(The following notes are from Dr. Innes' lecture on this topic.)

How apostasy works.

1. Apostasy = A departure from or a moving away from something.

2. Heresy = fr. to choose, to choose another way or position.

3. Note the historic consequences of everything that is done.

Discernment = the ability to see the long term consequences of a present course of action.

Why it is difficult, yea almost impossible to fight apostasy in its inception.

1. Gradualism. Apostasy produces minute incremental changes over an extended period of time. At no point in time are the changes radical enough to justify taking a strong position against them.

a. Note the outline from Dr. Charles Woodbridge -- A change in:

• Mood
• Method
• Message
• Morals

b. A change from a posture of confrontation to a posture of accommodation

2. The good. At its inception apostasy has much good and very little evil. Those who fight it at this point in time are falsely accused of opposing the good.

a. The classic example here is Jehoshaphat.

b. Moses smiting the rock produced all the water they needed but tragically lost the privilege of entering the promised land.

3. The Guru -- the personalities involved.

4. The appearance of success -- the deceitfulness of outward appearances.

5. Confusing high powered promotion for the power of the Holy Spirit.

6. The unwillingness of God's people to separate.

7. The Sanballets who want to share in our ministry. cf. Demon possessed girl in Acts 16.

8. The embarrassment of the godly, uncompromising man of God. cf. Samuel in I Samuel 15.

9. The silence of the majority of preachers who stand by and say nothing. cf. The 7000 silent prophets in Elijah's day.

• The problem of when to separate.
• When do you call the fire department?
• When should the dog bark?
• Train from San Francisco to New York -- when a change in direction has been determined.
• The necessity of keeping a cutting edge on your ministry.

1. If you do not keep a cutting edge on your ministry, you will ultimately surround yourself with those who join with you, not because they share your convictions, but because they enjoy the success of what you are doing; and you will build an organization that will ultimately repudiate your own convictions.

2. You can have law without love . But you cannot have love without law . Love always imposes limits for the protection of its object.

3. You cannot build a strong ministry by focusing on issues alone, but you cannot build a strong ministry without dealing with and defining issues.

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