Sermon Central
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The Great Apostasy
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Jun 22, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE END TIMES BEING CLOSER IS A RISE IN APOSTASY, PEOPLE WHO WERE "BELIEVERS" TURNING THEIR BACKS OF THE FAITH.
THE GREAT APOSTASY
OUR “END TIMES” CLOCK IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE MIDNIGHT HOUR. WE SAW LAST WEEK WITH ISRAEL’S RE-EMERGENCE AS A NATION, THE CREATING OF MANY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES NECESSARY FOR THE OCCURANCE OF THE RAPTURE. OUR END TIMES CLOCK NOW STANDS AT 11:30
TODAY WE LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT IS PREVELENT IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY. IT IS AN ISSUE THAT I PLACE IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO THE RAPTURE, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE OF TODAY.
VERSE 1 SPEAKS OF OUR BEING GATHERED TO HIM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS TALKING ABOUT THE RAPTURE. THERE WILL COME A GREAT DECEPTION AFTER THE RAPTURE, BUT THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT.
11 FOR THIS REASON GOD SENDS THEM A POWERFUL DELUSION SO THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE 12 AND SO THAT ALL WILL BE CONDEMNED WHO HAVE NOT BELIEVED THE TRUTH BUT HAVE DELIGHTED IN WICKEDNESS.
THIS IS A LIE THAT WILL ORIGINATE FROM THE “LAWLESS ONE”, SATAN HIMSELF. THIS DELUSION WILL OCCUR AFTER THE RAPTURE WITH ONE PURPOSE, AND THAT IS TO DECEIVE PEOPLE AS TO THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD.
APOSTACY THOUGH IS QUITE DIFFERENT. IT INVOLVES A CONSCIOUS TURNING AWAY FROM THE DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO FOLLOW MAN-MADE DOCTRINES OF LIES.
IN REALITY APOSTACY IS AN ATTACK ON THE CHURCH FROM WITHIN THE CHURCH. THEY MAY NOT BELIEVE IN A LITERAL HEAVEN OR HELL, SEE NO NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN, DENY THE VIRGIN BIRTH DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD, STAND IN FAVOR OF THE VARIOUS POSITIONS OF THE L.B.G.T.Q, AND ADOPT MANY OF THE SOCIAL POSITIONS THAT THE WORLD ACCEPTS TODAY, BUT WHICH THE BIBLE CALLS SIN. APOSTACY IS A DANGEROUS ATTACK ON THE BIBLE-BELIEVING CHURCH AND IS GOING TO GROW STRONGER AS THE RAPTURE AND END TIMES APPROACH.
ROBERT L THOMAS, WRITER WITH THE EXPOSITOR’S BIBLE COMMENTARY GIVES THIS SHORT DEFINITION OF APOSTACY:
“THE WORD APOSTACY POINTS TO A DELIBERATE ABANDONMENT OF A FORMER PROFESSED POSITION”.
THE GREAT DELUSION THEN IS A SPECIFIC LIE TO TRICK PEOPLE LEFT BEHIND AFTER THE RAPTURE, NOT TO FOLLOW THE TRUTH. THE GREAT APOSTACY IS A DELIBERATE CHOICE TO TURN YOUR BACK ON ESTABLISHED DOCTRINES AND FOLLOW MAN-MADE TEACHING. PAUL SPEAKS OF THIS IS 2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4.
3 FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN PEOPLE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH SOUND DOCTRINE. INSTEAD, TO SUIT THEIR OWN DESIRES, THEY WILL GATHER AROUND THEM A GREAT NUMBER OF TEACHERS TO SAY WHAT THEIR ITCHING EARS WANT TO HEAR. 4 THEY WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH AND TURN ASIDE TO MYTHS.
JESUS WARNED IN MATTHEW 24:
4 JESUS ANSWERED: “WATCH OUT THAT NO ONE DECEIVES YOU. 5 FOR MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME, CLAIMING, ‘I AM THE MESSIAH,’ AND WILL DECEIVE MANY
LET ME ILLUSTRATE. HOW MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY PREFER TO SKIP READING THE BOOK OF REVELATION? IT’S JUST TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND. LISTEN TO WHAT DAVID JEREMIAH SAYS:
“MANY PEOPLE TREAT THE BOOK OF REVELATION LIKE THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE TREATED THE MAN WHO WAS BEATEN AND ROBBED IN THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN….THEY PASS ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE DEVIL HAS TURNED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AWAY FROM THIS PORTION OF GOD’S WORD. HE DOES NOT WANT ANYONE TO READ A BOOK THAT TELLS OF HIS BEING CAST OUT FROM HEAVEN….NOR IS HE ANXIOUS FOR US TO READ OF THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF HIS NUMBER ONE ENEMY, JESUS CHRIST. THE MORE YOU STUDY THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND WHY SATAN FIGHTS SO HARD TO KEEP GOD’S PEOPLE AWAY FROM IT.”
THERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT ITEMS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION THAT SATAN STRIVES TO KEEP FROM YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
1. THERE IS A BLESSING TO THOSE WHO READ AND OBEY IT
2. THERE IS A CURSE ON ANYONE WHO TAMPERS WITH IT.
I WARN EVERYONE WHO HEARS THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS SCROLL: IF ANYONE ADDS ANYTHING TO THEM, GOD WILL ADD TO THAT PERSON THE PLAGUES DESCRIBED IN THIS SCROLL. 19 AND IF ANYONE TAKES WORDS AWAY FROM THIS SCROLL OF PROPHECY, GOD WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THAT PERSON ANY SHARE IN THE TREE OF LIFE AND IN THE HOLY CITY, WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS SCROLL.
THE WORDS OF THIS WARNING ARE VERY STRONG TO LEADERS IN THE CHURCH. YOU WILL NOT LEAD PEOPLE CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BIBLE AND NOT GO UNPUNISHED. THIS IS WHAT THE APOSTATES WISH TO DO TODAY.
THESE ARE WORDS THAT THE APOSTATE CHURCH DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR, FOR IT SPEAKS OF THE JUDGMENT THEY WILL FACE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW THEM FOR DISREGARDING THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE.
SCIENCE CAN BE A PART OF THE APOSTATE CHURCH IF IT DOESN’T DRAW PEOPLE TO A FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF IN GOD. THE DISCOVERIES OF SCIENCE SHOULD ONLY LEAVE US IN AWE OF THE POWER OF GOD. IT SHOULD NEVER LEAD US TO THE PLACE WHERE WE CAN TRY TO UNDERSTAND GOD, OR LEAD US TO THE PLACE WHERE WE SAY THAT GOD HAS MADE A MISTAKE.
