2Timothy 1:13-15
You Are In Danger
I want to invite you to listen to several texts this morning for they
give to us a warning.
2Tim 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world, and is departed unto
Thessalonica;
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples
went back, and walked no more with him.
Matt 26:56 But all this was done, that the
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Acts 13:13 Now when Paul and his company loosed
from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia:
and John departing from them returned to
Jerusalem.
What do all of these texts show us? They all show us Christians
quitting.
While we do not know anything else of Phyellus and Hermogenes, Demas
had been a loyal follower of Jesus and His servant.
\\#Phm 1:24, Col 4:14\\
\\#John 6:66, Matt 26:56\\ - Do not record the curious forsaking
Jesus but some of Jesus’ disciples forsaking Him.
\\#Acts 13:13\\ The John who is mentioned is John Mark, the disciple
who will get his life right with God and write the gospel of Mark;
yet for a time, he walked away from his service in Jesus.
All of these texts show us Christians quitting on God. You are in
danger, Christian. In danger of what? In danger of quitting on God.
Understand that for most, quitting does not happen all at once. have
watched hundreds—if not thousands—quit on God. I have seen far more
quit on God than continue on God.
1. For most, quitting happens in steps, not all at once. People
start missing the Wednesday service, then a few Sunday
services—not in a month or two but slowly. To be honest,
they do it so slowly that most just get used to NOT seeing
them in church. Once you are not expected to be there,
quitting becomes so much easier.
2. At the same time, they stop reading their Bibles, stop
praying, start getting more preoccupied with other things,
sometimes even good things like family, or traveling, repairs
around the house, and of course work.
3. Then, before they knew it, their priorities had just changed.
God just wasn’t among them anymore. They may realize it.
Some don’t.
4. At that point, the devil can get into those fallen Christians
and start them back on the road to their old life, to their
wicked sins. He may not take them that far. He has them out
of church. He has ruined their testimony. Their church,
their place of service, has lost an important member. Satan
may be happy with that, but may not. He may want to take
them to the very dregs of sin once again.
Again, this is what happens to Christians. I remember one lady that
came in and out of this church probably a half dozen times or more.
She would come, get under conviction, make a profession of faith or
rededicate her life, struggle against sin for a few months, then go
through the cycle that I just described. We would visit her, pray
for her, counsel her, but down the tubes she would go—time after
time. She did not have follow that path, but she did.
What can be done to keep Christians straight? Let me give you some
thoughts.
I. Get in.
A. I am talking about getting into God’s kingdom, being saved.
1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not
of us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they went out,
that they might be made manifest that they were
not all of us.
1. That verse has a lot of words with several different
truths contained in them.
2. Let me pull out one truth and boil it down to just a few
words.
a. They did not stay because they do not belong.
b. "They went out…" because "they were not of us."
3. That is hard but it is Bible truth.
4. The reason most people leave the church, the Word of God,
and Jesus Himself is because they were never saved at
all.
B. The church is full of false professors of a faith they do not
own.
1. It is not that they got saved and lost it. They never got
saved.
Mt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.
Mt 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, I know you not.
Lu 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know
you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity.
2. It is for this reason, God gives so many admonitions to
test and verify the validity of our salvation.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in
the faith; prove your own selves…..
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we
should not be judged.
1Jo 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is
greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
C. How can I know whether I am saved or not?
1. There is only one proof that I know of.
2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he
is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
2. It is the changed life.
3. If there has been no change in your life, there has been
no Christ in your life.
4. The only proof that you have ever been saved is that you
are 100% surrendered to Jesus Christ right now.
5. Anything else than total surrender leaves some room for
doubt about your salvation.
D. However, at the same time, I admit that Christians quit on
God too.
1. The best I can tell, every one of those texts that I read
about people quitting was talking about Christians.
2. If you are not living for God, surrendered and serving,
but somehow you are convinced that you are saved, I would
change this counsel to you somewhat.
II. Get serious.
A. Get serious about living for God.
B. I will tell you the thought that hit me and made me get
serious for Jesus.
1. I do not remember the day or the time or even the place
that this thought came to me, but I remember it coming
and I remember the effect it had.
2. The thought God gave to me was this, "If what this Book
says is true, it demands my all."
a. If there is a heaven….
b. If there is a hell…
c. If I am going to stand before God and be judged for
what I did in this life…
d. If my eternity will be determined by how I live my
life…
e. Then Jesus Christ demands and deserves my all.
