We're living in a world that's
terribly confusing. The times may be rightly described
as truly perilous times. I can't think of a more difficult
time in which to live for people who seek God's glory, who seek
to walk with God, who seek to serve him. I can't think of a
more difficult day in which to try to faithfully preach the
gospel of our Lord Jesus than this day. The moral decadence
around us is astonishing. It's just astonishing. Adultery,
fornication, homosexuality, child abuse, What a pleasant word to
use to describe what people do to children. Materialism, greed, covetousness,
even among those who profess to be the children of God, those
who profess to believe the gospel and hold the doctrines of the
gospel, I see a general laxity, a carelessness, a terrible disregard for things
that ought to be cherished. Turn to Ephesians 1. I'm going
to be looking at 2 Timothy for our text, but turn to Ephesians
1. Ephesians 4, excuse me, verse 17. After describing all God's grace
for us and all the works of God's grace in us, and all the wonder
of the depth of God's love for us. Paul comes to address God's
saints here in this fourth chapter of Ephesians, urging us to live
as many women who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. In
verse 17, he says, this I say, therefore, and testify in the
Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. We tend to use that word Gentiles
just to refer to the nations other than the nation of Israel.
As it is used commonly in the scriptures, it carries with it,
if I rightly understand its use, and I think I do, it carries
with it the connotation that the whole Jewish world had of
Gentiles in the Old Testament. Something more contemptible than
beast. something more contemptible than
wild beasts. Because historically, the Gentiles
behaved far more contemptibly. Paul says, now don't walk like
other Gentiles walk. Don't live the way your ancestors
have. And don't live the way your kinsmen
do. Don't live without regard for
God, His honor, and His glory. Now this is how he describes
it. in the vanity of their minds. Vanity. The emptiness of their minds. That pretty well describes what
I see going on around me all the time. Folks behaving as though
their minds were empty. Just empty. Having the understanding
dark being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that's in them because of the blindness of their heart. Who being past feeling. Have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness. To work all uncleanness with
greediness. He says, this is how the Gentiles
walk. Don't live like this. They live
greedily and therefore behave lasciviously and behave ignorantly,
living for their own heart's lust and have no feeling for
anything or anybody except themselves and their own heart's lust. That's all that moves them and
all that motivates them. Have I described the generation
in which we live? Do those words describe everything
you see on your television set, every sitcom, every program,
every advertisement, every commercial? Do they describe what you see
every day around you? Don't live like that. But ye
have not so learned Christ. The self-centered lawlessness
of this age is shocking. There is in our generation, as
never before, a general complete contempt for authority. And that
contempt for authority is but an outward expression of man's
inward contempt of God Almighty. Authority, as ordained by God,
is representative of God in every realm of society. Brother Rex
just read in The Office, 1 Peter chapter 2, and he's described
in that passage how we are to submit to the ordinances of God
as He's established them. But we live in a day when men
are taught contempt for authority. Where is the child who respects
the authority of his mother and father? Where is the student
who respects the authority of a teacher? Where is the wife
who respects the authority of her husband? Where is the man
who respects the authority of civil government. Where is the
politician? Where is the elected official
who respects the Constitution? He is sworn to uphold and serves
the people he's sworn to serve. Have I stretched anything at
all? Anything? Have I overstated anything? embellished
anything. Is this what's going on around
us? Is this what you see happening? This is what you see happening
in every aspect of society. Yet, this is the most religious
generation that's ever lived topside of God's earth. The most religious generation.
The biggest business in America is big business religion. In
these tough times, I'll guarantee you they're just getting bigger.
