Ephraim Awakening or Apostasy - Torah Observance vs. the Law of Christ
About this sermon
Pastor Dean Odle evaluates the so-called Ephraim awakening and argues that much of the modern Hebrew Roots or Torah-observant movement is apostasy rather than biblical restoration. He examines identity claims connecting Gentile Christians with the lost tribes of Israel, then asks whether the New Testament directs believers to Sinai or to the law of Christ. His controlling concern is that covenant identity and Mosaic practice not replace repentance, faith, and union with Jesus Christ.
Chronological teaching outline
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Odle introduces claims that Gentile believers are awakening to an Ephraimite or lost-Israel identity and therefore must return to Torah. He asks whether the movement restores biblical truth or redirects Christians from the New Covenant into apostasy.
The sermon examines genealogical and prophetic arguments used to claim descent from the lost tribes. Odle warns that speculative ancestry can produce spiritual pride and replace the New Testament identity shared by all who are in Christ.
Acts 15 is presented as the decisive apostolic ruling on whether Gentiles must be circumcised and keep Moses. Odle emphasizes Peter’s rejection of the yoke and the council’s limited instructions, arguing that the decision did not create a later Torah curriculum.
Galatians is used to show that justification comes through faith in Christ and not works of the law. Odle interprets circumcision and calendar observance as dangerous when they are adopted to secure righteousness or superior covenant status.
Romans supplies the distinction between outward identity and the inward work of faith and the Spirit. Odle argues that the believer dies to the law’s condemning jurisdiction in order to serve God in newness of spirit.
Hebrews’ language of a better covenant, priesthood, and sacrifice is read as evidence that covenant administration changed through Christ. Returning to Sinai is portrayed as neglecting the sufficiency of Jesus’ priestly and sacrificial work.
Odle considers Sabbaths, feast days, food rules, fringes, and sacred names one by one. His objection is not private practice but the claim that such observances determine holiness, salvation, or authentic Israelite identity.
The law of Christ is defined through apostolic commands to love, bear burdens, flee sin, and walk by the Spirit. Odle insists that freedom from Sinai does not mean moral anarchy; it creates direct obedience to Jesus from a changed heart.
The sermon addresses the conflict and accusations produced when Torah observance becomes a fellowship test. Odle urges Christians to preserve truth and unity by refusing both contempt for individuals and submission to what he regards as another gospel.
The conclusion contrasts bondage to covenant ordinances with Spirit-led obedience to Christ. Listeners are called to renounce identity pride, trust Christ alone for righteousness, and obey the New Testament without rebuilding the wall removed at the cross.
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- 0:00:05
Okay, we want to welcome everyone tonight you're listening to prophecy quick I'm your host pastor Dean Odo along with my co-host pastor Kevin Wilkinson We've set things up a little differently tonight because we wanted to get a better view and so the scriptures can be put up for Facebook live and also for YouTube that we will be a YouTube video that we'll be putting up for this But again, we welcome everyone tonight whether you're watching and listening on Facebook live Or you're listening on blog talk radio or mix l r Dot-com we welcome you Tonight we're going to get into the subject. This is really kind of part two a few weeks back We did a show called the he breaks roots cult versus the blood of Jesus and Really what we did in that show we talked about the extremes of the he breaks roots Torah observant group, but we just went Scripture, you know Verse by verse through the book of Galatians, which they I've come to discover that they hate with a holy passion almost They wouldn't say that but they just despise the book of Galatians because of course it debunks their entire belief system, but tonight it's kind of part two of that because I've been Getting more and more questions and good questions and some people are very very kind and very nice and very Christ like and the way they approach this and ask questions and And get into it and others are very very rude and mean when it comes to this He breaks roots movement and the Torah observant movement, whatever you want to call them But anyway, I've called tonight the Ephraim awakening or apostasy Torah observance versus the law of Christ and we're going to find out the difference now the reason I've named it this is because there are leaders within this group out there that are Torah observant and Christians that are saying you basically have to go back and keep the law of Moses if you want to be really right with God And not be lawless and be an antinom. We'll get into that in a minute what that means, but They claim that this is an awakening that this Movement for people to go back and to keep the law of Moses to keep the Sabbath to keep the feast days to keep The dietary laws to do their best as they say to keep as many of the six hundred and thirteen laws of the Old Covenant as they can They Anyway, they say that this is an awakening or a revival But really I'm telling you according to scripture and we didn't cover this last time according to the book of Galatians that this is definitely a Falling away from grace now. I want to make this very clear at the outset anybody who knows me Knows that I am NOT part of the Joseph Prince Baptist theology once saved always saved unconditional eternal security what many call
- 0:03:07
Think dr. Michael L. Brown calls the hyper grace movement I don't believe that you can accept Jesus that you're eternally secure once you get saved you're eternally secure No matter how you live your life So I know I don't believe that so I'm not a total You know licentious libertarian here, but I'm also Not going to say that you have to keep the law of Moses to be really right with God That's where we get into into danger. So And really I'm discovering that this Deception even though it may start out for many with good intentions. It is leading into It's leading people according to scripture, of course back under the curse and When you leave people back under the curse, then you open the door for all kinds of demonic activity and deception And that's why I stated in the description of the show tonight That I know that this movement of Torah observance Hebraic roots, whatever you want to call it. I know that it came out of a legitimate desire to better understand Hebraic roots a Jewish Culture, you know the roots of both the Old Testament the New Testament and and who wrote it the the Jewish People who wrote it the Hebrews that wrote the