The Great Apostasy Part I

Matthew 24:3–14 ESV

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The end of the age is not about if but when...

Many will be led astray… not can but will be led astray

Shifting terrain just the beginning

war and rumors of war

nation against nation; kingdom against kingdom

Famines

earthquakes

Great falling away and betrayal of one another in the Kingdom

Increase of lawlessness turns the heart of many “Cold”

The proclaimed gospel will be the marturion (testimony; witness)

only after the marturion/testimony/witness does the end come

After the tribulation there are signs that appear; darkened moon, stars fall from heaven, powers of heaven shaken… the church (called, set apart, legal right to gather to worship) are still in place when do they leave

Matthew 24:30–31 ESV

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

the elect (church) are gathered from the four winds

The great apostacy will occur with it is also the awakening of the body of Christ

Conditions of Humanity in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Times of difficulty provoked by humanity’s condition

Lovers of self; Pride of self

Matt 24:37-39 eating and drinking; marrying and given to marriage

their focus was on the self and the “me” was more important than a heart surrendered.

Love of self lead many to broken self-centered theology

Led to a seared conscience

1 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

Pursuit of broken theology will seared conscience

the teachings of deceitful spirits (Sparkle creed)

Teaching of demons

every perfect stone was on lucifer… same stones given to priest.... now stones are supposedly able to heal and do miracles

raising up of false teaching/prophets

Led to wandering

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Consumer-centric gospel tells you people no longer want to hear the multifaceted knowledge of God…

if it does not satiate their desire… they want nothing to do with it

Gather teachers that will tell them what they want to hear

The 5 fold were called to prevent people falling away… to call home the lost, defend the flock, make disciples, to be fruitful and multiply the kingdom

Become Scoffers of the Gospel

2 Peter 3:3–4 ESV

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

God’s grace is taken as weakness or non-existence

People believe they have time or simply the end will never come.

Awakening the Church

2 Timothy 4:5–6 ESV

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

Be free of every form of mental and spiritual drunkeness; putoff

excess

rashness (carelessness;

Be well balanced

we worship in spirit and truth

we are not building up teachers for ourselves that will only tell us what we want… or waste time glory chasing

Endure Suffering

lay down you life for another…

your needs, wants and desire come second to building the kingdom… not the way we have been taught to pursue our happiness.

Called to proclaim the gospel to the nations… we need to

Restates Col 4:17 fulfill the ministry you have received from the Lord

Paul makes a bold statement that we should all seek… he senses his ministry is coming to an end and like fashion states he is being poured out like a drink offering…

In Numbers the drink offering is poured onto the offering symbolizing a completed offering… That is that as Paul senses his end is near his death and end of ministry will mark the completeness if his offering and service here on earth to the Lord...

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Church we are called to be poured out as a drink offering, at the end of our life can we look back and say I gave my life for the Lord… I have become His witness/His martyr proclaiming the gospel.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”