Warning Perilous Times Ahead!
By Miles Crouse
November 01, 2006
Wednesday evening
2
Tim 3:1 – 3:15
Introduction: Open your Bibles to the book of 2nd Timothy chapter 3.
Just to give you a little background it’s around 66 Ad. in Rome and Paul on orders from Nero is awaiting his execution in prison. But instead of worrying, fearing or listening for what may be the footsteps of the executioner walking down the cold dark dank hallway coming to take Paul’s head, Paul instead is writing a letter of encouragement and warning to this young preacher and friend Timothy.
No other warning in scripture is more alarming than the one given here as concerning the last days. But the thing about warnings is while it takes one who is willing to give the warning it also take one willing to heed the warning.
I’m reminded of the tragic disaster of April 15, 1912 that great ship titanic went down to watery grave. It was reported that eight times neighboring ships warned the ships captain of that of impending danger.
Eight times warnings went out saying stop, danger, icebergs ahead!
Eight times warnings went out and eight times the warnings went unheeded. And tragically 1507 people lost their lives in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Not to be given a warning is one thing. Accidents can and will happen.
But to be given a warning and not heed the warning is Inexcusable!
I thank God he is willing to gives us his warnings but the question is will you heed it?
So what is it that makes these last days so perilous?
First we see The Perilous Pretender
2 Tim 3:1 Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
That is one sentence and there are 18 Characteristics of the perilous pretender.
What’s unique about these characteristics is it not only is describing the world but in these last days these same characteristics will also be in the church. A false apostate church.
This is one who is religious and has only a form of godliness and pretends to know God and may call him lord but truly is still in their sin and on there way to hell. Perhaps a product of a false conversion?
Lovers of their own self
The first characteristic says it all. Because of the totally depraved state in which man is in bondage to his sin man naturally loves himself. He does not know the love of Christ or even the love for his neighbor over his self-love.
But you might say well wait a minute doesn’t the Bible say to love thy neighbor as thyself? See right there I have to learn to love myself first.
Wrong! We all have plenty of the self-love disease.
But to love God and our neighbor as our self takes a Devine act from God.
Regeneration and the miracle of the new birth must take place in your heart.
How do we know if we love God?
Examine yourself and see if you walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Covetous: Never satisfied always wanting something bigger better different
They’ll say “God your on the target but your not on the bulls eye”
Always wanting more never content with what God has given them.
Boasters: Look at me am I not great? Look what I’ve done. Always bragging and glorifying themselves and never understanding that they are nothing and would have nothing except it was given them from God above.
Proud: Self-satisfied and self-righteous. I did it myself. Always highly esteeming themselves. Look at me God you must be so proud of what I’ve done and accomplish for you. Relying on their own strength and their own power.
Blasphemers Taking the Lord’s name in vain by pretending to know God on Sunday and living like the devil Monday through Saturday. Hypocrites! You look good on the outside, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. Using the Lord’s name in vain or even as a cuss word.
Disobedient to parents Refusing to obey rebellious never satisfied, not wanting any one to tell them what to do. Never Wanting to submit to the authority God has place over them.
Unthankful: Give me this and give me that always taking and never taking the time to say thank you. Just give it to me and get out of my way. So ungrateful.
Without natural affection Having a callus heart void of feeling and emotion even affection toward ones own life or the life of another. How about homosexuality, abortion, and kids killing kids, mothers killing their babies just to name a few. Unable to weep and mourn at the evil in this world.
False accusers Bringing false charges against someone, with the intent of weakening their influence and injuring their cause with which they are identified. Just a little gossip, a little embellishment of the truth to make the story sound a little better
Incontinent: Out of control sex, alcohol and drug use. Unable to restrain one’s self. Unable to restrain natural desires even in moderation. Burning with uncontrollable lusts
Fierce: Violence is throughout our land People are watching television and being entertained by barbarous, bloodthirsty, and murderous programs.
Competing for power and position at the expense of hurting others in the work place on the road or even in line at Mc Donald’s can be fierce these days.
Wanting to take revenge. Get even for wrongs done to them.
Heady: Thrill seeking living for the rush extremely intoxicating to the point where you’re drunk with excitement.
Having no fear reckless. Risking your life needlessly.
Highminded: Lofty self-righteous arrogance, thinking your better than someone else always judging and looking down on others. . Always pointing out others sin never able to see their own sin. “You got A little chili”
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God:
Notice that the 18 characteristic start and stop with misplaced love.
He loves himself and pleasures of this world more than he loves God
This pretender’s lord is himself.
He’s still on the throne of his life subject to no one but himself.
Only wanting the pretence of religion and finding pretentious preachers to fill his ears with message he wants to hear.
These are the characteristics of the perilous pretender
Another warning is given to us in the next chapter where God’s word says
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Don’t like the message you hear? Just try the next guy down the street.