We have more religion and more ungodliness, more churches and
more corruption, more preachers and more pornography, more Christians
and more convicts than any nation on earth. I look at those things and I
hurt. I think I know a little bit of
how righteous Lot felt in Sodom. And I think that I'm safe maybe
in comparing myself with that man, Lot. Maybe. He vexed his righteous
soul from day to day while he lived in Sodom. Vexed. It just wore him out. It just
wore him out. That word vexed is such a powerful,
meaningful word. I don't know whether it's common
in other households or not, because probably you weren't like I was,
but when I was growing up, I would often be told that I'm sick and
tired of you. I'm just sick and tired of you. That's the word. That's the word. I'm sick and tired. Sick and tired of what I hear
and what I see and what I observe around me. I hurt for you who are trying
to serve God. trying to walk with God, and
I know you are, trying to honor God, trying to worship God in
your lives, in your homes. And I constantly ask myself and
ask the Lord, God, what's going on? What's going on? Do you? Turn on television, see,
what's going on? What's going on? You get some
sense of what's going on in the religious circles around you.
What's going on? What's going on? And that's my
message tonight. That's the question I want to
answer. What's going on? Turn to 2 Timothy. I'm afraid
I know the answer. I know the answer. I know I know
the answer. You want to know what's going
on? I'll give it to you in one sentence, and I'll just keep
striking at this one sentence. We live in a generation under
the judgment of God. We live in a generation under
the judgment of God. I can't think of any place in
the world known to me that indicates any exception to that declaration. I can't think of any place in
the world. The fact is, as far as I can tell, baddest things
are here. Morally, spiritually, economically,
politically, legally, baddest things are here. We're in the
best of shape with everything else going on in the world. And
that's the case We're in one mess worldwide. What's going on? We live in a
generation under the judgment of God. Second Timothy chapter
three. Read it with me. According to
what I read in this book, things are exactly what we should have
expected. And we shouldn't be taken by
surprise. God, the Holy Spirit, told us
things would be exactly as they are now. 2 Timothy chapter 3,
verse 1. This know, Paul says to Timothy,
that in the last days perilous, dangerous, perilous times shall
come. How come? For men shall be lovers
of their own selves. Why'd that fellow leave his kids,
abandoned them? Why'd that woman leave her family,
abandoned them? Oh, her husband, her daddy, her
son, her daughter, his wife, his children. Why'd they do it?
Why'd they do it? Lovers of their own selves. Covetous. Covetous. Why can't you depend
on anybody for anything? Because they love themselves.
They're covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful. When was the last time you got
a thank you note from anybody? Well, what's that got to do with
anything? It's got a lot to do with something. It's got a lot to do with anything.
Unthankful. Unholy. Without natural affection. Without natural affection. The
kind of affection that's just natural to men. As men. Not as believers. Not as righteous
men. Just the kind of affection that's
just natural to men as men. As what we would normally call
moral creatures. Rational creatures. Not even
the kind of affection do we see in men that you see in the animal
world. Without natural affection. Truth
breakers. Put your name on something, that
don't matter. Give your word on something,
that don't matter. Naughty boy. Truth breakers. False accusers. Slanderers. All these kiss and
tell books come out. Everybody grabs them up and wants
to read them. I don't want to read it. I'm not going to read
it. If you buy it and give it to me, I'm not going to read
it. Not interested. Not interested. Truth breakers. False accusers. Incontinent. Incontinent. Can't control themselves. Fierce. Despisers of those that are good. Find somebody that does behave
reasonably well, despise them. Despise like children playing
in the play lot who are mischievous and somebody doesn't join them,
harass that little child. That's the way adults behave.
That's where they get it from. The kids imitate what they see
at home. Traitors. Treacherous. Heady, high-minded. You can't deal with them. You
can't reason with them. Lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God. Now, this is, that's how Paul, by inspiration
Bill, describes folks out yonder in the world. No, he's talking
about church-going folks. He's talking about churchgoers.
He's talking about Bible thumpers. He's talking about folks who
have their shirt pockets stuffed with tracks and got Bibles laying
in the windshield of the car. He's talking about religious
folks. Well, surely not, read the next line. Having a form
of godliness, form of religion, but denying the gospel. Did we
not read just a little bit ago that the gospel is the power
of God unto salvation? They have a form of godliness,
but they deny the power of godliness. Now what do you do with these
folks? Don't be mean to them, and don't be harsh, no. No, don't
treat them badly, no. But don't have anything to do
with their religion. From such, turn away. From such turn away,
don't keep company with them. If they need your help, help
them, but don't keep company with them. If they're hungry,
feed them, but don't keep company with them. From such turn away.
