They're going to check him and see if he can do the surgery on his back, which is why he went in in the beginning, is to get that back surgery taken care of. So, God is moving. You know, sometimes he just doesn't move as fast as we want him to. I wanted Bob to be healed. I wanted, you know, things to happen yesterday. And God said, just wait a second. And so, I'm waiting. But he does answer prayers. We've seen that over and over again. I mean, Bethany got a job right in the field that she wants. I finished a golf tournament on Friday. Thank you, Jesus, that I organized for New Life Refuge. Did you have your hand up? Yes, I want to hear it. That's a wonderful blessing. Keep praying. Yes. And, you know, there are all kinds of things to celebrate. For instance, it's Michelle's birthday. We have to sing happy birthday, not the version that I sang to you. But let's sing happy birthday. She's again. And, of course, if you've looked behind me, you know that there's a strange face. Not a strange face, but a face that we haven't seen in a while. Evan is on a weekend trip away. So, Matt agreed to come in and come home and lead us in worship once again. So, Matt, it's great to have you here. And we're going to get right into it, but I want to have a word of prayer. And then we'll jump into our praise time.

Father, we do thank you for this glorious day that you've given to each one of us. We thank you for the answers to prayer. We thank you for the blessings that you pour out upon your children. And, Lord, we thank you for the prayers that you are going to answer in the future. We think of Hope's House and many others. Father, we ask that you would be with us in this, our service. Speak to us. Meet us at the point of our needs. Help us for a few moments this morning just to focus on you and your word and what you have to say to each one of us. Bless us. Keep us strong and healthy. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

I'll see you do it again. I'll see you do it again. Those promises don't mean anything, but your promises do. You never fail us. You never leave us. We've seen you move mountains, and there's no reason why you won't move them again. Why you won't do those miracles again. Why you won't hear the cries of your people again. Your promise still stands because great is your faithfulness. And we lean on that faithfulness. We depend on it. That's the foundation that we've built our very lives on, Lord. And we trust you and we love you because we know you love us.

Lord, as we come into this place, Lord, prepare our hearts as you've already been doing. Let your Spirit, Lord, you're in, you're in move, as he's already been doing. And as we move into the next portion of our service, Lord, that gives praise and glory to you in everything that's said and done, we would just ask that you prepare our minds to receive your word.

We live in difficult times, but we serve a great and mighty God who loves us, knows what we need before we even whisper that desperate prayer in the middle of the night. And so, we ask, Lord, now to hear our prayers. Be with us in this our service. And meet us at the point of our knees as we worship you, as we sit at your feet. Forgive the speaker whose sins, for they are many, because we come into this place to see you, to see you risen, and to see you working in the lives of your children. We trust in you, Jesus. And we pray these things in your precious and powerful name. And all God's people say, Amen. And Amen.

You may be seated. It's good to see you all here this morning. Matt, thank you as always for giving your gift to the Lord. It's all right. We're giving praise to God for Matt's gift. That's all right to clap. I am, he is a, he is more than just a brother in Christ. Whether he likes it or not, he's part of the family. All right.