C. You think on that for a while and see if it does not effect
you.
1. Read \\#1Cor 3:12-17 , 2Cor 5:10-11, Matt 24:46-47\\.
2. Ask yourself what kind of reward you are going to get.
3. Ask yourself if you are comfortable living for all
eternity with God and all of heaven knowing what you did
and did not do for Jesus in the years you had.
III. Get into the Word.
A. No Christian stands a chance of staying straight who does not
get into the Word of God.
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
Pr 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the
law is light; and reproofs of instruction are
the way of life:
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of
prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed,
as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day star arise in
your hearts:
B. I hear some talk about "not understanding the Bible," about
"how it is difficult."
1. Of course it is at first.
2. You are a Babe in Christ and this is the Word of God.
3. You have never been so ignorant of anything in your
life as God’s Word.
a. You would stand a better chance reading a foreign
language and understanding it or of comprehending
the most complex of all mathematical formulas.
b. You are going to have to grow into understanding the
Bible.
C. Read the Bible to get what you can understand, not to get
discouraged over what you cannot.
1. If you read for an hour and only get one single truth from
the Bible, read it.
2. Quit attempting to be a doctor of theology when you have
even enrolled in nursery school yet.
3. In my case, I was blessed to be cast into Bible college
when I did not know a thing about the Bible.
a. Reading through the Old Testament for the first time—
because I was forced to do so—and coming to realize
that Israel split. It tore me up!
b. Sitting in chapel and being embarrassed and ashamed
that when the chapel preacher announced his text as
being in 1John, I turned to Big John not even knowing
there was a 1, 2, 3 John.
c. Every day, day and day, being forced to read the
Bible, listen to preachers preach, and hearing
conversations where everyone knew more about the
Bible than I did.
d. But gradually, I learned.
(1) I learned what a concordance was and how to use
it.
(2) A Nave’s Topical Bible was given to me and I
began to see that the same topics were discussed
in several places of the Bibles.
e. And one day it dawned on me. I don’t have to believe
the Bible because of what everyone else was telling
me it meant. I can read it and see what it says for
myself.
4. Forty-two years later, this Book is still impacting my
life and it can and will impact yours if you will read
it, study it, and obey it.
IV. Get into prayer.
James 4:2 …ye have not, because ye ask not.
Mt 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.
A. Earnest prayer for specific direction is work but prayer is
also a joy.
1. Don’t feel you must always attack prayer like it is a
fortress to be conquered.
2. Talk to God like a Friend to be enjoyed.
3. Talk to God like a Counselor from whom you are seeking
advice.
4. Talk to God like a Companion who is teaching you.
5. Talk to God like a Confident who will keep your secrets.
B. Talk to God about…
1. Your parking places.
2. Your schedule for the day.
3. Your fears, your frustrations, your failures, but also
your joys, your desires, and your goals.
C. Always talk to God with an open mind and an open spirit.
1. Conversation always flows in both directions.
2. Don’t just rattle on. Stop and listen.
3. Take your Bible with you when you pray and talk for awhile
and read for a while.
4. Let God put thoughts into your mind.
D. God will speak to you if you will speak to Him and give Him an
opportunity.
V. Get into church.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as
ye see the day approaching.
A. You can neglect and insult the local church all you like but
there is one primary reason why God gave Christians the
church - to help them.
1. The world may be attacking the church today but the saints
have been neglecting it for as long as I can remember.
2. I have never seen a strong, sound Christian who is not
a part of a local church. The fact that they are not
a part of a local church makes it virtually impossible
that they are both strong and sound when the Bible tells
them to be!
B. I know churches have their faults.
1. Some are under the direction of unqualified, carnal
pastors.
2. Some are fragmented, divisive, and spiritless.
3. But if godly, spirit-filled Christians cannot find a
godly. spirit-filled church to join, they can always
start one.
a. A church does not have to be big.
b. A church does not have to own property.
c. A church does not have to have programs.
d. But a church does have to have God there.
C. Once God is present, the church can become what God called it
be.
1. What is that?
2. A church is….
a. …a witness to the lost.
b. …a bulwark against sin.
c. …a nursery to the newborn.
d. …a school to the growing.
e. …a haven to the weary.
f. …a supply to the serving.
g. …a hospital to the injured.
h. …a rehab to the fallen.
i. …a shelter to the battered.
j. …a refuge to the aged.
k. …a solace to the saints.
l. …a glory to the Savior.
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