Once again, with the help of
God, I would like us to turn to the chapter that we read together,
Galatians chapter 6, and the text you'll find in verse 7.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap. I think the last sermon that
I preached here before I was unwell last week was about taking
ease, about the rich, a man whose barns brought forth plentifully
And he said that he was going to now take his ease. He was
going to pull down his barns and he was going to build bigger
ones in which he was going to bestow all of his goods. And
then the Lord said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee. Little did we know that that
week in America, in L.A., there was going to be those wildfires
that swept through swathes of the countryside and towns, cities,
burning many people's things to the ground. And as we, no
doubt all of you have watched the news and seen the devastation
there and the amount of destruction, I think something like $50 billion
worth of damage has been done and also lives have been lost,
which is irreplaceable. You wonder why do these things
take place? We know that the scripture tells
us that God has his way in the whelwind. There are events that
take place in this world which are described as acts of God. They cannot be attributed to
any other thing other than that God has done it. Whelwinds, storms, floods. tidal waves and fires. They're not blessings of God
upon a people. They are a judgment of God. And as the Christian reporters,
as you listen to some of their podcasts or some of their news,
they explain there that That town, LA and Hollywood and all
of those places, they're rife with sin, promoters of sin and
mockers of God. Two days before, it must have
been on the Saturday, there was some celebrity presentation where
they were distributing an award ceremony for some films. And the lady who was presenting
was a mocker of God. She dressed herself as the Pope
at one point and began to sing a song in mockery. And then she
stood in the crowd and she began to say and pointed to a screen
and she began to say something like, so and so, this are many
awards. And then she said the mothers
had received three awards. And then she said, God, the creator
of heaven and earth, no awards. And everyone starts laughing
and thinking it's funny. And then she said something along
the lines of, there is no God in this godless town. Now in
her congregation are multi-millionaires whose homes were in the area
that was burnt down. Some people's homes were worth
something like $15 million. Destroyed completely. And we can't say that it was
a judgment of God just because of that woman had said that one
thing. But the scripture tells us that
people heap up judgment for themselves. God's wrath is slowly stored
up until it is unleashed. And no doubt in those communities
there were faithful Christians, believers that had their homes
burnt down and things lost and irreplaceable items consumed
in the fire and that they were caught up then in this act of
God, this fire that has gone and done so much damage. But
they may have lost their things. But one thing is secure and that
would be their salvation in Christ. That is the one thing needful.
That is the most valuable thing that a person can possess. That
is their life secured in Christ. And those that have lost their
multi-million dollar mansions that never had Christ have lost
everything. And if you'd watch the news,
you'd see how sad some people are. And no doubt we would be
sad if our homes were burnt to the ground. But you hear them
say, you know, I've worked so hard for this. We've been struggling
for so long to get to this point, to get to this area. This is
where they wanted to live. And then it's all gone. Their
whole focus had been here. material things living in a a
good place living in a what we would call a postcode you know
having a good postcode like people like to live in London where
you have a a postcode where people know oh they live in a in a rich
area they're obviously wealthy they're they've got loads of
money because they have a good postcode And so people strive
to live in these certain areas and they put all of their effort
into obtaining, this is where I want to go. This is where I
want to be. This is when I get to this point,
then I'm going to be happy. And then along comes something
and destroys it and wipes it all away and then everything
is gone. Everything, their hopes and their dreams are gone away. because they had nothing else.
They didn't have Christ, the most valuable thing, the most
one thing that is needful. Tom will tell you of those who
live in East Dean and in Gevington, not all of them obviously, but
many of them. Their goal is to get from East
Dean to Friston. They want to get into the better
postcode, to the better area, But when you go there and you
meet with these people, they're not happy. All they care about
is their grass verge, if somebody drives onto it and they come
out and complain. All they've got to worry about
is their hedge, their tree, their pond, their car, whether people
are disturbing them. They grumble and complain. Because that's all they have.