If the truth presses against your flesh, its see ya I’m out of here to a more entertaining, flesh pleasing, seeker friendly kind of church.
I need a preacher who can make me feel good about my wonderful self.
Or maybe you don’t leave and you dig in and fight.
We don’t stone preachers any more
But instead of casting stones at the messenger you cast your vote and or kill the man of God with our evil tongue that is full of deadly poison.
My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Christianity in the world today is so far from what biblical Christianity was and is suppose to be that is barely recognizable.
So how did the church get here?
Lets take a look.
The Perilous Preacher.
What sort are these perilous preachers?
2 Tim 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
This is sort of men and woman who sneak in.
Certain men crept in unawares, and are subtlety, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The picture here is of Men that are like young lions, crouching down waiting to pounce on their weak and vulnerable prey.
Or like ravenous wolf leading its prey out from the rest so all the rest of the wolves can come in for the kill. They shed blood, and destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. Telling you lies so that they can get your money.
2 Pet 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”
Men who have head knowledge but not a heart knowledge.
Men who have perhaps been to seminary or Bible College
And yet despite their education are only taught of men and the
Traditions of men, there’s no doctrinal depth or understanding of basic doctrine. Truth is subjective and left to one’s own interpretation.
And they may look good and speak wonderfully but their lack of understanding even how God converts the human soul is sadly misleading and false. You can ask 10 different preachers the question what does it mean to be “born again” and you will probably get 10 different answers ranging from abc to xyz. Blind guides
They may have zeal but if its zeal without knowledge it does much harm.
Jesus describes such religious teachers as hypocrites, vipers blinded
by their own self righteousness.
And if any where in scripture you find where Jesus was angry it was often with these religious leaders who where pretenders. Hypocrites!
The word Hypocrite means a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess
Mat 23:27
Woe to you hypocrites!
The woe here is a heart cry
And expression “woe” here is deep from the heart of God. Woe to you!
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Your bright and white and phenomenal looking on the outside
But inside you’re filled with dead mans bones. No life!
Or how about this one.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Straining at the gnat.
The religious Pharisees would pay attention to minuscule obedience’s of making sure to count out their exact tithe even the spices or mint leaves. 9 leaves for me and 1 leaf for you God and all the while they would neglect their primary duty preaching the truth.
And what was it they should have been preaching?
The weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
And why is it important to preach the true gospel message?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Don’t you see what your doing! Not only are you not going to heaven but you’re also hindering others from entering in.
Today we have the very same thing going on in modern-day evangelism. In Fact evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
And it seems over the last 150 years or so there’s been a Paradigm shift away from biblical preaching.
Preachers have neglected and even forsaken preaching God’s law
Or the Judgment that comes from breaking God’s law and instead they preach a “Jesus loves you” only message. Or a “God has a wonderful plan for your life” message. Jesus has been reduced to nothing more than life enhancement.
He gives you peace love joy and all you have to do is repeat this 60-second prayer after me. Just take the first step and God will do the rest.
There’s no fear of God before their eyes.
No mention of God’s law or the wrath that abides on you.
They avoid preaching that God is also a Holy God and a Just God and will not over look your sin on the Day of Judgment, where every sin we committed will be made known and we all must give an account for what we’ve done. No mention of the consequence of sin. No mention that if you die in your sins you’ll be cast into the lake of fire forever.
If we only preach a ”Jesus loves you” message and neglect the weightier matters of the law how will they see there exceeding sinfulness and flee from the wrath to come?
If the Holy Spirit’s work is to convince of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Shouldn't we preach sin, righteousness, and judgment before we preach Christ crucified and risen again?
Well you might say.
Won’t that make people fear God?
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
There has been much confusion caused on doctrines of Scripture. Leading to apostasy, easy believism or false conversion.
Time does not permit to even come close to exposing the enormous amount of error in modern day evangelism
Except to say there is little doctrinal depth any more in churches today
There’s a battle for even basic understanding of God’s sovereignty, His election, predestination, original sin, man’s total depravity, and that Jesus
actually did atone for our sins on the cross. Not just make it possible.
There is power in the blood!
Listen
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
In fact He’ll leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that one which is lost, until he finds it.
Why?
Because all that the Father giveth Him shall come to Him that He should lose nothing! God’s bride will be perfect!
Doth this offend you?
Will ye also go away?
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
The Perilous Preacher I believe Fears man more than they fear God.
Preachers need to stop denying the power, to stop preaching the psychobabble and the self-help messages that sell their books and fill their stadiums
I Thank God for our Church and Pastor Black who like Nehemiah is rebuilding the wall preaching the messages that will cut to the heart with fear and trembling, along with the love of Christ.
