Acts 17:26-28
Introduction:
1. Satan has many tools at his disposal: sinful pleasures, jealousy, pride, anger, etc.
2. One powerful and often overlooked tool is the sense we are beyond redemption.
3. George Ellis inspired this title while reading a letter of repentance from a sister who had come home after a long absence, and we all need to know it well.
Discussion:
I. The Danger of Wandering
A. Despite the popular “once saved, always saved” doctrine, apostasy is a real danger.
B. NT warnings abound (Acts 20:28-32; Galatians 1:6-9; 5:4; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12; 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 12:15; 2 Peter 2:18-22).
II. Satan’s Big Lie
A. If we refuse to believe we cannot fall away, Satan tries to convince us we are irredeemable.
B. He used the Pharisees in this vein (Matthew 9:9-13; 23:4, 12-15; Luke 7:36-50; 18:10-14).
C. If we believe this lie, despair will hold us back from repentance, sensing no way back.
III. The Short Trip Back
A. Consequences may make it seem like we have gone too far (Psalms 89-38-52; Luke 15:11-16).
B. Things are not always as they appear:
1. If we wander far from God, He is still never far away (Psalms 137:7-10; Acts 17:26-27).
2. Repentance brings us straight back to God (Deuteronomy 30:1-6; Isaiah 55:6-7; Jeremiah 29:13-14; Ezekiel 18:21-22; Luke 15:17ff; 1 John 1:9).
Conclusion:
1. We face a wily adversary (Ephesians 6:11), so we must be alert (1 Peter 5:8).
2. There is a ditch on each side of the road, and he is happy to see us wreck into either one.
3. We must view sin, repentance, and redemption through the lens of Scripture to avoid this.
4. God will not excuse sin, but He longs to forgive it (Luke 15:20-24; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
5. However far you have roamed, turn back; God is waiting there to welcome you home.