They don't have the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't have the one
thing that is needful. They have material wealth and
an abundance of it but that can disappear in a moment as I said
that couple of weeks ago. And then it's portrayed upon
the TV that all of these things have gone. These people that
had so much. These people that had lives that
everybody else only dreams about. is gone in a moment. And there's
nothing anybody could do about it. If you listen to the news
people and the firemen, they said, it was unprecedented, it's
never happened before. A wind so strong coming from
this angle and that angle, it's unheard of. Who's in control
of the wind? Who's in control of the rain?
It's God. He makes it to rain on one city
and he withholds the rain on another city. He made it dry. He made that wind blow. He made that spark come. And he is accomplishing his will. And even if there were his people
caught up in that fire, that fire will work for their good. It will cause them to grow in
grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will
show them the frailty of this life. So don't be deceived. The Bible
says God is not mocked. Just because he does not act
straight away does not mean that he hasn't heard. does not mean
that he's not aware. It does not mean that he is not
going to do anything about it. Even if he doesn't do anything
about it in this time, in this time state, he will do something
about it on the Day of Judgment. He will bring about reconciliation
for those who have deceived themselves into thinking that there is no
God, that there is no afterlife, that this life is all that there
is. And so don't be deceived just
because everything is going smoothly at the present. God waits. Like a dam filling up with water. Takes a while. But then it can
break. God's wrath is patient. He's kind. He's long-suffering. But his wrath builds and builds
and then will come. Don't be deceived. The scripture
tells us our hearts by nature are deceitful and desperately
wicked. Our hearts by nature like to
lock on to the deceitfulness that is in this world. We like
to listen to lies rather than the truth. We like to lay hold
of unbelief and we like to lay hold of the tricks and traps
of Satan. Our heart is geared up to listen
to those things. and to reject the true and the
living God. Just like those people in that
award ceremony. Oh yeah there's no God. We just
laugh at God. Little do they know they're laughing
at the very one who gives them life. The very one that formed
them in their mother's wombs. The very one that has allowed
them to succeed in the material things of this world. They're
laughing at him. but they are deceived and they're
deceived by their own hearts, they're deceived by their own
friends, they're deceived by the society that they're in,
all growing up, all patting each other on the back, oh you're
doing well, you're succeeding, don't worry there's no God, don't
worry you won't have to worry about him, just continue building
up your material wealth, trying to make yourself live longer.
Why do they believe it? Because their hearts are deceived
already. Proverbs tells us. Proverbs 31 verse 30. Favour is deceitful. And beauty is vain, but a woman
that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Favour is deceitful. Belok. what the world seeks after
and what our deceitful heart seeks after, it's favour. It's
being accepted and embraced by others who are also in the same
boat of being deceived and everyone is seeking to pat each other
on the back saying we're doing well, we're coming along together
well and it's deceitful. When we begin to bow to peer
pressure and to go along with the crowd thinking everything
is okay, we're being deceived. We're being deceived by the multitude. And the multitude is heading,
as the scripture says, in one way. Many there are that find
it. Many there are that go that way.
The broad road that leads to destruction. They are all deceived. in thinking that they're going
the right way, in thinking that they're doing the right thing,
in accumulating an abundance of wealth. They're all deceived. They've been deceived by their
own hearts and they've been deceived by Satan himself. And if you look at Hollywood
and these celebrities, what do they care about? Beauty. External beauty. We see them on the Instagram
and Snapchat and Twitter and all of those things. What are
they concerned about themselves? How good they look? How nice
their dress is. How big their muscles are. What
a nice haircut they have. How shiny their teeth are. How
expensive their shoes are. How expensive their suit is.
