Why People Fall Away

Introduction

This morning we’re going to talk for a few minutes about the journey of faith. I preached a sermon a couple of months ago from a text in 1 Timothy chapter 1 called Grace Poured Out. And we looked at verses 12 through 17. And this morning we’re going to continue in that reading down at verse 18 of 1 Timothy chapter 1. This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son. In accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, I’m curious as to what those might have been, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

I want to talk for a few moments this morning about people who surrender the walk of faith, the journey of faith, and make shipwreck of it. I believe there are more and more doing that, at least that’s my experience, that the number of casualties of those who fall away spiritually grows to epidemic levels. Why is that? While I was away in my meeting in Brownsburg, a brief visit to Facebook led me to a post by Terry Francis. Some of you may know Terry. He preaches in Memphis, Tennessee, for the East Shelby Church, where I’ve held a number of meetings and I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Terry there. But the question that he posed is, why do you think people leave the Lord? Or why do you think people leave the Lord completely?

I think perhaps he was looking more for answers in the vein of this, these are the reasons why people leave and never come back, ever. But I would suggest that the reasons they leave initially are often the reasons that are the reasons why they never come back. And a lot of the answers that were given may reflect either, but I want to share a few of those with you. And if you’re following around, following what I put up on the slides, you may not be able to stay with all of this. And so if you want to copy, I’ll give it to you later. But people had so many insightful things to say about why people leave the Lord. A preacher’s wife that I know said, people leave the Lord because the devil is good at his job.

As we’ve been noticing that in our study in the auditorium. Another said, it’s because of pride. People would rather do what they want instead of what God wants. Complacency leads to apathy. Another said.

Of happiness and joy. And then my neighbor in Auburn said because it is impossible to live in conflict with oneself indefinitely, people either change their actions to match their beliefs or change their beliefs to match their actions.

People leave the Lord because they choose the wrong friends.

Rocky and thorny soil is the reason. In Luke 8, 13 and 14. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear receive the word with joy, and they have no firm root. They believe for a while, but in time of temptation they fall away. And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way, they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity. Another said, all living things are constantly in one of two states, growing or dying. I believe this is the same for our spirit. Your answer to this question may simply be a malnourished spirit or a dying dead spirit.

The path of least resistance seems so much easier and free. And this person’s husband, who is a gospel preacher, who I know well said, moral issue. It’s easier to leave him than live for him. Totally out of ignorance. Because they do not realize what they are doing or saying and the consequences of their decision. It’s easier to trust in what is seen than what is unseen. Therefore, they trust themselves more than God. They believe the lie that Satan puts before them. Disappointment with brethren. Convenience, unfortunately, we love convenience. Alternatively, convictions are hard to defeat. True commitment to a belief, regardless of the comfort of the immediate consequences. This likely survives. That which we believe and or practice, however, simply due to the convenience of it, will almost certainly become inconvenient sooner or later.

What then? These are some of the responses that were given. And these are ones that I thought were worthy of some contemplation. And do explain why it is the people leave the Lord and sometimes leave him completely.

Have you seen one? Well, I think if we start thinking shipwreck, the first thing that comes to mind is that big boat, the Titanic that smashed into the iceberg and the movies and the books and everything that’s been done in relation to that great event in history of the ship, the unsinkable ship that sank. Other than that, I have very little association with shipwrecks. However, tragic that is, the loss of life, this massive structure floating on the water that goes to the depths in doom. None of that is even closely to be compared with the shipwreck of a soul.

The loss of spiritual life.

While the personal struggles may vary from person to person that lead to the ultimate decision to quit serving the Lord, there are several things that are in common to everyone’s decision who leaves the Lord. This lesson this morning is going to build upon the things that I taught last week. As I talked about saving thoughts and destructive thoughts from Romans chapter 10. When I got this idea, I thought good follow-up to that lesson. So that’s what we’re doing. This is really part two to that.

And I’ve said it here in the past, but it’s been so long you might have forgotten it.

