Obvious Apostasy — Scott Hynds

The Great Falling Away and Paul’s Warning

We bless his name this morning and I just have a message that I want to convey to our hearts this morning and I suppose in many ways that this stirring took place in Colorado just regarding the end times and what's happening around us and what's happening in the church today and it's such an extensive subject, we know that and I'm not going to do it any justice I suppose this morning, I'm not going to go in too deep but I just feel I need to share this and possibly next week, I don't know, we will be led by the very spirit of God and the spirit of prophecy, the spirit of revelation, we will be led by him and him alone.

Turn with me to the second epistle of Thessalonians. We are going to look at chapter 2, we will look at the first three verses, I don't think we'll get past that this morning but I want to teach just basically this morning on what Paul has called the great falling away and that is a bit of an introduction here and we see in this portion of scripture before the rise of Antichrist as such there must be a great falling away, there's criteria that Paul sets out here, events that will take place and manifest before that and I just want to see what God has to say on this this morning, not merely what I have to say or even the commentators in the study that I've put in and what I've grained and grasped but we need his voice in this matter, amen, we need his voice.

Now Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonica obviously in the first epistle and spoke about some things. Now we believe this morning that there was some confusion after that first epistle as regards to the understanding, the Thessalonians didn't fully grasp nor understand Paul's writings on the end times or there may have been circulating false teaching and so therefore this is the reason why that Paul is speaking again on the day of the Lord or the coming of Christ.

So in chapter 2 let's read from verse 1 to 3. Now brethren concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter as it from us as though the day of Christ had come.

Let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition. And we'll stop it there. Father enable me God, the truly God, to be able to take your message, the prophetic scriptures Lord, and to be able to communicate them in a right way and in a right spirit Lord to this church and to those Lord that hear the recording.

May we have illumination this morning and understanding God for we are in perilous times, dangerous times. But Lord we thank you that you are building your church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And so Lord God we just ask for the blessing upon your word in Jesus name. Amen and amen. Paul says here in verse 1 concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and praise God this morning church that is our hope, is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is what the heart of the believer is hoping and waiting and expecting, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. That word coming actually means physical, visible, tangible return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact in Acts chapter 1 we certainly read in verse 10 and it says in regards to the Lord Jesus Christ and while the disciples and apostles and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel.

He also said men of why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. So we believe in a literal physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact Paul says in Titus chapter 2 verse 13 that we look for the blessed hope. Amen. We look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. That's what we as a church this morning we are looking or in other words we are waiting.

We are waiting for the glorious appearing. That is something that witnesses in our souls. We have hope. This is an anchor that's embedded deep in our souls that Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings is coming back again.

He says also in John chapter 14 that that I will come again and receive you unto myself. We are waiting for him. Sometimes waiting can be quite a difficult experience quite a traumatic experience for some.

Waiting. It reminds me a little bit of my waiting in airports. Andrew knows a little bit about that. There is nothing as bad as waiting in an airport for hours. When I was in Oklahoma I had to spend four hours in Oklahoma Airport and it wasn't a great experience.

You sit down and then you get off your chair and you walk about and you look at the time and you sit down again and then you go for another walk and you're trying to kill time and it's not pleasant. You've got itchy feet and you're looking at the monitor and you're just wishing that the time would just diminish and that you will be able to board that mode of transport that's going to take you to the sky.

You know you're tapping your feet. You're tapping your feet. That four hours seems like forever. That four hours seems like like eternity but eventually it comes. You know that it's coming. You know that there's a time coming that you will hear a call over the tannoy that it's time to board.

You know that it's coming and you're sitting and you're waiting in anticipation and again you're bored and you're restless but you're waiting and you're waiting and then eventually the call comes. Now we believe this morning again that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is coming again and some of us even in here this morning we might be suffering a little bit and we're tapping our feet as it were but I want to encourage you keep waiting and keep hoping because the call will come.

Amen. We know that it's going to come because the Word of God says that it's going to come. Hallelujah. The Word of God says that He is coming and one day according to what Paul says again there shall be the sound of a mighty trumpet.

Hallelujah. And we are waiting for that sound. We are looking for that sound. Glory to God. Glory to God. The coming of the Lord. Do you know what Peter says in these latter latter days? We are living as I said in perilous times and 2nd Peter chapter 3 says this in verse 3 and 4 knowing this first that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. Where is the promise of his coming? And again that's the same word that I read out in Thessalonians. It means that physical visible return bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ and it says here that there will be scoffers or muggers that will come in the last days.

