II Thessalonians 2:1-3

1. Intro.
1. apostasy is a "falling away" from what was once believed
1. this is not talking about a lose of salvation
2. there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God
3. the "falling away" is by people like Judas (never saved, an imitator)
4. the imitators will multiply, and move further from the truth
2. before the return of Christ there will be a great apostasy
1. sin will become more rampant
2. love in God’s people will grow cold (love for others will be replaced by a self love)
3. there will be shipwreck everywhere
3. God’s great concern is not what they fall into, but what they are falling away from
1. many Christians are losing confidence in the power of Jesus name
2. they are falling away from a child-like faith in Christ alone
3. they no longer see Christ as the answer to all of life’s problems
4. they have turned to methods, psychology, human expertise, and doctrines of men
4. Isaiah was given a message that could easily be applied to our day – Isaiah 30:8
1. he had warned the people not to "go back to Egypt" Isaiah 30:2 (a type of the world)
2. in "going back to Egypt," they would reject the Lord as their ever present help
3. what Isaiah has to say is very accurate, and true of our day as well
2. evidence of the apostasy – Isaiah 30:1-2, 31:1 (no longer sought God’s counsel or help)
1. they were called "rebellious children" – Isaiah 30:1
1. they committed the ultimate sin – rejection of God
2. this sin is a slap in God’s face
3. God calls it a compound sin "add sin to sin"
4. this sin is worse that drugs, alcohol, theft, and lying
1. this sin is against God Himself
2. the other sins are against His Law
2. something to remember: this all has to do with being delivered from the problems of life
1. how are God’s people supposed to be delivered from the problems of life
2. the problems that Israel faced are really no different than the problems we face
1. it was bigger than them
2. it was more powerful than them
3. how are we to face the problems that arise in our life
1. Israel did not turn to God for their help
2. they looked to Egypt (the world) for help
3. trust in the world will only bring emptiness and anguish – Isaiah 30:3, 5, 7 (the world cannot help us)
1. Isaiah is painting a terrible picture here
1. God’s people willingly went back to what they had been delivered from
2. they were going back to a world system that only brought pain and suffering
2. look at the church today – where does it get it’s help and direction
1. people no longer desire the power of God
2. they have gone back to the world for wisdom
1. the world teaches 12 steps to recovery, but the Bible only teaches 2 (repent and believe)
2. they have turned from faith in Christ to faith in the world
3. they no longer want to bear the reproach of the cross
4. they do not seek the power and help of God in prayer
3. apostate churches have borrowed the world’s music and entertainment
4. the average church bulletin is more like a theater calendar of event
5. all in hope of gaining a crowd
6. they have no passion for souls, just crowds
3. cause of apostasy – Isaiah 30:9-10
1. apostate churches want nothing to do with preachers of righteousness
1. they refuse correction [will not hear the law of the Lord]
2. they excuse everything under the banner of love
3. they love entertainment
4. they flock to concerts, plays, and social gatherings
5. they ridicule and mock what they call "doomsday preachers"
6. they don’t want a preacher to tell them the hard truth
7. they say "peak unto us smooth things" and make us feel good
2. they hate the message of holiness – Isaiah 30:10-12
1. instead of holiness, they want to hear prosperity
2. why do people embrace the prosperity message, and reject calls to holiness
1. because of their lifestyle – Deuteronomy 31:20
2. prosperity preaching fits the success oriented lifestyle of today
3. there is no desire to give up anything (they are into buying, acquiring, enjoying, and climbing)
4. there is no desire to hear about crosses and losses
1. Jesus said, "deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me"
2. Paul said, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord"
5. one day the party will be over
6. apostate churches only give lip service to God – Ezekiel 33:30-32
1. the Word does not effect them
2. they do not allow the Holy Spirit to reveal sin in their lives
3. God hate the hypocrite most of all
3. they totally reject the call to salvation – Isaiah 30 15-16
1. "in returning" is another way of saying repentance
2. "rest" is another way to say faith
3. God’s message has always been the same: repentance and faith
4. the end result of apostasy – Isaiah 30:12-13
1. there will be a sudden collapse of those individuals and ministries that rejected the Word of God
2. thousands of apostates will tremble in shame and terror – Isaiah 30:17
1. there will be no hiding place, no rest, and no inner strength
2. the kingdom of self, pride and ambition is coming down
3. this warning should not trouble Christians who are fully trusting in Jesus Christ
5. the apostasy reveals that Jesus Christ is about to return for His own – II Thessalonians 2:1-3
1. before His wrath is displayed, we will be "gathered together unto Him" – II Thessalonians 2:1
1. this is the rapture; we go to Him
2. the judgment has not yet begun
2. before we are raptured out, there will be a great apostasy
1. this does not mean that we should give up and quit
2. it means that we should stand firm because our redemption draweth nigh
3. it means our race is about over, we should give it all we got
4. the finish line is in sight, don’t faint now
5. the way we finish a race often determines the rewards
3. the knowledge of the rapture should bring comfort to the Christian in this evil world – I Thes. 4:16-18
6. conclusion
1. does this message frighten or trouble you – search your heart
2. do you see the great apostasy taking place today, or are you a part of it
3. what response will this message bring from you (ignore it, or stand firm and rejoice)