We are looking this morning at
2 Timothy 3. I hope you will turn there and
follow along with me. If not, I hope you will listen
carefully as I read from and comment briefly from God's Word. This portion of God's Word speaks
of the last days, and this passage more clearly describes our generation,
the day we are living in, than any other before us. We are clearly
living in the last of the last days according to these verses. The Lord God, through the Apostle
Paul, speaking to a young man named Timothy, a young preacher,
whom he tells in the next chapter to preach the Word, to preach
the Word. That is what I am trying to do
this morning. He says there will come a time that they will not
endure, that is the world, people in general, will not endure sound
doctrine or the plain teaching of scripture, but they will turn
away their ears from the truth unto fables. They will listen
to whatever they want to hear and will heap to themselves teachers
or preachers, so-called. having itching ears to tell them
what they want to hear. But God's word is very plain.
Here in 2 Timothy 3, he says, In the last days perilous times
shall come, that is, dangerous times, fierce times, violent
times, they are here. This was written 2,000 years
ago nearly, and these perilous times are upon us. And he describes
them in verse 2, beginning with verse 2, he says, men shall be
lovers of their own selves. Lovers of self. Our Lord said, because iniquity
abounds, the love of many shall wax cold. True love of parents
for children will wane. The love between husbands and
wives, divorce rate now is over 50 percent. between friends,
sacrificial, loyal, faithful love will wane, will subside
because men love themselves. They love themselves. This is
truly the me generation, the I generation, lovers of themselves. Folks, when God does a true work
of salvation and grace and regeneration in the heart of a human being,
they hate themselves. The natural man and the religious
man loves himself. They'll be lovers of their own
selves. Verse 2 goes on to say they'll be covetous. The love
of self fosters this covetousness. This is the most materialistic
society in the history of the world. Love of self breeds covetousness. That is, cannot get enough to
lavish upon myself. And this love of self which gives
rise to covetousness, makes parents leave their children in the hands
of strangers in order to have a larger home or a better car. This is another form of that
without natural affection in verse 3. Covetous, boasters,
he said. In the last days there will be
boasters. Men, women, boys and girls are
big talkers. This is such a talkative generation
we live in. Everybody knows everything. And
they talk about it and have their opinion and they boast of what
they know and what they are proud, he goes on to say, they're proud.
Folks, human beings are proud of their race, be it black, white,
red, yellow, proud of their face, that is what they look like,
their beauty, supposed And the worst thing of all is proud of
grace. That is, everything we have,
we have received, and yet men and women are proud of it. Young
people are proud of what they have been given from above. Well, he goes on to say that
they are blasphemers. God Almighty's name, the name
of Jesus Christ, is on the lips of everyone, on the bumper stickers,
on the public restroom walls in t-shirts. Taking the name
of God in vain, using it lightly, carelessly, flippantly, irreverently. God's name is used as an oath
upon the lips of the smallest children. It is the signs of
the last days, people, blasphemers. That is, taking God's name, blaspheming
God. And the worst form of blasphemy
of all is in religion today. What all goes on, all the corruption,
covetousness, pride, which we just heard of. All of that is
more rampant and prevalent in religion than anything else.
Humility and meekness and lowliness, which is the true mark and characteristic
of the true child of God, is missing in religion today. Religious
people are the most proud people on the face of the earth. And
in religion, all that is done in the name of God and Jesus
is blasphemy. All the lies that's going on,
all the circus that's going on. He goes on to say, this will
be the sign of the last days. They'll be disobedient to parents.
