At day’s end, the headlines follow you to bed: corruption deepens, truth blurs, and fear makes retreat feel safer than faithfulness. Second Timothy 3 names such seasons “perilous times,” yet it addresses believers called to live and speak the Gospel within them. How can Christians face a worsening world without being consumed by it—or becoming indistinguishable from it?
The following study questions and transcript are AI generated and may contain errors.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may contain errors.
Well, let’s turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3. I picked the wrong Sunday to have an hour and a half long message. I apologize. No, I’m just kidding. I mean, I do, but we won’t be here that long. Alright. Well, again, thank you.
At some point, I’d appreciate it. If not, I’ll stand still. That makes me nervous, right? Alright, thank you. 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Now, if we’re dealing with this month, and again, we talk about Matthew 9, 37 and 38. That’s what Pastor Parks began the month with. And we had 9, 38 Sunday, and we talk about the fields are white unto harvest, but the labors are few. And that’s when, you know, I feel like, you know, you hear these celebrations, you know, because I do watch all the sports. I really do. I had a great time watching the ball game with John. Miss Pat, I see you back there, and we had to find the right app. And then we were able to watch the playoff game the other day over there.
But every coach, even yesterday, because my wife knows, you say, how many college football games do you watch on a Saturday? And she’ll say, all of them. Every last one of them. And yes, I do. And that’s my vacating time, right? And the Tennessee Vols did win, beat them, guys from Alabama, and that’s a good thing. So it did counterbalance the Mizzou thing.
But every time there’s a celebration at the end or there’s, you know, the fields, you know, the people storm the field or whatever, and they grab that coach in the most awkward time to interview anybody when you’re just getting, you know, beaten on the back and dumped with Gatorade and all those things. And the coach always says, I’m just thankful. I’m just glad or happy for my players. You know, and we couldn’t do it without everyone.
And so when we think about even laboring for the Lord and doing the work of the Lord, and especially in a church setting, because that’s how God designed it. And I truly believe that, that he designed this work to be done through the local New Testament church, not at…
Let’s try this now. Let me know, James. Say yay or nay. We good? All right. Can you all hear me? All right, good. I’m loud, I know. Anyway, but… Yeah, there you go. Thank you. Thank you. Right on cue. All right.
But on a day like this, and again, I just can’t say thank you enough. It just is one of those things that I’m uncomfortable with, that I appreciate every bit of it. But I know, and if anybody says, oh, your church is whatever. No, not my church. We know it’s the Lord’s. We know that. But then it’s a body of believers who’ve come together to carry out the Great Commission.
And whether that’s doing the administrative work, and I’m so grateful, though she’s wearing a Cubs jersey, that I have a secretary who takes care of all of that, and then some, and all those who pitch in on that. Yeah, I thought that’s in the handbook somewhere. You’re not allowed to do that. But apparently not. Not in public, anyway.
And whether it is truly discipling, and caring for people, and checking in on people, and I try to do as much of that as possible, or be available as much as possible, yet others just step right in, especially when there’s only one pastor, and not an assistant. I always tell people, yes, I used to be the assistant pastor, and now I’m the pastor, but I’m also still the assistant pastor, that kind of thing.
But yet, that’s okay. I mean, Paul, even in his instruction, I’ll get to the message, I promise, but even in his instruction, it was all about making sure you’re ready to give an answer. Making sure that the people around him, especially Timothy, as we’re going to talk about here in just a minute, that he was equipped to do the work, so that Paul now could be where Timothy is, right?
In Philippians, I don’t know if we got there last week, but it was in my notes somewhere, that he sent Timothy. He said, I’m sending Timothy unto you. Why? Because he’s the one who does not care or seek of his own things. He’ll care for you, because he doesn’t care for himself. And that’s the most honorable qualification, after salvation, of a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the only way this ministry will ever work, the way it’s supposed to, honoring the Lord Jesus, is that, one, we know the Lord Jesus, and we have a relationship with Him, like we mentioned again this morning, that we are to follow examples, but we’re also then to have our own experience with the Lord, so that we trust Him and Him alone, even if our examples, whomever they may have been in the past, fail. That’s why I encouraged the teenagers today. That’s just the two words we need to know, example and experience.