Announcements. Let me do those. Is Brandon here and ready to go? Okay. Well, let me do announcements first since I'm, you know, always on target and ready to get things done. Of course, this Wednesday, Bible study, 6:30. We had a great turnout and we, we're getting into some of the really deep stuff in the book of John and the gospel of John. So you need to come out and, and, uh, hear those things. It will, well, you know, I'm often amazed. I've been, you know, I've studied the book of John a couple of times over the past 30 years. Good night. I'm older than dirt. Not yet. Yeah. Well, there's just some dirt that's older than me, but, um, I'm not looking at you, Tim. Don't worry. You're safe. Uh, but, uh, don't worry. He gets his, uh, he gets his licks in. It's just in the phone calls and voicemail messages. I'll place them sometimes. Um, uh, but I, I find myself learning new things as we study from this commentary on the book of John, even after 30 years of studying God's word and, and preaching on that gospel over and over again. Uh, and it comes back to me. There's portions in the sermon today that are directly from what we've learned in our Bible study. Um, so come on out. I have studied, I think I've told you this before. I have been to college, studied, taken the college course in the book of Acts three times. It's not because I didn't get it the first, well, maybe it is that I didn't get it the first two times, but every time God has revealed something new to me. That's why we call it the living word because he meets us where we are at that point in time. And hopefully we're not at the same point now as we were 10 years ago. Uh, so, and then right after that, we take your prayer concerns before the Lord when we finish up our Bible study. This Saturday, gentlemen, 8:30, 8106 Calgary Drive. You know, I memorized his address and I can't remember my own. Of course, his address is a lot shorter than mine, Dr. Hector P. Garcia Drive, you know. Thank you, honey, for picking the longest street name in the whole county to move on. Anyway, uh, that was probably my fault, too. I don't know. Yeah, okay. Darn it. Uh, 8:30, Saturday. Great breakfast. Just a great time of fellowship for men. And men is defined as anyone who shaves and is over the age of 16. Then shave your back and you can come. Okay. But then Liz won't recognize you. No, I'm kidding. Was that, was that church talk? Yeah, Patsy, Patsy's always gonna, she's gonna, mm. Men, come and fellowship this Saturday morning and then next Sunday back in for 9:30. You gotta eat, start eating these donuts because I can't. I have just committed to going on, you know, more of a ketogenic diet. Um, so, so, these donuts are yours and it's your fault if I have to eat some. And, uh, and coffee, of course, next Sunday at 9:30. We have a special speaker because my wife and I, after four years, are gonna take a real vacation where it's just the two of us. No kids, no cats, no canines, no cares, no cell phones. I couldn't find another, uh, no communication. Oh, well, I mean, between us there will be, but, you know, if you have a problem, call Joe. Just threw him under the bus in front of you all and everyone online in the whole wide world that's watching. Okay, there's eight people right now. Uh, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I just offended the eight people that are watching. Um, and, and that's our announcements for this week. And right now, we're going to have, we're going to have What's in a Name with Brandon. Follow that, bro.

And we're... he holds things together. I love that. That Sharon said, I don't know if you remember, I told you this, the most amazing thing to me, and it has to do with quantum physics. See, I know quantum physics. Okay, no, I don't. Uh, God holds the world and all of creation together. And the only time there's proof of that in the Bible, the only time that he didn't keep his eye on the earth was when Jesus took on the sins of the world, and he looked away. And we know what happened then, right? The very fabric of reality began to come loose. The veil was torn. It got dark. The dead started to rise up from the grave. The world started to peel apart in that moment because God could not look on his son who took on the sins of the world. He holds things together. That's just an amazing picture for me, uh, and I hope for you.

Scripture reading, as you heard, was from Matthew chapter 7. I'm going to go ahead and read it in the NIV. Uh, Sharon refused to use my Bible, and she used the Living Bible, and I was completely lost and didn't know where I was. A scripture lesson comes from Matthew 7, 21 through 29. So it's only eight verses. You'll be fine. We can get through this. Uh, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name, drive out demons? And in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, Jesus says, I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet, it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. It had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a great crash. I love this part: when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching because he had taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the law.

Congregation, in our gospel reading today from Matthew 7, some of you are going to, as we go through this message, encounter a profound truth that is going to be brand new to you. For others, it's going to be something you realize throughout your life, maybe for decades. And that is this: things are not always as they appear. I am not taking my thumb apart. Things are not always as they appear. I used to do this thing with the kids—

Actually, at the Salvation Army all the time—they said, "Look, look at this," and, you know, some of them were freaked out. Some of the parents were freaked out. Some of the parents were freaked out that I was doing that in front of the kids. We're like, "Things are not always as they appear." I had this big thing where I was going to do an illusion, an illusion, and take a quarter and slam it into the bottom of a full can of Diet Coke. I did that once before in South Carolina, and I did the illusion correctly. But the kid that I was doing it with, he said some words because he was so amazed that they were completely inappropriate. I had to send him to his Sunday school teacher and hope she got him saved.

