I hope you'll open your Bible
this morning to 2 Timothy chapter 3. If you do not have a Bible,
I hope you'll listen very carefully as I read from this portion of
God's Word, which so clearly speaks of the day that we are
living in. No generation has ever fit the
description of 2 Timothy chapter 3 like our present generation. I'm reading from 2 Timothy 3,
verse 1, and the Apostle Paul writes this. This know also that
in the last days perilous times shall come. The last days. Now, we are living in the last
days. It has been the last days since
Christ was on this earth. But these are the very last of
the last day. Now, no man knows the day or
the hour of the Lord Jesus Christ return. He said so. He said that
no man would know and only a fool would predict it. But he did
say Christ did say the times and seasons we can know for the
things preceding his return. We can see, we can observe, we
can know. In Matthew chapter 24, he gives
many of these things which precede his return. He talks of false
notions of world peace. He talks of an abundance of false
prophets or false claims by false Christs and false religions.
He speaks of the Antichrist. He speaks of apostasy. or a falling
away. He speaks of the rise in worldwide
calamities and disaster. And only a fool would not recognize
that these things are taking place in more abundance now.
You take worldwide calamities and disasters, why hurricanes
and floods and tornadoes and pestilence and drought and famine
and diseases are all on the rise and have been so for the past
decade or so. These things are the judgments
and warnings of God upon the last generation. We are in the
last days, and these things that we are about to look at show
us why. It gives a description of the
day, of the last days, the times, and verse 2 says this, Men shall
be lovers of their own selves. Lovers of their own selves. Because iniquity abounds, the
love of many shall wax cold. The love of parents for children
wanes. The love between husbands and
wives wanes. Divorce is over 50% now. The love of friend for friend
wanes. Why? Because men shall be lovers
of their own selves. This is the me generation, the
my generation, the big I. generation. Every man is out
for himself. He's a lover of himself and not
others. Read on. It says men shall be
covetous. There's never been a more materialistic
society than now. Men are lovers of things. Why? In order to have a better
home or a better car or more of this stuff, men will do just
about anything. Covetous. It says they're boasters. Men, women, and even boys and
girls are big talkers. Boasters. Boasts of many things. Boasts of their strength. Boasts of their knowledge. Boasts
of what they can do. Everybody knows everything. They
can do just about anything. Well, ask them. Boasters. Read
on. It says they're proud. They'll
be proud. And we've never been a more proud
generation than this one. Why, men are proud of their race,
proud of their face, even proud of grace. They talk like this,
I'm the biggest, I'm the best, I'm the richest, I'm the prettiest,
smartest, fastest, strongest. Well, I'm something. I'm worth
it. And then it goes on to say they'll
be blasphemers. Or that is blaspheming God, God's
name, God's Christ. Why, the name of God, the name
of Jesus Christ is on the lips of everyone, down to small children. They blaspheme God's holy name,
Christ's name, putting it on the bumper stickers and public
restroom walls and t-shirts for men to make fun of. taking the
name of God in vain, using it lightly, carelessly, flippantly,
irreverently. When God said He will not hold
them guiltless, who takes His name, who uses His name in a
light, irreverent way. Men and women are blasphemers,
it says. Never been more so than now.
Read on. It says they are disobedient
to parents. In the last days, Disobedience
to parents will be on the rise. No generation of children has
ever been more disobedient to parents. There's absolutely no
respect for elders among our children. Rude, disrespectful,
inconsiderate, proud, boastful, loud, impolite, demanding, temperamental,
wild-asses cults. That's what children are today. Because men have spared the rod,
the child has been spoiled. Well, he goes on to say that
they will be unthankful. In the last days, men shall be
unthankful. Men and women, by nature, don't
give God a passing thought for all the abundance of blessings
and goodness that he has bestowed upon them. Well, the scripture
says every good and perfect gift comes from above. And a man can
receive nothing except it be given him from above. Another
scripture says that we have what we have by the grace of God. Another scripture says, what
do we have that we have not received? Now, if we receive them, why
do we boast or brag as if we had not received them, as if
we had obtained these things by our own strivings and efforts
and hard work? abilities. No. Everything men
and women have, they have from the hand of God. Oh, how unthankful. How unthankful men are. Don't
stop to give God mere thanks for what they are and have. Read
on. It says they'll be unholy. Unholy. The fruit of the Spirit. which
is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance, godliness, they're all scoffed at, mocked
as being old-fashioned, out-of-date, archaic, only for the ignorant
and the foolish, because men are unholy, ungodly, bearing
no resemblance whatsoever to God. And verse 3 says that without
natural affection, without natural affection, this not only clearly
speaks of homosexuality or perversions like that, but child abuse is
on the rise. The natural affection of a father
and a mother for a child That is missing without natural affection. Why? A woman would give up her
newborn child in favor of a new car or a better home. Give it
up to a total stranger to raise any way they feel in order to
have things. Yes, natural affection has waned. It says they're truce breakers.