Now let me show you five things I believe that will help you
in this day. Help you to understand what's
going on around you and help you and me to live in this dark,
dark day for God's glory. Number one, understand this. We're living in an apostate religious
world. Turn to Amos, the eighth chapter. We live in a world of utter religious
apostasy. Now that's a fact that can't
be disputed by anyone with any spiritual perception and understanding
in divine truth. Brother Merrill brought me a,
I wish I'd brought it out here. Just threw it away a minute ago. Some
kind of flyer of some religious goat barn down in Harrodsburg.
June the 6th, they're going to have a motorcycle day. They're
going to have a motorcycle day. Isn't that wonderful? I hope
they hear this and they squawk about it. They're going to have
a motorcycle day. And the preacher, they're going to have a bike
blessing. Isn't that sweet? Going to bless
the motorcycles. Stupidity, yes, but worse. Mockery. Mockery of God in the
name of worshiping God. Mockery of God in the name of
serving God. Just mockery. Mockery. The New Testament plainly teaches
us that before Christ comes again, As this dispensation is drawn
to a rapid conclusion by the hand of God, there will be a
general, universal, wholesale departure from the faith of the
gospel. Now, I don't mean a departure
from the gospel by folks who don't believe it or profess to.
but a general, universal, wholesale, departure, utter denial of the
gospel by men and women who claim to believe the gospel and profess
to be the servants and people of God, an apostasy. Nothing is so evident to me in
this age in which we live with regard to the religion of this
age, nothing more evident to me than the complete Silence
of God. Silence. We're not talking about those folks who are outside the
realm of what's commonly called Christianity. We're talking about
folks who are in Baptist churches, conservative churches, Protestant
churches, what's called Christian churches worldwide. Thank God
he still has his 7,000 prophets who have not bowed the knee to
Baal, but they're scattered far and wide. Look here in Amos chapter
8, verse 11. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land. not a famine
of bread, you can survive that, nor a thirst for water, you can
even survive that, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea
to sea, and from north even to the east. They shall run to and
fro and seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. People go to church, go from
coast to coast, take holy land tours. They take what they call
those ocean liners, cruise ship tours. They have all kinds. They
go everywhere they can seeking a word from God. And all they
get is religious hocus pocus, nothing for their souls. Nothing
for God's glory. Nothing to benefit them. Nothing
to describe Christ and him crucified. Again, I'm not talking about
Hindus and Muslims and Judaism and Buddhism and all that stuff. I'm not talking even about Rome
and Romanism. Papacy has always been anti-Christ. But in our day, the children
of Rome are rapidly returning home, returning home to their
harlot mother, not in name, but in belief, in doctrine, and in
practice. The major tenets of all organized
religion are utterly papal in their origins, utterly people
in concept, utterly people in execution. The major tenets of
it all, free willism is Romanism. Works justification is Romanism. Salvation by baptism or salvation
by eating bread and drinking wine is Romanism. Separatism,
this notion that somehow you get to make yourself holy by
withdrawing from the world. I remember several years ago,
I don't think Brother David would mind me telling this, it's been
a long time ago. Brother David Collier, Brent Seacrest, and
I were down at Lexington and one of the Bible conferences
over there. We were all young fellas. And I didn't know anything
about Lexington. If I had known, I would have
done the same thing. But we were walking down, somewhere downtown
Lexington, and I darted into a place. I said, y'all thirsty?
No, I darted someplace, got me a Coca-Cola. I came back out,
and man, David and Brent They were white as sheets, looking
around, see if anybody saw me there, saw them with me. I said,
that was a pool hall. I just got a coat. You can't do that here. They'll throw you out of church
for going in there. People think it's holy to stand in a pool
hall. And they think you make yourself unholy if you happen
to go in there. Think it's holy if you wear your
hair a certain way or you don't do this or don't do that or do
do the other thing. All of it is nothing but Romanism.
