Practical Christianity – Going After Straying Sheep

Text: James 5:19-20; Hebrews 6:4-6

Theme: Christians have a responsibility to seek out those who have backslidden by wandering from the faith.

How should the Church handle those saints who, as James puts it, have “wandered from the truth?” It is a problem as old as the church.

We don’t have to read through the Holy Scriptures very far before we discover examples of God’s people who have wandered from the truth, erred in the faith, or backslide in their conduct. The Old Testament is one continuous story of Israel backsliding, repenting, getting right with God, living for God for a time and then starting the process all over again.

In the New Testament we have similar examples. There is the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They sold some land and promised to give all of the proceeds to the disciples in order to help feed and cloth the poor. In reality, they held some of the profit back for themselves, but insisted to the disciples that they had given it all. The sad conclusion of the story is known to every believer who has ever read the Book of Acts.

Even the Apostle Peter did not always behave as becoming a spirit-filled believer. We have the account of Peter fellowshipping with the Gentile Christians in Antioch until some of his Jewish Christian friends showed up. When they did, Peter disassociated himself with the Gentile Christians. The Apostle Paul publically called him down for his hypocrisy.

Last week we looked at what James says about dealing with the physically sick. Tonight he speaks to us about how to deal with the spiritually sick.

I. THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY OF WANDERING FROM THE FAITH

1. James assumes that some believers will backslide

a. in vs. 19 he addressed his hearers, My brothers, if one of you should wander ... “

b. from personal experience, James had probably witnessed the backsliding of some of God’s people

c. he knows that some believers will not always live up to the full measure of Christ-like character and behavior

2. genuine faith will always sustain and keep us

a. however, faith when neglected, becomes a weak faith

1) we neglect our faith when we neglect prayer

2) we neglect our faith when we neglect bible study

3) we neglect our faith when we neglect fellowship with God’s people

4) we neglect our faith when we neglect worship

b. when we neglect our faith, we are in danger of drifting from the faith and truth of the gospel

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1, NIV)

ILLUS. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the apostle refers to two former companions: Demas and Alexander. Both wandered from the truth. Paul wrote that Demas “loved this present world” too much and that Alexander disputed with Paul over the Gospel. We see in these two men that believers can wander from the truth in our morality as well as our doctrine.

3. every pastor knows the heartbreak caused by those who profess Christ yet turn their backs on Him, live in overt, blatant sin, or joins a cult

A. THE POSSIBILITY OF BACKSLIDDING LIES AT THE DOOR OF EVERY BELIEVER

1. the desire of James is that no believer would ever stray from the faith

2. but the little prepositional word if indicates that the possibility is always there

3. rarely do does the faithful believer set out to backslide or drift from the faith

a. I’ve never met a believer who has wandered from the faith who got up one day and decided, This is the day I begin to wander from the faith

b. it usually happens over a period of time

4. the KJV uses the phrase err from the truth, while the NIV says wander from the truth

a. the word literally means to roam from safety

b. the idea is that of an owner’s sheep or livestock wandering off from the safety of the heard as it grazes

5. most back-slidden Christians do not run away from church or the truth of God’s word

a. little by little, they wander off until, suddenly, they are gone

B. REASONS WHY BELIEVERS WANDER

1. why do people grow spiritually cold and wander from the faith?

a. it’s a serious question we need to ask

2. some believers will wander from the faith because of their own apathy and spiritual inactivity

a. they neglect all those things I referred to earlier ...

1) prayer, bible study, fellowship with God’s people, and worship

b. they no longer watch themselves and guard their hearts

“ “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—” (Deuteronomy 4:9, ESV)

c. when your heart’s desire is not Jesus and the things of God no longer thrill your soul, it is easy to grow disenchanted with the church and even with Jesus and you begin down the backslidder’s path

ILLUS. The Family has a reunion and we leave after Sunday School. Summer comes with all it’s activities, and we miss three or four Sundays in a row for one reason or another. “We tell ourselves, ‘It won’t hurt if we miss.” The weather is bad and we assume that even God wouldn’t show up on a morning like this.

d. some believers will wander from the faith because of their own apathy and spiritual inactivity

3. some believers will wander from the faith because of the bickering and quarreling of God’s people

a. let’s face it, Christians are not always lovely people

1) we say things that hurt others that we don’t mean

2) we say things to hurt others that we do mean (or sometimes we do)

3) feelings get hurt and people stop coming to church or our feelings get hurt and we stop coming to church

b. some believers will wander from the faith because of the bickering and quarreling of God’s people

4. some believers will wander from the faith because of the hypocrisy of a few believers

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” (Galatians 2:11–13, ESV)

a. there is always the temptation to keep our eyes on some person in the church instead of on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith

b. when we keep our eyes on people, we will always be disappointed because there is a little hypocrisy in all of us

c. some believers will wander from the faith because of the hypocrisy of a few believers

5. some believers will wander from the faith because they never really were believers in the first place

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:19, ESV)

a. this verse worries me almost more than any other in the scriptures

1) when I read it, I think of all those folks who have wandered from the church

2) they’ve wandered from the church because they’re really not saved, but they think their saved because they walked an aisle, shook the preacher’s hand and were baptized

3) but in actuality, they’re as lost as lost can be

b. some will wander from the faith because they never really were believers in the first place

II. THE GREAT DANGER OF WANDERING FROM THE FAITH

1. here’s another passage that scares me

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:4–6, ESV)

A. BACKSLIDDING IS NO LIGHT MATTER

1. I don’t know how many times I’ve had an inactive church member tell me – in almost a joking manner –“Aw preacher, I’m just a backslidden ol’ Baptist.”

a. I’ve heard people say it almost with a sense of pride

b. they seem to treat their spiritual condition so lightly!

