like, make your whole stand Mountain Dew.
[7:17] Make a big. And so they're like, they got it. They look at each other like, yeah, yeah, let's do that. So two days later, they had it done. They had a poster in the hallway, Mountain Dew, and they had the prices.
[7:27] And they went in and they sold out. The next day, they sold out of all their Mountain Dew. They got rid of the rest. And it just took a little tweaking to their marketing. And it was a lot of fun for them.
[7:37] And they just, they were the kings. I mean, they were crushing the entire room because they just went with one thing and they promoted it well. And it was a lot of fun. And so for some reason, that stuff just kind of intrigues me.
[7:49] And don't bring any ideas to me. I can't help you, just so you know. But it does, it's the way my mind works sometimes. I want you to consider it in, when we're speaking of persuasion, and we're speaking of worldly things now, that the goal in marketing is not to offer you something.
[8:06] It's not just to make it available to you. It's to convince you that you need to buy it, that you need to have it, that you can't live without it, that everybody else has it, that their lives are better than yours.
[8:18] And it's not true. None of it's true. But it's just a way of selling, a way of getting you. And so marketing does that. They need to convince you. They want your money.
[8:28] They're not interested in your health. No one started the, well, maybe some did today. But for the most part, the companies are not managed and run because they're concerned about the health and wealth of Americans.
[8:42] They're concerned about the health and wealth of themselves, their own pockets. They're not concerned about your social status. Businesses are not non-profit. The bottom line is they want to get the income, the money.
[8:54] So how do they get your money? They convince you. They persuade you that you need their item, what they're offering.
[9:05] Sometimes more persuasion is necessary to get it. They can't just offer it. They have to show it to you. They have to intrigue you. They have to convince you or deceive you. They have to tell you if you get it now, if you act now, and you've heard it all.
[9:18] And we're going to comment on some of that as we go through this study. Persuasion is a powerful thing if it's done right. Think about this. You ever had a kid try to sell you a candy bar or a car wash ticket or something as a fundraiser?
[9:34] They don't just say, here's a candy bar. Do you want it? Well, they could start with that. But what they add on is it's for a good cause or it's helping me pay for it.
[9:44] And Chris Ketchum and I stopped at a Waffle House in St. Louis on our way out here. And this little girl came in with her uncle or somebody and he asked permission, can she go around?
[9:55] So she came to me and she's like, excuse me, sir, can you please, would you, you know, I'm trying to raise money for choir robes for our choir. And she went on this little thing and she's the sweetest little girl and the man just stood way off in the corner.
[10:09] And she walked around in a pretty dress and went from table to table asking for money. And how did she do that? She was persuading me and didn't even know it that she was using something to draw me into giving her money, the help that it would be to her.
[10:24] If she just said, will you give me money? Probably not going to happen. But when she started this spiel about the choir robes and singing in the choir at church, oh, it was tugging at my heart and 35 cents went in the bucket.
[10:38] No. I gave her a couple bucks and she said, thank you so much, sir, and went off to the next table and worked them over too. Now, she persuaded me.
[10:51] You ever see the commercials about the starving kids in Africa? Oh, they put it on pretty heavy, don't they, to persuade you to get your money. Now, turn with me in the New Testament for a moment.
[11:02] Turn to Colossians. Colossians, we're going to kind of take a little time to introduce where we're supposed to be first before we worry about falling away from it. Colossians chapter 1.
[11:18] Oh, no, let's catch Colossians 2. Now we'll do chapter 1. I'm back and forth. Colossians 1.23.
[11:29] Notice the wording here. Colossians 1.23. If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard.
[11:42] Come to chapter 2. And notice verses 6 and 7. And 8. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
[11:57] Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, not after Christ. We're to be rooted and grounded and settled and not moved, and build up in Him, in the truth.
[12:11] The Bible says elsewhere that we're to remain firm and steadfast and not carried about. Come to 1 Timothy chapter 1. The position of the Christian soldier, in order for him to endure hardness, in order for him to fight the good fight of faith, he's got to be grounded, he's got to be established.
