OceanSide church of Christ




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Apostasy
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.              Introduction

A.   In August of 2014 a young girl had drifted out to see before she realized it

                                          i.    Thankfully, her mother found her before it was too late

B.   Sadly, Christians are drifting away from our Lord every day

                                          i.    The Hebrew writer calls it “slipping”

C.   We need to be aware of the pattern of apostasy and be careful to avoid it

                                          i.    Jeremiah shows us Israel’s pattern of apostasy (6:10-17)

                                        ii.    Today, many follow this same path away from God

II.            Closing Their Heart

A.   Israel started to no longer care about the law of God

                                          i.    Isaiah adds that they were children ignoring the law (Isa 30:9)

B.   Jesus referenced people’s hearts as “waxing gross” (Matt 13:15)

                                          i.    This means their heart became calloused

C.   Peter said some willfully are ignorant (2 Peter 3:5)

D.   Hebrews tells us it is impossible to return to God if you willfully ignore His word (6:4-6)

                                          i.    How can you repent if the word of God has no effect on you?

III.           Coveting Material Things

A.   Israel turned over to covetousness

                                          i.    Many times this is stage two of drifting away

                                        ii.    Individuals forget God and turn to the world

B.   Jesus told a parable of the rich farmer who lost everything (Luke 12:15-21)

                                          i.    He focused only on himself (notice the repetition of “I”)

                                        ii.    He let God out of His future (notice “will”)

                                       iii.    He forgot where his blessings came from (notice “my”)

C.   Sometimes it is our friends/dates/spouses who pull us away

                                          i.    Evil company will corrupt our good morals (1 Cor 15:33)

D.   Jesus reminded us that the world hated Him and should hate us (John 15:18-19)

                                          i.    If we are getting along well with the world we may not be letting our light shine very brightly

IV.          Cleaving To Lies

A.   Israel began believing in falsehoods

                                          i.    I call this the “justification” stage

B.   Paul says some have their understanding darkened (Eph 4:18)

                                          i.    This is due to a blind heart

C.   Timothy was told not to heed to seducing spirits (1 Tim 4:1)

D.   Jesus said the truth is all that cane set us free from sin (John 8:32)

                                          i.    Many justify their sin to themselves believing lies

                                        ii.    The truth will always be truth and alterations are always lies

V.           Conscience Is Ruined

A.   Israel no longer had a conscience to trigger their remorse for sin

B.   Paul told Timothy that some have their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:2)

                                          i.    The word is where we get cauterization

                                        ii.    The nerves are seared and lose feeling

                                       iii.    Paul put it as being “past feeling” (Eph 4:19)

VI.          Cure Is Rejected

A.   The final stage is the rejection of their only cure

                                          i.    Jude said the truth has been delivered one time for everyone (1:3)

                                        ii.    Some were falling away and could only be saved by pulling them out of a fiery hell (22-23)

B.   We must remember our own path can never save us (Jer 10:23)

                                          i.    If we reject the cure there is no hope of salvation

C.    “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb 2:3)