Scoffers, Atheism, and the Rejection of Christ’s Return

I was on line there this week and in America in New York I think atheists are propping up their their billboards at this time of the year and there was one billboard that depicted the wise men coming to the stable and the very word that was used I can't remember the whole phrase but it was something like this is a myth or it's just a myth.

I believe that 40 -50 years ago within the United States of America and specifically New York that that would never have taken place and there is a great thrust in these days there is an agenda outside in the world that has been perpetrated and instigated by the worker of iniquity by the prince of the power of the earth and we know that we know that there's a great push when it comes to atheism we see it we see the muck and we see them scoff and deride the things of God we see the rise of Richard Dawkins we see the rise of Christopher Hitchens.

These are men academic men that will stand and debate and write books denouncing the existence of God etc. So we we see that there's a particular group and they they post on YouTube and they're called the rational response squad and this is what they're doing.

They're trying to encourage young people that have been brought up in Christian homes who have distanced themselves from the faith of their parents and what they want them to do is to upload videos onto their site denouncing and blaspheming the very spirit of God.

And if they do that they will receive a DVD that they have prepared in regards to the non-existence of God now that that is it's rife it's there it's in your face Peter talks about it. They scoff and they muck and they wave their fists at the living God the one and true God where is his coming.

Sure since the beginning of time the Sun has risen the men have went into the grave and they in their carnal and fallen intellects they suppose the God Almighty does not exist in Peter prophesied about this here.

That's amazing. And we know that this book is filled with prophetic scripture this morning my brethren concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him as not wonderful church this morning that we will be gathered together to him.

Hallelujah. That those that went down from the frigates in the Pacific during the Second World War that were believers will be gathered together with him. Those that lost their lives during the black plague who professed and found Christ will be gathered together with him.

Those that shed their blood and foreign soil for the sake of the gospel will be gathered together with him. Those believers born in Africa or Asia will be gathered together with him. Hallelujah. Well one gathering one large gathering one innumerable gathering.

A multitude of people will be gathered together and him the dead shall rise first and the living shall together be gathered together in him. Glory to God this morning church this is wonderful news. This is marvelous news that we shall be gathered together in him glory to God.

Grounded in Scripture Against Deception

And if we can encourage yourselves this morning that that indeed be sealed into our hearts. Now Paul goes on to say here he says he says do not be shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us as though the day of Christ had come shaken and mind or are troubled.

Do you know something church we as Christians need to be. And I say this often so grounded in this book so grounded in the holy words of God that we truly know him and we believe him and believe these words because there are teachers out there or doctrines out there that would come to try to shake or in other words topple what you believe.

Topple it's. It's at times it can be quite lengthy I suppose and time-consuming to build a house of cards. It's not correct. But one breath can topple it over one breath. You can build great structures around this world today but you can topple them over quite quickly with dynamite or with explosives.

And I I want to to just to stir up within you a greater longing and a greater passion for the Word of God for the Word of God. Because as Jesus says if we if we build our lives on him if we build our lives upon the rock it doesn't matter what storm or what fire power comes from the heavenlies we will stand we will stand.

We cannot be shaken and in our mind or troubled by whatever comes into the church or by whatever we hear. You see Paul goes on to say here he says do not be shaken in your mind or troubled if it's by spirit either by spirit.

What does that mean. He's he's talking about the spirit of prophecy. He's talking about the spirit of prophecy. There are many that have and claim to have the spirit of prophecy. And they claim that certainly in the days of Paul Paul is saying look listen regardless of they have got the spirit of prophecy if they are prophesying contrary to what I have taught it is not of me it is not of my teaching.

And again there are plenty that prophesy today prophesy the coming of the Lord. In fact in another place in the States there are billboards depicting the coming of the Lord. And may 2011 you know something even Paul didn't give dates.

You know that even the writer of prophetic scripture here he didn't give a date. But yet there are those that give dates. And he is saying see see when it comes to the spirit of prophecy listen you test it and you prove all things either by spirit or by word.

He says oral word. Those that come in and those that teach or those that say I got my message from Paul somebody communicated it to me. And I am verbalizing the message of Paul to you. He says even if you you hear it by word or spoken.

And then he goes on to you see the reason why the crux of it is this the reason why Paul said that Paul wrote the second epistle because the commentators believe that there was a forgery circulating around a forgery of Paul's writings.