Look at their nice cars. Look at their big houses. Fifteen
million dollars. Beauty is vain. Totally pointless
if you do not have a relationship with God. when you walk through
London and you come across a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and it immediately
grasps your attention. You think, how much money must
this person have that owns this car? But then if you look at
that in the light of eternity it's totally pointless. Who cares if you've got a Lamborghini
and you're going to hell? Who cares if you've got living
in a million dollar house and you're going to hell? I don't
care. Favour is deceitful and beauty
is totally vain in the sight before a holy God. It means absolutely
nothing and we've seen it just consumed in a moment. God. But those who fear the Lord, she shall be praised. It's the
fear of God that makes a difference. That is what is important. That
is what we should be striving after, our relationship with
our creator, walking in fatherly fear or childlike fear to our
holy God. That is what is needful. Do not
be deceived by the happiness, the so-called happiness of those
that are going to hell. It's those only temporary. Jesus tells us in Matthew 13
and verse 22 It's about the Word
of God and how it is planted in different hearts It says,
and he also that received the seed among the thorns is he that
heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. So our hearts are deceitful.
Sin is described in the word of God as deceitful. Favour is deceitful and riches
are deceitful. Riches lull people into a false
sense of security. Riches cause people to take their
ease and be merry. Riches cause people to pierce
themselves through with many sorrows. Riches cause people
to take their eyes off God and to focus upon the things of this
world. And so what picture does that
portray of the human race? It portrays that we are gullible
and we would rather listen to the lies, that we'd rather listen
to peer pressure, that we would rather be drawn aside by the
deceitfulness of riches and listen to the lies of Satan than we
would to listen to God and God's holy word. And the scripture
says, don't be deceived. Don't believe the lies that are
presented before you. Seek after a changed heart that
only desires the truth. And look at everything around
about you in the light of truth, in the light of the Word of God
and put everything into perspective. Yes, admire. the things that men are able
to do and men are able to build. Admire God and what God is able
to do because nothing in this world, nothing that this world
has to offer cannot be eradicated by the one who made the world. We've seen it in earthquakes.
People can build great cities and God can flatten them in a
few moments. People can build great towns
and a fire can roar through and consume the lot in a few days. Don't be deceived by resting
in what this world has to offer us because it can be taken away. Only one thing cannot be taken
away, and that is Christ, God's word. It is eternal. Heaven and
earth may pass away, but God's word shall not pass away. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. You remember the Lord Jesus Christ,
that he was mocked. You remember Jeremiah, was mocked. The Lord's people have always
been mocked and ridiculed for being different, for not fitting
in the mould of the world. But the message that they preach,
it is looked upon as a foolish message. We preach about the
Son of God who was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief and whose greatest accomplishment
was when he was nailed to the cross and died and then rose
again on the third day. But he was mocked verbally. This word mocked here
is the only time it is written in the Bible. It's translated
from a different Greek word which comes from a word that
can mean to be ridiculed or to be sneered at So the word that
is translated when speaking about Jesus and the believers is a
word mocked as in that they were verbally mocked. They were jeered
at. This one is to do with sneering. The only way I could think of
is how we would use it today is when we say whatever. Pull
a face like whatever. And so God is not mocked. And so those at that award ceremony,
they were saying whatever. They were jeering at God of his
existence, of his ability to do anything. declaring that state
or that area as a godless area they rejected the existence of
God. So don't be deceived because
God is not mocked. He's able to see. He created eyes. He's able to
hear. He created the ears. He's able
to speak. He created the mouth. He's able
to think. He created the mind. He's able
to do far more than we can ask or even think. His ways are higher
than our ways. His thoughts are far greater
than our thoughts. And so do not think that he can
be hoodwinked, deceived or tricked. Because he's everywhere. The
psalmist says, if I go up to the heavens out there. If I go
down into the depths out there. You cannot pull the wool over
the eyes of God. and just continue in your own
pathway thinking that nothing will ever happen to you. All
actions have consequences and just because those consequences
may take a long time to come about does not mean that they
aren't there. Think of those who smoke. may have started when they were
young. They may think, well, I'm never going to get cancer
or anything like that. And so they think there's no
consequences to my actions. As they continue, it may take
40, 50, even 60 years and they start reaping the consequences
of their actions. Same as drinking. consuming a
lot of alcohol. It has consequences and effects.