[12:33] 1 Timothy chapter 1, look at, let's see, verses 3 through 7. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying, which is in faith, so do.
[12:55] Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, from which, some having swerved, have turned aside, under vain jangling, desired to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor where have they affirmed.
[13:10] Some have gotten turned aside, drawn away, from a standing position, from a position of rooted and grounded. Look at chapter 6, and verses 20 and 21.
[13:22] 1 Timothy 6, 20. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoid profane and vain babblings, and opposition of science falsely so called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith.
[13:44] So some have turned aside. There's others. Look at 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 13. Here's a warning.
[13:55] 2 Timothy 3, 13. But evil men and seducers, shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. You don't want to be caught up in that mess.
[14:07] Come to Titus chapter 1, and a few verses here, verse 9, to the end of the chapter, and into the next. Titus 1, verse 9. And holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
[14:25] For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
[14:38] One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said the Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.
[14:49] That's what you want to be. Sound in the faith. Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure, all things are pure. But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure.
[15:01] But even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Next chapter.
[15:12] But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. People are deceived about the truth. People, like sheep, are led astray, and follow a lie, and lead others astray.
[15:25] Christ referenced the blind, leading the blind, right into a ditch. Our nature, for the most part, is to be sheep, is to follow, is to be led.
[15:36] We're to be led by the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Word. We're to be grounded in His Word, so we're not led astray. But I want to give you today, six principles, that I've found in business, that they've been proven effective, and this is just, the content is strictly business, but you'll see how it can apply, how it's found in the scriptures, and how it'll reveal, the human nature in us, to be persuaded, and to be deceived, to be led astray.
[16:05] So for the first one, come to 2nd Chronicles, chapter number 18. Back in your Old Testament, 2nd Chronicles, chapter 18. And we'll get through, maybe one or two of these, this morning, and then continue it next week.
[16:21] The power of persuasion. Satan uses people. He uses people. He deceives them, and then uses them, to turn others aside.
[16:32] And I want to use this, as a warning to you, and as this is intriguing, perhaps, let it also open your eyes, that you're not deceived, and led astray.
[16:45] 2nd Chronicles, chapter 18. And notice the first two verses. So here's King Jehoshaphat, king over Judah, and he's going to join with Ahab, the king over the northern ten tribes, of Israel.
[17:03] It says, now Jehoshaphat, had riches, and honor, and abundance, and joined affinity, with Ahab, and after certain years, he went down to Ahab, to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep, and oxen for him, in abundance, for the people, that he had with him, and persuaded him, to go up with him, to Ramoth Gilead.
[17:25] The king of Israel, persuaded the king of Judah, to go up with him. He's offering sacrifices. As we read this chapter, this is a, I love this chapter, I love this story here, where Micaiah, the true prophet, of the Lord, tells the truth, while all the other prophets, are deceived, and misled, the prophets of Ahab.
[17:48] This man is convinced, he has been, persuaded to do something, that he's not to do. And the prophets, have already warned him, he knows the word of God, he's not to join affinity, with Ahab, but he went against that, and he was persuaded, to do something, he should have never done.
[18:03] Now the principle, the first principle, in business, that's used, in what we call, the power of persuasion, is the word called, reciprocity. Reciprocity, is the obligation, to give, when you feel, or when you have received, first.
[18:19] You're more, you feel obligated, to say yes, to somebody, that you owe. Someone does something, for you, now you feel like, I have to reciprocate that. And so here's, Jehoshaphat, doing that exact thing, stepping into a situation, he should stay far away from, being persuaded, by Ahab.
[18:40] Someone invites you, to their party, you kind of feel, obligated now, when you have a party, to invite them, don't you? You're more likely, to do it at least. If someone does a favor, for you, they often say that, or you might say, I owe you one.