Than five. There are people who were serving the Lord faithfully just a handful of years ago who are no longer serving the Lord now. Now, I’ve been here four and a half years. There are people who have made shipwreck of the faith in that time in our group. And that’s true of almost every congregation’s experience, whether it’s 50 people or 500, and certainly if it’s 500 or 600 people. And the really frightening thing to me about that is that means if we live to the year 2018, that somebody in this audience today, if statistics hold true, if we don’t shore up our faith like we need to, that there will be somebody sitting here today who will not be sitting among the Lord’s people on the first day of the week five years from now.

1. Always an Issue of Unbelief

And that’s frightening to me. That I’m talking to someone right now, listening to these thoughts, who will choose at some point in the future to leave the Lord. And they may do so completely and irrevocably never to return. Just five years. Five years doesn’t seem like a very long time, but a lot can happen in people’s circumstances that cause them to make horrible spiritual decisions and to ultimately leave their faith behind. This can be you unless you make application of the thoughts that are being presented. Let me tell you what it always is. When people leave the Lord, it is always without exception an issue of unbelief. It’s always that. Chris Emerson commented, and this is the thought that really got me into this idea this morning.

He said, for so many, the line between belief and disbelief is very thin. Now let me stop and say that’s really the title of this lesson. I was throwing things at Scott and he put it on the website and I put it on the slides, but really the sermon isn’t titled a very thin line. For so many, the line between belief and disbelief is very thin. And they are on the belief side for any number of reasons. But knowledge of God and evidence of God and the Bible are sadly not among them. So the line is crossed one day, and while they thought it would be harder, it wasn’t. They fly away as if a rubber band has snapped and rarely have substantial reason to go back.

The very thin and fragile line can be easily crossed by difficult circumstances and challenging circumstances. And so often their commitment is more born out of a family member’s commitment or faith, or due to their tradition rather than the Lord Himself. And confidence in his word and confidence in him. And thus, when difficult and discouraging circumstances present themselves, convictions don’t run strong enough, they don’t run deep enough to see us through. That’s why I like to quote Jude 20 and 21 when I do meetings in other places. Beloved, build yourselves up in the most holy faith. Keep yourselves in the love of God and await anxiously the mercy to be shown to us, Jude says. Build yourselves up in the most holy faith. As persuasive as I can try to be, as eloquently as I can try to present, and sometimes not very so, this message to you.

As much as I want to encourage in you a love for God and a love for his will and a love for his truth and a love for his people, ultimately, all of those things are going to depend upon you. Your decision, your faith, your convictions. And I’ll tell you what these assemblies are partly about. They are about me bolstering my convictions. Me strengthening my faith so that I don’t fall into unbelief. These are an anchor point in my life. I need these occasions. I need this study together with brethren. I need these songs and prayers together. And aren’t you glad you don’t have to have a great GPA to go to heaven? I appreciate that, Bobby. That very thin and fragile line can be affected as one surmised.

Sometimes it’s simply people in a church that turn them off. Other members, leaders who rub them the wrong way. It’s easy for someone, and the devil probably loves it, to leave Christianity based on misbehavior or incompatibility with church members. It’s easy to say they’re all hypocrites. I want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 3. This is really the basis for this point. Hebrews 3 and verse 12. Really interesting in light of the examples he uses of the nation of Israel and their unfaithfulness to the covenant. And he’s mentioning that in both chapter 3 and chapter 4, how that they did not hear his voice and they hardened their hearts. And he says, Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God.

But encourage one another. And that’s what our assemblies are about, he’ll go on to say in Hebrews 10, stimulating one another into love and good deeds. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. You know what happened to the covenant people of old? You know why they went through those cycles, those spiritual downturns that ultimately led to oppression and trouble and captivity. You know what their problem was? It was unbelief. And as I’ve said many times, they didn’t become atheists, they didn’t quit worshiping, they just stopped believing. They stopped believing in the covenant blessings and the covenant curses. The things that God said, if you do this, I will bless you, I will do this for you.

