. Lk 15:3-7 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance

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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.

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What 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!

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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.

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“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.

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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!!!

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Passages 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!

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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)

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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

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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!”

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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!

13. **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

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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.

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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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