Sunday Sermons

Remaining Faithful

Mark Dunagan
05/14/06 - Sunday Morning

Remaining Faithful

From Genesis to Revelation there are warnings in both Testaments directed to God’s people about the danger of falling away and departing from God and His truth (Hosea 4:6; Amos 8:11; John 15:6; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 3:12; 2 Peter 1:10). In this lesson I want to discuss the practical aspects of “How to remain faithful” and what will lead one to God and what will lead one away from God.

A love for the truth: Proverbs 23:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

I was thinking of starting this lesson with the category of “Bible Study” and yet there are many people who have fallen away who regularly read and study the Bible. Simply reading and studying the Bible and picking out what one wants to believe does not result in salvation. Paul spoke of some who were, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Unless one loves God and His truth, one will use the Scriptures for selfish ends, “Which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16); “Not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). And loving the truth will not happen if we refuse to place ourselves completely behind God’s interests (Luke 14:26). Using Christianity as a spring-broad for self-advancement or as a means of advancing our own interests and agenda will result in apostasy, “And constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose godliness is a means of gain” (1 Timothy 6:5). This means that if we are going to remain faithful, we must remove ourselves from the lead character of this reality, for this life is all about God, not ourselves (Galatians 2:20). When we see how much beauty is brought into our lives when we are obeying God’s word, the truth becomes easy to love.

Bible Study

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). The reason that Bible Study is so essential is:

· The Bible is the only book that presents God’s truth (John 17:17; Jude 3).

· False doctrines and theories constantly surround us (2 Timothy 4:2-4), we are being constantly pressured to “conform”(Romans 12:1-2), and we are surrounded by false loves, false friends, false standards (1 John 2:15-17).

· The devil is a master of disguise (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Hebrews 5:14), and many errors will sound good (Romans 16:18).

· Practical answers for daily living (marriage, parenting, dealing with school or a work environment.

· Comfort during distress as we see the eternal picture (Romans 5:3-5).

· A clear perspective toward current events and the privilege of sharing God’s counsel with others.

It has been my experience that people often fall away when they reach a point that they believe that they cannot be deceived and that they will inherently or instinctively be able to detect false doctrine without God’s help (Jeremiah 10:23). Equally dangerous is the view that our feelings, preferences or thoughts are just naturally the same as God’s (Isaiah 55:8-9). In contrast, regular Bible Study helps us see how far we are at times from God’s thoughts and how limited we are in our own knowledge and grasp of what is right. It equally helps us remain within God’s “normal”.

Attend Regularly: Hebrews 10:24-25

Along with coming together to worship, remembering the death of Jesus (Acts 20:7,; encouraging each other (1 Thessalonians 5:14); and being equipped through teaching (Ephesians 4:11-13), allow me to point out some other practical aspects of attendance:

· It helps counteract the tendency to feel sorry for myself. When I interact regularly with other Christians I soon discover that they are facing the same types of trials and temptations that I face (1 Corinthians 10:13; Ecclesiastes 9:11 “for time and chance overtake them all”).

· Such a practice of interaction with knowledgeable and faithful Christians helps remove some of the nonsense in my head. My silly human theories start to crumble as I listen to the well-thought-out comments in our Bible Classes, and my preconceived ideas and presumptions are regularly exposed for correction (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Being part of a sound congregation is like being in a good marriage, the rough edges get knocked off in the process, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). I like what Marvin Olasky said when he noted, “Christianity is true and churches are God’s major vehicles for growing believers, so despite all that goes wrong in them, they’re still the only true game in town” (World Magazine January 1/8 2005, p. 96).

Belonging to a truth honoring congregation

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). If this is true concerning individual friendships and the company we keep, how much more concerning an entire congregation of dangerous company? It is extremely difficult to remain sound and faithful in our own convictions and thinking when we are part of an unfaithful group.

· Not only is there the problem with filtering out the untrue comments or assertions now and then (and trying to filter them out of your children’s thinking as well), but simply the quality and the depth of overall teaching and comments in class will be sub par as well.