If you do this, I’m going to curse you. And these are the curses. It’s interesting that the curses exceeded the blessings in number. And perhaps the reason why is we’re often more motivated by the negative side of things. Fear. There are more curses than blessings. But whatever the reason they quit believing those things. They quit trusting in those things. They quit trusting in the words of the covenant. And that’s what happens to people today. If I trust in God and the reliability of his message, no amount of evil, no amount of disappointment, no amount of discouragement or opposition or pain will thwart my allegiance to him. I will not change my beliefs to accommodate, to accommodate a beloved person or a family member or friend. The strength of our belief is the key.

You know, the soldier of the portrait, the soldier portrait of Ephesians chapter 6 that we’ve been talking about a lot, and Jared and I worked together and came up with the final identity notion of that portrait in Ephesians chapter 6. What is that person all about? Who has this armor, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and all of that. What’s that all about? His loins girded with truth. What’s he dressed with? Conviction. That’s what he’s dressed with. He’s dressed with conviction and trust and confidence in God. And that’s how we win in the fight as his soldiers. Well, it’s about halfway through, Scott. So take out your psalm books. I want us to sing each step I take.

Number thirty-six, and there’s one line in that I want to stress with you before we move on. Number thirty-six that I pays my Savior goes before me has he leaves away. And with Jesus Christ I was surprised to walk with his step I take.

With the help I see I have somewhat I turn and look up to my state. I am strong when he is by my sight. He said I will guide me to my until someday no last will be taken. He stepped by just me closer. I trust in God shall have my day or like the hands of the way that will be to I say I know he was like through higher he held me until someday God be taken. He sat by just be closer.

Isn’t that true of our experience as Christians? At times I feel my faith begin to waver.

When up ahead I see a chasm wide.

2. Always an Issue of Trust and Sowing and Reaping

But I trust in God. No matter come what may. No matter come what may. Because life eternal is in his hand. And so when I was thinking about the journey of faith and each step I take, this song came to mind. When people fall away, they do so. It is always an issue of a failure of trust. It is always an issue also of sowing and reaping. Ever since I wrote the sermon The Conquering King, and Sherry said, you know, you really ought to preach that in meetings. I preached it 22 times in the last five years. Should have been 23, but I ended a meeting a day early because of Sherry’s grandmother’s passing and didn’t get to preach it there. Twenty-two times. In that lesson, I talk about Galatians 6 and verse 9.

Where it says, in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary, if we do not lose heart. And I tie it to the previous two verses because actually I think that thought flows out of those that God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit reap everlasting life. And I really believe what he’s saying is that if a person loses heart and grows weary and stops in the journey of faith, it is because they have started sowing to the wrong thing. Instead of continually and constantly sowing to the Spirit, they have begun sowing to the flesh.

And so I want to tell you to make sure that your investment in sowing to the Spirit remains constant and substantial and unwavering. And when I find that I’ve not been praying as much lately.

And that’s a special and incredible and magnificent thing and a wonderful blessing. But I must confess to you, there are days when I don’t feel that. Perhaps it is something physical. Perhaps it is something emotional. But I don’t feel as good. And so I tell you what I do. I gut it out. And I think sometimes in faith, that’s exactly what we have to do. We have to gut it out. And sometimes the feelings come. Even in that particular service where it started, that I was feeling a little down, a little discouraged, a little tired. But I got something out of it that bolstered my faith. Sometimes, even though the feeling is not there, you have to plug along, and it’ll come back. Keep sowing to the spirit.

Keep emphasizing the inner man because our outer man is decaying, Paul says, but the inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 16. And in that context, he’s talking about the sufferings and experiences that he’s had as a preacher of the gospel. And though dying, he lives. And so he’s talking about all the things that happened to the outer man, and ultimately the outer man is going to die. But he is renewed and alive within. And we have to keep emphasizing that. And that’s the point, too, in Ephesians 4. When he talks about how the Gentiles walk and the way we used to walk and the futility of our mind. And then he goes on to say we didn’t learn Christ in that way.