This clearly, accurately describes this generation of wild asses
called children today. No respect at all for elders. rude, disrespectful, inconsiderate,
proud, boastful, loud, impolite, demanding, temperamental. About
half of our children seem to be drugged, calling it just hyperactivity
when it's rebellion. Disobedience to parents. Unthankful,
he goes on to say, unthankful. He just spoke of children being
disobedient to parents, it goes without saying that these same
children are demanding and wouldn't dream of giving thanks to their
parents, let alone God. But men and women by nature don't
give God a passing thought for all the abundance of blessings
and goodness He has bestowed upon them. This is the richest,
most affluent society in the history of the world, history
of mankind, but are men and women thankful? They are proud of it,
thinking they have obtained it themselves. And he goes on to
say they are unholy. Fruit of the Spirit. Holy Spirit
produces love, joy, true love for God, love for holiness, joy
in the Holy Spirit, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance, godliness, escoffed at, mocked at, old-fashioned,
out of date, archaic, ignorant, foolish. He says there will be without
natural affection in verse 3, without natural affection. Homosexuality is rampant and
people accept it now. It's being widely accepted now
as just an alternative lifestyle when God's word clearly, plainly
denounces it. Romans chapter 1, if anyone would
bother to read God's Word, would see clearly that it is a sign
of God giving someone over. I one time made the comment to
a brother, a preacher friend of mine, who I said homosexuality
will bring the judgment of God upon this nation. And he quickly
corrected me, saying that no, homosexuality is the judgment
of God. According to Romans 1, because
men hold the truth of God in unrighteousness and don't glorify
God as God, that's a good description of religion today. He goes on
to say they change the glory of incorruptible God into an
image like man, make God into a man, man into a God. He says
they change the truth of God into a lie, worship the creature,
that is, man, more than the Creator. And he says in verse 26, for
this cause, God gave them over, gave them up, reprobates what
that means, gave them over under vile affection, even the women,
to change the natural use into that which is against nature.
He's talking about natural affection there in 2 Timothy 3. In Romans 1, he says, men leaving
the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward
another, men with men. working in that which is unseemly
or ungodly or wicked, and receiving themselves that recompense for
the judgment or the consequences of their error, which is meat,
which is pity." He goes on down to the very last verse of Romans
1, saying, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit
such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure or consent with and allow or tolerate them that do
them. unholy, without natural affection. Not only is this speaking of
homosexuality or sodomites, that's the true name for this wicked
abomination. Child abuse, prostitution, and
so forth, is more rampant than ever. Folks, it's clearly a sign
of the times. Things that were nearly unheard
of twenty years ago are now commonplace today. becoming accepted by this
reprobate society we live in without natural affection. He
goes on to say, truce breakers, that is, agreement breakers,
word breakers, covenant breakers. If a man's word used to mean
something, it doesn't now. Signing your name on the contract
or dotted line used to mean something, it doesn't now. Go on to say
that they're false accusers, that is, gossipers. Men and women
today love slander, love lies, rumors, and gossip. That's why
these cheap gossip magazines are such popular periodicals. My, my, without, or, truce breakers,
false accusers, incontinent, he said. no self-control, self-indulgence,
gluttonous, wild and passionate, no self-restraint. Fierce, he
said. The sign of the times is fierce. Violence, youth gangs, violence,
road rage. Read on. He says they will be
despisers of those that are good. Moral and conservative people
are ridiculed, mocked and scorned. Traditional virtues and morals
are despised and disdained as being out of date, old-fashioned,
irrelevant. hate-mongers. They call those who believe what
God's Word says about sin, they call them hate-mongers. What
I'm merely saying right now, that God's Word says, I'll be
labeled as a hate-monger. I'm not knowing scriptures like
this which say, God hateth all workers of iniquity. Verse 4,
he says, Parents abandon children, marriages fail, friends leave,
heady, rush headlong into things, impetuous, impatient, high-minded,
intellectualism, education is touted as the savior of our society. Romans 1.22 says, though, that
professing themselves wise to be wise they became fools. Lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God. What will a man give in exchange
for his soul? Why, he loves pleasure more than
God. He's not interested in God, doesn't care about eternity,
laughs in the face of death. What will he give in exchange
for his soul? He'll give a better job, more money, a better house,
car, boat, ticket to a ball game, ten-point buck, a five-pound
bass, or a mess of pottage like old Esau. pleasure more than
lovers of God, but he goes on to say they have a form of godliness,
that is, they're religious. About half, if not more, of this
country claims to be Christian. Form of God, it's mere form,
it's not true godliness, it's a form of godliness, but they
deny the power thereof. That is, they deny God who is
all-powerful, flatly reject and deny Him, deny His word of His
power, reject it, deny, and their lives deny a true, saving, powerful
work of God upon them. We are living in the very last
day, perilous time. May God, through His mercy and
grace, cause us to flee from the wrath to come. Amen.