Living in the Last days: The great Apostasy
Introduction: As we look at another sign of the end of days is apostasy, many in the church will fall away and become apostates. There will be a great wave of people leaving the church in the last days. I recently read an article from the UK Telegraph that reads “Belgium's dwindling churches to be converted into mosques.' If that isn't sad enough it will get worse in the last days. Another article from the Huffington Post Religon site shows pictures of churches completely abandoned from Pensylvania to Macedonia, from Michigan to Belgium from Ireland, to France, from Cambodia to Indiana. Once beautiful church buildings just rotting away in total abandonment. This is a present physical sign of a future spiritual reality: Apostasy
“So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.” - I Cor. 10:12
There have always been times when people flock in and out of the church. Joe Paterno said “You're never as good as you think you are when you win; and you're never as bad as you think you are when you lose.” We shouldn't get too hopeful when there are many nor get too discouraged when there are few. We should be determined to follow Jesus at all cost, no matter the size of the crowd around us. Churches can be like gardens, it grows in one season but dies in the next, then repeats the process again later. But what a blessing it is for a pastor to hold a congregation week after week, season after season, year after year. There have been many times when some have turned from the faith but would come back later. Apostasy is nothing new to the church. We have seen it before and we will see it again. But the end time apostasy is unique. We learn that some day, MANY will turn from the faith. There must be something distinct about this apostasy, that would set it apart as a sign of the last days.
So let's look at the Lord's prophecy of the coming apostasy in the last days.
I. Prophecy of Apostasy (Matthew 24:10)
In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of his coming at the end of days. He said in verse 10 that there would be apostasy. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” - Mt 24:10 The word 'Apostasy' comes from the Greek word 'Apostasia'. 'Apo' – revolt and 'histasthai' – to stand. To revolt against a previous stand; A stand in position, in principle, or in faith. In short it is a defection, a desertion. The word 'apostasy' is rarely found in the English Bible (Jer. 2:19; 5:6, Heb. 6:6) But the act of apostasy is frequently found in the Bible. Israel had a history of continual apostasy. They would turn away from God who had redeemed them out of Egypt, and then they followed false gods. And unfortunately this turning away has continued throughout the ages.
Many before our generation thought the Lord would come in their day, in fact even the Thessalonian church during the disciples day did as well, but the apostle warns them - “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a “falling away first,” and that man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” -2 Thessalonians 2:3
He assures them that until they see that great falling away, first, they shouldn't expect the coming of the Lord. But when we do; We know this is a sign of living in the last days.
A Christian website: churchleaders.com records that while pollsters record that 40% of Americans attend church. The reality doesn't match the polling. Why the disparity? They claim it is due to the 'halo effect' – that is those being polled don't want to report the truth that they don't attend church regularly so they exaggerate their church attendance. The true numbers are actually less than half of what is polled. Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church. They also note that church attendance in America is declining. And that if current trends continue by 2050 (if the Lord should tarry) the percentage of the population attending church will be almost half of what it was in 1990 (20.4% to 11.7%)
Today's 'great falling away' is more of a fading away – a family may come in and in the heat of their new zeal they attend every service faithfully, but soon they find their faith cooling, missing a Wednesday night here and one there, then the cares of this world creep in, and they miss an occasional Sunday and eventually their attendance is reduced to a Sunday every 3 months, and finally you are lucky to even see them at Easter or Christmas and before you know it they are gone altogether.
What causes Apostasy? What causes so many to fall away?
II. Cause of Apostasy (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
Here are three causes of apostasy:
A) Itching ears, We read what causes the apostasy from Paul's letters to Timothy - “The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” -I Timothy 4:1 Paul warned Timothy of false teachers who would call good evil, and evil good. And it will be so in the last days as well.
