“Dangerous Days Declared”

 

Text:     2 Ti.3: 1-17

Intro.: We are living in the dangerous days that the Word of God declared would come.  All around us we see these very Scriptures being fulfilled.  This only serves to convince us that the Bible is indeed the Word of God for it has so accurately and graphically described the events of the last days.  Only God Himself could have known the characteristics that would abound in the last days.  We are not to fear or let the dangers consume us, but we are to continue to proclaim God’s truth in spite of the resistance and persecution it may bring to us.  God has given us His Word to guide and furnish us with all that we need to contend for the faith.  Let’s turn now to our text and see how we are to respond to the dangerous days in which we live!

 

A)                The Danger Declared! (V.1)

1)                  “Last days” - From the resurrection of Christ till the end of the Tribulation is called “last days” because God is completing His purposes for His people.

2)                  “Perilous times shall come” - Perilous - “Full of danger, hazardous, savage, hard to deal with.”

3)                  Same word used to describe the two maniacs of Gadara (Mt.8: 28). Suggests the violence of the last days will be energized by devils (1 Ti.4: 1).

 

B)                 The Depravity Described! (Vs.2-4) 18 Characteristics are listed (6 + 6 + 6)

1)                  “Lovers of their own selves” - Note the emphasis on “love,” lovers of self, lovers of money (covetous), lovers of pleasures - “The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart!”  We are to love God and our neighbor - but if we love ourselves – we won’t love God or our neighbors!

2)                  “Covetous” - Greedy, miserly, excessively eager to obtain and possess.  We should worship God, love people and use things. But if we start worshiping ourselves, we’ll ignore God, start loving things and using people! Worldwide craving for things is just one evidence that people’s hearts have turned away from God.

3)                  “Boasters” - Braggers, full of self and their own wisdom and intelligence.

4)                  “Proud” - Natural for one who loves and worships himself!  Man is his own god!

5)                  “Blasphemers” - To revile, speak reproachfully of God, to speak evil of God, to curse.

6)                  “Disobedient to parents” - Apostasy will reach into the homes.

7)                  “Unthankful” - Children do not appreciate what their parents have done for them.

8)                  “Unholy” - Impure, filthy, irreverent (toward God, parents, authority in general).

9)                  “Without natural affection” - “Hardhearted toward kindred” - A lack of family love. Evidenced by: Abortion, child-abuse, neglect, wife/husband beating, gangs, incest, homosexuality etc.!

10)              “Trucebreakers” - People who will not try to agree. Unyielding and irreconcilable and must have their own way.

11)              “False Accusers” - To defend their position they will lie and tear down the reputation of others.

12)              “Incontinent” - Not restraining the sexual passions, indulging lusts without restraint.

13)              “Fierce” - Violent, uncontrolled, of a violently cruel nature.

14)              “Despisers of those that are good” - They will hate those who are moral and godly. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Is.5: 20).

15)              “Traitors” - Betrays others and can’t be trusted. They lie and break promises.

16)              “Heady” - Rash, hasty, reckless.

17)              “Highminded” - “Puffed up” with importance, conceited.

18)              “Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” - Pleasures of sin only last a season - Those who love God will enjoy pleasures forevermore (Ps.16: 11)!

 

C)                The Denial Decreed! (V.5)

1)                  “Having a form of godliness . . . from such turn away!”

2)                  These people described will actually consider themselves religious!  A “form of godliness” - outward appearance, but no true faith within!  “Form without force,” “Religion without Reality,” “Christianity without Christ!”

3)                  ILL. - A man dressed like a lifeguard, sitting in the lifeguard’s chair, wearing a whistle around his neck, but he can’t swim!  When someone begins to drown he has no power to save them for he is only a lifeguard in outward appearance!

 

D)                The Deception Determined! (Vs.6-7)

1)                  “Silly women” - Eve was the first woman deceived.  Women tend to be the devil’s primary target because they are more easily deceived.  Women must be especially dependent on God, their husbands and pastor to give them doctrinal direction and understanding.

2)                  Many false doctrines and cults were started and dominated by women - Pentecostal movement was started by a woman - Agnes Ozmond. Charismatic movement is still dominated by women. Christian Science - Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy etc.

3)                  These women are “ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  They are blinded by Satan!

 

E)                 The Defiance Displayed! (V.8)

1)                  “...withstood Moses,” “resist the truth”

2)                  Jannes and Jambres (the Egyptian Magicians) withstood, “set themselves against,” Moses by imitating what he did.

3)                  Satan is an imitator and his imitation gospel and church will spread in the last days!

4)                  Many will “resist” the truth in the last days.

 

F)                 The Damnation Deserved! (V.9)

1)                  Just as Moses overcame Jannes and Jambres by the power of God coming in great judgment, so too Christ will overcome these latter day deceivers!

2)                  2 Pet.2: 1-3; Jude 11-13

 

G)        The Devil’s Device! (Vs.10-12)

1)                  Paul points out that he suffered persecution because of his life.

2)                  We too can and should expect persecution because of our godly life.

3)                  But we must not let this get to us and give up the fight.