The teaching of rewards, our loss of rewards. Baptist churches all over this
country get folks whipped up into religious excitement and
keep them controlled because if you don't tithe, God's going
to get you. God's going to get you. How many
times have you heard that? God's going to get him. He's
going to get his tithe. If that sends you to the hospital,
he's going to get it. I wonder how that gets him. But
folks have the idea that somehow, if you compel people to do what
they don't want to do in order to get something from God, some
greater reward in heaven, or compel them to do it because
they're afraid if they don't do it, God's going to whip them
to death. Somehow that's godliness. That's nothing but purgatory.
That's all on earth it is. It's just purgatory. This is
precisely what God told us would happen in these last days. Look at chapter 4, 2 Timothy,
or 1 Timothy chapter 4. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly
That's real plainly, that in these last days, some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines
of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared
with a hot iron, forbidding to marry. Well, who would do that? Commanding to abstain from meats.
Don't eat anything but fish on Friday. And that's not all it
applies to. Oh, no. Giving stupid things
for people to do. As if this is going to be holy.
This is going to be righteous. Vice President came out the other
day. I don't think he's too terribly concerned about religion. I don't
mind him hearing this either. I don't think he's too terribly concerned.
Never has indicated it. Especially what comes out of his mouth.
Came out. ashes on his forehead in the
form of a cross. That's going to convince God
that you're devoted, isn't it? But people who wouldn't dare
wear ashes on their head, just as guilty, just as guilty. Giving
seducing spirits and seducing doctrines Forbidding to marry, commanding
to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with
thanksgiving of those, of them which believe and know the truth.
For every creature of God is good, nothing to be refused if
it be received with thanksgiving. For it's sanctified by the word
of God in prayer. Turn to 2 Thessalonians a minute,
chapter 2. We beseech you brethren by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together
unto him that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled
neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that
the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any
means for that day shall not come except there come a falling
away first. The word is apostasy, a departure. And that man of sin be revealed.
He's not going to be revealed to the world. If he were, nobody
would follow him. They don't have a clue who he
is. The world's still looking for a fellow with 666 on his
forehead with a long tail and a red suit and a pitchfork. He's
not going to be revealed to the world. The world's still living
for something they can put their finger on and identify in a physical
character or some hysterical trait. No, but He revealed to
you who know God. He's gonna be revealed to you,
plainly so, because He opposes and exalts Himself above all
that's called God. Notice this is in the present
tense. This is already going on in Paul's
day, and it only continues and increases until the end. Or that
is worshipped. so that as God sitteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not
that when I was yet with you, I told you these things, and
now ye know what withholdeth, what is holding back, that he
might be revealed in his time? For the mystery of iniquity,
this man of sin, beast of freewillism, this beast that sets man up in
God's place, in God's house. The mystery of iniquity does
already work. Only he who now let it holds
back, withholds, restrains, will continue to restrain, continue
to let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that
wicked be revealed. whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming." Four hundred years ago, John Owen made this statement, in a day of apostasy, wholesale
apostasy. And we read the first chapter
of Romans. I read that passage deliberately,
and I think the Lord allowed you maybe to hear as I read.
That apostasy leads to the second thing. We live in a day, in a
generation, that is under the judgment of God Almighty, reprobate
before God. Ralph Barnard once said, this
is a reprobate age, an age that cannot be explained apart from
the judgment of God. The apostate religion of this
day is the result of divine judgment the result of God's reprobation.
Now this is what reprobation is. God makes himself known by
the light of nature, by the light of creation, by the light of
his word, by the light of the gospel preached. And men hold
down the truth of God and refuse to receive it. They refuse that
which they know to be true. They refuse that which they know
to be true. And for that reason, God gives
them up to a reprobate mind. Romans chapter 1. So that every
man is without excuse. The Lord God said to his prophet
Ephraim, is joined to his idols. Leave him alone. Don't pray for him. I won't hear
you. Don't mention his name to me.
