2 Timothy 3:1-9 “The last Days”

Introduction:

The emphasis in this chapter is on knowledge and responsibility. Paul informed Timothy about the character of the last days, and then instructed him how to respond.

Paul writes to Timothy with urgency and love — “But know this.” He doesn’t want Timothy to be ignorant or surprised by what’s happening in the world. These words are a call to awareness and readiness.

We, too, are living in days that fit Paul’s description — days of confusion, corruption, and compromise. You don’t have to look far to see it: in our schools, in our homes, in our entertainment, even within the church. But Paul doesn’t tell us this to create fear — he tells us so that we would stay faithful.

So, as Paul says, “Know this.” Keep it in your memory. Be aware of the times we’re living in. Don’t be ignorant of what’s taking place — instead, be grounded in truth and anchored in Christ.

1. (V1) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come

a) Know this: Carries the idea, that you should know it or keep it in your memory

Don’t be ignorant of the trouble of the last days

You can sense the urgency in Paul writing to Timothy

b) In the last days: The last days began with the ministry of Jesus Christ and will end at His return

c) Perilous Times: Hard times, difficult or dangerous times

In other parts of the world people suffer greatly because they name Jesus as Lord

We are watching the erosion of humanity and the effects on our society

The evidence is in our schools, in our entertainment, in the home, its everywhere

Molly and I had been watching a tv series that started out clean, but even in that it slowly began inserting things that were not appropriate to watch

The world continues to more and more dark…

Pause…

1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”

Last night we watched a movie about a penecostall preacher who departed from the faith

2 Peter 3:3 “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,”

Scoffers will come and walk according to their own lusts

What is our responsibility?

Luke 21:34–35 ““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

Luke 21:36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.””

Application: Knowing we are in the last days, it should effect the way we live our lives

Be watchful, be prepared and not caught off guard by these things

1.1 (V2) For men will be lovers of themselves

(SELF LOVE)

a) The sign of the times

Men will be lovers of themselves

The greek word used means to be self- loving

The world promotes self love, do what makes you happy, you are number one and don’t let anyone tell you other wise

I am strong, I am confident, I am beautiful, I am the priority

The philosophy of the world is you need to love yourself

b) Jesus never commands us to love ourself because He knows we don’ t have any problems with that

The Bible teaches us to deny ourself, to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves

Matthew 22:37–39 “Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

When we look at society and say, “How did we get to the place we’re in?”

The root is the love of self

1.2 Eighteen characteristics of self love

Lover of themselves

Lovers of money: People are willing to rob, steal, and kill to obtain wealth. They are willing throw away their life for the possibility of becoming rich. (The show American Greed)

Boasters: The word means to empty pretender, someone who brags about self

Proud: To show above or someone who thinks of themselves as above others

Blasphemers: Boasting, pride, and blasphemy each act as if I am the most important person. Each of them say, “You don’t matter and God does not matter. All that matters is me.”

Disobedient to parents: Not only disobedience, but you have kids who try and kill their parents

Unthankful

Unholy

Unloving: Which is translated without natural affection in the KJV) literally means, “without family love.” Paul said that the end times would be marked by an attitude of growing disregard of normal family love and obligation.

Unforgiving: Some hold onto grudges refusing to forgive, its self focussed and unbiblical (All have the self focused attitude)

Slanders: Men have always told hurtful lies about other men; but today, in media and in politics, slander has been elevated to both big business and big money.

Without self control: No control over over words, addictions to alchool, drugs, sex, gambling

Brutal: Just watch the news, people commit brutal crimes

Despiser of good: In todays society good is called evil and evil is called good

 Traitors

Headstrong

Haughty (All three involve self and pride)

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God: People live lifestyles that totally reject God, for the sake of their pleasure

2 (V5) Having a form of godliness but denying its power

a) Having a form of godliness

The form of godliness can be a person who attends church, they speak the Christianeses or Christian terminology

They lead people to believe they know God

Some of the most ungodly people claim a form of godliness

The tactic of the enemy is to give Christ a bad name and to make godless behavior spread like cancer

With my kids playing sports, we meet different people

I have had conversation where a person is speaking godless chatter, swearing, even using the Lord’s name in vain

Then the conversation comes to a point where they ask, “What do you do for a living?”

