Have I strayed from the Truth?
Or, do I know anyone who has strayed from the Truth?
Yesterday
We LOOKED at the Truth.
Can you explain the Truth to others?
Today
We want to LOOK at straying from the Truth.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Let’s Pray
Oh Lord, we come perhaps with hurried hearts and minds. As we open up that is is right at our fingertips, please wipe away distractions and ease concerns that might be choking out our love for You and Your Word. Please help us to see Your Truth. Make us understand the way of Your precepts, so we will meditate on You, Your Word, Your wonders and ways! Thank you!
LOOK at What God Says
Let GODcha guide you.
Open the LOOK Section
Where will you begin?
READ God’s Word
Read James 5:19-20 again.
What would be the first clue that a person does not have genuine faith?
Let’s focus on verse 19 asking the 5W’s and H.
Keep LOOKING and REASONING
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Fine Tune Your Ears!
In verse 19, What does it mean to stray from the Truth?
Strays, planáō; to wander, go astray. (I) Particularly of persons (II) Figuratively – (A) to mislead, cause to err. (B) Act., to seduce a people into rebellion; from the truth. To be seduced, go astray (James 5:19; 2 Pet. 2:15).
“My brethren, if any among you (in the church) strays (wanders, departs, goes astray) from the truth (God, Jesus, the Spirit, the gospel, the Word). . .”
We saw: James is indicating that people will wander, depart, turn away from God, Jesus, the Spirit, His Word, the gospel.
Remember yesterday what we saw in Joh 8:31-32?
Jesus indicated people will wander.
LISTEN. . .
Am I continuing in His Word, proving to be His true disciple?
Or, Have I strayed from the truth?
Do I know anyone who has strayed from the truth?
Who have you poured your heart into, loved on, discipled, but they wandered away?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
I think of:
How many young adults were on fire for Jesus growing up – but. . .
The stats show 70% after high school, turn from God during their first year of college.
The middle aged husband-father who seemed to be so exemplary, but leaves his wife for another woman.
The young home-maker so overwhelmed w/life she wanders from God.
That young single man who was super plugged in, but now not wanting anything to do with the Lord.
This is so baffling and so heart wrenching!
What is James saying?
Is James saying you can lose your salvation?
What has James been telling us throughout his letter?
True Faith results in a life of good works! (Jam 1:18, 22; 3:14)
We have seen: God changes a sinner’s heart, giving them a new heart, raising them from spiritual death to spiritual life, becoming new creatures who live a new way, no longer for self, but for God!
Let’s do some Cross Referencing!
a. Joh 10:28
No one can snatch us out of the Lord’s hand. (Joh 10:28)
b. Joh 6:37-40
We can never be cast out. (Joh 6:37-40)
c. Phi 1:6
If God began that good work in you, it is a promise, He will bring it to perfection, completion, until Jesus comes. (Phi 1:6)
d. 1Co 1:8
God will confirm you, sustain you to the end.(1Co 1:8)
My land, THINK and REASON: what would be the purpose of Jesus suffering and being crucified on the cross to save us, if a person could lose their salvation?
Understand: It is not a matter of losing one’s salvation, it is a matter of whether 1 is truly saved or not.
Understand: True believers cannot lose their salvation.
So, what’s the problem?
Why do some wander?
We LOOKED at the Parable of the Soils back in Ch 4.
1. Lets LOOK again @ Luk 8:4-15.
a. The 1st Soil – some seed fell beside the road and the birds at it up.
Jesus said these hear the Word, but devil takes the word away so they won’t believe or be saved. There is no fruit.
b. The 2nd Soil – seed fell on shallow, rocky soil. The seed grew up, but was withered because it did not have deep roots.
Jesus said, when these hear the word, they receive it with joy, but have no firm root. They believe for a while, but in time of temptation they fall away. There is no fruit.
c. The 3rd Soil – seed fell among thorns. It sprouted but the thorns choked it out.
Jesus said, these heard, but the word is choked out by worries, riches and pleasures of life. There is no fruit.
d. The 4th Soil – seed fell on good soil. These heard the word, hold fast and bear fruit with perseverance.