Bible That God used to write the scriptures and to understand their culture better understand where they're coming from and all of that is fine But and of course i've shared with with others that i'm not new to this I'm not outside of this back in the late 1980s and the early 1990s I attended a messianic Jewish congregation in Birmingham, Alabama on a regular basis Almost every Friday night. I went up to participate in their Shabbat service and enjoyed it immensely. We had great worship good teaching I had a good friend of mine who was training and mentoring under people like Joseph good and That's the other guy. Dr. Ben albert of chosen people ministries And and of course my friend and I we we were around each other for for many years and Had no problem with him uh Delving into and studying this and I studied it a lot with him And back in those days and as I stated before back in those days Many people were getting interested in in hebraic roots and understanding More of the jewish history and culture and things of that nature More to enhance their understanding of the bible to enhance their understanding of both the old covenant and the new covenant And jesus and the apostles but what's happened now is That there's been many who now have stepped further. They've stepped over the line And now it is you have to do these things you have to be
- 0:06:07
torah observant To be right with god to have righteousness and if you don't you don't really love god You're lawless. You're an antinom. And and there are they are even saying that if you don't keep the law of moses Uh, the sabbaths the feasts the dietary laws the things, you know The things that they list if you don't keep these things then you may not make it to heaven When you know and and i'm going to prove to you and some of you listening you may say well, um, you know That's not i mean i'm into this he breaks roots and in torah observance, but that i'm not saying that well again be Clear about what i'm saying. I'm not saying that everybody has that's into this movement or into these practices I'm not saying they've stepped over the line. I'm not saying you've gone too far I'm not saying even that everyone is doing this is seeking their righteousness in keeping the law But there are some some are and some are getting I and listen I have seen This this is why i'm addressing this because I have seen the extremes Going mainstream. Let's just put it that way Um, and sorry, we're having a little bit of sound problem. I probably should use the other mic, but uh We'll try to keep using this one Anyway, let's let's get into it tonight because um, i've got 14 pages of notes here So we're going to try to cover it kevin's going to try to Put as many of the scriptures up as we possibly can so those watching on facebook live and those who Will be watching the video will be able to see Um the scriptures and understand where we're coming from Uh, but first and foremost, we got it We got to answer the question here and we got to ask the question and then answer it rather is torah observance Requirement for born again christians Um now i'm going to back up here to second timothy, uh 215. Let's put that up, but second timothy 215 This came to me as i've been looking at this again over the last several months And let me just say this just didn't start with A popular leader who's on facebook that I won't mention at this moment But this started with a person that began to comment on my wife's facebook page and begin to say some things that were very troubling I mean this he breaks roots torah observant person told my wife that because she said jesus instead of yeshua That she was worshiping a false god and that's what I began to say. Okay Where is this kooky crazy stuff coming from? um And so then I began to dig into it more and I actually could not believe that it says widespread And and i'm talking about the extremes i'm talking about the stepping over the line like the kookyness the craziness With this stuff. I couldn't believe that it's How mainstream it's going of course they tout this as a move of god, but i'm telling you it's part of The falling away. It's part of the great deception Now the bible tells us this in second timothy
- 0:09:10
215 He says to the young pastor study to show thyself approved unto god A workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing The word of truth I'm going to read that again study To show thyself approved unto god a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing The word of truth And when I was looking at this the other day what just jumped out at me this this passage jumped out at me and the lord Just really laid this on my heart and it's true is that one of the very first steps? To rightly dividing the scriptures. We're talking about, you know, basic fundamental truth is Understanding or dividing and making the difference between the old testament or the old covenant and the new covenant I mean, this is really kind of elementary stuff But then I thought about what god said in the book of hebrews to the hebrews Was he was talking to people who were born again christians, but they were jewish and they were battling this thing of going back to Keeping the law like circumcision and in sacrifices blood sacrifices and the feast and the levitical priesthood and all this stuff And and he had to tell them, you know, he told them in chapter 5 he goes, you know You need to be taught again the basic principles Of christ and then he goes into the foundational doctrines of christ And and he was telling me the whole purpose of the book of hebrews was tell these hebrew christians You don't have to keep The old covenant laws and rituals to be saved It's through jesus and jesus alone and we have a better covenant with better promises now and that indeed The law has been changed and there is an old covenant law and there is a new covenant law And there is a difference and and folks if you can't rightly divide that right there if you're a teacher A preacher a pastor a minister or even just you know What we call a lay christian with whatever that means and you can't divide there's a difference between Old testament and new testament and understand what they are Um, then you're in you're in serious trouble. You're headed for You're headed for deep dark deception Um, now I want to give the the definition. It's interesting here from second timothy Uh 215 when the phrase is he's rightly dividing which is very interesting because you wouldn't think of okay We have to divide things that almost sounds negative But the word of god is done in such a way It's it's like a puzzle and we have to put it together and we have to understand Again, what things were for this covenant and what things are for this covenant? What was brought over from the old covenant to the new covenant that's very important Um, but the the phrase and the strongs in the greek and the original greek rightly dividing
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