Praise the Lord, I’m a Christian too!

Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

b) But denying its power

Maybe they have come to church, yet they have not put their faith and trust in Christ, they resist the Holy Spirit and His transforming work

You can know things about Christ, but have you asked Him into your life and trusted Him in your heart?

Someone may hear the knock, but they don’t open the door to allow Christ into their heart

That is denying its power

2. It could be a person who is saved but they are walking in rebellion

They resist to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit because they give into the flesh and self love

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Romans 12:1–2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

As believers the former way of living should become less and less as we grow in maturity

Our lives should be living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God and if not, we have denied His power

2.1 From such, turn away

a) Christians are to turn away not only these attitudes, but also from the people who do these things.

As hard as it may be, were commanded to turn away from the brother or sister who is in open rebellion and refuse to turn away from their sin

2 Thessalonians 3:6 “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”

In  1 Corinthians 5 Paul confronts sexual immorality within the church.

A man in the church was having an immoral relationship with his father’s wife (likely his stepmother). Paul says this kind of sin “is not even named among the Gentiles”

Instead of mourning over this sin, the church was boasting in its tolerance

Paul commands the church to take strong disciplinary action:

“Put away from yourselves that wicked person” 

They were to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh” meaning to remove him from the fellowship for the protection of the church and so that he might repent and his spirit be saved.

Church discipline is done in love for the protection of other believers, but also that the person would repent and come back to the Lord

3. (V6) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sin

(FALSE TEACHERS)

Paul was focused on the specific situation in Ephesus

False teachers had wormed their way into households to gain control over women whom they knew to be vulnerable and gullible

They were heaped with sin and fed various lusts

These false teachers are predators who exploit a weakness

a) Paul was not saying all women are gullible or men are not vulnerable to the same wiles of the false teacher

But their carnality and immaturity rendered them easy targets

Anytime were in open rebellion, we’ve opened the door for attacks

3.1 (V7) Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth

a) Out of their openness to learn, they embraced as a fad whatever heresy came along

They were so open to all heresy that they were unable to come to the knowledge of truth that is in Christ

Sometimes the most educated people become to educated to receive the simplicity of the Gospel message

Ephesians 4:14 “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,”

We should continue to learn, but be carful what you put into your mind

Study the Bible, then you won’t be tossed around by every wind of doctrine

b) We live in a society where knowledge is at our finger tips

The answer to just about any question is seconds away

Yet our society is at its lowest point

Go to a major college and ask what is a women and against common sense they

In our society we have obtained a vast amount of knowledge, yet were so far from God

3.2 (V8-9) Jannes and Jambres resisted Mosses as do these also resist the truth

a) Jannes and Jambres: They were not named for us in the Exodus account

These two men are the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses before Pharaoh

They were able to work real miracles but by the power of darkness and not the power of God.

When Moses cast down his rod and it turned into a serpent, Jannes and Jambres could do the same.

When he turned water into blood, they could do the same. When Moses brought forth a plague of frogs, Jannes and Jambres could do the same.

Yet eventually they could not match God miracle-for-miracle, and their occult powers were shown to be inferior to God’s power.

b) Theses false teachers had influence in the church but it was temporarily

At times it can appear as though evil is prevailing and it can be disheartening, but the Bible is clear, Christ wins at the end

Eventually their folly would be manifest to all

In Conclusion:

Paul’s words to Timothy were not just a warning — they were a call to be ready. He wanted Timothy, and every believer after him, to live with eyes wide open and hearts firmly rooted in Christ.

Yes, these are perilous times. We see it — in our culture, in our homes, in our schools, even in the church. People are lovers of themselves, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

But God has called us to stand firm, to walk in truth, and to live differently from the world around us. We don’t have to blend in — we’re called to shine. Even as darkness increases, the light of Christ in us can shine brighter.

So, let’s examine our hearts today. Are we walking in the power of godliness, or just the form of it?

Have we allowed the Spirit of God to truly transform us, or are we just going through the motions?

The power of the gospel isn’t found in words or appearances — it’s found in a changed life, surrendered to Jesus Christ.

Is your life surrendered to Christ?