He later adds in 2 Timothy 4:3,4 - “For the time will come when men 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
Itching ears want to hear that there is no responsibility. Leonard Ravenhill nailed it when he said “Today's church wants to be raptured . . from responsibility.” In the last days, people will have an appetite for demonic doctrines, they no longer want to be taught things of God. God's narrow way is too hard, too restrictive it's not as fun and wide (inclusive) as the broad way. Their itching ears want to hear that they can live a life of sin without consequence, Remember Saved by grace doesn't mean you have a license to sin! (Hebrews 10:26, Romans 6:1,2) As Spurgeon noted, Perseverance is a token of grace. “He that endures to the end shall be saved.” -Mt. 24:13
Itching ears don't want to hear their sins are forgiven they want to hear that their sins are justified. They want to hear that their sins are the will of God. Itching ears want to hear something that doesn't require change, obedience, or sacrifice. Itching ears want to hear that they are the most important thing on earth. The devil subtly turns their affections away from God and onto themselves, very cleverly making many people believe they are following God, when they have abandoned him. I can not think of anything more demonic than that. Jerry White said, “No one is so empty as the one who has stopped walking with God and doesn't know it.”
Itching ears causes apostasy.
B) Love of the world. A few verses later Paul writes about another apostate named Demas
“for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica – Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.” - 2 Timothy 4:10 We don't know what part of this present world that Demas loved. (I assume all). Demas might have grown weary of the arduous journeys, the brutal beatings, the constant persecution, maybe like the thorny soil He was choked out ministry by the worries of life or lured away with the deceitfulness of wealth, or perhaps the long days without the comforts of home was more than he could endure. Whatever it was, He loved the world and went back. One of the greatest temptations we have is the temptation to look back to this world and wonder what we are missing from it, which is revealing in itself – Jesus said “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” There is nothing like looking back toward Sodom to rob us of the promise land. Demas loved the world and he deserted Paul to have what he loved. (A world of pleasure, treasure, and leisure)
Love of the world causes apostasy.
C) Persecution. Notice that Apostasy comes after persecution. Let's look again at what Jesus said in Matthew 24: 9,10 – “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (v.9) At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” (v.10) At a time of persecution, many will not remain faithful. Like the rocky soil (Mt. 13:5,20,21) they may sprout quickly, they are excited about their new faith and appear to grow rapidly. But when the HOT HOT sun comes out, because of their shallow heart (soil) they burn up. They wilt and turn back down to the earth, not willing to suffer the heat of persecution. They abandon the hope of eternal life to avoid temporary pain, only to end up with eternal death.
There are many who will follow Jesus in the sunshine but abandon him to fend for themselves when the the storm is on the horizon. These people love their religion as long as it doesn't cost them anything.
Ill. Anila met Perveen at school. As their friendship grew, Anila gave Perveen a Bible and taught her Christian songs. Perveen quickly learned Christian songs and began to teach them to her younger sister when her parents weren’t home. Perveen’s parents soon learned about the songs. Being strict Muslims, they were not happy about them. But rather than confronting Perveen right away, they had her younger sister try to find out where she was getting this Christian influence.
Anila eventually invited Perveen to a Good Friday service. When the young Muslim heard the Gospel presentation, she immediately accepted Jesus. Perveen became very excited about her relationship with Jesus and saw great changes take place in her life. She read her Bible and praised God boldly. Anila knew that, before long, her friend would encounter opposition from her family.
Perveen’s parents were furious when they learned of her conversion. They had previously arranged for her to marry a Muslim man. When Perveen again refused, she ran away. When Perveen’s parents could not find her, they accused Anila and her pastor of kidnapping her. They had Anila arrested. Anila was slapped and beaten in front of her parents for over nine hours! Finally she was taken to prison.
Anila’s pastor and his family were taken to prison on the following day, where they experienced horrible tortures. She was whipped sixteen times (five times would make a normal man pass out). When they were released, Anila could not sit for two months, and her pastor could barely walk from the bruises on his hips and thighs.