But did you catch that? That message, that theme—that things aren't always as they appear. In the scripture reading this morning, there's a crowd that's approaching Jesus on judgment day, and they're yelling, they're proclaiming, "Lord, Lord." So we assume at that point that they're devoted followers of Jesus. They said, "We prophesied, we've cast out demons, and we've performed miracles in your name." Now, this is judgment day, and Jesus looks at them and says, "I never knew you." And then the next part of the passage is about two builders: one who's wise, who builds his house on the rock, and his house stands firm when the storms come and beat against it. The other is foolish, building on sand, and it crumbles when the storms hit.

In the middle of all this, Jesus teaches with an authority that astonishes the crowds that day. It surpasses the wisdom and authority of the religious leaders they were used to hearing. I want to tell you that this theme—of appearances, of things that can deceive us—is a common thread that runs throughout the scripture. It echoes throughout the whole Bible. Remember God's words to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7: "The Lord does not look at the things that people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." That's pretty good advice for all of us. It's a timeless warning, especially in our day and age, where we're caught in the middle of a spiritual battle.

So many of us don't see it as a spiritual battle. So many Christians, churches, pastors—we don't recognize it as that. We have an adversary who's disguised as an angel of light, waging war against God. And the prize in this war is the allegiance of people's hearts. He's fighting because he hates God so much that he wants what God loves most—you and me.

I remember studying in the book of Revelation about this imposter, a fallen angel, relentless in his deception of humanity. He's good at it. I also heard a podcast this past week that said, "Do not disrespect the devil." There's a verse in Jude—what I call the Bible's junk drawer, because it's only one chapter but packed with stuff—that says Michael the archangel contended with the devil for the body of Moses. I thought, "Where was that in Sunday school?" I never heard about it growing up. It's in Jude, probably verse 9. It refers back to an apocryphal writing, which is quoted in the Bible. If it's quoted in the Bible, there's some truth in there. And Michael, instead of rebuking Satan himself as an archangel, says, "The Lord rebuke you." That shows us that even heavenly beings show respect. We need to be very careful about disrespecting spiritual beings. There are ramifications.

So, the pressing question is: in this world full of illusions, how do we avoid being deceived? How do we discern truth from lies? We've been talking about this since COVID, since we started as a church. Who do you trust in a world full of illusions? How do we avoid being fooled? How can we tell genuine truth from fake news, deep fakes, and falsehoods?

Let me share a story a friend told me about someone who looked into a figure named Maitreya. They were intrigued, went to the website, and dug into his messages. Supposedly, these messages from Maitreya claim to be the answer to all the world's religions—Christ for Christians, Krishna for Hindus, Messiah for Jews, Imam Mahdi for Muslims, and so on. These messages, channeled through a prophet for decades, focus on brotherly love, sharing, justice, and peace. It was good stuff. Here are some excerpts: "My task will be to show you how to live together peacefully as brothers. This is simpler than you imagine, for it requires only the acceptance of sharing. Well, that's good, my friends. My presence is established. My love flows to you. My joy will be yours. My truth shared. My father known. My task is to show you the way to God, to outline the simple path, to take your hand and lead you to his divine feet, and so complete his plan."

At first, my friend thought, "This sounds so much like Jesus. It sounds remarkably like Jesus," echoing calls to love, unity, and compassion. He wondered, "If I were sitting in a room hearing this directly from Maitreya, would it feel like what the disciples experienced listening to Jesus?" Then he asked himself, "If Maitreya is fake, an imposter, how would anyone know? How do you test that?" He kept reading and found a daily prayer that Maitreya prescribed to his followers, meant to usher in a new age of love and sharing. It was designed to reveal our divine nature, like God. Here's the prayer: "I am the creator of the universe. I am the father and mother of the universe. Everything comes from me. Everything shall return to me. Mind, spirit, and body are my temples for the self to realize in them my supreme being and becoming."

