Leaving a legacy... (7)

But mark this...

In today’s message, we’re going to be looking at signs that warn us that we may be in the last days.

When we look at our world and the events that are taking place, it might be concerning, in lieu of being concerned, it should cause us to look up and see that the Lord’s return has never been closer.

My prayer is that today’s message will inspire us to follow Jesus will a greater earnestness. If you don’t feel ready to meet Jesus, I pray that you will make that choice to be ready.

Let’s read our Scripture for today. We’ll break it into two parts for sake of time.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 NIV

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

As Paul brings Timothy’s attention to

The Last Days...

he says,

But mark this...

Pay attention to this. Know this:

There will be terrible times...

in the last days. In the last days perilous times will come. In the last days, there will be very difficult times.

According to Peter, the last days started with the early church.

Acts 2:17–21 NIV

17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

We may be living in the last of the last days. Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. I’m sure that Paul saw a lot of the warnings that he described to Timothy.

Over the course of history there have been ebbs and flows where the amount of wickedness seems to increase and then as people humble themselves and repent of their sins, and then God moves.

In my estimation, it seems that there is an increase of wickedness in our society. We might start to wonder if there are any left who have not turned away from the Lord.

When we look at Paul’s list, I’m sure it’s not exhaustive by any means. Even though it was written over 1900 years ago, you would think that he had done a search on Google Chrome or on Safari. These very things are going on around us as I speak.

Let’s read the list from the NLT.

2 Timothy 3:2–4 NLT

2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

Let’ s take a few minutes to highlight some of Paul’s warnings.

(Using LANTC for reference)

In the last days people will

Love only themselves and their money...

Our society has become very self focused. Even as Christians we can be tempted to believe it’s our money, rather than

“We are stewards of God’s money.”

Even children find it quite natural to want to be first. We aren’t called to hate ourselves, but we are called to love God and then our neighbours as we love ourselves.

As we near the end of history, we will see this love of self and the love of money will increase. Here’s a hypothetical scenario: Somebody finds themself in need of help. Maybe they need a few groceries. Many people just don’t want to be bothered. My time is too important to me. or they got themselves into that situation, they can get themselves out of it. Instead of saying, but by the grace of God go I. Maybe God has blessed us so that we can bless others. I’m not saying that God has blessed us so that we can enable others, though. Let’s ask the Lord for generous hearts so that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world.

Paul warns against

Pride...

People will be boastful and proud. People will have an overinflated ego. When we are high minded, we think less of others. Instead, we are called to think more highly of others than ourselves. We need to be willing to associate with those who aren’t accepted.

In the last days people will be

Abusive...

Some people can be very abrupt in how they dialogue with others and are feel pretty good about themselves when they lack proper honour and respect.

The NKJV uses blasphemers. The NLT translates the Greek word Blasphemos as

scoffing at God...

2 Peter 3:3 NLT

3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.

Some will mock the existence of God, while others will mock what we believe about Jesus Christ.

Some of Paul’s definitions are pretty self-explanatory.

Disobedient to parents...

I’m referring to blatant disrespect, defiance and disobedience.

Ungrateful...

Romans 1:21 NLT

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

Let’s pray for grateful hearts for the things we have, things people do for us, and more so what God has done for us, and is doing in us.

In the last days people will be

Unholy...

Nothing is considered sacred. Truth becomes relative, and people are offended to think that God might have standards. How dare you tell me how to live. We have to accept everybody’s beliefs and the way people live, otherwise, we are hateful and intolerant. Church family we need God’s love working in and through us to love each person God has created.

In the last days people will be...

Unloving and Unforgiving...

In Romans, Paul describes people who think it foolish to acknowledge God. Here’s a snippet,

Romans 1:30–31 NLT

30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

We can see that the world can be heartless, but we should never be considered heartless and without mercy in the church.

When the colonies in North America began seeking their independence, there was division as some of the people were loyal to the British crown. A father and son stood on opposite sides of this issue. it was Benjamin Franklin and his son William. After a peace treaty was signed between England and the United States, Benjamin Franklin was able to forgive his friends, but not his son.

Ephesians 4:32–5:2 NIV

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

If we feel disrespected and hurt, it can be hard to forgive. If we let unforgiveness fester, if we refuse to forgive when God gives us the opportunity, we won’t be able to forgive.

In the last days people will be

Slanderous and without Self-control...

Slander is spreading lies about others, often to make ourselves look better. When somebody lacks self-control, they don’t have the ability to say no to their actions, feelings or words.

In the last days people will be...

Cruel and hate what is good...

When we see what’s going on in our world, it’s heartbreaking and even brutal. We might ask, “How can people be so cruel?”

With no moral standard, right becomes wrong, and what is right in God’s eyes becomes despised.

In the last days people will become...

2 Timothy 3:4 NKJV

4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

People will betray their own friends. They will do what they want without regard for anybody else. They will be reckless. They will be proud. Having a high opinion of themselves.

They will love pleasure rather than God. I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on this one, other than to say, prayer meetings can be empty, but stadiums and arenas full.

In the last days,

2 Timothy 3:5 NLT

5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Humans look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. We can know the Christian lingo, but the only thing that matters is that the Holy Spirit is living in our hearts.

Let’s read the next two verses:

2 Timothy 3:6–7 NIV

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

People that have a form of godliness, but deny its power,

Worm their way into people’s lives...

Paul used the example of gullible women. Women weren’t educated and had very little chance to be employed in 1st century society, so false teachers would take advantage of them.

We, too, can be taken captive by false teaching if we aren’t in God’s word, and if we aren’t accountable to each other. Some teaching can sound so new and so appealing but lacks the power to make us godly.

In this case, we will be always learning, but never coming to a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Our last two verses mention, two unfamiliar men, probably Pharaoh’s magicians that opposed Moses.

2 Timothy 3:8–9 NIV

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

False teachers

Oppose the truth...

This does not go unnoticed. God knows and God sees. He will expose each person’s work for what it is. Some may not be exposed until Christ returns, but each must give an account for what they have done.

All this might seem a little depressing, but all Scripture has a purpose.

What can we learn and apply to our lives?

2 Peter 1:3–8 NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The things we put into our lives will come out of our lives. If we chase every wind of doctrine, we will be ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We can’t plant weeds in our lives and expect to get a good crop. Let’s be people of prayer and God’s word. As we follow Christ, the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in us: Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These show that we are walking in relationship with Jesus Christ, and are ready for the purposes of God.

Let’s pray!