Your Turn: "Mistakes Backsliders Make"

Originally Posted by PastorD

One mistake back slidders make is in thinking they can never get back. Or, allowing the devil to convince of this.

Great! In fact, I'll put that on the 'list'!

The more I think about it the more convinced I am that this puts an important 'piece of the puzzle' together for my lesson... ties in some things.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by mizpeh

How about this definition of backslidden: someone who having known the truth and tasted of the heavenly gift turns back into their old lifestyle of sin. Like the dog returning to their vomit.

Yep... that's the kind I'm talking about right there.

[meBNme]

I understand Rhoni's point, but I believe that if done right, it can be very beneficial to backsliders who want to either stop the sliding, come back, or aren't sure yet.

Some mistakes backsliders make?

1 - letting imperfect people keep them down. (every church has imperfect people, jerks hypocrites etc. SO WHAT! What's that got to do with you? ignore them, and just live for God.)

2 - Keeping a victim mentality. (So someone did you wrong, so the devil trapped you up, you made mistakes. Oh well, join the club. But MOVE ON! God wants you to be an over comer, you CAN be on fire for him again!)

3 - Straddling the fence. ( It's hard to live for God easy, but it is easy to live for God hard. Dive in, headfirst, get completely swept up in God)

4 - Fishing in the same old ponds (You want a better life? you want to live for God? You can't keep hanging around the same old people you did before, and you especially cannot be around fence straddlers, and "victims" and people who don't know if they are coming or going. Surround yourself with other people who are on fire for God.

5 - Being distracted in service (get up in the front, when you are fighting the enemy for your soul and joy, you cannot be distracted by babies making faces, newly weds arguing, guests going all bug eyed at the guy running the isles, the old guy drooling in his sleep, and the 12 people going to the bathroom. And especially the other folks who feel its their job to critique every ones worship, the ones who sit there like a bump on a pickle. The ones who emanate a complacent, worship-less life. Get right smack in the middle of the worshipers, the ones giving it all they have, the ones who are moved, and moving. Don't sit in the back!


This message might be geared towards backsliders, but it might also surprise you to find out how many people it helps who aren't really backslidden, but have lost their zeal and fire for God.
It also might help prevent others from making those mistakes and becoming backsliders.

[meBNme]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

But back to what? This is where the REAL debate outta be. In a holiness church whenever someone drops a standard, they are considered backslidden (in the majority of cases). There is no escaping that standards are tightly wrapped up in this subject.

I don't think we are talking about those people. We are talking about folks who KNOW the have left, or know they are not where they once were, and wish to return.

Originally Posted by meBNme

I understand Rhoni's point, but I believe that if done right, it can be very beneficial to backsliders who want to either stop the sliding, come back, or aren't sure yet.

Some mistakes backsliders make?

1 - letting imperfect people keep them down. (every church has imperfect people, jerks hypocrites etc. SO WHAT! What's that got to do with you? ignore them, and just live for God.)

2 - Keeping a victim mentality. (So someone did you wrong, so the devil trapped you up, you made mistakes. Oh well, join the club. But MOVE ON! God wants you to be an over comer, you CAN be on fire for him again!)

3 - Straddling the fence. ( It's hard to live for God easy, but it is easy to live for God hard. Dive in, headfirst, get completely swept up in God)

4 - Fishing in the same old ponds (You want a better life? you want to live for God? You can't keep hanging around the same old people you did before, and you especially cannot be around fence straddlers, and "victims" and people who don't know if they are coming or going. Surround yourself with other people who are on fire for God.

5 - Being distracted in service (get up in the front, when you are fighting the enemy for your soul and joy, you cannot be distracted by babies making faces, newly weds arguing, guests going all bug eyed at the guy running the isles, the old guy drooling in his sleep, and the 12 people going to the bathroom. And especially the other folks who feel its their job to critique every ones worship, the ones who sit there like a bump on a pickle. The ones who emanate a complacent, worship-less life. Get right smack in the middle of the worshipers, the ones giving it all they have, the ones who are moved, and moving. Don't sit in the back!


This message might be geared towards backsliders, but it might also surprise you to find out how many people it helps who aren't really backslidden, but have lost their zeal and fire for God.
It also might help prevent others from making those mistakes and becoming backsliders.

Awesome stuff! Keep it coming folks!

I really, really think that one of our next big moves of God will be among the backsliders. Ever just feel something like that in the depths of your soul and know it's on the way?

[meBNme]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

Awesome stuff! Keep it coming folks!

I really, really think that one of our next big moves of God will be among the backsliders. Ever just feel something like that in the depths of your soul and know it's on the way?

We recently had a big "returning" revival at our church.
Be not discouraged, if you feel what you are doing is Gods message, give it with all you got!

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

Yep... that's the kind I'm talking about right there.

Are you going to teach on the prodigal son?

I think the scary part about backsliding is you never know when you've gone past the point of no return and have been given over to a reprobate mind.

2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour 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.

[nahkoe]

Don't miss this one.

Originally Posted by Ron

Backsliders don't forgive themselves.

[Ron]

Another mistake is realizing you can't do it on your own.
I remember coming to God and the struggle I went through in trying to live for God.
I remember in almost losing my soul over a broken engagement.

Both times I needed to reach out for strength & support while I was building/rebuilding the foundation.

One needs help.

[nahkoe]

And yet I knew very well where that line was. It was a very blatent choice I would have had to make to cross that line. It's not just something you slip over in my experience.

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Are you going to teach on the prodigal son?

I think the scary part about backsliding is you never know when you've gone past the point of no return and have been given over to a reprobate mind.

2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour 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.