And Paul in fact says in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 17 that the the reading of Paul is with his own hand which is a sign. And every epistle so I write so every epistle that he did right he signed it he signed it with his own name.

Forgery, Discernment, and Testing Prophecy

But yet there was a forgery circulating around. There was many forgeries in those days again Satan didn't waste any time to attack the truth and attack the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. So many forgeries were inside the church.

Paul says that forgery even though that it looks good even though that it has even my signature. You know there are many people today and I mean they can they can certainly mimic a signature. It's not right man.

They can copy a signature on a letter. I could go down to the bank and and I could lodge in some money and I could sign a slip and somebody could be beside me and peering over my shoulder. And because of whatever skill that they have they are able to take the way I sign my signature and through their own hand they're able to copy it almost exactly.

But for most of us this morning you know you can't really tell the difference. Can you. That's why the FBI specialists will be called in in particular cases and they will analyze. They are handwriting experts and they will analyze the signature.

What we need to have something of that spirit in us and these days that's a picture an illustration because there's lots of forgeries in the church. There are teachings out there in the body of Christ today and it's just downright forgery.

And listen to me you see the forgery that may have been circulating would have had very similar content to Paul's letter and his writing style. It'll been very like his letters. And that's the subtlety of wickedness.

That's the subtlety of Satan. That's the subtlety of the deceiver. He'll give you the word that Satan not quote the word to Christ. He'll give you any amount of the word. He'll give you any amount of the Bible.

If you want the Bible Satan will give it to you. But we need to prove all things church and these days we need to get the magnifying glass out friends and we need to take it up and look at the doctrine through the magnifying glass like an expert this Bible.

Indeed we are not to be shaken because they believe that the the coming of the Lord here the church believed was immediately imminent. Paul was teaching that the coming of the Lord was imminent but they believed that was immediately imminent.

And that's why he wrote this epistle. He goes on to say that no one deceive you by any means. For that day will not come unless the falling away comes first. That the day of the Lord will not come until there is a great falling away.

Or in other words the apostasy the great apostasy. Another word for apostasy is defection. And I have used this before to illustrate something defection during the Cold War many people defected from Russia or particular Eastern European countries that were dominated by communism.

And they leave the harsh regime. It's too harsh for them. And the rules and the laws of the land are too harsh. And they defect basically from that system to let's say Britain or the United States of America.

And it's easier for them sunny climate a bit more money in the pocket. And so he defect from this place to this place. And I believe this morning wholeheartedly that the church even from the beginning and Paul teaches that there was a defection from the truth and what church is.

And today there is no exception and it is blatant that there is a defection from the truth a defection from the teachings of Christ. Jesus said whosoever will come after me let him take up his cross and follow me.

Now for some that's too harsh. We don't want to hear that stuff about dying to self. We don't want to hear anything that we need to separate from the world and the pleasures of this world. That's not what we want to hear anymore.

We don't want to hear the doctrine of hell. Don't talk about eternal hell and separation from God. Don't talk about this morning holiness. Don't talk about walking and righteousness and upright before the Lord God Almighty the Holy One of Israel.

Don't talk about that stuff. I don't want to hear that stuff. That stuff does something to me. I want to defect from that. And there's plenty of places and plenty of teachers that will give them and facilitate what they want.

Defection from the Truth Within the Church

They defect. This is what the Apostle John said in 1st John chapter 2 verse 19. 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 they might be made manifest that none of them were of us.

They were part of the church. They were in the church but then they defected. I don't know if they were saved or not or what was going on there. But anyways they defected today. They walked away from the truth.

Do you know something many many years ago we had when we think of let's say crisps or potato chips. There was one flavor or even ice cream. One flavor vanilla. But you see one day somebody thought to themselves I've had enough vanilla.

I've had enough of cheese and onion. So that's experiment. And you've got all sorts of flavors today having your church. You've got bubblegum and you've got cookie and you've got stick potato chips. You've all sorts of flavors.

That's a wee bit like church. Well we've been fed up with the old flavor. Well we've been fed off of up with that old-style religion. So give us a little bit of something else. Give us a scoop of this and a scoop of the other and mix it all up.

And that's what churches elements of church I see today. And I believe the Holy Ghost is saying that there's a scoop of this and there's a scoop of this mysticism and there's a scoop of this and it's all in a big bowl and people are just feeding their big fat souls with stuff that is not of God.

And I believe that's prophetic. I really believe that a scoop of this and a scoop of the other. What. What will you have man. What will you have sir as multitudes run in the church and churches placate and churches yield to their desires.

