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Restoring the Erring Lesson 2 Recognizing that one has Gone

Astray! 2 Thess. 3:14-15 And if any man

obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with

him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but

admonish him as a brother.

* * 0What does it mean to recognize?

Recognize = to identify; to perceive as existing and true; to realize (Oxford)

●I would like to let you know up front that this will not always be easy!

●The Bible clearly teaches that we must “watch out” for one another and that we “need” one another!

●One of the main reasons that we need to be concerned is that we often close our eyes & become blind to the facts that are before us and have fallen over the edge before we realize the seriousness of our condition!

* * 0 It is often that we need to evaluate our lives to see where we stand in the

eyes of God! ●Rev. 2:5 Remember therefore from whence

thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

●This is one of the main responsibilities of elders, but also of each member!

1 Per. 5:2; Heb. 13:17 etc.

* * 0 “One another” 57 times!

●Jn. 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

●Rom. 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

●2 Cor. 13:12 Greet one another with an holy kiss.

●Gal. 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

* * 0 I. The Underlining Factors!

●We will begin by considering “root causes” for going astray!

–In the business world many companies hire specialist to come in a perform what is called a “RCA” = root cause analysis

–This is used for positive & negative outcomes that they desire to reproduce or prevent!

●It is one thing to treat the symptoms & quite another to find the source!

●Can we find what is involved in one going astray? I believe the answer is YES!!!

* * 0Passages on “why” one falls away!

●Heb 3:12-13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.–Three factors “evil heart, unbelief &

deceitfulness of sin!”–In the middle of this is one of the 57 “one

another” passages! “Exhort one another daily!”●Lk. 17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is

impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

* * 0 Many have left the church because

someone offended them!And Jesus said offence would come Lk. 17:1

●We really need to keep reading here!–Lk 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy

brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him

●Other reasons: “hard saying” (2 Pet. 3:14- 17 i.e. love thy enemy) “failure to grow” (1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12-14 & 1 Tim. 4:6-8)

* * 0 II. The Unveiling Facts!Rom. 6:3,4 is baptism the end or beginning?

●With this in mind, what do we know about the beginning of “new life?” –Can new life survive on its own, or does it need

help? What about a human baby?●I am fully convinced that many go astray be “we”

fail them!–Mt 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

–See Gal. 6:1-2

* * 0 We will now consider the unveiling facts

that are “seen” when one goes astray!●The easiest one to see is a lack of attendance!

When one stops attending as they should, there is reason to investigate the “cause” of this!–It may be a number of things, but we will not

know unless we investigate!–They may be sick, may have started a new job,

they may have started attending somewhere else etc, but we need to find out!

●We often want to excuse ourselves & only blame the fallen but we are in this together!

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When the unveiling facts start to appear what will we do?●I am sure we all understand something

about being a part of a family & we know there are families that are close & families that don’t even talk, but which ones are usually stronger?●The more time we spend together, the

better we get to know & love one another and the better we will know the “facts!”

* * 0 III. The Undeniable Future!

●What will become of the fallen?●What will become of the one who has

gone astray if we do not react? And become proactive!

●According to God’s Word they are in an even worse position than before they obeyed!

●This must not be taken lightly!–2 Pet 2:21 For it had been better for them

not to have known the way of righteousness!

* * 0 ●2Pe 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the

pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

●The one that has never obey still has hope of coming to know the truth and being set free!

●Yet the one that has believed & obeyed only later to fall away is in a far worse position!

–Read Heb. 10:24-31

* * 0 The stakes are extremely high &

souls are as risk!●This is why we need to understand the

seriousness of this subject & what happens if we fail to act!●If God has commanded us to “watch

out” for another, and He has, and if we fail to do it, then we will be held accountable!–Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to

do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

* * 0 Conclusion:

●The question is often asked, am I my brothers keeper? (Gen. 4:9) And the answer is yes! We have been given mutual responsibility!

●Far too many babies in Christ are starving, because we have failed to see the need to help feed them spiritually & this needs to change!

●If you are here and not yet a Christian then today is the day of your salvation, but not the end, only the beginning!

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