Recent headlines and statistics are not encouraging. There are more than 72 Million Millennials in America, almost one-quarter of our population. An increasingly large portion of the Millennials are walking away from a faith of any kind, choosing to identify themselves as religious ‘nones.’ Researchers in 2008 noted that one third of all Millennials describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. Ten years later that number had grown to 42%. More trouble: Church numbers in America have suffered a decades-long decline. Gallop first measured church membership in America in 1937. It was 73%. In the 1980’s it was 70%. In 2000 65%. By 2010 it was 59%. Today, less than half of Americans 47% are part of a church. Falling away from the Church or falling away from the faith is serious but it is a deeper reflection of people falling away from Jesus.

I. What does this mean?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

This is a prophecy about tomorrow that may have implications for today. This falling away Paul is referring is more than a gradual defection from the Church. He calls it “The Falling Away.”

Don’t panic. We may be seeing the beginning of the great falling away but not the full effect of the tribulation. Therefore, we still have time to work!

II. How could people fall away?

a. Some people fall away because they are deceived.

I Timothy 4:1-2

b. Some people fall away because they are disillusioned.

Luke 8:5-8; 12-13

c. Some fall away because they are distracted.

Luke 8:14-15

III. Where do we go from here?

a. Examine yourselves

II Corinthians 13:5; Matthew 7:21-23

b. Encourage yourselves

I Samuel 30:6

c. Exercise yourselves

I Timothy 4:7-8; Revelation 2:4-5; Jude 24-25

“It's okay if you don't deconstruct your faith! Practice subversion. Practice resistance. Go to church. Go to Sunday school. Go to youth group and pot-luck and feel free to not apologize for it. Read the Bible even if you don't understand it. Read the Bible and come alive. Give money. Give time. Feel free to not deconstruct. Feel free to not have a crisis of faith. I mean, it's okay if you do have a crisis of faith but feel free not to manufacture one. Doubt is normal but it's not as normal as faith. We are hard-wired to believe. Don't fetishize your doubts. Of course, life is full of crises which seem to contradict God's existence. I do not care. The abyss does not scare me. It is fair to critique the inadequacies of mental assent but go ahead, go on up that mountain of belief. Christ isn’t at the top. He is the mountain and it will feel like at times he is resisting you but you'll soon see that the obstacles he allows are simply the places where you will discover the truth of your testimony. Resist the pressure to start a new religion. Resist the pressure to buy someone else's new piecemeal religion. Don't do drugs. Stay married if you can. Resist graceless religious fervor. Conform to the image of Christ. Take seriously Matthew 5, 6 and 7. Take these teachings into your heart and live your whole life by them. You are the salt of the earth.”
Andy Squyres