Sermon Tone Analysis

RECAP

1st week - Big Idea: “Don’t miss the Journey for the destination.”

Everything we are doing here on earth is preparing for eternity.

However, many times we are star gazing.

We are just biding our time until the kingdom is complete.

We are a new creation, we have a new house from God, we are called to be ministers of reconciliation and ambassadors for Christ.

If you are not turning the pages of scripture how are going to know what it looks like to live as a new creation.

2nd Week - Big idea: The Old Testament opens the window to the new.

“Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law not to abolish the law.”

The whole Bible is all about Jesus and his glory.

You cannot fully understand the New Testament if you are not turning the pages of the Old Testament.

Week 3 - What happens when you face opposition to the truth?

Note: at the end of chapter 2 prior to chapter 3 Paul speaks of those who rightly handle the truth in verse 15 and notice what he say’s in verse 16 “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.”

(He is saying you have an infection that will kill you) He is speaking of those who have swerved from the truth.

“Opposition to the Truth is not a passing situation, but a permanent Characteristic of this Age”

Maybe Paul fears that Timothy will become over-optimistic, hoping that if he lies low for awhile, the storm will pass.

But Paul gives him no such hope.

We too should ‘understand this’, and be clear about the perils and troubles which will come against us if we are standing firm in the truth of the gospel.

“In the Last Days”(what are the last day’s)

We may assume that Paul is referring to the future epoch last day’s preceeding the end when Christ returns.

However, this is the conviction of the New Testament authors that the new age (promised in the Old Testament) arrived with Jesus Christ, and that with His coming the old age had begun to pass away and the last day’s are now here.

We are living in the last days, this is a picture of the present, not the future.

Children imitate superheroes.

Elementary kids grow up and want to be like their favorite athletes.

Little girls sing with their hairbrush in front of a mirror emulating their favorite singer.

Teenagers follow the style and interests of pop culture.

I have watched young pastors try to mimic the style of their favorite preacher.

We have all observed the power of an example.

For Many, the World Lacks any Discernible Truth

The popular Pursuit of Wonder YouTube channel (almost two million subscribers) gives an excellent concise insight on Existentialism.

One segment is noteworthy:

Now more than ever we are exposed to a plethora of ideas about life.

The Internet has made it so we can consume a seemingly unending amount of content on the topic of living most effectively.

However, simultaneously, this access to information has also allowed the consumer to realize just how conflicting most ideas are.

In the West, the popularity of traditional religion (has) reduced as a result.

(And) for many, the increasing access to information has revealed that the world is basically without any discernible truth, and most ideas about how to live are inconclusive and unreliable.

It is fair to speculate that this could be a major contributing factor to the modern world's increasing levels of anxiety, cynicism, and disillusion.

Choosing between conflicting ideas of how to live has always been an issue for the individual.

But in the modern world, where conflicting ideas are constantly smacking us in the face, we can often find ourselves failing in our attempt to find footing in this reality.

At birth it's as if we are all given a slab of clay.

We get to choose what to mold it into.

However, … there is no right or wrong way to mold the clay.

Rather there are endless ways, all equally absurd, all equally meaningless

BIG IDEA: We turn the pages of scripture to know Truth from Error.

Because of the importance of living examples, it is necessary for us to know who we should follow.

There are good godly examples to emulate and ungodly examples to avoid.

Paul is showing both extremes in our text today.

During my ministry it seems that I have spent more of my time retraining those who have sat under poor examples of teaching and godliness.

Paul’s desire as he points out at the end of chapter 2 is that people might be granted the knowledge of truth.

Note: However we read in verse 7 of chapter 3 that there will be those who never fully arrive at the truth.

HOW DOES TURNING PAGES HELP US KNOW TRUTH FROM ERROR?

1.

It helps us Know how Avoid Ungodly Examples

This may seem like a dumb question of the forefront.

You may be saying, well duh of course we want to know truth from error!

The problem is that many of us either unknowingly or blindly.

Such obstinate, disruptive individuals must be avoided.

To “avoid” them might even mean completely to break fellowship with them.

Of course, believers should not avoid contact with all unbelievers; the individuals in view here are those who are within the church, wrecking others’ lives.

Leaders must guard the flock against wolves, and believers must avoid the example of the ungodly.

Several Questions to Ask Ourselves:

What kind of person are you, godless or godly?

Are you willing to admit when you have led someone astray?

(knowingly or many times unknowingly)

What kind of person are you becoming?

Who are the examples you are following?

How does turning pages help us avoid Ungodly Examples?

*It exposes the misdirected loves

vs. 2-4

Notice that their lives are described as lovers of self, lovers of money, unloving, without a love for God.

Paul is bracketing this list of sinful practices with statements of love in verses 2 and 4.

“Everyone worships something or someone”

We all come into the faith, no matter how young or old we might be as worshipers of self.

Paul mentions three glaring loves that we are all prone to at some level.

(1) Narcissism (The Love of Self) vs.2 “For people will be lovers of self”

(2) Materialism (The Love of things, money) “lovers of money”

(3) Hedonism (The Love of Pleasure) “lovers of pleasure”

Paul had pointed this glaring flaw out in 1 Timothy 6:5-10 speaking to the teachers inordinate love, especially the love of money.

3 glaring downfalls of most Spiritual Leaders in our culture today

Humility (the contrast of Narcissism).

(Ravi Zacharius)

Integrity (in contrast to Hedonism).

Generosity (in contrast to Materialism)

*It Exposes the Religious Show

Notice: note that Paul points out that there is a form of godliness that may appear to be godly, however, their lives are a show and do not lead to true godliness.

They have external practices but they are morally corrupt.

The were full of empty form, empty talk, and had no substance.

(1 Timothy 1:4)

The Bible is full of Examples of Religious Showmen

I think of the movie that came out a few years ago “The Greatest Showman,” headlined by Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum.

It follows the story of P.T. Barnum’s rise to fame with his circus.

Barnum had a natural talent for publicity, promotion.

After trying his hand at various jobs, P.T. turns to show business to indulge his limitless imagination, rising from nothing to create a spectacle that became the greatest show under the big top.

There are many examples in scripture of similar religious showmen, those who have the appearance of godliness but are actually ungodly.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God gave a mighty rebuke to the people of Judah.

He argued them to wash themselves, remove evil, and repent.

Why?

They had big religious feasts, prayers, and worship services but were not doing good, seeking justice, correcting oppression, defending the fatherless, or pleading for the widow.

At which point God say’s that he will not listen to the because their hands are covered with blood.

(Isaiah 1:14-17)

Listen to how James describes the pure undefiled religion that God requires in James 1:27