Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Growing up I was always told, “Stranger Danger.”
This was especially important due to my brother’s abduction by his biological father.
We were told over and over, do not talk to strangers.
Do not take candy from strangers.
If you do not know them and they come toward you, run.
However, not everyone who is a danger to us is a stranger.
Point and case, it was my brother’s dad who abducted him.
We see stories all the time where parents, teachers, authority figures, and spiritual leaders found guilty of unsavory acts.
As we look into our text, Paul begins to address with Timothy three marks of the unsavory spiritual leaders that he was to oppose and avoid at fellowship with at Ephesus.
He identifies their character, their converts, and their religion.
Focus Passage
Outline
Who are we to stay away from?
How do we know that we are stay away from them?
Is there a sign?
Is there a certain trait?
Paul, as he writes his final words to Timothy continues his message.
In chapter two Paul warned Timothy to stand firm on the faith, to avoid false teachings, and be a proponent of the truth and the Word of God.
To study the word, to implant the word in his heart, to stand for the word, and resist the teachings of those that spread falsehood.
That falsehood, those false teachings were nothing more than cancer that spread like a wild fire throughout the congregation at Ephesus and would do nothing more than bring division and destruction.
Paul further builds on his words from chapter and now encourages Timothy to stay away from those spreading the lies and false teachings.
He was not to have fellowship with them.
He was not to form a bond with them.
Paul writes, this know also.
Paul had more to say about the false teachers presently in Ephesus and to come after.
His words were not just about the teachers but the spirit that was driving the false teachers and teachings.
The character of false teachers (vv.2-5)
Paul warns Timothy of the last days.
He writes to Timothy, this know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come.
When were the last days?
What does he mean by perilous times?
Both are good questions that the believer must ask themselves.
We need to understand that we’ve have been in the last days since the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, risen, and ascended to the Father.
His Passion ushered in the last days.
For they continued from that time till now and will continue until His return.
As the author of Hebrews writes...
In these last days, from then till now, we have seen a decline in righteousness and godliness and increase in depravity.
This increase will just continue.
The increased depravity and evil that is in the world today is not evil that has been and realized through social media and tv, but is an ever increase evil.
The closer we get to the return of the Lord, the more evil things will become.
Satan knows that his time is short and he wants to kill, steel, and destroy all that he can.
Paul states that these days will be perilous.
When stating perilous, he is giving the idea of “difficult” and “dangerous” days.
He states that during this time there will be an increase in false teachers and these teachers will be marked by three identifying markers: their character, their converts, and their religion.
We begin with the first of these three identifying markers, their character.
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by love
A love for self - ‘…lovers of their own selves...’
They will have a character that is marked by love, but a love that is not for God or others, but for themselves.
Jesus was asked by the pharisees what was the greatest commandment, and Jesus responded that first and greatest commandment was to love God with all one’s mighty, heart, and being.
The second was like the first, to love others as yourself (Matthew 22:33-40).
If one loves self supremely, they are not loving God and not loving others.
It is just about them.
It is as Toby Keith’s song, It’s all about me, me, me.
This is the exact opposite of what our Lord has called us to be.
A love for money - ‘…covetous...’
Paul had already warned of the dangers of having a love for money and greed.
He states that money is the root (KJV) or a root (NASB) of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
Paul continued to write in his first letter to Timothy, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10b NASB 2020).
Money in itself is not bad, but the love of money is.
Money does crazy things to people.
We’ve seen people kill others and themselves over money.
We see the effect of fiscal troubles all around us in our world today from inflation, high interests, volatile stocks, etc.
People lie, manipulate, betray, and kill all over paper that only has value in which we are willing to give it.
A love for pleasure - ‘…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…’ (v.4)
Things, pleasures, in themselves are not wrong.
In fact, we find within the Scripture that those who love God, God does not mind blessing them with pleasures.
The Psalmist writes...
However, pleasures are not to rule our lives.
They are not be the end game.
They are not to be our desire.
All that we see and all that we desire of this world will fail and dissolve.
All that will remain is of God.
Satan will play to your eyes, your ego, and your flesh, knowing these are the areas that we are weak in and where will chase after pleasures.
Let us be reminded that all this will end and then we’ll be left with nothing.
Why seek after that which you will not take with you.
You brought nothing into this world and you will take nothing out with you.
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by an observable heart problem
Their heart problem will be observed through their pride - ‘…boastful, arrogant, conceited...’
Their heart problem will be observed through their relationships
Their family relationships - ‘…disobedient to parents, ungrateful...’
Their personal relationships - ‘…slanders, malicious gossips...’
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by an unsavory spirit
They will have a spirit that is uncontrollable - ‘…without self-control…irreconcilable…reckless…treacherous...’
They will have a spirit that dishonorable - ‘…unholy…haters of good…’
Every problem that you and I have is a problem of the heart.
It is from the heart that all evil and sin comes.
Jesus stated within the Gospels...
Paul not only addresses the character of the false teachers, but he also address the converts, followers of the false teachers.
The converts of the false teachers (vv.6-7)
The converts of these false teachers are shown to be a certain kind of people.
These false teachers, while trying to go after all the followers they can, have set targets and responders.
We see within Paul’s letter to Timothy who these converts are.
The converts of the false teachers are shown to be weak-willed- ‘…lead captive silly women...’
The meaning behind “silly” is “weak willed” or “vulnerable”.
Paul was not identifying that all women are this way, nor was he stating that men could not be deceived.
Women were not viewed high in the first century.
They were not taken seriously.
Paul writes his letter in a way that shows that the converts of the false teachers are not taken serious by them either.
Paul describes that these converts are weak-willed and vulnerable.
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