Paul's Epistles – II Timothy – Part 5:
Terrible Times in the Last Days
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org | Online Audio Files
This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the
actual sermon by following the link Online
Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit
TruthDigest.org, for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us
on facebook at House of Faith Church
SERMON INTRODUCTION
This second letter from Paul to Timothy will be the
next “epistle” we examine.
After writing his first Epistle to Timothy, Paul left
Corinth, and set sail with Titus for Crete, where he left him to set the Church
in order (Titus 1:5).
The key-word in II Timothy is “Ashamed.”
“I must not be ashamed of my Lord, His Gospel, or His
suffering saints (II Timothy 1); How can I become a workman that “needs not be
ashamed” (II Timothy 2 & 3.), and then the Lord will not be ashamed
to own and stand by me (II Timothy 4).
PREVIOUSLY
Introduction to II Timothy
Appeal for Loyalty
Remaining Loyal to Christ and Paul’s Teaching
Warning Against Quarreling About Words
TODAY’S SERMON
Terrible Times in the Last Days
II Timothy 3:1-9 (66 AD, approximately one year after
the first Epistle to Timothy)
But
mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without
self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes
and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are
swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always
learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers
oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the
faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But
they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly
will be clear to everyone.
The overall message of this
epistle to the church is;
Loyalty to the Lord and
Truth in the view of persecution and apostasy
I. PREVIOUSLY IN
PAUL’S LETTER TO TIMOTHY
a. Paul appeals to Timothy for
his loyalty to Christ Jesus, and Paul’s teachings
i. This
is, the “true” foundation of Christianity
b. Paul re-explains the basics
of his teachings for Jews and Gentiles
i. As
well as explained about how to deal with false teachers
c. Paul then teaches about the
proper behavior for Followers of Christ
i. Not
to get caught up in arguing over mere words
ii. Paul states in II Timothy
2:22 this is foolish and stupid, and only hurts the faith of
those who hear
iii. Paul continues saying, “instead”, flee evil desires of youth
1. Young argue over pointless things
2. Whether chronologically or spiritually speaking
iv. Paul says, pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace
v. Along
with others who call on the Lord out of a pure heart
II.
MARK THIS! - TAKE NOTE! - LISTEN!
a. There WILL be
terrible times in the Last Days
i. People
will be lovers of themselves
1. selfish
2. self-centered
3. #1 - It’s all about “me”
4. This is in opposition to what Christ commanded us, to love God with all
our heart, mind, body and soul, and love our neighbor as ourselves.
ii. Lovers of money
iii. Boastful - prideful braggers who believe for one reason or another,
they are a “cut above you”, better than you, from a higher class, greater tax-bracket,
better educated, etc...
iv. Proud
v. Abusive
- because others are beneath them and do not matter. They are the magnifying glass, and you are
the ant
vi. Disobedient to their parents - a sign that when the child grows, they
will also be disobedient to God the Father
vii. Ungrateful - because they think everything is “owed” to them - entitled
viii. Unholy
ix. Without Love
b. I Corinthians 13
i. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am
only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If
I have the gift of prophecy and
can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that
can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If
I give all I possess to the poor and
give over my body to hardship that I
may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love
is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. 6 Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always
trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,
it will pass away. 9 For
we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part
disappears.
11 When
I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a
child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in
a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know in
part; then I shall know fully, even
as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But
the greatest of these is love.
c. But wait...there’s more
about False Converts!
i. They
are unforgiving (how dare you do something wrong to ME!)
ii. Slanderers
iii. Without self-control
iv. Brutal
v. Do
not love good
vi. Treacherous
vii. Rash
viii. Conceited
ix. Lovers of pleasure (Acts of the flesh)
1. Galatians 5:16-26 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you
will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the
flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary
to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to
do whatever you want. 18 But if you are
led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery;20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and
envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that
those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness
and self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let
us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not
become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
x. Rather
than lovers of God (Walking in the Spirit)
d. They (False Converts) have
a form of “godliness” but deny the power of God
i. We
all know people like this
ii. We sometimes call them fake-Christians
iii. They say the words, do the “things”, behave the way they are supposed
to, all for show.
1. These people crack under real pressure
2. Their house is built upon sand, rather than rock
3. They are as Christ described, “White washed tombs, beautiful on the
outside, but full of dead man’s bones”
iv. Paul is clear with Timothy about these types of people, VS. 5 “Have nothing to do with such
people.”
III.
WHAT ARE THE FALSE CONVERTS LIKE?
a. They are the kind who worm
their way into homes
i. and
gain control over gullible women
ii. These false converts are loaded down with sins (un-repented, on-going,
living in a state of continuous sinning)
1. Since they do not repent (turn away from sin), they cannot be forgiven
of that sin, if they even ask
2. Therefore, they are “loaded down” with sins
iii. They are swayed (persuaded, influenced, won over, led by) all
kinds of evil desires
iv. Always “learning” but never able to come to a knowledge of the
Truth
b. Just as Jannes and Jamres
opposed Moses
i. So
also, these false converts (teachers) oppose the Truth!
c. They are of depraved (immoral,
corrupt, evil, wicked) minds
i. As
far as faith is concerned, they are rejected
1. Matthew 7:21-23 (Jesus) “ “Not everyone
who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say
to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in
your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will
tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
2. Jesus then continues to explain “why”
He did not know them... Matthew
7:24-27 “24 “Therefore
everyone who hears these words of mine and
puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone
who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice
is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it
fell with a great crash.”
3. They never put their faith in Christ.
CONCLUSION
– but they (false converts/teachers)
will not get very far
Because their folly
(foolishness) will be clear to everyone.
You may fool some,
but you do not fool most.
You never fool God.
You may only be
fooling yourself!
The only hope for
false converts is;
1) Acknowledge Christ
Jesus is Lord and Savor and put your trust in Him!
2) Confess your sins
and repent! THEN you will be forgiven
What then?
Philippians 1:5-6
because of
your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Next week Paul gives Timothy his final charge
Want to learn more about
Salvation and Getting Saved?
Want to hear the audio to this sermon?
No comments:
Post a Comment