Now, when I say experience, it’s not, you know, all the glitz and glamour, bells and whistles, fog machines and everything else, whatever, that creates an experience. And you guys are learning this in the Sunday School material, that it is just simply a true and deep relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when you have that, all your previous examples that may have gotten you to the place where you are spiritually, if they all failed, if they all quit, then you mainly are secure in your relationship with Jesus Christ. And that can just be as the way of introduction to say, as we enter into this world and this field, it’s going to take all of us to minister to people. And to not just love people by approving of their character or their willingness to try to do better or be better, but it’s to tell them the truth.
And it’s getting harder in this day, because truth is being more distorted than ever before. And when we see this being written, Paul’s coming off the part of the letter where he talks about being equipped or approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15, and then he says, he jumps down, and as our way of reading, and flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, and with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
And as he continues to write, however Paul was writing this, we don’t know. He was either in prison or under the threat of being thrown in prison. And he leans in to almost say, because, because he says there in verse one, this know also, 2 Timothy 3:1, that in the last days perilous time shall come.
And so as we said last week, in this generation, we’re to be in the midst of, we’re to shine as lights among, meaning God allowed you to be born the day you were born, so that you would be living today, in this day. And yes, it’s nice to get away from the world, and we talked about the world system, and get away from the cultures, what we talked about last week, the generation, actually the culture of people. And get a break to be around fellow believers who love the Lord Jesus, and you can freely talk about godly things. And freely talk about how God has blessed you, and used you, and dealt with you even, maybe with even your sin, and you can have a comfortable conversation with another believer about that.
Where that would just be so awkward and odd in the world, or in greater ways, something that causes conflict in your world, your workplace, your family. And as much joy as we find in connecting here, we must understand the field is out there. The reason we connect here is because of what this verse says, that in the last days, perilous times shall come.
And the word perilous has a meaning of difficulty, full of danger, risk, or hazard. You’re like, that’s why we like it in here. Even if it’s too cold, or too warm, whatever it is, it’s comfortable in here. But no matter how comfortable we get in here, the world is still out there.
And what happens here in this particular writing is a clear explanation of what days we live in. Now, just quickly, keep a marker there, Acts chapter 2, you say, when did the last days begin? And we could have a non-profitable theological discussion about that, I guess, if you wanted to. You did want to sit here for a couple hours and talk.
But what’s interesting is that Peter references that phrase, as it says, and I’ll get to verse 17, Acts chapter 2, verse 17. But I’ll read just before that. And we understand this is the day of Pentecost, and some believed, some mocked, and some just had no clue what was going on, right?
Verse 14, but Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And all my servants and all my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth, and beneath blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. And the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So we read that in that account. Of course, again, that’s a whole, and some of you studied Acts not too long ago in depth. But no matter what we read there, and again, he’s quoting Scripture, if you will, the prophet Joel. In the end, whatever day that is, the last days, or the last day, what is to happen in the last days is drawing all that we can to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. That all would call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.
And what we’re promised here is that’s always been, since the day of Pentecost, it’s always been the end goal of all those who gather together professing the name of the Lord Jesus. That they would take that truth from their place of gathering.
In the rest of Acts chapter 2, we get a good description of the early church. And they had all things common, and they worked together, and they prayed together, and they fellowshiped together, they broke bread together, and all those things that we enjoy. But so that they would be strengthened together to then be scattered abroad.
And ultimately, this is not an end goal of trying to get people dependent on someone else’s example of Jesus Christ. It’s that when we leave here, we are truly foundationally dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ. And what he has done in our life. Because, as we go back to 2 Timothy 3, we are in, and still are in, and will be till the end in the last days. But again, though it is risky, though it is dangerous, though it is hazardous. And we know all these things.
The world is the field. And we read of this world in verse 2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents. It made the list. Yeah, it did. And here’s interesting characteristics that are on this list. Unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And we’ll get to the next one.
But understand that what we’ve just read is something we all can identify with because we see the world. Yes, it used to be you had to stay up till 10 o’clock or 11 on the East Coast, right? News at 11, right? Or whatever the case may be. Or after the game or, you know, news after the game. And we’d stay up and watch and then wonder why we can’t get any sleep that night, you know? Like, well, we just watched all the world falling apart in 10 minutes on the news. And then now it’s time to go to bed, you know? But we do that. But now it’s 24-7 and we know that.
And here’s the thing. The problem is not the increase of corruption in our world, but it does and has. Or the lack of correction. Because that’s what we wish for. It’s what we long for. Hey, we need to correct these things out here. We need to get the right guy up here so we can correct everything right here. Well, that hasn’t happened.