What will you have. Roll up and have a scoop and a sprinkle your little sprinkle on top of that as well. We'll give it to you at no cost at no cost. But brothers and sisters we know this morning there's a cost to follow Christ and there's a deep and a painful and a hurtful cost inside the soul to follow Christ and to walk in the very feet and to imitate not only Christ but the life of Paul.

Wolves Rising from Within the Church

What did Paul say in Acts. What did he say in Acts chapter 20 29 and 30. He says also from sorry verse 29 for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not spurring the flock.

Savage wolves. I tell you something if a wolf gets into a chicken coop it's not going to leave anything alive. It's not correct. That will rip the shreds everything that's that's the the heart of the wolf.

That's the DNA of the wolf. And Paul's warning the early church here. And he says this also from what among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Now we've looked at the outside we've looked at and talked about the rise of atheism and Dawkins and those guys those guys are walking according to Prince of the power of the air. And we know that and that's that.

That's what's happening. But I want to tell you that the biggest danger is with inside the church and those that rise up within the church that's where the true danger lies. And that's where the true apostasy is.

From those that profess Christ. He says from among yourselves men will rise up. Men will rise up. It's almost like the picture here in these words are someone sitting down. They're sitting down. But then there's a moment when they rise up.

That's the teaching here. So they're biding their time. They're sitting back or they're sitting down and then in a moment they raise up. And that's a little bit. I'll be going that next week when the spirit of the person and a man of perdition begins to rise he rises through the apostasy.

He has his pulpit. His pulpit is already there. It's prepared for him. We'll look at that a little bit more next week. So what is Paul saying here also from among yourselves men will rise up. I think at times we can get so troubled and so bogged down than looking outside looking for the enemy outside that we forget about the enemy inside.

We forget about the enemy in the church. And again that's where we need to covet earnestly the best gifts and truly covet even the gift of discernment true discernment of God that we would have that that we would be watch men and watch women etc.

They shall rise up and they shall what speak perverse things. So what they will do. They will distort Scripture. Remember talked about the forgery they will take and they will sign and and twist and and shape.

That's what they'll do and will cause to draw the disciples of Christ away. That's the agenda now. It's interesting because draw away it means tear away. Tear away. That's what it can mean. And the very used or sorry the word draw is used in the in the garden when Peter wasn't a Peter drew his sword and took off the year.

That's the picture what we are seeing here it speaks of the sword being drawn and a turning away. I believe that now at this time there are men that were once sitting now we can look back the different generations and it was prevalent then.

But for our generation that have been sitting and are now on their feet in the church and they are drawing people away or tearing people away high by the sword. What is the sword according to the Bible.

Well the swords the Word of God. And they're distorting the Word of God to draw people away to their new age thinking and theology and philosophy again because it's so sounds right smells okay feels okay.

Then it must be God. The biggest attack today is certainly one that was there from the very beginning when the serpent came and said in chapter 3 verse 1 I think has God said has God said questioning the very Word of God.

And how many today a church and this is the truth and we're not naming anybody this morning. But how many today. How many today are doing that. They're questioning the very book high. Well there are elements within the church teachers within the church that deny a literal hell.

So what they are doing is has God said and they are taking themselves and exalting their hearts like Lucifer did. That's the truth has God said. Or the homosexual issue. Well it's not God's best for them but hey God loves everybody has God said taking the Word of God and speaking perverse things.

I'm drawing or tearing people away from that old-time religion drawn people away from the commands of God our God a holy God and a wise God. And they're taking their own carnal wisdom which James says devilish and carnal and earthly wisdom.

And draw and people away. We are living in days of apostasy. We are living in days where there's a great falling away. And listen to me church listen to me I believe they are going in their droves. I don't know about you but certainly that's what I see today.

Mysticism, False Prosperity, and the Integrity of God’s Word

That's what I believe God wants to certainly tell us examine and prove all things by this. But there's no new mystic revelation. There's not. I talked about this one other time and I watched on online this this guy who's quite prominent and into all sorts of myths mysticism and he's quite influential amongst youth in in America.

And he spoke about a token the Holy Ghost like a joint like marijuana. He called him Jehovah marijuana or Jehovah wanna imitate that that's and he has big-time influence amongst the youth in the States.

There's a picture I think of a of Jesus on the website and and and and it's it's it's mystic and and this is this is rife and it's strong. It's strong. That's just one thing. Two other prominent teachers in a particular movement again denying the existence of hell a little hell.