Perveen was later found by her family. In Muslim nations, children are often severely beaten for converting to Christianity. Others are killed by their own parents or siblings for apostasy, converting to another faith-(“honor killings”) To restore the honor of his family, Perveen’s brother stabbed her to death. He then turned himself in to the local authorities and was eventually released without incident. Anila was then arrested on charges of kidnapping.
She was imprisoned, then released on bail a little more than a month later. She and her family went into hiding, as their lives were threatened by radical Muslims. (Sermon Central: Roger Nelmes via Jesus Freaks, dc Talk & The Voice of the Martyrs Albury Publishing, Tulsa Oklahoma, ©1999)
Their faith cost them much! I look around and see our padded seats, cofee and donuts, state of the art sound systems, high tech powerpoint displays, ornate cathedrals and I have to wonder have we gotten soft? Could we stand for Jesus when our life is on the line?
Persecuting times are revealing times. In the last days The wolves won't need the sheep's clothing when so many have joined them in revolting against the church and hating it's true supporters. We must know it's better to die for the truth, than live for a lie. Christians have come to expect dirty tricks and slander from the world but when it oozes into the church replacing love and truth, you know we are living in the last days.
Persecution causes apostasy.
You could say this in easier times but in the last days it's certain; those who aren't determined to finish the race are destined to lose it.
The question to you is simple. Can you remain faithful when your brothers and sister in Christ fall away?
III. Standing during Apostasy (John 6:66-69)
The disciples were faced with a similar dilimna, that we read from in the book of John:
“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too do you?” Jesus asked the twelve. Simon Peter asked him “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy one of God.” -John 6:66-69
Jesus had many followers when He fed them loaves and fishes, when he spoke eloquently about the beatitudes, when he healed their sick and diseased. But when He said something that was too hard for them to accept, they turned away and no longer followed him. Hard doctrine should cause us to seek the Lord more not to run away from him. When they needed him more than they realized they turned away.
Many are steadfast when the church flourishes but I wonder what they will do when the masses turn back and no longer follow him; when the church is emptying instead of filling, when the church is fading instead of growing. What will they do then? Will they follow the rest or will they follow Christ? Apostasy can be contagious. Some see others jump out of the boat into the water and they conclude the boat must be sinking so they join the abandonment. Notice that even after this great falling away, the massive defection of once loyal disciples and one lingering traitor, there still remained a few good men! . . . and praise God there always will!
Peter gives the right answer when he was asked if he too would join the falling away, He said: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy one of God.” You have to admire PETER! Jesus asked "who do you say that I am?" "I say you are the Messiah, son of the living God!" "will you leave too?" "Where shall we go,Lord? YOU have the words of eternal life!"
That, church is a disciple! Hard times require hard men! Difficult days require determined saints! A faithless culture needs faithful Christians! Apostles follow anyway, when apostates fall away!
Can you be like Daniel and dare to stand alone while many of your fellow church members have fled away? Can you remain loyal when your peers have fallen? When God tests you with dwindling numbers, Will You Still Stand?! Without godly leaders, the church is weak. Do you have enough backbone to stay when others fade and fall? Can you stand defending your Lord's Alamo, when death is imminent? Spurgeon asked “can you stand in the gap and be the last of a few heroic men who will defend the pass against all comers.....Great numbers go with the tide, how many can swim against the current?”
Ill. There is a scene from the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, where on the evening before the great battle, the three heroes leave the army of Rohan behind and one of the generals in despair concludes, they left because it was hopeless, “Too few have come, we can not defeat the armies of Mordor” the general says, secretly looking for some hope. Not giving him any King Theoden states bluntly “No. . . We can not.” And as that sobering truth begins to demoralize and discourage all of his soldiers, He emphasizes one last point: “But we will meet them in battle nonetheless!”
Do you have the courage to fight what seems at times, to be a losing battle? Will you stand when all others fall away? Even if you are standing alone? In Hebrews 10:25 we read “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one – and all the more as you see the day approaching” We need to seek the comfort and instruction of good doctrinal teaching and preaching from a gospel believing church, and even more so as we see that we are living in the last days!