I won't hear you. I'll tell you when I get real
concerned for somebody, when I get real concerned for, when
I can't pray for, I try and I can't, then I'm really
concerned. Turn to Matthew 23. Let me show you an example of
what I'm talking about. This will upset some of my friends,
but they'll just have to be upset, fellows who think you can't possibly
talk about a man's responsibility before God and preach free grace,
absolute sovereignty. The Lord Jesus is speaking, Matthew
23, verse 37. When folks try to explain away
these words, just ignore them. The Son of God says, O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens
under her wings. What does that sound like to
you? I would have gathered your chickens
together, even as a chicken gathers her chickens under her wings.
And you would not. Now, here's the result. Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. Reprobation is the work of God
fixing it. so that those who would not receive
his truth cannot receive it. Proverbs 1, the Lord says, I
stretched out my hands. I've called, you refused. So
when you call on me, I'm going to laugh at you. When you cry
to me, I'm going to mock you. And when you go to hell, you're
going to go to hell eating the fruit of your own ways. I'm going
to let you have what you asked for. I want to leave you alone.
Reprobation is God fixing it so that people who would not
receive the truth, who would not believe, cannot receive the
truth and cannot believe. It's God hardening a man's heart.
Revelation chapter 20. You'll find that it is Christ
himself who turned Satan loose for a little season upon the
nations to deceive them. It is God, the Holy Spirit, we
read in 2 Thessalonians, who ceases to restrain and lets loose
the powers of darkness upon the souls of men. It's God, the Father,
who sends a strong delusion that men should believe a lie because
they receive not the love of the truth. Can you think of anything
more solemn? The scriptures tell us that God
Almighty sovereignly employs Satan and the imps of hell to
secure the damnation of those who refuse to receive the love
of the truth. Brother Don, can we Know who
these false prophets are that God raises up in this day? Any
marks that clearly distinguish them? There are some. There's
some. I'll give you three. Some of them have all three of
these marks, some of them just one or two, but all of them can
be identified by these three things. A false prophet can be
identified by his enchanting miracles. The Antichrist, the man of sin,
is described in 2 Thessalonians 2, 9 as him whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. In Revelation 16, the false prophet
is described as that man who works by the spirit of devils,
working miracles, performing wonders. calling down fire out
of heaven. Miracle workers. Oh, but Brother
Don, what about this age of miracles? There was an age when the healing
of the sick and the healing of the blind and the raising of
the dead and speaking in tongues and a revelation from God was
evident. Messiah is here. That day is
over, for we have Messiah's word fully given, and we need none
other. And the miracles today are the
deceitful, deluding miracles of Antichrist and his servants.
Are you saying that all who perform miracles are false prophets?
No! I would... Alan, I'd never say such a thing.
God said that. Read it for yourself. Here's
another. False prophet can be identified
by his evil motives, which are obvious. A greedy man can't hide it. He
just can't hide it. You might not be able to understand
what meekness is, what love is, or what joy is by looking at
a man. But you look at a fella and you
can spot greed and covetousness and envy and ambition. Through
covetousness, Peter tells us, they with feigned words. I just couldn't help it. I don't
know that I ever looked up that word feigned before. Feigned
words. It's the word. Our word plaster. That's the word. Plastered words. Do you know what the plaster
does? It covers up a mess. It just covers up stuff. That's
what plaster is for. That's what feigned words do.
They're just a cover. A cover. And those fellows who
through covetousness with pretentious words by which they seek to cover
their intent. They make merchandise of you.
They're self-serving, ambitious, covetous men. They do what they
do for their own gain. Whether it be power, or money,
or position, or influence, they do it for themselves. And the
false prophet is clearly identified by his enticing message, fables. Paul describes them by inspiration
as itch-ear preachers. What is it you would like to
hear? Now, not many are so brazen as to actually ask such a question.
Some do. I read in Christianity Today
several years ago, some big church in Chicago, they were going up,
going to start a church and it was bankrolled by some fellows.