Read on. Men will be truce breakers. Well,
a man's word used to mean something. Not anymore. Not anymore. We'll say anything to get anything. It says there'll be false accusers. Why do you think that these gossip
magazines, slender magazines such as the National Enquirer
and a Star and all that are the leading selling magazines or
newspapers in the world? Because men are false accusers.
They delight in these things. Read on, it says they'll be incontinent. That means no self-control, completely
self-indulgent, gluttonous, wild, passionate, no self-restraints.
The sayings of the day are, if it feels good, do it. Why ask
why? Just do it. Why no fear? It says
men shall be fierce, that is, violent. You know how youth gangs
and violence So on are on the rise. Read on. It says there'll
be despisers of those that are good. Despisers of moral, conservative
character, ridiculing, mocking, scorning traditional virtues
and morals are despised and disdained as being old fashioned, out of
date, irrelevant to our new society. Read on. It says there'll be
traitors, parents abandoning children. Marriage is failing. Friends leaving friends. They'll
be heady, it says. Heady. Impulsive. Impetuous. Impatient. It says
they'll be high-minded. Uneducated. Men believe that education is
going to be the Savior of this society, when in fact, they're
educating God right out of the minds of our youth. Read on. It says there'll be lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God. Lovers of pleasure more
than lovers of God. Christ asked the question, what
would a man give in exchange for his soul? What would a man
give in exchange for his soul? Why, a man would give most anything.
He would exchange his soul for a better job, more money, a better
house, a better car, a bigger boat. Why, he'd give his soul
for a ticket to a ball game. He'd give his soul for a ten-point
buck, a five-pound bass, or maybe twelve Bud Lights. Yes, lovers
of pleasure more than lovers of God. And yet, yet most everyone
claims to be religious in this day. Most everyone claims to
be religious. Look at verse 5. It says they
have a form of godliness. They have a form of it, but denying
the power thereof. While men and women forsake the
worship of God in favor of all these things, they'll do it with
a cross around their neck. Yeah, they have a form of godliness,
all right. And that's all it is, a mere
form of godliness or an outward show. That describes religion
today more than ever before. Religion is a great big show,
a ridiculous circus sideshow. All the pomp and the show, all
the so-called healings and hand-waving, tongues and shoutings and crying,
is a ridiculous show of religion. Their meetings are wildfire,
fleshly emotion, and their meeting places are wood, hay, and stubble."
He says here they have a form of godliness or religion, a form
or a show of knowing God, of loving God, of worshiping God,
a form or a show, or they say they preach the gospel, but they
deny the power thereof, he says. denying the power, the power
of God. They deny that God is God. They
say things like this, God's done all He can do, now it's up to
you. They say God can't do anything
unless you let Him. Denying the very power of God,
that God is indeed God, doing as He will, with whom He will,
why He will, and none can stay His hand. They deny the Word
of God, the power of the Word of God. They speak of the Word
of God as if it's up for debate, as if it's subject to interpretation
or opinion, as if it's just merely a good book. When God says about
his Word that he upholds all things by the Word of his power,
that by his Word he kills, he makes alive, he wounds, he heals,
all by his Word, the Word of his power. They deny the power
of God's Son, who is called the Word of God. They deny His deity. They deny His power, claiming
He is just a mere man, that He is just Jesus to most people. When the Scripture says He is
God manifest in the flesh, that He came to save His people and
He did just that, went back to glory, sat down, and now sits
on the throne, with a whole universe in his hand to dispose of as
he sees fit. And the scriptures also said
he's laughing at this foolish generation, this last generation. Yes, these are perilous times
we're living in, the last days. And if you ignore this message,
you will do so at your own peril. you