Apostasy and its Cure 1 Timothy 4:1-5 Abigail Favale was a feminist professor who left the faith, repented, and returned to Christ. She lamented, “I feel like I’ve been giving my students poison to drink… For so many years, I’d been careless, careless with their minds and, most disturbingly, their souls… My conscience was now… asking: So, is any of this true?” - The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT), “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.” What should the true church prepare for? 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT), “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith.” • Apostasy (apostēsontai) • “to depart” or “to fall away” • Apostasy is not losing your faith, like you lose your keys. • Apostasy is a deliberate, decisive, rejection – a total abandonment of the Christian faith – turning away from God, divorcing from anything Christian. When will this apostasy happen? 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT), “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith.” • The last days are prior to the return of Christ. • Luke 18:8, When the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” • 2 Timothy 3:1, “… in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” How do we know apostasy will happen? 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT), “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith.” • The Spirit of Truth says that truthless times are ahead and are here now. • In 2016, the Oxford Dictionary word of the year was “post-truth.” • Jesus predicted a coming apostasy. • Matt. 24:10, “And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.” • Just a year or two before Paul wrote 1 Timothy, Paul stopped to see the elders near Ephesus. He said to them in Acts 20:28, “So guard yourselves and God’s people… 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out!” Why will the apostasy happen? 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT), “...they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods.” • The cause of apostasy is false teachers, hypocrites (who are in reality demonic actors, and tools of deception). • False teachers have no conscience. • False teachers will gain influence and notoriety among a Christian audience, and speak in pulpits and podcasts, and write curriculums, tracts, and books. They will even write their own Scripture. • Two big lies mentioned here: it’s wrong to marry, and it’s wrong to eat certain foods. • But our appetite for food and the joy of marriage the sexual bonds, are God-given, human hungers. They are not “unspiritual” as the false teachers taught. • Whatever the reason, the Holy Spirit tells us this false teaching is rated “D” for demonic. • Demonic teaching is any rejection of God’s Word, God’s good gifts in God’s good creation. What protects us from apostasy? 1 Timothy 4:3b (NLT), “But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.” • The best protection from apostasy is to live in this world as God made you to be… constantly and faithfully give thanks to God. • G. K. Chesterton expanded this prayer. He said, “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” • 1 Timothy 6:17 (NLT), “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” • Almost 400 years ago, the shorter Westminster Confession said, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” • As God’s people, created in God’s image, we are appointed His stewards of His enjoyments: the joys of food and drink, marriage and sex, children and parenthood and family. We are stewards of the joys of work, service, play, rest, and worship. • Here is the cure, the best protection from apostasy. The full enjoyment of God and thankfulness for all his good gifts. • I’ve never met a thankful Christian who left the faith. CONCLUSION John 10:10 (NLT), “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”