But the real problem is the overconsumption of it. Now, the overcorrection would be, well, then I won’t listen to anything. I just won’t have a clue what’s going on in the world. And that’s probably a more healthy way to do it if you’re going to pick one. But we need to be informed because we need to have a burden. And we just think the world’s okay and everybody’s okay and God loves everyone and nobody has to be held accountable for anything. You know, that’s kind of what’s being taught. We’re going to get to that verse here in just a second. But we just think, yeah, everybody’s okay. Everybody’s come on in, come as you are, leave as you were. It doesn’t matter.
And then we get more and more frustrated about why the world’s not, you know, why it’s going in the wrong direction in a hurry. But one of two things gets us to that place of despair. It’s not just the overconsumption, but it’s the personal connection. The overconsumption is what we have in our hand. It’s what we have in our computer, whatever the case may be. We’re just talking about it all the time. So we hear about it.
But what’s worse is the personal connection, we’ve actually been hurt by it. We’ve been hurt by somebody who made this list. We’ve been hurt by a person who represented one of these characteristics listed as that which has been given in the last days.
And here’s what we need as a Christian. With greater exposure, we need greater endurance. I don’t think you can do your best. You can fast off social media. You can do all those things people do recommend them. I will recommend that as well. Take a break. Rest your brain. Rest your heart. But we must stay informed. But with greater exposure means we need greater endurance. And where does that endurance come from? It comes from the Lord. It comes from having faith in what is to come. Knowing that I have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m saved because of who he is and what he did for me. And my trust is in him. And as I walk with him and follow him, I learn more of him. Who endured all things. And he did it obediently all the way to death. As Philippians says, even the death of the cross.
Again, that last part of verse 4, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And then the next verse, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. It says from such turn away.
This idea of lovers of pleasure more than God is, I believe, as the nonbeliever of this world. Where God would get in the way of the life they want to live. Where God would be an interference, an obstacle, a disruption for them fulfilling everything they want.
Now, again, there’s an overcorrection of, okay, I guess I need to hate myself. No, not at all. Especially if you’re a child of God, you should understand your worth as a child of God. And if you’re a nonbeliever, you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your savior. You need to understand your worth that he died for you. He paid your sin debt for you. So you’re not to hate yourself. You can hate your sin. Hate that sin can have an effect on you like it does. But we understand the overconsumption of loving yourself and trying to basically, if you will, have a greater feeling than the fear that’s out in this world.
If I can just feel good enough, then I won’t fear as much that’s around me. And so we live in a world, by the way, verse 5, having a form of godliness. That’s not just people who do church and are false prophets. That’s people who take on a form of God and say, you know what? I have the cure for your need. Let me write it up for you. Here’s what you should do. Here’s 10 steps to. Here’s all these things. But listen to us.
And we may tag that with big pharma or big education or big whatever, right? We throw those kind of terms out there. But having a form of godliness but not acknowledging the God of the Bible. That’s just as much of having a form of godliness like this, but we’re all lost and we’re just doing this for the money or whatever, you know, whatever the scam is out there in religion.
It’s as much someone else saying, I know better than God, but I will never acknowledge him as God. And, you know, one answer to all of this is, you know what? Just be a friend to the world. Just be a friend to the world. No.
We’re to be faithful in the field. We’re to be faithful in the world, not a friend in the world. Because to be friends with the world is to be what? An enemy with God. That’s clearly stated in James 4, 4 and 5.
I went over a verse Wednesday night with the teens. You can look at it, Proverbs 18, 24. You’ll see it in most of your versions of the Word of God that you have. Most of the King James translation. And we’ve read this verse for years.
In verse 24, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. We’ve always read that. Hey, you want to have friends? You better show yourself friendly. Be nice to people. But remember, God’s Word’s eternal, not based on a translation, but based on preservation.
In other translations, this actual verse, a man of many companions may come to ruin. One even says a man of too many friends comes to ruin. Another translation says a man with many friends may be harmed. May be harmed. You say, that doesn’t make any sense. It will in a second.
Because Proverbs is written in contrast most of the verses. Here’s this, but then here’s this. It says, and if we read it that way, don’t get nervous, but if we read it that way, a man of many companions may come to ruin or a man with many friends may be harmed. Instead of and, there’s a but.
But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. What it’s saying is, if you spent your whole life trying to be friends with everybody, you can be harmed. Now, it does not tell us to be ignorant, abusive, or abrasive to other people. No, we’re speaking the truth in love. That’s what we are called to do.