[18:56] You feel that, you just feel like, you have to do it. Sometimes kids, will do chores, around the house, not, not being, commanded to, until you find out later, they've got something, they're trying to cook up, for you to do, to allow them to do.
[19:13] They're, they're trying to use this, they're trying to persuade you. They're persuading you, by doing something first, so that you'll, you'll be more likely to. It's just the facts. It's the truth.
[19:24] This is proven in business, that folks are more likely. So here's a, a, a study that was done. A restaurant, will often give a little, cookie, or a little mint, or a, a fortune cookie.
[19:38] They'll give something. You don't think that's anything. You've seen it all your life, it's nothing to you. Well, the study says, that when they give you, any item, just any little gift, you're more likely, to tip higher.
[19:51] The study shows, that by giving one mint, a restaurant, increased the tips, by three percent. The study shows, that if they gave two mints, it didn't just double, it went up to 14 percent, in tipping.
[20:05] It's subconscious, maybe, but it's just that, it's going on, it's working, it's proven. Here's the worst one, though. If a waiter gives a mint, this is a technique, that was studied out, and he turns, and walks away, and he says, oh wait, for you nice people, I'll give a second mint, and he gives you, that second one, just the way, he did what he did, the tip goes up, to like 23 percent, above what would be normal.
[20:33] It's incredible to me, how little subtle things, can persuade you, in your mind, to do something, that you weren't planning, on doing. And it's true. We all are.
[20:45] We're all easily persuaded. Turn back in your Bible, to Genesis 14. Come back to Genesis, chapter 14.
[21:03] So this principle teaches us, that we're more likely, to agree with a government, that feeds us. We're more likely, to comply, and go along, when they hand out checks. When they do things to us, we'll give them the nod.
[21:17] Yeah. It's reciprocity. You know, on a side note, this is a little more, practical for some, but, I'd say this, to the young ladies in here, if a young man, spends some money on you, you don't owe him anything, don't you dare.
[21:37] But that's the idea, the more I do for you, the more you do for me. If a young man compliments you, and talks you up, and takes you out, you're commanded in the scriptures, to possess your body, your vessel, unto honor.
[21:52] And it's the temple of the Holy Ghost. And so, this thing works in a lot of, it covers a lot of ground. Genesis chapter 14, here's a good example here, of how we're to be, unmovable.
[22:04] Here's Abram. And Abram tithes, in this chapter. Let's pick it up in, oh, just, I'll catch it in verse number 19.
[22:15] Melchizedek shows up, and, it says, and he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abraham, of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies, into thy hand.
[22:26] And he, Abram, gave him, Melchizedek, tithes of all. And the king of Sodom, said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread, even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich.
[22:51] In other words, I'm not going to owe you anything, ever. God has blessed me, and given me plenty, all that I need, I'm content, you're not giving me a thing, you're never going to have me say, I owe you one.
[23:05] You're not going to come knocking on my door one day, and trying to get me to defend you, or, he stayed away, I was a wise man. So he gave to God, in his tithes, through the high priest Melchizedek.
[23:17] He refused the gift, from the king of Sodom. And he was the wise man to do it, deciding that I'm not going to be indebted, to a wicked king. So, the first principle in business, is reciprocity, and it's, it ties into persuasion, persuading you, to feel like you owe, or to feel like you ought to, do something.
[23:39] Now, when it comes to the word of God, you've got clear commands, of where you stand, and where you don't stand, what you do, and what you don't do, and you'll find out, while Satan cannot, force you to sin, or to get involved with something, that you should not be, he can try to deceive you.
[23:57] He can try to put something, on your plate. He can try to bring something, along your way, that causes you, to feel obligated, now, to do something, you shouldn't do. In your mind, the spirit of God, is telling you, no, no, but something else inside, saying, but I, I should, but I, I have to, I owe, I, and there's the battle.
[24:17] And what happened? You could have been deceived, you could have been persuaded, by a simple trick, that's, implemented in business, and implemented in a lot of ways, to be honest, all over the place.
