Unbelieving Hearts
June 19, 2011 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: "Once Saved - Always Saved" Is it true? YES! But it is abused too often.
Focus Passage: Hebrews 3:12-19
Supplemental Passage: "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16-20 NASB)
Introduction: Cable television mogul Ted Turner criticized fundamentalist Christianity and said Jesus probably would "be sick at his stomach" over the way his ideas have been "twisted," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Turner made his remarks Friday evening at a banquet in Orlando, Fla., where he was given an award by the American Humanist Association for his work on behalf of the environment and world peace. Turner said he had a strict Christian upbringing and at one time considered becoming a missionary. "I was saved seven or eight times," the newspaper quoted him as saying. But he said he became disenchanted with Christianity after his sister died, despite his prayers. Turner said the more he strayed from his faith, "the better I felt." Spokesman-Review, May 1, 1990.
I. Sin-Calloused Followers
a. Evil, Unbelieving Hearts
i. Like the people who grumbled against Moses and demanded water.
ii. Like the spies who said they couldn’t take the land, but Joshua and Caleb believed and entered into the promised land
iii. Like Ananias and Sapphira who tried to deceive the brothers and mock God
b. Falling away from the Living God (or Apostasy) (See Clarke’s 5 stages of Apostasy Below)
i. Like King Saul of whom God said, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." (1 Samuel 15:11 NASB)
ii. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19 NASB)
iii. "Not everyone who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ "And then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NASB)
iv. "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, ’Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. - "Then He will also say to those on His left, ’Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; - "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46 NASB)
v. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. (2 Peter 2:21 NASB)
II. Sin-Deceived Followers
a. that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, (Ephesians 4:22 NASB)
b. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (Romans 13:13-14 NASB)
III. Love-Encouraged Followers
a. It is said of Barnabas, “Then when he arrived (in Antioch) and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; (Acts 11:23 NASB)
b. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NASB)
c. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NASB)
Invitation: Can you lose your salvation? NO!!! Apostasy just proves you were never saved in the first place.
Adam Clarke’s 5 Degrees of Apostasy
1. Consenting to sin, being deceived by its solicitations.
2. Hardness of heart, through giving way to sin.
3. Unbelief in consequence of this hardness which leads them to call even the truth of the Gospel in question.
4. This unbelief causing them to speak evil of the Gospel, and the provision God has made for the salvation of their souls.
5. Apostasy itself, or falling off from the living God; and thus extinguishing all the light that was in them, and finally grieving the Spirit of God, so that he takes his flight, and leaves them to a seared conscience and reprobate mind.
