What is the difference between a superior and an inferior product? What is the difference between a real item and a counterfeit item? You've gone to the store and handed somebody a $20 bill. Then they reach in their pocket and take some sort of a grease pen and mark across that bill to determine if it is counterfeit or if it's the real thing. Well, this month on Sunday nights, we're talking about real versus counterfeit. We're talking about real versus counterfeit givers tonight. And that is where we begin our thinking. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you might bless now in our hearts, minister to us, Fathers, we seek to follow that which is right rather than that which perhaps may seem right. You told us in Scripture there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Father, we ask now that you may minister to our hearts. Use your word to touch us and direct us in our lives. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. The ability to distinguish between a genuine article and a counterfeit or inferior one is very important for your welfare as well as your pocketbook. There's a difference between a real diamond And that which may look like it, which is really counter a custom jewelry. There's a difference between real gold and something which may be mined that looks like gold, which is in reality iron pyrite. And if you had a Rolex watch, would you trade it for a Timex? Well, I don't imagine you would. And there's quite a difference between a prescription capsule and a placebo. But the greatest difference is between God and Satan. Both call for your worship and acceptance. Both hold out gifts proclaimed to be satisfying and rewarding. But only one is the source of all good. James chapter 1 verse 17 says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. God cannot give you an evil gift. In fact, as God had created the world, you remember, At the end of each day, he said, and it was good, it was good, it was good. God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts. Let's contrast the genuine versus the counterfeit giver. The genuine giver is God. His gifts are reliable, are valid, and are right. God's greatest gift is that of His Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Then God gives eternal life. It's not just for a day or an hour, not just for a momentary high. But it's a permanent thing. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Then the Bible tells us that God gives the Holy Spirit as a down payment of all that God has for us in the future. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 22, Christ has Anointed us, well verse 21, now he which establishes us with you is Christ, in Christ, and hath anointed us is God, who hath also sealed us and given the earnest, means the down payment, the guarantee, the earnest of the Spirit. in our hearts. So God has given to us the Holy Spirit. By the way, He is the Holy Spirit. There are other spirits, but He is the Holy Spirit. God's desire for each of us is holiness in our lives. Well, God will also give crowns and rewards for faithful Christian service. I'm looking in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that love is appearing." God is the giver of rewards. Further in the book of Revelation, note in chapter 2, this statement in verse 10. Revelation 2, 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. Ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give..." That word, give, keeps showing up. "...I will give thee a crown of life." God is the supreme giver. His gifts are always right. They are not like some plastic toy that is going to break the first time that it is used. They do not become obsolete like the cabooses on the railroad train. God's gifts are always reliable, faithful, true, and in line with holiness. But there is a counterfeit giver. The devil is the source of all evil. All his gifts are forbidden fruits, simply amounting to temptations with fancy wrappers. As desirable as they may appear, these gifts turn out to be sinful. illustrations. The first one was that of Satan coming to Eve in the Garden of Eden. And he said in Genesis 3, verses 1-5, that which was going to be his promise, but he was not able to fulfill what he promised. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. He said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden. God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. What's he calling God? A liar. Who's a liar? I wonder. Is it the devil or is it God? For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, that your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods. That word gods is the word Elohim, which is the word God in Genesis 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. So in other words, he's saying You're going to be just like God, knowing good and evil. Verse 5, For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof that your eyes shall be opened, ye shall be as God's, knowing good and evil. Well, all that Eve had to do in order to see if Satan's promises were true and if he was a good giver, all she had to do was take a bite. God had said that when anyone ate the fruit, he would immediately die. Satan lied because when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they did immediately die spiritually. Their relation with God was severed. As a result, instead of moving toward God, they ran to hide from the presence of the Lord. They did die. Well, how do I know that? The Bible tells us that when God created man, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of... Now, King James has life, but the word is plural. He breathes into his nostrils the breath of lives. The Hebrew is plural, meaning that he breathes into man's nostrils both physical life and spiritual life. And so immediately upon the sinning that Adam and Eve did, they died spiritually and needed forgiveness, a Savior. They needed a blood sacrifice. And so as a result, they did die. And Satan, according to John 8.44, became a murderer. He murdered the human race. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do." He was a murderer from the beginning. Who did he kill? He killed Adam and Eve, spiritually. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. If you don't abide in the truth, you're telling a what? A lie. Because there's no truth in him. When he speaks of the lie, He speaks of his own. It's the natural, normal thing when Satan speaks to tell lies. For he is a liar and the father of lies. Instead of becoming like God, Adam and Eve became evil like Satan. Instead of becoming pure and holy like God, they became sinful. The Bible says, by one man's sin entered into the human race. They learned what was good and evil by trusting Satan instead of God. Well, let's take another example of Satan offering a gift. The devil offered Jesus a shortcut to the kingdom, bypassing the cross and its shame and its pain, if Jesus would just bow to him. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and its glory, and he said, All these things will I give you if you will fall down and worship Me. Had Jesus bowed, he would have accepted the devil as his God. He would have denied the Heavenly Father. He would have been lost because he would have sinned and forever doomed to the hell God had prepared for the devil and his angels. As a sinner, he could not have died on the cross us and there would have been no salvation for him. Thus Jesus Christ and the world would have been forever lost, doomed. Well, did he bow? No, no, he certainly did not. How about the devil and you? What kind of a gift does he offer to you? Does he say, rob a bank and you'll be rich? Well, I doubt if you're going to succumb to that temptation. But the devil tempts you with the pleasures of this world. Turn to 1 John 2. The 15th verse is certainly familiar. 1 John 2. Verse 15, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. The Scripture says Satan is the God of this world, this age. We are not to love the world. Somehow, if we get caught up in the world, we find ourselves in direct opposition to the love of the Father. Because in John 14, verse 21, Jesus said, If you love Me, you are going to keep My commandments. I am summarizing it. Well, let's find out what these are. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are the gifts that Satan offers to you. He is not offering you the kingdoms of the world like He did to Jesus. He is not offering you the forbidden fruit that will open your eyes to sin, I mean open your eyes to that which is like God. But He does offer gifts, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. What is the lust of the flesh? Well, it's anything that appeals to man's fallen nature. Satan, the false giver, holds up the lust of the flesh as enjoyable and rewarding, even though it is only temporary. You remember Moses said, I'm going to identify with the people of Israel rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Well, sin does offer a pleasure, but it's temporary. And by the way, it's always that which God prohibits or forbids. The works of the flesh, Galatians 5. You want to turn with me? Let's look at those things. that the devil holds out to you and to me in terms of his gifts, the works of the flesh. Galatians chapter 5 verse 19. Now, the works of the flesh are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, wrap that all up in immorality. Immorality. sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft. Tie that in with false religion. You know, those people come knocking on your door. Can we have a Bible study with you? The only problem is they get the Bible all mixed up when they try to teach it to you. Then he goes on, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition. We're talking here about jealousy and conflict. Then we note envying. That's jealousy, isn't it? Doesn't God love to make us... Doesn't Satan love to make them jealous of somebody else? They have something that I don't have. Man, I wish I had that one that they've got or else one just like it. Jealousy. Envy. Murders. Well, maybe we don't actually kill anybody, but it's that guy that passes you on the freeway and cuts in, almost connecting with your offender. murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. The list isn't complete, it's just suggested. Well, sometimes these things do have a certain appeal. You just get in a fight if you know you can win. I remember a preacher in the Denver area years ago who said the best way to get a crowd at church is to pick a fight with somebody bigger than you are and make sure you win. Of course, it's an argument type fight, a debate type fight, but God doesn't want that to be in our lives. We don't have to be better. We don't have to always be right, always be better than anybody else. That's pride, isn't it? All right. The lust of the flesh. Then there's the lust of the eyes. These are pleasures that gratify the sight and the mind. Certainly it includes lustful sexual thoughts. Jesus said if somebody looks at a woman to lust after her, he's guilty of adultery. And covetous thoughts. How about Achan? Remember the story? The Israelites had crossed over the Jordan River. They were now at the point of capturing Jericho. They marched around it as prescribed, and then, even though they were told, you can't have anything, this is dedicated to destruction, this is Charim. But Achan saw something, and I saw it, and I wanted it, and I took it. It started out with the lust of the eyes. As a result, Joshua's army was defeated. Men were killed in the battle because of Achan's covetousness. This satanic strategy has to do with our thought life. You don't have to actually take it. Just think that you've got it. Well, how do you counteract that? Romans 12, 1 and 2, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, and be not conformed to this world. That's what we're talking about, isn't it? What Satan uses. Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. God says, I want you to think my way. The world has a different way of thinking. The world has different values, different interests, different rewards, different motivations. We need to make sure that we are thinking God's way. Philippians 4 and verse 8 also speak to that same situation. Philippians 4, 8. Finally, brethren. He's coming to the end of these four chapters. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, fair, whatsoever things are pure, Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Literally practice thinking on these things. Make it something that is a continuing action. Think on these things. In fact, in Job 31.1, Job said, I've made a covenant with my eyes Make sure that I don't sin through lust. Well, Satan also holds out another gift to you, the pride of life. Christian writer and speaker Warren Wiersbe, former director of Back to the Bible broadcast, states that this Greek word for pride was used to describe a braggart who was trying to impress people with his importance. Pride focuses on self-importance and self-recognition. We can go back to the book of Esther and we think of this man by the name of Haman. He was a public official, the deus of Esther. He promoted a great prominence. People bowed before him. In fact, when the king wished to honor a man, he asked Haman what should be done. And thinking that Haman was going to be the one to be honored, he made up a list to pass on to the king. Esther chapter 6, verse 6. Esther 6. So Haman came in, and the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom will the king delight to do honor more than to myself? And Haman answered the king, To the man whom the king delighteth to honor, let the royal apparel be brought, which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rides upon, today we'd say the limousine that the president rides in, and the crown royal which is set upon his head. And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man with all whom the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done. to the man whom the king delighteth to honor." Haman was, in the present-day psychology, egocentric, very, very self-centered. Earlier, Haman had most of his wealth and his accomplishments. In chapter 5, verses 11 and 12, Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him. and how he had advanced him above the princess and servants of the king. Haman said, moreover, yea, as to the queen to let no man come in with the king under the banquet that she had prepared, but myself, and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king. In other words, here I am, look at me. Pride of life. Satan offers that. Pride of life makes a man conceited and self-centered, totally indifferent to the needs of others. Well, how do you combat it? How do you deal with this temptation to self-importance? 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 6 gives us some input here. 1 Peter 5 verse 6, Humble yourselves therefore unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. Instead of exalting ourselves, let's let the Lord do it. And let's just trust Him and walk with Him. Or how about Philippians chapter 2 and look at verse 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in the goodness of mind. Always find something to compliment about somebody else. Don't let it be hollow flattery. It needs to be real. But try to find something to compliment about somebody else rather than elevating yourself and standing on them. Elevate them. Esteeming others greater than themselves. Genuine versus the counterfeit giver. The genuine giver is God. His gifts are right. and permanent and fulfilling. The counterfeit giver is Satan. His gifts may supply temporary pleasure, but they will never provide permanent fulfillment. We need to make sure that we are listening to and following the right giver rather than the wrong giver. James chapter 4 and verse 7 is the verse we conclude with. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Eve trusted the devil. We need to trust God. decided that the pride of life was the greatest gift that he could receive. Remember what happened to Haman, by the way? He was hung on a gallows. His end was not exactly what he anticipated. Well, we think of Achan. Achan decided that even though God had said, Don't touch it, he looked at something And he took it. What happened to Achan? He was stoned to death. Works of the flesh are obviously a dead-end street every time. So we need to make sure that we're listening to the right giver, heeding the right gift, Perhaps Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. who loved me, died for me. I think I'm not quoting that quite right, but that's such a fantastic verse. Let me turn to it in my Bible and make sure I quote it right, because it is so good. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. A crucified life, the life of Jesus Christ at the center, not myself on the throne, but Jesus Christ. Thank you, Heavenly Father. for the good giving that you do for us. Your gifts are always good, but Father, even more than that, the giver is always good. You are the giver of all good and perfect gifts. We trust you. We heed your directions. Teach us, Father, to love you more day by day. Teach us, Father, to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. Teach us, Father, to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. I pray now that you might direct our paths even at this Christmas season. May we be reminded of the genuine giver versus the counterfeit giver, the giver which gives the best gifts. And even as we exchange gifts one with another, May it be that we will focus upon the giver of the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen. God bless you. You're dismissed. Some of you would like to go to this inspiration at Trinity Baptist Church in Pasadena. And if you'd like to do so, you'd find a delightful evening there. We look forward to music and special music and refreshments. The privilege of getting acquainted better with the new pastor there, Dr. Doug Bookman. God bless you. Have a great week.