· Usually a congregation who honors pure doctrine will honor God’s moral standards as well.

· I know this can be a sensitive subject, and a good many have argued that Jesus did not tell Christians in the congregations which were having problems in the Revelation letter to leave, but more needs to be said on this point.

· Yes there were a few people in Sardis who had not soiled their garments, yet nothing is said about the church in Sardis embracing or tolerating any false doctrine, rather the congregation was no longer spiritually active. (3:1-2).

· It is also assumed in these congregations which were tolerating error that the error was still in the minority and the error was no longer to be tolerated (2:14-15; 2:20), this is not the same situation in which error is in the majority. A congregation can only obey the command to stop tolerating error when most people in the congregation are still sound in their own thinking.

· I know that some preachers will argue that the faithful members in Sardis were not told to leave, but I often see the same preachers not following their own advice. I find them leaving when they no longer feel that they can be faithful and still work with a particular congregation.

· In addition, there is no verse that says that any Christian is to have an unquestioning loyalty to any particular congregation. Our allegiance is not to a congregation it is to Christ. We have a definite obligation not only to save ourselves (Acts 2:40; Philippians 2:12), but as husbands and fathers to spiritually protect our wives (1 Peter 3:7; Ephesians 5:26), as well as our children (Ephesians 6:4). I have a hard time harmonizing the direct command to bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord while at the same time remaining in a congregation in which they are subjected to repeated error or poor teaching.

Marry a Faithful Christian: 1 Peter 3:7

Life is all about making choices, and many choices have a host of unforeseen consequences. I hope that people who marry an unbeliever are not under the misconception that this choice will only impact them on Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Consider the ramifications of not marrying a faithful Christian:

· I am choosing to forego spiritual encouragement from a mate.

· My children will probably grow up with a divided loyalty.

· We will have different values concerning movies, finances entertainment, parenting, right and wrong, language, and so on.

· I will be giving all my love and affection to someone who probably will end up lost, and I will be cooking, cleaning, or providing for someone who is not doing anything to further God’s will in this world.

· I may become “outnumbered” and even a minority in my own home.

· Over the long haul I will probably do more of the compromising, and in the end what will I really have in common with them?

· It will be very hard to continue to love them and at the same time love the God who will punish them if they do not repent—something must give.

· How do I grow spiritually without “outgrowing” them? What happens to the romance when you suddenly realize that the person to whom you are married is selfish and immature—and wants to stay that way?

On the other hand if I marry a faithful Christian, as a couple it will be more likely that we will win the souls of our children. Better decisions will be made together based upon godly principles, there will be more opportunities to meet our full spiritual potential, and more compatibility and intimacy.

Love the Brotherhood: 1 Peter 2:17

Apostasy starts to take root when preachers start preaching and members start enjoying sermons that are simply another attack upon the Lord’s church. “Jokes and satire that make light of baptism, scriptural music, the one church, insistence on book, chapter and verse, do not encourage love for the church” (The Spiritual Sword, April 2000, p. 23). Rather, such teaching only feeds disdain for the Lord’s church and not love. The reason we love the church revealed in the Bible is because it is the result of God’s planning (Ephesians 3:10-11), and any attack upon its organizational structure, terms of entrance, or worship is a swipe at God Himself (Jude 15). “An often heard excuse of those who forsake the church is that the church is not as loving as it ought to be. There is sometimes a sort of spiritual smugness that suggests having found superior love apart from the Lord’s body. But it is a love that influences others to abandon the truth? How much charity is there in an example that says following the Scriptures is not important?” (The Spiritual Sword p. 25).

The Importance of Doctrine: 1 Timothy 4:16

· Be glad that you have an “answer” for both questions and error (1 Peter 3:15).

· Appreciate and respect God’s limits (2 John 9).

· Faithfully preserve what has been entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:13).

· Take a good look at those who have departed and see what they are now unable to figure out. Has leaving God’s council cleared or muddied their thinking?

· You are trying to save yourself—not make a name for yourself (1 Timothy 4:16), so we do not need to come up with new doctrine to do so.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/504-644-9017