We are living in the most dangerous
times in the history of the world. In fact, this world is about
to be history, is about to be destroyed, not by nuclear bombs
or a world war, not by global warming, but by Jesus Christ. Scripture says He will destroy
this world, this world will melt with a fervent heat by the brightness
of His coming. But all that are in Him, all
who worship and love Him now, will be with Him and live with
Him forever someday. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, 2 Timothy
3 describes these last days and perilous times. Verse 1 says
this note, that in the last days perilous times shall come. And
in these following verses there is no mention of wars or disasters,
but yet he calls them perilous or dangerous times. In verse 2 he says men shall
be lovers of their own selves. Lovers of their own self. Do
you love yourself? Modern philosophy tells us to
love ourselves, tells us to love yourself, forgive yourself, pamper
yourself. When the Lord Jesus Christ said,
if any man will come after me, he must deny himself. In fact, in Ezekiel 36, God describes
that person whom He gives a new heart and a new nature, and He
says they will loathe themselves. Job is the oldest and first book
of the Bible. Job was the finest man on earth,
God said, and Job said, I abhor myself. I counsel you right now
from the Word of God. Ask the Lord to show you yourself. Scripture says there's none righteous.
No, not one. There's none that doeth good.
No, not one. Jesus Christ didn't come to save
righteous people, good people, but Christ came to save sinners.
He will only spare those who hate themselves, who deny themselves. In verse 2 it goes on to read,
men shall be lovers of their own selves and covetous. Covetous. Lovers of self and
lovers of pleasure more than God, verse 4 says. Covetousness,
scripture says, is idolatry. That is, loving the world and
the things of this world more than God. Those who do, don't
really know God. They just say so. John told us,
love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
But all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of God. He that
loveth the world and the things of this world, the love of God
is not in him. He goes on to read, In the last
days men shall be boasters and proud. In Isaiah chapter 2 he
says, The lofty looks of man shall be humbled. The haughtiness
of men shall be bowed down. The Lord alone shall be exalted
in that day. The day of the Lord of hosts
shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty. Everyone that
is lifted up shall be brought low upon all the high looks of
man. The haughtiness of man shall
be brought down, and the idols of men shall be destroyed. In
Isaiah chapter 3 verse 9 it says, The show of their countenance
doth witness against them. They declare their sin as Sodom. They hide it not. woe unto their
soul, they rewarded evil unto themselves. They declare their
sin like Sodom. Act up. They're very proud of
their sin. Isaiah chapter 3 says the daughters
of Zion are haughty, walking with stretched forth necks and
wanton eyes and making a mincing and tinkling sound as they go
with all their ornaments. Oh my, the scriptures denounces
and warns of the pride of man, the pride of man. Verse 2, he
says they are blasphemers. Blasphemers. The name of God
is upon everyone's lips, even small children. You hear the
phrase, oh my God, used as an exclamation, as a term of excitement
or surprise. Oh my God. Not giving any thought
to the fact that they're taking God's name in vain. Religion
is worse. Religion uses the name of God
on their signs, on their billboards, bumper stickers, and t-shirts.
When His name, Scripture says, is to be feared, His name is
to be exalted, His name is to be used only with fear, reverence,
worship, and the utmost respect, with glory and honor, never flippantly,
never carelessly, never as you would use a mere mortal man's
name. No, we're to fear His name and
use it only in worship and reverence. But yet men are blasphemers. Blasphemer. He goes on to say
in verse 2, they're disobedient to parents. Children. Rebellious. Defiant. Demanding. Without respect. Without any discipline. Knowing
nothing of work or responsibility. Spoiled by their parent. Parents
who buy them everything to appease their rebellious nature. Verse 2 says they're unthankful. Men and women and young people.