And and and then again the homosexual a question so much so many scoops so many flavors. And the people love to have it. So as Jeremiah said like that message I preached one time judges and jesters the people love to have it so.

But these prophets will prophesy peace and prosperity church. That's what will prophesy to you. That's what they are prophesying. Me me me I tell you we are in a great falling away. We are in it. But we'll stand and we'll stand for truth.

This church will stand and maintain truth and the integrity and the infallibility of the Word of God. Amen. We won't add to it we won't take away from it. We'll keep preaching it. And we'll keep preaching the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We'll keep preaching the blood because Satan and his cohorts and his men that are in the church hit the blood. They despise the cross. They despise it. They despise it because salvation is through the cross.

I shared this a little while ago with some of you guys. I shared it that when a when a when a lion comes in to to the pride and wants to take over and it tries to oust out the old lion and it does. It drives the old man off.

Well the first thing that that new land will do it will destroy the young because its agenda is to destroy the bloodline. The bloodline. That's the agenda. So then that lion mates okay with the lionesses hoping to produce of his line.

Are you hearing this this morning. Are you hearing this. The spirit of Antichrist is in the church. And the spirit of Antichrist is manipulating and distorting and creating perverse things hoping to hoping to destroy the bloodline hoping to destroy the remnant hoping to destroy the good old teaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And therefore if I can do that then then just like that picture it hopes to create some new type of believer some new type of Christian that that is contrary to the Word of God and contrary to the teachings of Scripture that is alive and well church and you've heard it this morning.

Believe me take every word take this message and seal it to your heart and ask God to develop something even more and your understanding for the anointing of God within you shall teach you go and seek his face go and call upon his name and ask God to speak and to make alive the very words of God because they are alive this morning.

Hallelujah. His words are alive alive to our soul. Oh God blow your trumpet. Oh that God will come and do something in the church for judgment must first begin in the house of the Lord this morning. It must first begin in the house of God.

A Final Call to Discernment and Faithfulness

And may God indeed expose the heretical teachers. Now let me say this just in closing. I know at times that people get it wrong and their hearts are right. And I know that and so I'm not dismissing that.

But there are people there and they're there. They have good intentions. But there are those there they have a deliberate agenda. They have it. And I tell you something. Jesus Christ of Nazareth when he went out in the morning time he went out and consulted with the father.

He says I only speak the words that the father has given me. There are those men and they walk out and they call upon another source another source. We have defected and down through the generations you can see the apostasy and you can see the defection.

But but today it's so it's so obvious and so blatant. And and may God help us. And may God indeed may the people of God hear this message that has been spoken not not just here but behind other pulpits around the world.

Behind other pulpits. This this needs to be guarded in these days. I need to put a chain around this. I need God to ask to put a chain and a lock around this pulpit. And only those that have been tested and only those that have been proved will get behind it.

Because this is a precious thing precious thing is the Word of God and to teach the Word of God and to preach the Word of God. And only those that are called called by God not by men called by God. We're not interested this morning church and hollow rhetoric.

Rhetoric flowery and fancy words. We're interested in truth. We're interested in the the true spirit of God. We're interested in true revival. We're interested in holy things. Hallelujah. We bless his name this morning.

Paul says in Acts 20 verse 31. Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. And I want to say that I will cease not to warn God's people.

I will cease not because I believe God has called me to do this. And I will not cease. And it's not a popularity contest. This won't win you the popularity vote. Barack Obama was running for president.

He had to appease people to get their votes. It's not correct. I tell you something I don't want. I don't want the votes of men. I don't want the honor of men. But God Almighty. Hallelujah. The praise of God.

Let's remember church. If they hated him they'll hit you. And the despisers of truth and all that is of the spirit. If you love truth and love the spirit they'll hit you and despise you. And they'll call you sinister.

Call you dividers. Call you all sorts of things. Jesus says that the called the son of the son of man the son of the algebra. And what will the call God's people. That's praying father. We thank you this morning for what you have said Lord and God.

There's so much more to this. We pray Lord that some of the thoughts that have been communicated in scriptures that the people would even go and study for themselves and rightly divide the word of truth.

I encourage that Lord and something that you encourage. I just pray Lord God that you would continue to lead us and Lord this this this train of thought God this this focus on on the prophetic Lord and on the letter times.

And then even next week or be I pray that that we would hear more and no more Lord. We need to know these things God. We need to be aware of these things. And so Lord we give you all the glory in Jesus name amen.