Living in a World of Lies
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 5:18-19
1 John Series, Part 24
In part 24 of the 1 John series, Pastor Michael opens with a chicken coop fable about three baby chicks frightened by lies - and an old hen named Hazel who reminds them who they really belong to. Through 1 John's final verses, we discover three things we can know with certainty in a world flooded with deception: we are born to a new life, we belong to God, and the wicked one cannot own us.
- Being born of God doesn't mean sinless perfection, but it means sin no longer owns us - we struggle with it rather than settle into it
- "He who is born of God keeps himself" - we guard our lives and choices, not because we save ourselves, but because we are no longer casual about sin
- Satan may attack our circumstances, but he cannot reverse the Cross, undo the Resurrection, or cancel our adoption
- The "world" in this passage means human society organized against God - running the same lie as Eden: decide good and evil yourself
- The devil's lies sound believable in the moment; the damage only becomes obvious later
No lie can change the truth that we belong to God. The devil knows which lies work on us - you're too broken, too guilty, too far gone, or you don't need God at all. But Jesus knew the full truth about us when He went to the Cross. You don't have to believe every voice when you know who you belong to. - "No lie can change the truth that we belong to God."
- "You don't have to believe every voice when you know who you belong to."
- "Struggle is a sign of life. A dead fish doesn't fight against the hook."
- "The devil may touch the circumstances of your life, but he cannot touch the deepest truth about your life: you belong to God."
- "You will not be untouched, but you will be unconquered."
- "The forbidden fruit changes, but the lie remains the same."
- "Changing the label on a jar doesn't change what's inside."
What lie has the devil been whispering to you about your identity, your worth, or your standing before God - and what does it mean to replace that lie with the truth that you belong to Him?
Tune in to hear the full fable of Buttons, Olive, Pickle, Big Red, and the wise old hen Hazel - and discover why the Colonel's bucket has nothing on the Farmer who cares for His own.
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
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