"The Dangers Of Religion Without God"

2 Timothy 3:5 ESV

having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

In the last days days hard times will come, the days between Jesus ressurection and the rapture of the church,Paul list sinful attitudes and behaviorsthat will characterizes these times.

Lovers of self,Lovers of pleasure rather that lovers of God. They will produce all manner of evil.savage wolves, full of prideand brutality. while lacking love and concern for others. all the while operating under religious camouflage.They will hold to the form of Godliness while denying the power thereof. Paul’s warning to Timothy is a warning to us all avoid these people.

Giving out tracts, no thank you I’m not religious, but.

Can you believe in God and not be religious?

Many people and churches have religion without righteousness.

They have a form of Christianity, but deny its power. There is a big difference from being religious and being righteous.

Religion without God is,

(1) Foolish- Who is man to think he can live without God? Can’t Breathe without Him, marry the right person, can’t have health without Him. He keeps the devil off your track!!

(2) Faithless- Without faith, we cannot know God. Can’t please God!!

(3) Futile- What profit is there in religion, if it does not help and change you? We have religion without God because man has added his viewpoints and inventions. A big waste of time.

Because of this, many churches are not much different than clubs … they have religion, but not Christ!

John 15:1–7 ESV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

In other words prayers get answered when we. maintain intimate fellowship with The Lord.

To inquire what it means, to roll it around in your head to internalize it, and to see how it fits in your life.

A branch off the vine is useless, and we can not produce fruit unless we remain in Christ.

I. WITHOUT CHRIST- All You’ll Have Is A formality.

1. Formality—2 Timothy 3:5—“Having a form.” A skelton may have a form of a human being, but it has no life! All may have a personal relationship with Christ—

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

2 Timothy 1:12 ESV

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Formality: To do something out of habit, ritual or obligation. This people honor with their lips but their hearts are far from me.

Church, Sunday School. Revival

1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

2. Faithless Luke 18:8 “I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””

Here Jesus asks, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Paul tells us that even after the people knew about God, they did not glorify Him—Romans 1:21–23.

Too often Christ is like a spare time to many people.

3. Fearless—having no respect toward God!

2 Peter 3:3 “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”

II. WITHOUT CONTROL- Can’t Find The Brakes

That’s just what the devil wants. No brakes!!

1. Uncontrolled attitudes—1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Paul says he disciplines himself, he has no intention of running this race aimlessly. If you don’t discipline you no one else can or will. you have to read your Word, you have to fast and pray, you must help the poor. A man in the Bible went to hell for not helping the poor.

We all should be concerned about what people think about us to a point.

2. Uncontrolled actions—1 Timothy 4:12. As Christians we must be good examples. The enemies of Daniel could find no fault in him—Daniel 6:4.

*** Our actions are more important than our words! ***

a. We are ambassadors—2 Corinthians 5:20. b. We are epistles—2 Corinthians 3:2 “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.”

4. Uncontrol toward authorities—Hebrews 3:7, Hebrews 3:17 “And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”

Those who rebelled in the wilderness that died their. People make a sport and a spectacle of themselves going against leadership.

We should obey those who are over us. Do not criticize your Mayor, Governor, President—pray for them

III. WITHOUT CONSECRATION-You Don’t belong To God

Def:the action of making or declaring something, typically a church, sacred.

1. Leisure living—

2 Timothy 3:4 “treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” Loving pleasure more than loving the Lord. Self and pleasure comes before God. Those who enjoy pleasure more than God are dead while they live—1 Timothy 5:6 “but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.”

2. Loose living—

2 Timothy 3:1–5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Here is a picture of people in the last days before Christ comes! Many will say, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”

—Luke 12:19 “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’”

3. Loveless living-

1 Corinthians 13. No love for God. No love for the nation. No love for others! Love causes us to do many things. If we love God, He will have our life and our worship!

1 Corinthians 13. No love for God. No love for the nation. No love for others! Love causes us to do many things. If we love God, He will have our life and our worship!

God is not dead. God has been taken out of religion, so religion has become dead! God is not living within man, so man is dead in his sins! Life without God is hopeless and helpless! When the living Christ lives in you, you will have enjoyable, exciting, and eternal life!