And they went around the community and found out where the politically
correct place to go was, where the upward mobile folks were,
where the most money was going to be, and they started asking
questions. Had people fill out surveys. Now, if I'm lying, I'm
dying. I'm telling you the truth. Filling out surveys, what do
you want in a church? And they told them what they'd
like to have. Things they didn't want, things they did. And when
it started at church, they went to those folks and said, do you
ask for it? It's what you got. It's what you got. Well, these inch
ear preachers, Take great care to find out what people like,
and that's what they preach. Fables. God loves you. God loves everybody. God has
a wonderful plan for your life. I went by in Lexington on Nicholasville
Road, or wherever the road is going in Lexington. Limestone,
I think it is. Church down there next to the campus. God loves
you. Or no, I love you, and you, and
you too, God. I wonder how you convince those
folks in Noah's day that that was a good bumper sticker on
the back of the ark. God loves you and has a wonderful plan
for your life. Christ died for you. He did everything he could
to save you. His blood will be shed in vain
if you don't let him save you. God is omnipotent. Let him have
his way. What stupidity. The false prophet. may or may not pretend to have
apostolic gifts. He may or may not be an obviously
covetous man, but every false prophet in this world has the
same message. He preaches conditional grace. He preaches conditional salvation. He makes something depend on
you. Every false prophet in the world
and every true gospel preacher preaches free grace, and every
one of them sees eye to eye in this matter. All right, here's
the third thing. In this dark, dark, dark day,
you who believe, you who have tasted that the Lord is gracious,
you and I, to whom God has been so good, have every reason to walk before
our God with unceasing praise and thanksgiving. When I read
the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians, I try to always picture sitting
in that congregation at Thessalonica. When the pastor came in, he said,
I got a letter from Paul today. We're going to read it tonight.
And the folks were sitting there listening. And they get to that
second chapter and all the terror and the judgment. God sent a
strong delusion that they should believe a lie. These folks follow
Antichrist to hell because God gave them a strong delusion,
sealed them up in judgment before they ever got to hell. And they're
reading that. They're listening to that. Oh,
what a horrible day. What a horrible day. Can you
imagine? how their hearts must have erupted
when the pastor read these words, but we're bound to give thanks
always to God for you. Brethren, beloved of God, because
God had from the beginning chosen you, chosen you to salvation. Why are these eyes not blind? These ears not deaf, this heart
not dead. Why am I not chasing after Antichrist
with all my heart, utterly devoted? Because God chose me and God
called me. Because Christ redeemed me. Because
God's gracious to me. That's all. Here's a fourth thing. I'm in
a hurry. Having the light of the gospel
in this dark day places on our shoulders a great weight of responsibility. A great weight of responsibility. The Church of the Living God,
pillar and ground of the truth. It is our business to hold the
light of the gospel in our day just as we've received it. hold
it clearly. It is our business to seize every
opportunity God gives us, to preach the gospel to this generation,
that men may know the living God, that Christ made by the
hearing of the word call out his elect wherever they're scattered
in this world. It is our business to preach
the word, to proclaim the gospel, Paul said, I'm a debtor to all
men. What makes me the debtor? What
makes me a debtor to everybody? To everybody? If I had a cure
in my hand for cancer, for any kind of cancer, and all you got
to do is have me give it to you. I've got a cure for it and nobody
else has got it. You can't get it anywhere else. It's my debt to give the cure
to everybody who needs it. It's my debt to do so. It's my moral, reasonable obligation
as a living human being. Rex, we've got the cure. for everybody. We got the cure. Jesus Christ
crucified. It's our moral responsibility. It is our reasonable duty to
make known the cure to the souls of men. And one more thing, one
more thing. I want you to go home understanding
well There's no cause for fear, no
need for alarm. God's doing things exactly according
to purpose, exactly as he will with everybody. The Lord, back
in Acts chapter 3, added to the church daily such as should be
saved. You know what? He still does. He gathers his elect from every
corner of the earth every day exactly according to purpose. He rules the thoughts of men
and the laws of men and the nations of men exactly according to his
purpose for the saving of his people and the glory of his name.
And he is, in all this, leading us in such a way, leading
his people through this world in such a way, as to make for
himself an everlasting and a glorious name. All is well. Christ is on the throne. His
will is done. Let us bow and worship Him. Amen.