Idolatry Brings Deception
Idolatry leads to deception, and God will answer those who are hardened in their sin with a strong delusion that confirms them in their lies.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that idolatry leads to deception, where individuals believe lies to be the truth. He illustrates this through the example of King Ahab, who, despite his wickedness, sought guidance from God but was misled by false prophets due to the idols in his heart. Wilkerson warns that when one is hardened in sin and refuses to repent, they become susceptible to strong delusions that confirm their deception. The sermon highlights the tragic consequences of allowing idols to cloud one's judgment and the importance of seeking true repentance to hear God's voice.
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Idolaters live in deception, believing a lie to be the truth!
"For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself" (Ezekiel 14:7).
This passage means: "Because you are hardened in your sin, with no desire to turn and repent, every word you hear from now on will confirm you in your deception. Even the preaching you hear will speak to your idols."
We see a picture of this with King Ahab in 1 Kings 22. This man was probably the most wicked king in the history of Israel. At this time he had aligned himself with King Jehoshaphat to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead.
The Scripture says: "And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall [be defeated] at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so" (1 Kings 22:20-22).
We see one of the worst idolaters of all time, a man whose heart was captivated by covetousness and lust, inquiring of the Lord. So, what did God give to Ahab? He provided him with four hundred prophets who would lie to him and echo the desire in his heart: "Go into battle! Everything looks great. There is peace and prosperity ahead."
What a horrible tragedy! Ahab could not hear God's voice because of the idols rooted in his heart. God answered him by sending him a strong delusion -- one that would destroy him.
"Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause [reason] God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).
Sermon Outline
- I. Idolatry Brings Deception
- A. Idolaters live in deception, believing a lie to be the truth
- B. God will answer them by sending a strong delusion
- II. The Consequences of Idolatry
- A. God will provide them with false prophets and lying spirits
- B. They will be unable to hear God's voice
- III. The Warning of Idolatry
- A. The Bible warns us of the dangers of idolatry
- B. We must be careful not to let idols creep into our hearts
Key Quotes
“Idolaters live in deception, believing a lie to be the truth!” — David Wilkerson
“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” — David Wilkerson
“Because you are hardened in your sin, with no desire to turn and repent, every word you hear from now on will confirm you in your deception.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must be careful not to let idols creep into our hearts and lives, as this can lead to deception and a strong delusion.
- Regularly seeking God's truth and guidance in our lives is essential to avoiding idolatry and living in the truth.
- Hardened hearts and a lack of desire to turn and repent can lead to a strong delusion that confirms us in our lies.