[24:28] I don't even know, if we have time, to really get into the next one, let's try. We'll go to Numbers 11. Numbers chapter 11, and we find, the children of Israel, in the wilderness.
[24:47] Numbers 11, verse number 4, the Bible says, and the mixed multitude, that was among them, fell a lusting, and the children of Israel, also wept again, and said, who shall give us flesh to eat?
[25:13] We remember the fish, which we did eat, or did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic, but now our soul, is dried away. There is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
[25:27] So they hadn't eaten flesh, for years. And now, when God, hears their cry, and he answers them, when their chants came, their lusts, were on display.
[25:38] Look at chapter, or look at the same chapter, come later on, in verse 31. And look how this played out. When God gave them what they cried for, for flesh, for meat.
[25:49] Verse 31, And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high, upon the face of the earth.
[26:06] And the people stood up, all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails. He that gathered least, gathered ten homers, and they spread them all abroad for themselves, round about the camp.
[26:17] And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. Now the situation here is at hand, is that they haven't seen it for so long, when it's there, they just went and just devoured it up, and just gathered, and gathered, and gathered so much, more than they needed, and just had a feast on it.
[26:43] And it displeased the Lord, their lust, and how they were out of control. Now, getting back to the principle in business, of using persuasion, the word is scarcity.
[26:57] The word is, the idea is that, what people want more, of things that there are less of. If they perceive that it's the last one, they want it. They're going to think about it a little bit more, because if I walk away from this, I may never have a chance to get it again.
[27:13] And companies use this preying on the lust. I don't know if you've seen it. We were doing some furniture shopping, and we were at this store, where it was, it was buying whatever was on the floor, was available.
[27:27] And all of these desks were there, all of these big corporate size business desks, and each one of them said, last one. They were all identical.
[27:38] There was at least a dozen of them around. Last one. Like, last one. Really? I mean, maybe you put one out, call it the last one, sell it. And they do. That's a technique used.
[27:49] Bring the next one out, say it's the last one, sell it. People have an idea that, it's kind of a, it's a trick, it's a mental thing, it's deceit, of get it while you can, because it's not going to be here for long.
[28:01] That's something that fast food chains use all the time. They, they just bring something for a season. They could keep it on their menu the whole year long, but the reason, the way they sell the thing, and sell it hot, is by just showing it to you for a little while, and saying it's limited time, boom, boom, you're going to grab it.
[28:16] It's scarcity. So an airline company, an airline company that, that flew, had a flight going from, I believe, New York to London, if I'm right. They ran this flight twice a day, and they weren't filling up the plane, so they made the announcement, we're going to cut one of the flights, we're only going to have one flight, and when they did that, the sales went through the roof.
[28:39] It wasn't, it wasn't because they changed the plane, it wasn't because they changed the service on the plane, it wasn't because they made it fat, it's because people perceived, that there's less of this, and then the sales skyrocketed.
[28:52] That's incredible to me. People believe, that when something's scarce, or they decide, now I want it. What this does, is it reveals our selfishness, it reveals our inner lusts, that lies inside of each one of us.
[29:09] Americans are easily swayed, to lust, and it doesn't take much, and a good, a marketing genius will, he'll get your cash, he'll get your money, just by making you think, something that's not even true, he deceives you, makes you think, yet you can't have this tomorrow, so you better buy it today.
[29:29] Last one. And we're suckers for it. Let's close up here, come to James chapter 1. It's a proven technique, it's a principle, of business and marketing, of persuasion.
[29:44] James chapter 1. And it's revealed in our human nature, the lust that we have. James 1 verse 14, and it's that very lust, that gets us in trouble.
[30:00] Verse 14 and 15 says, but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away, of his own lust, and enticed. If Satan wants to tempt you to sin, I don't think he just has a list, of let's try this one, let's try that one, let's try this one, let's try that one.
