Blueprints for a Healthy Church week 5

Warning against Apostasy

As we continue our series in 1 Timothy looking at Blueprints for a healthy church, we hear Paul give warning against Apostasy.

Blueprints have elements included in them for prevention, such as safety measures like escape routes, fire safety, and the location of shutoff vales or breakers.

In our text this morning Paul provides some elements of prevention, that as believers we need to be aware of false teachings, and apostasy.

Paul elaborated on the nature of the errors in Ephesus and on Timothy’s role in opposing them.

In chapter 1 Paul warned of the false teachings in Ephesus, 1 Timothy 1:3-7

1 Timothy 1:3–7 NASB95

3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

Now Paul gives an example of such errors in our text found in the first five verses of chapter 4.

In the first three verses Paul warned against adopting ascetic practices that would prohibit marriage and also against abstinence from certain foods.

Then in verse 4, Paul argued that all of God’s creation is good.

Verse 5, Paul shows how the expression of gratitude in a prayer of thanksgiving sanctifies everything which God has made.

Look with me at our text, 1 Timothy 4:1-5

1 Timothy 4:1–5 NASB95

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

I. Leaving the Truth

Verse 1 begins with, now the Spirit, this is the Holy Spirit, who is the source of prophecy.

This prophecy could have been referring to what Jesus said in Mark 13:22

Mark 13:22 NASB95

22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Jesus was warning that there would be false teachings, even to the point that the false teachers would do signs and wonders that would lead people astray.

Verse one then continues with in later times, the early Christians believed they were living in the last days.

The final days began with Jesus’ ministry and will conclude with His return.

What Paul meant by later times, was that he saw evidence for the arrival of the last days in the persons of the false teachers in Ephesus with their emphasis on asceticism and abstinence from foods.

Paul continues with Some will depart from the faith, the some here were professing Christians in Ephesus.

These professing Christians would turn from the doctrinal content that they had earlier accepted.

A mere profession of faith does not guarantee the actual possession of eternal life.

I can profess that I am a lawyer, but it does not make me a lawyer, I would have to go to school and then take the bar exam.

The emptiness of mere profession would become clear by the departure from Christianity of some of the Ephesians.

John speaks of this in 1 John 2:19

1 John 2:19 NASB95

19They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

These departing from the faith will depart because they paid attention to deceitful spirits.

The deceitful spirits here are demonic evil spirits who work through individuals.

According to Pew Research, 20% of Muslim adults in America say they were raised in another religion or with no religion.

Of that 20%, 13% say they were raised in the Christian faith before changing to the Muslim faith.

Paul tells the Ephesians that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces

Ephesians 6:12 NASB95

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Paul is warning against Apostasy in our text.

Apostasy is turning against God, as evidence by abandonment and rejection of former beliefs.

The term apostasy generally refers to a deliberate renouncing of the faith by a once sincere believer rather than a state of ignorance or mistaken knowledge.

Paul is telling us that apostasy will take place from the time Jesus was on earth until He returns, but it will get much worse just before Jesus’ return.

II. Cause of Apostasy

In the last part of verse one, we see what has and will cause the apostasy, why people will leave the truth of Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 4:1 NASB95

1b paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

People begin to listen and pay attention to deceitful spirits, these are the false teachers that are being used by the great deceiver Satan.

Deception was a leading trait of the false teachers.

We are told the source of the false teachings, the deceitful spirit is doctrines of demons, that is the false teachers are influence by demons.

Paul speaks on this in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 NASB95

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Satan is an imitator and will use people to lead others away from following God.

It comes as a shock to some people that Satan uses professed Christians in the church to accomplish his work.

But Satan once used Peter to try to lead Jesus on a wrong path, in Matthew 16:21-23

Matthew 16:21–23 NASB95

21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Paul warned that false teachers would arise from within the church when speaking to the believers at Ephesus in Acts 20:30

Acts 20:30 NASB95

30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

These false teachers do not try to build up the church or relate people to the Lord Jesus Christ in a deeper way.

Instead they want to get disciples to follow them and join their groups and promote their programs.

The doctrines of demons was not meaning that the false teachers were teaching about demons, but that their teachings originated from demons.

The way we are to avoid false teachings is we must know the genuine truth deeply - not just chase every new idea.

We are told in 1 John 4:1

1 John 4:1 NASB95

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

When building a house, you are required to have inspections done throughout the building process, this is to make sure everything is done properly.

When building the body of Christ, in the local church we must make sure everything is based and centered on the Word of God.

III. The Heartless Hypocrisy of False Teachers

1 Timothy 4:2 NASB95

2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

In this verse Paul continues to speak about the false teachers, and Jesus warned of false teachers in His sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15–20 NASB95

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

False teachers preach one thing but practice another.

They tell their disciples what to do, but they do not do it themselves.

Satan works by means of hypocrisy of liars.

A mark of a true servant of God is his honesty and integrity: He practices what he preaches.

This does not mean he is sinlessly perfect, but that he sincerely seeks to obey the Word of God.

Verse two continues with seared in their own conscience, the word seared here means cauterized.

Just as a person’s flesh can be branded so that it becomes hard and without feeling, so a person’s conscience can be deadened.

Whenever we affirm with our lips something that we deny with our lives, we deaden our consciences just a little more.

Jesus made it clear that it is not religious talk or even performing miracles that qualifies a person for heaven, but doing God’s will in everyday life.

Many times false teachers appear to be harmless, but spiritually they are corrupt and destroy.

False teachers will use Scripture, but they twist it, and leave parts out so that it fits their agenda.

IV. They Profess to know God, but in Works they Deny Him.

1 Timothy 4:3–5 NASB95

3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

The false teachers in Ephesus combined Jewish legalism with Eastern asceticism.

One thing that the false teachers were teaching is that an unmarried life was more spiritual than a married life, which is contrary to Scripture.

We see that a it is not good for a man to be alone from the beginning, in Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 NASB95

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Jesus speaks about marriage in Matthew 19, when questioned by the Pharisees on divorce.

Matthew 19:4–6 NASB95

4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

After responding to the Pharisees, the disciples asks Jesus if it is better not to marry, Jesus responds in Matthew 19:11-12

Matthew 19:11–12 NASB95

11 But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 “For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

In the church at Ephesus, the false teachers were teaching to not get married, today false teachers are teaching that there is nothing wrong with same sex marriage, and also transgenders.

We need to be aware of any religious teaching that tampers with God’s institution of marriage, or God’s creation.

Everything God does is good, and that means the gender a person was created male or female is good, and it was not a mistake, and should not be changed.

The false teachers were also teaching that certain foods were forbidden to eat, and if you eat them you were not a Christian.

The false teachers were not concerned with the fact that God called His own creation good, and that God showed Peter in Acts chapter ten that all food was clean and good to eat.

The false teachers used this as authority to dictate diets over their followers.

Those who believe and know the truth are not impressed with the do’s and don’ts of the legalist.

There are people who cannot eat certain foods because of allergies, but no food is to be rejected for spiritual reasons.

A grocery store once threw out thousands of dollars of perfectly good food because a machine misprinted expiration dates.

The food was healthy, safe, and nourishing, but the bad label declared it spoiled.

Some teachers in Timothy’s day were mislabeling God’s good gifts (marriage and food) as bad.

The problem was not the gift - it was false labeling.

If we do not know the truth, then we can be easily deceived and lead astray.

We must test, check, and inspect the things that are being taught, are they truth from the Word of God, fully from the Word of God, or have they been manipulated to lead us astray.