Jesus said, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
Understand: These 1st 3 soils represent
the forgetful hearers in Ch1;
those with a dead faith in Ch 2;
those who must draw near to God and be cleansed and purified in Ch 4;
the one who strays in Ch 5.
LISTEN. . .
Am I a forgetful hearer?
Has temptation caused me to fall away?
Have the worries, riches and pleasures of this life caused me to stray?
When times are tough, what do I do to hear, hold fast and bear fruit with perseverance?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
2. Why else do some stray?
a. 1Ti 4:1
Some will fall away from the faith, because they pay attention to deceitful spirit and doctrines of demons (false teachings). 1Ti 4:1
LISTEN. . .
What am I really paying attention to?
b. 2Ti 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and
will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 2Ti 4:3-4
Remember: James tells us we are lured into temptation by our own desires. (Jam 1:14-15)
LISTEN. . .
Do I want my ears tickled?
Am I guilty of wanting teachers who appeal to my desires?
Do I want warm and fuzzy? I want to feel good? Be entertained?
Or, do I want sound teaching?
How do I guard against false teaching so I won’t turn away?
c. Heb 2:1, 3
Those who drift away don’t pay close attention to what they heard. Heb 2:1, 3
Remember: James told us this is a forgetful hearer vs. an effectual doer who looks intently at the Word. (Jam 1:25)
LISTEN. . .
Do I struggle paying close attention to God’s Word?
What must I do to pay close attention to Truth?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
d. Heb 3:8, 12
Those who have hardened, evil, unbelieving hearts – fall away from God. (Heb 3:8, 12)
What proves one is a true genuine believer?
Heb 3:14
We prove we are partakers if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance, firm until the end. (Heb 3:14)
LISTEN. . .
Have I fallen away from God, because of a hard, evil, unbelieving, heart? Why?
Am I stirred for my heart to change?
Or, what am I doing to hold fast firm until the end?
Respond to God. . .LIVE it out!
3. What does straying from the Truth reveal?
1Jo 2:19
They were never really of us to begin with.
Their departing unmasks they never had genuine faith. (1Jo 2:19)
LISTEN. . .
Have I departed from God?
THINK: Would a true believer depart from God? Deny Christ? Reject the Word, the gospel?
What Did We LEARN
Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
There are those in the church who ‘say’ they believe but have strayed from the Truth.
Because:
They WILL NOT endure sound doctrine.
They want their ears tickled
They listen to teachings that appeal to their desires.
They DO NOT pay attention to Truth;
Of their Temptations;
Of the Worries, riches, pleasures of this life;
They have hard, evil, unbelieving hearts.
Let’s Call It A Day!
We just took a small bite of spiritual food today.
Digest it, and let it nourish your soul.
Reflect, meditate on what God has shown you, (Psalm 119:15).
What stirred your heart?
Notes
Oh, you will want these critical Truths about straying from the Truth in your in your Notes.
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You can return and recite, review, and reflect on them regularly enabling you to memorize the information stored in them longterm!
You will be so glad you did!
Let’s Close in Prayer
Perhaps. . .
FATHER GOD, THE GOD OF ALL TRUTH, WHO SPEAKS NOTHING BUT TRUTH, and LORD JESUS WHO IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER, IS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FATHER, AND IS LIFE WITH THE FATHER lead us not into temptation. Help us understand that if we have genuine faith, we will not leave You, wander away from You, because we love You. Oh, please help us to be on guard and not allow the worries, riches and pleasures of this life draw us away from You. May we be ever sensitive to You, Holy Spirit, to Your leading and teaching, making the right choices in our lives to follow whole heartedly and truly be obedient to Your every Word, living it out in our lives. Father, we ask that You would protect us and keep us, and that we will indeed hold fast the beginning of our assurance, firm until the end.
And if anyone is on this journey who realizes they have strayed away from You, may they turn from their sin to You in repentance and true belief, so their sins will be forgiven, and they will be born again. Thank you! We ask this in Your name Lord Jesus! Amen!
Next: We’ll focus on the strayer’s ways.
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