At first, it sounded good. But my friend looked at these words and, after a while, realized that they didn't align with Jesus at all. Scripture tells us that we are the creation, not the creator. We come from dust and will return to dust. We don't look to the person next to us and say, "You're a dust bunny," and so am I. That's from Genesis 3. These words reminded him of Satan's words in Isaiah 14:13-14: "I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will make myself like the Most High." It sounds like the same deception—elevating ourselves to divine status, blurring the line between creator and creation.

Deceptions often come wrapped in pretty packages, blending truth with lies—subtle lies that sound convincing because they contain just enough truth. We've seen this here in town, in churches, even at this very service. Some twist scripture to claim we're all gods because we're made in God's image. They say since God spoke the world into existence, we can do the same—manifest desires through words and thoughts. Beloved, that smells like smoke from the pit of hell. It echoes the deception of elevating humans to divine status, confusing the creator with the created.

We've also encountered prosperity gospel right here in our community. A preacher promises healing, health, wealth, and success if you just have enough faith or sow seeds—often meaning financial donations. On the surface, it sounds loving, promoting positivity and abundance. But at its core, it shifts focus from knowing Christ to gaining material blessings. It turns God into a cosmic vending machine rather than the sovereign Lord who calls us to self-sacrifice and eternal relationship with Him.

All of this is to say: be careful. Beware what you're watching online. Always test it through one filter—the word of God, the living Word. Do not trust me blindly. Test my words and everyone else's who claims to speak for God. Beware—deceptions often masquerade in appealing forms, in things we desire. It may take time and scrutiny to uncover the lie buried underneath. Satan won't show up as a red devil with horns and a pitchfork—that's too obvious. He'll come in a form or fashion you don't expect.

So, how do we discern truth from error? By what measure do we judge? Words alone aren't enough. My friend's story shows that deceptive messages can sound really good for a while. The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 11, warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, using eloquent and uplifting language to mislead us. Remember, we are his target. If words aren't enough, what about appearance? How we are perceived—demeanor, a kind smile, gracious manners? Do these guarantee righteousness? While a true follower of Christ should exhibit grace, the reverse isn't always true. Imposters can fake courtesy to serve their ends. Righteous people are gracious, but not all gracious people are righteous.

Without a heart fully consecrated to God, these traits can fuel evil. People can perform the right actions for the wrong motives. So, words and appearance aren't enough. What about actions? Surely, our deeds reveal our hearts, right? We say, "Actions speak louder than words." But Jesus challenges that in our passage. Those who prophesied, cast out demons, performed miracles—Jesus calls them "evildoers" in the NIV. Imagine that: doing good, even miraculous things, yet Jesus deems it wicked without a relationship with Him. Why? Because their motives weren't rooted in knowing and loving Him. Ultimately, it pulls people away from Him. It may take time, but it will do that.

Jesus said His disciples would be known by their love (John 13). But what does true love look like? Our culture has twisted that too—into self-gratification or avoiding conflict. But true love involves self-sacrifice. It means setting aside personal desires for someone else's ultimate good. It prioritizes another person's best interest over our own. That's true love. But motives—those lie in the heart, invisible to us. God reminded Samuel of that in 1 Samuel 16:7: "The Lord does not look at the things that people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." That's timeless advice, especially today.

In this spiritual battle, many don't see it as such. Our adversary, disguised as an angel of light, wages war against God. The prize? The allegiance of hearts. He hates God so much that he wants what God loves most—you and me. Years ago, I studied in Revelation about this imposter, a fallen angel, relentless in his deception. He's good at it. I also heard a podcast that said, "Do not disrespect the devil." There's a verse in Jude—verse 9—that says Michael the archangel contended with the devil for the body of Moses. I thought, "Where was that in Sunday school?" It's in Jude, probably verse 9. It refers to an apocryphal story, which is quoted in the Bible. If it's quoted, there's some truth. Michael, instead of rebuking Satan directly, says, "The Lord rebuke you." Even heavenly beings show respect. We need to be very careful about disrespecting spiritual beings. There are serious ramifications.

