Sunday, September 28,
2014 am
BACK TO BASICS -33
Unity and Denominations
The Danger of Apostasy
This month we have been discussing unity and religious division.
We have described true, Biblical unity; What is wrong with
denominationalism, and established that it does matter what we believe.
This morning, as we conclude our study of unity, we want to
address the subject of apostasy.
We will define it, find it in scripture and examine how it
happens.
a.
Defined – the
abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.
Based on a Greek word, “apostasia.”
Tyndale’s Bible Dictionary defines it as, “turning against God,
as evidenced by abandonment or repudiation of former beliefs.”
The English word is not used in the New Testament (though it is
found in the headings of some Bibles), but the Greek word (ἀποστασία,
apostasia) is found twice,
IS found in scripture, Acts 21:21, “but they have been
informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the
Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk
according to the customs.”
And 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the
falling away comes first,
and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,”
(Note: NASU does use the work
apostasy).
b.
Warnings of apostasy
are found in scripture – both in the Old Testament and New Testament.
i.
1 Timothy 4:1, the
Spirit expressly says that some will depart from the faith
ii.
Acts 20:29-30 – the
Ephesian elders were warned of savage wolves entering in.
iii.
2 Peter 2:1-2 – false
teachers will bring in destructive heresies – many will follow their
destructive ways.
iv.
2 Thess. 2:12 warns
that a falling away must happen before the Lord return.
v.
Matthew 24:10-13
describes the time leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem.
Among the attitudes He warns about – many will stumble and act
improperly, false prophets will rise up and deceive, the love of many
will grow cold. But he who
endures to the end will be saved.
c.
Examples in scripture
i.
From the sin of Eve
and Adam, the murdering of Abel, the rebellious world destroyed by flood
and throughout the history of Israel and the Old Testament we see
continued rejection of God’s will and apostasy.
Consider:
ii.
Exodus 32 describes
the golden calf Israel created while Moses was on Mt. Sinai.
iii.
Jeroboam in 1 Kings
12:25-33 erected golden calves in Dan and Bethel.
It resulted in total apostasy against God.
iv.
Israel (and Judah) as
a nation both left God to follow after idols.
In so doing, you see complete apostasy.
v.
Hymenaus and
Alexander (and Philetus) had strayed from the truth, having made
shipwreck of the faith – 1 Tim. 1:18-20,
2 Timothy 2:17
d.
It is possible in our lives –
i.
Hebrews 3:12 – beware
– an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
ii.
Hebrews 10:26-31
iii.
2 Peter 2:20-22
iv.
1 Corinthians 10:12 –
let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall
e.
Churches too can
apostatize
i.
Galatians 1:6-9 –
Paul marveled that they would entertain the idea of following a
different gospel.
ii.
The 5 churches of
Asia that were espousing error – Ephesus left its first love (Rev.
2:1-5), Pergamos
compromised with the truth (Rev. 3:12-16);
Thyatira had false teachers and immorality in their midst (Rev.
3:18-23); Sadris was described as dead (Rev. 3:1-5) and Laodicea was
lukewarm and despised by God (Rev. 3:14-21)
iii.
Consider the current
religious climate among “Christendom” (believers in Jesus Christ).
Catholicism developed its current organization over centuries of
time, gradually drifting away from the Biblical pattern.
Denominationalism has abandoned the truth, and quite often today in our
progressive climate, they are even apostatizing from what little they
used to stand for.
f.
It still happens
today – sadly, there are many who begin the race but quit before the
finish line.
Also there are churches that once stood firm for the whole truth that
have either begun wavering or have fallen much further into various
doctrinal errors. We need
to beware of such.
a.
2 Tim. 4:1-4, an oft
quoted passage, gives us a good pattern of how apostasy happens.
b.
They no longer endure
sound doctrine
– apostasy begins with a faulty attitude toward the truth.
i.
They don’t want the
truth anymore. For some reason the truth is not as appealing.
2 Thess. 2:10 speaks of those being deceived “because
they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.”
The benefit of studying the history of Israel and Judah is to see how
God feels about such.
Isaiah 30:9–10, “That this is a rebellious people, Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; Who say to the seers,
“Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
“An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land: The
prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And
My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”
(Jeremiah 5:30–31, NKJV)
ii.
This happens for many
reasons – They are not properly grounded, they quit studying as they
ought to, they don’t like the consequences of truth, they have become
weak in faith, the word is chocked out by the cares of this world, etc.
iii.