Same as overeating, bad food, indulging in sweet things and extravagant
foods. It has consequences on our bodies. Same as exercise. May not see
anything to start with. You keep going and going and
you see that there are consequences. And if you do too much and your
body starts wearing out, your knees go, your veins go and things
like that. There are consequences to actions. And just because they take a
long time does not mean that they're not going to happen. And so God, you may think that
he's not seeing you. You may be deceived to the fact
that he's not seeing you, but he's not mocked. He's not ridiculed. He's not a person that you can
just say whatever to. Every day you reap, you are storing
up judgment to yourself. Romans tells us. Romans chapter 2 verse 5. Verse 4. And declared to be the
Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
the resurrection of the dead by whom we have all received
grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations
for his name among whom are ye also the call of Jesus Christ
to all that being in Rome, believed of God, called to be saints,
grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus
Christ. Sorry I read chapter one, should
have been chapter two. Chapter two, verse five. But
after thy hardness and impotent heart treasured up unto thyself
wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his
deeds, to them who by patient continuing in well-doing do seek
glory and honour and immortality and eternal life. And so it says
there, after the hardness of their heart, their deceitful
heart that has been deceived by the lies of Satan, their hardness
heart they treasures up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath
and God who will render to every man according to to his deeds so God isn't deceived although he waits doesn't mean
that he hasn't seen I read an account of a minister in America
years ago who worked amongst those who did mining. And he
said, you know, deep down in the ground the miners have drilled
and they've put in their dynamite and all the fuses are linked
together. And the people above just walking about their daily
business without any consideration of what is taking place underneath
the ground. But underneath is an array of
dynamite ready to blow and all it takes is a spark and immediately
the whole thing will be blown up. And he likened it to this,
that those walking above they were deceived. They were deceived
that the ground underneath their feet was solid and there was
no problems with it whatsoever. But underneath they didn't realise
was this dynamite. And just like people today, they're
deceived that everything is OK. That there's no God. Science
has proved that he doesn't exist. And so they go along their daily
life thinking they're walking upon rock, a solid ground but
underneath is the wrath of almighty God just waiting to blow. They've said whatever. But one day they will meet him. with whom they have said, whatever
you don't even exist, one day they will stand before him. And
God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will
reap. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall
he also reap. It's a shawl. If you sow to the flesh, verse eight says, you'll reap
corruption. If you sow to the spirit, you'll
sow everlasting life, everlasting. Sowing to the flesh is living
a life of indulgence, living a life that is flesh-pleasing
and satisfying for the body but detrimental to the soul. And even as Christians we can
be saved and still live a flesh-pleasing life at the detrimental effect
to the callousing of our spirits grieving the Holy Spirit of God
and it's a danger as I said I think a couple of weeks ago to be caught
up in this extremely worldly and wealthy
environment that we live. We can have a seared conscience
and a grieved Holy Spirit of God by sowing to the flesh Galatians 5 it tells us there
of the works of the flesh. And if you have anything to do with
Hollywood and the entertainment industry you will see that they
promote the flesh. They're not interested
in spiritual things or Christian spiritual things whatsoever.