But if your desire is to make everybody like you, you’re going to be hurt. However, there’s one that is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. And I bring that out to say, yes, we can have a form of godliness and say, you know, we should just be nice to everybody. But what if we’re the only light-bearing, truth-telling Gospel witness amongst that particular friend, family member, co-worker? You say, but it’s risky. It’s hazardous. Yes, it is.
But that’s what we’re called to do. We’re called to be a faithful witness in the world, not to make friends with everybody. Because there’s a real place called hell, and it’s a real place where people go to pay for their sin if they choose to reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior.
And so the most loving, friendly thing you could ever do is tell people the truth and explain, if you have to, how you got there yourself. Because somebody was a real friend to you. See, a real friend may harm on the front end by telling you the truth, but then showing and proving their love by making sure you know the truth.
And yet, we get wrapped up with these two verses, the last of verse four, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, and then having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. But the Bible tells us, from such turn away.
And then it gives us a greater warning. It says, for of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women, laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts. It creeps in and affects someone who’s weaker and in despair over their sin. The devil knows when to pounce.
Again, better translated would not use the word silly, but just kind of weak in the moment. Does that help, ladies? Weak in the moment because you’re so heavily burdened by your sin. Somebody will creep in unaware, yeah, literally, creep in unaware into your life and go, here’s what will make you feel good. Here’s ten things to do to make you feel better about yourself.
Again, I’m not anti feeling good about yourself, okay? Let’s be clear. I’m all about helping anybody in a position where they’re battling and struggling. I truly believe that’s part of what God’s given me to do. Not as good as some, but hopefully helpful in some ways.
But it creeps in. And then if it creeps into a Christian’s life, guess what, it’ll creep into the church. And it creeps into the church where it’s like, we’ve got to get everybody to feel good about themselves. And then it goes back to then they become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
How did that happen? Well, it crept in. It didn’t come from this book. And it doesn’t come from good biblical preaching, but it creeps in.
So what do we do? Because, again, it says ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, of course not. But there is something about feeling good about learning. And I’m not against learning. You say, sometimes I wonder. No, I’m not. But I’m against that being your absolute end goal focus.
I can just continue to learn and continue to learn. Yeah, but you’ve got to act on it. But this idea of what’s going on in our world, and then we enter in with the Gospel, right? People go, oh, what is that? One God, Jesus is Lord. What is that? Sin? What do you mean, sin? I’m a good person.
Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And then it throws in these two oddball names. Verse 8, now as Janice and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith.
I can’t get to those verses, but they’re in Exodus, OK? Sorry, James. James is like, why do you have me put verses up here, right? So at that time, the time of Pharaoh, I’ll just give you a quick synopsis of it so we can move on and get to the actual message part, right?
So these represented what was sorcerers and magicians back in the day of Pharaoh. So remember Moses? Remember the plagues? If you don’t, it’s OK. But things were turning into other things. Water was turning into blood, and frogs came out of nowhere, and all this crazy stuff was going on.
Well, there were people in that day who could imitate that. They could do those things, too. They were doing miracles, too. We just don’t ever hardly talk about it, but when it says those magicians or those sorcerers, Janice and Jambres were of those people who were also imitating the miracles of God, if you will. Have you ever heard of things like that happening today? People imitating the miracles of God? It goes back to but denying the power thereof, because they’re doing it in their own power. But they resisted Moses. That was the thing.
Moses was doing it at the command of the Lord Jesus, or excuse me, at the Lord God. My fault. Not there yet. I got ahead of myself, literally. Wow. My Old Testament, dang. All right, anyway.
But here’s the thing. We know that’s happening today. But we also know those people are going to be accountable for, hey, we did all these things in your name, Lord. Depart from me, I never knew you. And again, we’re entering into that world every day. But that guy makes me feel better about myself, right?
Verse 9, but they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Because when you know the truth, and you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and you know the miracle of coming from death unto life through salvation, and the Lord Jesus, you can expose those things. To know the greatest miracle of all is I was dead in my trespasses and sins, and now I’ve been quickened and made alive forevermore.
I was on my way to hell to spend eternity paying for my sin. Then I met the Lord Jesus Christ, and he forgave me of my sin. And by faith I trust him. And the greatest miracle ever cannot be imitated. It cannot be repeated. It cannot be duplicated.