Unthankful. to God from whom all blessings
flow, from whom every good and perfect gift is received. Everything
is a gift. It's not I write from God. It's
a gift. All things are received, not
earned. It's all of grace. Romans 1 says
they're not thankful. Romans 1.25 says they worship
the creature rather than the Creator. They worship man. They
worship themselves. They worship the Almighty Dollar. not the God of all grace. Yes,
these are perilous times. Verse 2 says they are unthankful
and unholy, ungodly, unrighteous. Let me read to you what Scripture
says, what God says about man. This is God's view of man. This is how God sees man. This is how man really is. Romans
1 verse 29 says, "...filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them." Yes, these are the
last days. In verse 3 he goes on. These
last days, perilous times, men are without natural affection,
he said. Without natural affection. Romans
1 verse 24 says, God gave them up to uncleanness through the
lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between
themselves. Verse 26 says, God gave them
up to vile affections, men leaving the natural use of the woman
burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working
that which is unseemly. God says it's an abomination.
That's homosexuality. And it's prevalent in our society
in these last days. They don't hide it, Isaiah 3
says, but they boast of it without natural affection. And I read
to you from 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6, and I warn you,
from God's Word it says this, Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminates,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit
the kingdom of God. But, he said, but it is written
here of God's true people, they are washed sanctified and justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God." Unholy. Unholy. They're unholy, the Scripture
said. Verse 3, 2 Timothy 3, they're
without natural affection. They're truce breakers. Not peacemakers,
but truce breakers. Peace breakers. Oh my. It goes on to say that incontinent,
incontinent, that is, ruled by the lust of the flesh, lust of
the eye, ruled by sex, food, and desire, with no desire for
God, no desire for holiness. It says they are false accusers,
slanderers, liars, gossipers, loving to destroy the character
of others, the reputation of others. It says they are fierce,
fierce, as in the days of Noah. God said Christ will come as
in the days of Noah. In the days of Noah, two things
were prevalent. God looked down upon the children
of men and says the whole earth, number one, has corrupted His
way, corrupted the truth, corrupted God's Word, corrupted the Gospel,
turned to His own way. A way that seems right to end
this destruction when Christ is the way. The way, the truth,
and the life. Number two, it says the whole
earth was full of violence. Fierce here it says. Fierce,
full of violence. Blood sports, horror, murder,
violence is their favorite recreation. Just as they sat down, bloody
men sat down to watch Christ in His agony and bleeding to
death. Men love sight of blood. They're fierce. And it goes on
to say in our text, they're despisers of those that are good. Despisers
of those that are good. In Isaiah 59, it says, those
that depart from evil make themselves a prey. They are the ones who
are hated and maligned and accused by the people of this world.
Calling those that tell the truth hate mongers. Hate mongers. Homophobes. when those who tell
the truth are warning men and women to flee from the wrath
of God. Those who tell the truth are really the lovers of men's
souls. You don't warn those you don't love. But they're despisers
of those that are good, the scripture says in the last day. They'll
be despisers of those that are good. People, Noah was a preacher
of righteousness. Noah, scripture says, warned
his generation, warned them of certain destruction. And I warn
you today, just as all the prophets did, just as the apostles did,
repent. Peter stood at Pentecost and
said, save yourselves from this untold regeneration. Repent. Call on the name of the Lord.
In verse 4 it says they are traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God. Traitors, no loyalty, no
faithfulness, heady, dreamers, high-minded, the head in the
clouds and their mouths in the dirt. Verse 5 says they have
a form of godliness. They have a form of religion.
A show of religion on Sunday. A show of religion on their t-shirt.
But no real religion in their heart. No true religion in their
soul. Oh, we've got bikers for Jesus. They've got cowboys for Christ.
But it's just a show of religion. And deny the power thereof. Deny the life-giving, life-changing,
soul-saving, walk-changing, Word of God, truth of God. He says,
turn away from them. Christ said, God said, come out
from among them. Verse 6 says, of this sort are
they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women,
laden with lust, led away with different lusts, ever learning,
never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Religion led by
women, leading silly women, never knowing the truth. This is God's
Word. This is the truth. And I warn
you from God's Word to flee from the wrath to come. Come to Christ. Call on the Lord to save you
from your sin and from this untoward generation before it's everlastingly
too late. Amen.