And then he says, lay aside the old self, put on the new self in the likeness of God and holiness and truth, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. We must constantly be pursuing that. Another said, being a faithful Christian takes effort. It takes time. Why should I put my effort and time into something that on the surface doesn’t really give me anything in return? That’s how people reason. That’s why they leave. I have lots of things to do and accomplish in my life. Maybe I’m not willing to give up all those things I want in life and give my life to God. Why send prayers to a God that doesn’t seem to respond to those prayers? Am I just wasting my time? Am I just sending thoughts out into the air?

3. Always About Selfishness

Why be looked upon like some weirdo by others in the world and therefore become isolated? It’s so much easier to just give up the faith. And many reasons to do it. And that’s what people start to think. And so they start sowing to the flesh rather than sowing to the spirit. Let me tell you also, it’s always about selfishness. Another said, maybe they never gave themselves to him completely. Self is a hard thing to kill. When people leave the Lord, they have taken self and exalted him or exalted her back to a place that is improper for him or her to be. Do nothing from selfishness and empty conceit. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 3. Self must constantly be harnessed and controlled. And that’s why, when Sunday night rolls around about 4 30, and I’d say, boy, this easy chair sure is feeling pretty comfortable.

Football game off, too. Getting a little cool outside. Football, well, not really, but it will. If you hang on. Early December, surely. I could just wrap up in this warm blanket on this nice toasty recliner. I’m tired. It’s been a long week. I might be tempted with that at 4 30 this afternoon. But you know what that is? That’s self. That’s self. And that has to be harnessed and controlled if I have to say, nope, I have an obligation to God. I have an obligation to his people. These are higher things. I can rest later. There remains yet a rest for the people of God. In Hebrews chapter 4. I can cut this out for the betterment of others. You know why people leave the Lord?

4. Always an Issue of Perspective and Values

Because they want to. That’s why. As I said, they never give themselves to him completely. Self is a hard thing to kill. The fundamental rule of human behavior is people do what they want to do. And there was no king of Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. That’s the epitaph of Judges 21 and verse 25. And I’ll tell you what it always is in conclusion. It is always an issue of perspective and values. And the one leads to the other. In that context of 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul said the inner man is being renewed day by day, he goes on to say, do not look to the things which are seen. Because the things which are seen are temporal. But look to the things that are unseen.

The things that are unseen are eternal. And then he goes on to talk about having a home with God prepared in the heavens in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. This clearly reveals the problem. When people leave the Lord, they stop thinking about the unseen world that is real and important and more valuable than anything that we see. Right? What does a man profited if he gained the whole world? And lose his soul? They don’t even look at the unseen within themselves. But there is a part of us that lives on beyond this fleshly existence that is very temporary. What do you profited if you gained everything that is seen that is seen? What if you had it all? But you neglected the unseen within you. And the unseen that will last for all eternity.

Focus on the unseen vanishes. Focus on the seen dominates. And people start looking at this as having very little benefit. Nothing makes more sense than my continued devotion to the Lord. And that’s what Paul concludes in Hebrews chapter 10. He says, Don’t throw away your confidence. Your trust in these things. Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Young people, I want you to take in your Bible and I want you to underline those two words. Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance. So that when you have done the will of God, he speaks of it in the past tense, you have followed the journey of faith all the way. When you’ve done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

For yet in a very little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one shall live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But that’s not who we are. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction. But of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. The Hebrew writer was right about the very little while. No, the Lord has returned. That part of it has not yet happened, more on that this evening. But his very little while ended a long time ago, whoever he was. His very little while has come and gone.

Conclusion

And if he could speak to us now, the Hebrew writer would say, You had better endure to the end. Because the blessings are awesome. Great is the real one. And the invitation of the gospel. You know, here we are. We’re serving, we’re serving a God we’ve never seen. A Savior we’ve never seen. We’re talking about a hope that we’ve never seen. And I’m pretty sure you’ve never heard a voice from heaven. But this is a voice from heaven that is sure and steadfast. That invites you to embrace the most wonderful provisions and blessings that exist both now and unto eternity. Have you responded by faith to the saving of your soul? Can we assist you? Let’s stand and sing together.