2. God does not consider backslidding a light matter – just ask Ananias and Sapphira

a. you can take the preacher lightly and think nothing is going to happen – after all, preachers are paid to say things like that to keep the offerings up

b. you can take your Christian spouse lightly and think that everything will be all right – after all, wives are supposed to nag their husbands about going to church

c. you can take your parents lightly and think that everything will be all right – after all, parents don’t know what they’re talking about – church was all right for them, but you’re different

d. but you cannot take God lightly and get away with it

1) God will not be taken lightly nor ignored

3. the author of Hebrews announces a grave consequence about the backslidden believer

a. he refers to the herculean task of reclaiming the backslidden Christian to the church

1) all of us know of folks who are professing Christians who have fallen away from the church and a Christian lifestyle

2) have you ever tried to re-interest that person in spiritual things or get them re-involved in church?

3) if so, you understand the reality of these verses in Hebrews

ILLUS. F.F. Bruce, a contemporary writer and theologian, says of the backslidden believer: “It is indeed impossible to reclaim them. We know, of course, that nothing of this sort is ultimately impossible for the grace of God, but as a matter of human experience the reclamation of such people is, practically speaking, impossible.”

b. according to the passage in Hebrews, they’ve been enlightened, they’ve tasted of heavenly things, and they have been partakers of the Holy Spirit

c. yet, “It is impossible for those ... if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.”

ILLUS. Tom Rainer, form president of Lifeway writes that, after COVID, there are five kinds of church members who will not be back.

The decreasing attendance members. Folks whose attendance was spotty before COVID and COVID gave them an excuse to completely drop out.

The disconnected church members. If a church member is in a small group, his or her likelihood of returning is high. If they attend worship only, their likelihood of attendance is much lower.

The church-is-another-activity church members. These church members see gathered attendance as yet another activity on par, or lower, than other activities. They were the church members who let inclement weather keep them from church but not their children’s Sunday soccer games.

The constant-critic church members. These church members always had some complaints and still do ... people ought to still be wearing masks ... people are sitting too close.

The cultural Christian church members. They were those church members who likely were not Christians but came to church to be accepted culturally. Today, there are few cultural expectations for people to attend church.

4. the Apostle Peter Speaks of this danger of not coming back

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”” (2 Peter 2:20–22, ESV)

2) for the Christian, active church attendance is just a common sense thing

III. TURNING A WANDERING HEART

“Should ... someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20, NIV)

1. James’ concern is not just that we are able to recognize backslidding when we see it, but that we engage those who have wandered from the faith

a. backslidden Christians are usually hurting Christians

b. verse 20 says that we are to turn them from the error of their way

1) the word error means fraudulence

2) backslidden Christians are living a fraudulent kind of life

c. deep down, most of them know that they should be living for Jesus and yet they obey the world, the flesh and the devil

d. they are headed down a road that leads to sorrow and estrangement from God

2. what are we to do?

a. James gives the simple and yet powerful answer

b. turn them back to the truth

c. the Apostle Paul agrees:

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1, ESV)

3. OK, how are we to do that?

a. from the example of Jesus, we need to learn to turn the wandering soul back to the truth by . . .

A. LOVE

1. love is a powerful force

2. rejection and condemnation does not bring the wanderer back, usually pushes them away

Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” NIV

3. reclaiming the backslidden will require love

B. INTEGRITY

1. Jesus not only had integrity, He was integrity at its best

a. integrity to the Word of God is a must

2. to turn the backslidder back, we must live the Christian life internally as well as externally

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3–5, ESV)

a. integrity sometimes means apologizing for the church when former member feels wounded

C. PRAYER

1. God says in Jeremiah 3:22 says, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your back slidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.”

a. remember, missing and former members belong to God

1) our job is to love them like Jesus loves them and trust God to return them and heal their back slidings

2. we must pray for the erring, not write them off

a. our prays must be consistent because it will require patience to reclaim wandering believers

D. CONFRONTATION

1. Jesus says that if your brother is sinning, go to them, you alone and confront the matter

a. the Apostle Paul says in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians that we are to admonish a brother who is sinning

2. remember, confrontation is not to fight, not to stir up trouble, but to turn the sinner back to the truth

To reclaim the backslidden is a spiritual thing to do. James tells us that we will save such a person from death and cover over a multitude of sins if we do so. We will also be saving the reputation of the church and of the saint who has strayed.