All they are interested in is things of the flesh. Because that's what gains the
most money. That's what people are interested
in. People who are deceived want
to continually be deceived and they are drawn to the things
that deceive them. And so the works of the flesh
is what is portrayed in the film industry. Obviously you can watch
Christian films. but the majority of films that
are produced by Hollywood and all of those things are promoting
flesh. The source comes from a corrupt
heart, a deceived heart and therefore they make things and they want
to show things that are pleasing to themselves and so what do
you see? adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
indulgence, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, what are the films that
you see on the side of buses for instance if you don't obviously
maybe you don't want or into it but if you if you see those
films advertised what do they advertise adultery fornication
they plaster some half-naked lady on the side of a bus because
they know people are going to watch it they want people to
be intrigued by what they're making so they know that filth,
adultery and fornication makes money and they want to pull as
many people down the broad road that leads to destruction to
hell with them and there are Christians who are drawn into
it and who watch it You go and do Christian homes and you see
that they have DVDs, 18s, 15s. Why on earth would a Christian
want to watch 18s and 15s knowing that it's complete filth, swearing,
blasphemy, adultery, fornication, nakedness. All of these things,
murders, drunkenness, revelling. Why? because they've gone away from
Christ. That is worldliness. It's come from Hollywood. The
satanic factory of the world that promotes ungodliness. They're mockers of God. And their
only interest is in money. material happiness and evil. And they will reap what they
sow. They have sown to the flesh and
they will reap destruction. Seeds planted in the ground stay there for a while. You can
lie all you like that you've planted good seed in your ground
but it will be seen when it appears. You may say well I've planted
sweet corn in this field but if it comes up as corn or weeds people will know that
you've been lying. You see, sin will be found out. Your sin will be found out. It cannot be hid forever. It must come to the surface. God is not deceived and God is
not mocked. What you sow, what I sow, will
eventually be seen You can lie all that while the
seed is hidden, but one day it will come to the surface. Think
of Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts. How much did you
sell the land for? Oh, we sold it for this much.
They were lying. The apostles said, do not lie
to God. They died on the spot. Be sure
your sin will find you out. Those who sow to the flesh will
reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit shall receive
life, shall reap life everlasting. The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance against
such, there is no law. And so sowing to the spirit is
receiving the truth of God's word as truth in our hearts,
is cultivating and crucifying the flesh as we read. He says
that the world is crucified to me, the world has been put to
death, that I am crucified with Christ He didn't want any of the Hollywood. He wasn't interested in the filth
of this world. He says, this world has been
put to death to me. I'm living after the Lord Jesus
Christ, a man despised and rejected of men, a man who was mocked.
He's the one that I am looking to. this world is crucified and
I am crucified and the lusts of the flesh are crucified in
me and he desired to experience greater manifestations of the
fruit of the spirit. Love to your neighbor, love to
one another, joy in Christ, peace in trouble, patience in trial, gentleness in our disposition,
goodness and faith, meekness, temperance. That's what he sought
after. Cultivating the fruits of the
Spirit of God in his life. That's where the battle lies
as Christians. Crucifying the flesh. Our natural
desire is to go after all that the world has to offer. Those
things they are attractive to us. But the spirit that is in
me, the spirit that is in you despises those things, loves
the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's the battle. The evil
that I don't want to do, that I do. The good that I want to
do, I don't do. there there is that battle. Be not deceived God is not mocked
for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap for he that
sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption for he
that soweth to the spirit shall reap everlasting life. May we
be enabled then to set our minds, set our hearts and desires upon
the things of Christ, the things of God, to know that those things
are eternal things. They're never fading away. They're
stored up in heaven. And even if the fires come through
and take away all the things that we have, we know we still
have this one thing. the Lord Jesus Christ and his
spirit indwelling in us and our home is secure in heaven at last. And may the Lord add his blessing. Amen. Our closing hymn is from Gadsby's
hymn number 551, Christ the Rock. Jesus Christ, the sinner's friend,
loves his people to the end, and that they may safe abide.
He's the rock in which they hide. Hymn number 551 to June 444. His people to the end, and that
they may say that my days are Sgt. Roe is Christ and King and
Savior. with joy from the tempest of
our heart, love with faith Almighty God, we do thank Thee
that we can find shelter in the wounded side of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We thank Thee that He is the
one thing that is needful, the spotless Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world. And we pray, Lord, that our riches
may be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that we have
a treasure that is in heaven. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And we pray, Lord, then that
our hope may be in thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do dismiss
us, we pray, with thy blessing and return us here this evening
in peace and in safety. Lord, And now may the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, with
the fellowship and the communion of the Holy Spirit, to rest and
abide with us each now and forevermore. Amen.