Thirdly we see The Perilous Persecutor
2 Tim 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Who Shall Suffer?
Not just the preacher or the missionaries or a chosen few but All that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
What Persecutions, afflictions, came to Paul at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra?
Lets take a little trip back to Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra.
Acts 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
Acts 13:15 And after the reading of the law…
Did Paul have to preach God’s Law
Some devote Jew’s
The Jews ate drank and slept God’s law
Rom 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Rom 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
…and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
Acts 13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
Acts 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Acts 14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
Acts 14:4 But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
Acts 14:5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
Acts 14:6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe,
Acts 14:7 And there they preached the gospel.
Acts 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Acts 14:20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Acts 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
When Paul Preached the Gospel do you think he preached, “God has a Wonderful plan for your Life” Messages?
Would you tell someone to come to Christ because “God has a Wonderful plan for your Life?” But didn’t Jesus say, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Yes but the word abundantly just means full.
And Paul’s life was full of shipwreck, beatings, stoning, snake bites imprisonment and throughout scripture we see that Godly men having suffered lions dens fiery furnaces and Red Seas
At about the time this letter was written, Nero the emperor was wreaking havoc on the Christians. Nero, falsely accusing Christians for setting fire to Rome, would have Christians tied to posts, covering them in pitch and then setting them on fire -turning them into human torches to illuminate his gardens at night. Some he would sew animal skins into their flesh and then let wild animals rip them apart. He would even herd whole families into the coliseums and then let lions loose to devour them. And still others were boiled in oil and the list goes on and on.
Has persecution stopped today?
Is it any different today?
While there’s not much to point to presently in America try and preach Jesus in many parts of the world today and you’ll quickly discover that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”.
Just a quick read of the Foxes Book of Martyrs and you will see that.
Remember Columbine and Rachel Scott or Casey Bernall. Casey was one of the girls asked by the gunmen if she believed in God. She was shot in the head when she answered "yes"
John in Rev. 20:4 saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God…
If you face that kind of persecution how would you fare?
Warning Perilous Times Ahead!
Acts 14:22 …through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;…
Finally Persevering in Perilous Times
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Don’t back down!
Don’t turn to the left or to the right but Set your eyes like flint on the prize as you press toward the mark
Run the race to win the race earnestly contending for the faith holding fast the faithful word as you have been taught, which was once delivered unto the saints so that you might fight a good fight, and finish the course, and kept the faith:
Why? Because henceforth there is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give you at that day: and not to you only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Conclusion: While from the time of Christ the last days and perilous times have always been a part of the Christian experience we see that much of Christendom is far removed from what biblical Christians are and were in the Bible.
So much so that Christianity in the world today is barely recognizable from true Christianity.
It looks no different than the world with all its pleasures and worldly desires.
The message has been changed to suit our flesh our sin and our imagined god.
The attack on the truth has come from without and from within.
Men truly do love pleasure and themselves more than God.
While we must continue to preach the Gospel we must preach the whole gospel message.
We must contend for the faith and not fail in our responsibility to warn the people to flee from the wrath to come.
Warning Perilous Times Ahead!
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; who is appointed Judge of the whole earth, and there will be no avoiding this judgment, all must appear.
The guilty still in their sin, nothing will be hidden from view, before angels and men; their thoughts, words and deeds, even the most secret sin will be revealed on that day: they shall stand trembling before the judgment-seat of Christ and the books will be opened. Whosoever is not found written in the book of life will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. They shall hear Him pronounce that irrevocable sentence, Depart from me ye cursed I never knew you.
There is the warning the question is will you heed it?
Repent! It’s not and invitation it’s a command from God. Repent!
Flee from the wrath to come
Cast yourself at the feet of Jesus WHO SUFFERED, BLED AND DIED ON A OLD RUGGED CROSS FOR THE SIN OF THIS WORLD
Fall on your face before Him and
Cry out Son of David HAVE MERCY UPON ME A SINNER!
COME TO JESUS AND TASTE OF HIS MERCY
WILL YOU COME TO JESUS?
Taken from It’s a Wonderful Life By Pastor Ray Comfort
It’s September 10th - 2001 the day before the attack on the world trade center. You’ve been asked to speak to 1000 people on the 100th floor of tower one your message the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you look at the vast sea of faces before you, you realize that within 24 hours most of these people will experience a horror so terrible it defies human explanation. Many of them will become instant human torches while others will jump 100 stories to their death to escape the flames. Still others who remain with the building will collapse with it and their bodies will never be recovered. What are you going to tell these people God has a wonderful plan for our life?
What would your Gospel message be?
You know to be given a warning a not heed the warning is inexcusable
But just as inexcusable is to have the warning but refuse to give it out.
Let’s not be like that.
Warn the people Perilous Times Ahead!