I am reminded of
Jeroboam as Israel divides from Judah. (1 Kings 12:25-33).
According to the text, this was actually the will of God as a
result of Solomon’s idolatrous behavior.
BUT “…Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return
to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the
house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn
back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go
back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”” (1 Kings 12:26–27)
His attitude was faulty.
He did not have faith in God as he ought to.
c.
According to their
own desires, having itching ears
– not wanting the truth, they begin to search for validation of their
rejection.
i.
They want to
establish their own righteousness. (cf. Rom. 10:1-3)
ii.
They begin to
manipulate scripture
iii.
They seek a religion
of convenience or popularity.
James 4:1-4 describes those desiring pleasure rather than truth.
Romans 1:25 speaks of those exchanging the truth for a lie and
worshipping the creature rather than the Creator.
iv.
They want “positive”
preaching – itching ears means they want to be soothed.
(Again Isa. 30:9-10)
v.
Jeroboam in his false
religion appealed to convenience – “it is too much for you to go to
Jerusalem.” (1 Kings 12:28)
d.
Heap up for
themselves teachers
- they will find someone who will enable them.
i.
Sadly, such is not a
difficult task. In our
religiously divided climate, if you don’t like when someone tells you
the truth, simply go and find someone who will say you are fine.
ii.
2 Timothy 3:1-6
speaks of perilous times where selfish men will flourish.
Vs. 5-6 describe false teachers who creep into households and
take advantage of the gullible – who are described as being loaded down
with sins and various lusts.
They tell them what they want to hear.
iii.
Wicked King Ahab had
some 400 prophets who told him what he wanted to hear.
When Micaiah the one
TRUE prophet spoke, Ahab was angered because he told him the truth –
which condemned his behavior.
(1 Kings 22:6)
iv.
King Rehoboam, in his
false religion, installed his own priesthood and feasts to make their
worship appear similar to the truth.
They adopted what they liked.
But it was a FOREIGN religion to God!
v.
Sometimes people
leave when they hear truth they don’t want to hear.
And they go elsewhere until they find someone who will enable
their desires.
vi.
Paul warned the
Corinthians not to put up with false teachers (2 Cor. 11:4).
Not even to yield for an hour (Gal. 2:5).
e.
They will be turned
aside from the truth, and to fables.
i.
The ultimate result
is apostasy. The word,
“turned aside” is a derivative of the Greek word for apostasy.
It means to reject or repudiate something.
Man begins following
“fables”, a word that means “myths”, that which is fanciful and false.
ii.
When they have
reached this stage, they are in apostasy.
They are happy in their enabling state even though it is false
and rejects all or some of God’s word.
iii.
In Israel, the golden
calves became the religion of Samaria (and northern Israel).
A continued study of the kings of Israel indicates they NEVER
repented of following those false gods at Dan and Bethel.
When Israel was ultimately carried away by Assyria (ca. 722 BC),
it was given as a reason for their failure (2 Kings 17:7-12, 22-23 - “For
the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did;
they did not depart from them, until the Lord removed Israel out of His
sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was
carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.”
(2 Kings 17:22–23)
f.
IT is preventable –
before
Paul described their apostasy, he told Timothy what to do
i.
2 Tim. 4:2 –
Preach the word – in seasons and out of season.
Reprove, rebuke and exhort.
The prevention of apostasy begins with a solid foundation of
“sound doctrine”.
Ephesians 4:11-16 describes how leaders within a congregation equip the
saints so that they are not “tossed to and fro and carried about by
every wind of doctrine.”
Jude 3 calls for us to “contend earnestly for the faith…”
ii.
Heb. 2:1-3 – give
the more earnest heed.
We must HEED the things we have heard.
Heed means to pay attention to.
The idea is more than hearing and understanding.
It includes applying it.
Do NOT neglect your salvation.
iii.
2 Peter 1:5-11 – we
need to be growing spiritually – adding to our faith – virtue
(integrity) and knowledge.
iv.
1 John 4:1- we need
to test the spirits whether they are of God.
Apostasy is a very real possibility.
We are living in times of political correctness.
These attitudes have made their way into “the faith” and far too
many are unwilling to boldly confront error.
If we don’t – apostasy is at the door and it WILL happen.
And it is not a question of IF it will happen, but WHEN!
Let us strive to be grounded in the faith.
God deserves it. The
church of Christ needs it.