So, how do we avoid deception? How do we tell truth from lies? Words alone aren't enough. Our appearance—demeanor, manners—aren't enough. Actions alone aren't enough. Jesus challenges us: those who prophesy, cast out demons, perform miracles—if they lack a relationship with Him, He calls them "evildoers." Why? Because their motives aren't rooted in love and knowing Him. Ultimately, it will lead people away from Him.

True love, as Jesus defines it, involves self-sacrifice. It’s not just kindness or avoiding conflict. It’s putting others’ needs above our own, even when it’s uncomfortable. Motives are hidden in the heart. God reminds us of that in 1 Samuel 16:7. So, what seems loving might be selfishness in disguise. What appears harsh could be profound love.

This week, we saw an example: a man accused of hate and discrimination, speaking out, wanting dialogue, yet he was brutally murdered while exercising free speech. Whether you agree with him or not, what he did was out of profound love for his generation and those to come. Just last month, I was a music director at the Salvation Army church. I worked with talented musicians, including a young lady struggling with performance anxiety. I understand—it’s frightening to perform before thousands. She asked me to simplify her part to avoid mistakes or embarrassment. On the surface, that seems compassionate. But Sharon and I discussed it, and I realized easing her challenge would hinder her growth in the gift God gave her. If it’s hard, she must rely on God. Overcoming obstacles through reliance on Him brings joy. So, I encouraged her gently, offered extra practice, and a tutor. She and others rose to the occasion beautifully. What looked like loving indulgence could have been enabling fear rather than fostering true development.

My dad, when I was a teenager, told me, "Don’t shy away from doing hard things. Wait until after basic training." Good advice. The point is: humans judge by what’s visible. But God probes the heart. He calls us to do the same—to look beyond the surface. His Holy Spirit illuminates truth. Scripture assures us that God reveals mysteries to His people, preventing deception. On judgment day, no one is condemned by trickery. It’s a rejection of truth. Sharon painted a bleak picture this morning—many are rejecting the truth that God exists. We see it throughout the Bible: Pharaoh in Egypt, who admitted God's righteousness but refused to submit. The Pharisees knew Jesus came from God, yet they opposed Him. Even the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their hearts burned as Jesus explained Scripture. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians, warns that evil works subtly, restrained by God, but when that restraint is lifted, the lawless one will emerge with deceptive power. Those who refuse to love the truth will believe lies and face judgment. Deception follows the rejection of truth. When truth is turned away, only lies remain. It’s like Satan—rebelling, turning against God, until he’s trapped by his own lies.

Let’s stay with the building analogy. We’re all builders. Some of us are laying the foundation; some are finishing their houses. On the outside, they may look identical. But when storms come, just like in the passage, facades wash away. The true nature of the house is revealed. Hearts are exposed, mysteries uncovered. When storms hit, many will cry, "Lord, Lord," performing miracles and kind deeds. But without knowing Him, those deeds mean nothing. Do you converse with Him? Do you listen? Do you heed His voice? Do you abide in His presence? Build on Him—obey His Word. In relationship, everything else is sand destined to crash and fall apart.

So, Lord, we pray: reveal mysteries in our hearts. Anchor us to Your rock—Jesus. And think about that. Amen.

Let me close with a blessing as we wrap up, because I hear the kids coming. Gotta hurry. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance and give you peace. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world today—you can have peace because you know who holds the future in His hands. He is your light and your Savior. Amen.

If you need prayer, our elders and their wives will be in the back or around. You know who they are. Where’d Robert go? Oh, he had to go to the bathroom? No, he had to meet a client. I’ve been doing this too long—you’re not going to change me. Just ask Joe. If you have prayer concerns, come and see us. Hug Matt. Tell him it’s good to see him. I’m from afar—high fives, or side hug, the safe hug. Yeah. God bless you all. It’s great to see you. Pray for Sharon and me—we’ll be traveling Thursday, maybe Wednesday night, depending on how the stars align. And you all be safe. Have a great week. God bless you. Eat donuts—that’s like subliminal.