Only one, because there was only one perfect sacrifice. Only one willing to pay the price for my sin. And therefore, create in my life the greatest miracle of all. Salvation for someone who didn’t deserve it at all.
The second thing is just simply being discerning. We know it’s difficult days, but we need discernment in these last days. We certainly need discernment in these last days. The deception of this world needs a discerning Christian.
Now, we’ll do this real quick, but Matthew 16. This is definitely a conversation of religious people with the Lord. And I’ll be quick with this, but Matthew 16. He’s talking to the Pharisees, also the Sadducees there in verse 1.
It says, that’s what they’re asking of Jesus here. No sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them,
Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand? Neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should be aware of leaven of the Pharisees of the Sadducees?
So he gets on the Pharisees and Sadducees real quick. And says, you’re able to discern all the weather patterns. Great. Good job. But you can’t discern what’s going on in these days. Because you’re just so full of religion and concern for current events and all those things.
You’re completely locked into what’s going on around you in current events. But you don’t even understand. And I’m saying this myself. You don’t even understand who you’re talking to.
So he gets upset with the religious people. But then, as always, his disciples chime in. And Jesus says, hey, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And they think, oh, leaven, bread, got it.
Okay, he’s talking about bread. We forgot to bring bread. Don’t ever forget to bring bread. All right, that was a side note.
Jesus does one of these. Right? If he had the emoji, he would do that, right? Sorry, that was irreverent. He said, I’m not talking about bread. That’s not what I’m talking about.
Now you’re so wrapped up in thinking physical, and I’m speaking spiritual. And we must beware of that. He wanted them concerned with what was going on spiritually around them. After condemning those for understanding what’s going on physically around them.
Because his disciples were thinking physically, and he wanted them to think spiritually.
Now we go back and finish up in 2 Timothy 3.
Verse 10. But thou, this is the doctrine for the last days. Spoiler alert, it’s the same. The doctrine’s the same. Look what he says.
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, 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.
Paul sets him up and says, you understand what’s going on in my life. Even the persecutions and all those things, but here’s the promise in the persecution. The Lord delivered me from all of them.
And he said, yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.
Again, a two-fold promise. Yes, I’ve been persecuted, but Jesus delivered me. Yes, you’ll live in persecution, but here, guess what? Here’s the greatest thing. And it’s going to get worse, by the way, but continue thou.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has 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.
All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
He’s saying when you enter into this time of the last days, what you’ll see and what you’ll feel immediately is the persecution. And it will weaken you, it will. But you can stand sure on the holy scriptures.
In fact, some of the persecution may come from within, sadly. And I regret when I hear anything like that.
And this world can get more and more, not just worse in its manner or behavior, but more confusing. And so what do we need when things get more confusing? We need more clarity.
So he says all scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof. If we’re going to correct anything, if we’re going to instruct anyone, we must use the same source. It must come from the holy scriptures, not just our opinions. Even if you have good ones, the scripture is better. Why? Because it was given by the inspiration of God.
And again, what are we doing? We are just so distracted. And we’re not to be distracted by the last days. But we are to be disciples in these last days. And not just be disciples, but create disciples.
And we can read this and go, yeah, that’s the world. All right, I see it every day. We can either be full of complaining. Or we can fulfill our calling.
And that is to go into all the world, even in the last days, and preach the Gospel. The holy scriptures. The truth that came from God. And that will allow us to be more like Jesus. And mature and grow and have progress in our lives.
So that we become, as Paul called himself, an imitator of Christ. He said, be an imitator of Christ as I have imitated him or followed him. So that we can follow the examples. But with our own experience, become an example for others to follow.
And I pray, then, give the Gospel. And be that labor in the field. Be that labor in the field. Be that labor in the field.
Let’s pray.
Lord, we thank you again that we know how tough it is. We will all agree, I believe we’ll all agree, that we’re in the last days. Because we have been. We have been and we obviously see it getting worse and worse.
And I pray that we may recognize that. And some may be over consumed with that information. That it would not lead us to hide in a corner, Lord.
But please, may it lead us to be strengthened by the Holy Scriptures. May we be encouraged by others’ manner of life. And their faithfulness to you in the midst of these last days. These perilous times.
More importantly, may we just be so given over to the Scriptures. That it’s instilling in us the faith that we need. It’s instilling in us the correction and the rebuke. And the things that we need corrected in our life, Lord.
That it would just simply remind us of your goodness. Yet also your holiness.
Pray we respond, not to my words, but the words of the Holy Scriptures, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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