Behavior Analysis

Introduction

Our flower starts last year

Self-Indulgent

The world looks after itself

Paul is giving Timothy encouragemnt towards staying the course - he’s called him to be holy, and he’s expanding on that

Last week (2:22-26) talks about the general principles for Timothy to do that as a leader and some specific ways to do that

This text deals more with the environment

Worldly living is “me-ocentric” rather than theocentric

Paul draws a sharp distinction between Christ and the world

starts off with lovers of self and money, ends with loving pleasure

self-interested behavior

As followers of Christ, we are to call for Thy will, not my will

If the only time those words are on our lips is in reciting the Lord’s prayer, then we probably have not allowed it to penetrate our hearts and affect our lives

These traits are pretty ugly and you may be picturing a fairly awful person; you may be thinking, “This doesn’t describe me! I’m not a horrible person!”

Masquerade

Worldliness can hide itself as holiness

“Worldliness is what makes sin look normal in any age and righteousness seem odd.” -David Wells

V. 5 - form of holiness, but denying its power

Sin’s greatest weapon is to make itself look normal

Robbers don’t announce themselves

E-mail scam - Amazon - your payment was declined

This is true with sin and motive, too

It is possible to act holy without being holy

Go through the motions to get what we want

Older son in the prodigals

That’s why God looks to our hearts

While frightening, we ask God to show us our motives

Open Eyes

Christians cannot be naive to the effects of the world

The environment places constant pressure on our faith

Take these first two together

We can’t be naive to the effects of the world on our faith

Since the 1970’s Burger King has been telling us (Have it your way)

Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us have it your way

I don’t think the church viewed this ad campaign as particularly threatening

Grand canyon - giant hole in the ground - a void created by constant pressure

Striving for holiness is a constant process of unmasking and responding

We ask God to show us our heart

We ask God to show us where we are seeking our pleasure rather than His glory

His glory = our good

We respond, asking for the Holy Spirit to intervene and redirect us in the fruit of the Spirit