[30:24] You're drawn away, of your own lust. He'll dangle something in front of you, and watch you react to it, and then tempt you with it. Verse 15 says, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
[30:39] The Christians to be content, the God-fearing man and woman, is to control their fleshly appetite, and say, I don't have to have it. The Bible says, having therefore food and raiment, let us be therewith content.
[30:52] And yet that's a tough thing, for Americans to be, is content, because you're bombarded. You're daily bombarded. You can't drive down the street, without seeing something, promoting something you need, in your lifetime.
[31:06] If the TV wasn't on, and the computer wasn't on, if we could eliminate those avenues, of distraction, billboards, they're out there, but when you get rid of those things, where else are you getting tempted, or distracted, and trying to be, or persuaded to buy something, or do something?
[31:28] A lot of those, just consider that, this morning, a lot of those channels, or avenues, are coming through those devices. And they're not wrong on their own, but you better, be grounded.
[31:40] You better be, know where you stand as a believer, or you'll get led away. And in the end here, Satan's going to try to destroy your life, or try to, even get you to be a slave to a job, instead of a servant to God, because you're tied down, because you're so deeply in debt, or because you're so frustrated, with the way you, the things you've gotten yourself involved in.
[32:01] 1 Timothy 6, and this is our last verse, we'll promise. 1 Timothy 6 again, we were here. I'm watching the clock, and I'm trying to finish.
[32:18] Be content. Don't allow the world, but don't allow the devil, to use this tactic, to pray upon your lusts.
[32:32] 1 Timothy 6, verse 3, and we'll go down to verse 11. The Bible says, If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine, which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions, and strives of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings, of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw thyself.
[33:02] But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment, let us be there with content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
[33:21] For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
[33:39] And if he does that, then he's going to be fighting the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life, and so on. I want to just bring these principles to your mind, and show how they're scripturally based, and how human nature is not changed.
[33:59] It's in the scripture, it's happening today. Somebody's after your money, but somebody else is after your life. They're trying to draw you away from the truth, and from your walk with God.
[34:11] And so, wow, we can, maybe some of this, you're just going to be convinced, oh yeah, I've got to watch out for advertisements, that's going to get to my pocket. I'm more warning you against your adversary, the devil, how he's going to use these very things, to prey upon the lust that you have, that you need to control, to cause you to feel like you owe, that you're obligated to fulfill something, when he's the one just putting something in front of you.
[34:34] A lot of the blessings that people have, I'm not convinced that they're from God. I'm convinced that some of the blessings people have, are from the devil. He's got the power to do it, to leave it. He's got the kingdoms of this world, offered them to Jesus Christ.
[34:49] Think he can't offer you a car, or a better job? Think he can't offer you a position? He can offer you some things, and then you might feel obligated to take it.
[34:59] Or you might take it, and then feel obligated to fulfill, parts of that duty, and then takes you away from God, from church, from your family, and there goes your life, there goes your family, there goes your kids.
[35:11] So be careful. Where we started, was where we need to stay, rooted, and grounded, built up in him, and in the faith, not turned aside. And so may God help us, next week we'll continue this study, probably finish it, and may God help us, to keep our minds right, keep our eyes right, looking right on, not turning aside, to the right hand, or to the left.
[35:34] Let's pray. Father, thank you for this morning, and the time we had to study a little bit. I pray that it was beneficial, more than just intriguing. Lord, I pray that you'd open our eyes, help us to look right on, as the scripture says.
[35:45] Lord, keep us from being deceived. We are, we're prone to it, just as well as anybody else. We're not above it. And Lord, may we recognize that, and then may we take steps, to, to just sink ourselves, into the scriptures, and to have the word of God, coming out of our ears, so much so, that we're not going to fall, that we're not going to be deceived, or turned aside.
[36:07] And Lord, may we be a strong people, standing for the truth, in these last days. We pray it in Jesus name. Amen. We'll take 10 minutes, or so.