Character Matters Series

Character matters

Series Solutions

Selected verses

Introduction-

This morning we will conclude our series on Solutions. I hope that it has been beneficial.

How many remember the illustration last week of the business man and the homeless guy in the pizza place. How many can relate to the business man assuming it was his pizza and that the homeless man was wrong just because he didn’t look like he looks- having to eat his words because he did not take the time to find out the whole story.

We all have work to do but at least I hope that you are willing to do the work! (Repeat)

We have for several weeks looked into finding answers from God’s word for what is happening in our lives.

I won’t take the time to again highlight the past weeks, you might want to do that online but we can come to an agreement that the best solutions come to us when we as Christians are asking God for the answers!

When we are seeking Him in a day and age where the voice of God seems to be getting softer and the voice of the world is screaming.

We need the Lord

We need to be living out God’s truths and not let the world drown out the voice of God.

The loudest voice isn’t always right.

This morning, looking at Character- who we are when no one is looking -

Prayer-

Father, this morning we come in the name of Jesus to ask you Lord to speak to each of us and have us do an self examination to make sure we are who we claim to be.

A lot of people put on the title of Christian but who we are when no one is watching is really who we are.

I ask that you would speak clearly and louder than the world is to us this morning and you would be glorified in our lives. In Jesus Name Amen.

Text- 2 Timothy 4:1-8 read from Bible

Again Paul is talking to Timothy and to us about our lives in Christ.

Paul was telling Timothy - This world is going to be judged by a supreme God and just God. One who will have the final say.

I scratch my head everytime the news comes on and I hear about some new ridiculous law that some governor is pushing that will be better for society and it is nothing but atrocious to God and His morals.

He is telling this young preacher to preach the Word. Be prepared and use God’s Word to correct, rebuke, and encourage.

There is coming a day when people will only tell you what you want to hear and turn you away from the things of God.

Do the work that you have been called to do.

We may not all be called to preach the word but we all are called to spread the word.

He is talking about character-

The character of a person is how they think and how they act distinctive to the individual.

It is their nature. It is who they are under all circumstances and even when nobody is watching, they are still that person.

Be who we are supposed to be in Christ.

Remember as a believer, we are to be in Christ with every part of our life.

We do not have a Sunday morning person and a rest of the week person. We are to be Christ-like everyday 24/7.

Our Character is who we are when nobody is watching. Not who we pretend to be when people are watching.

The time will come- They were moving into it and I believe we are there- a time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine- in the Greek it means to have a “healthy idea of what you believe”.

It means when this time comes people will not tolerate or be able to bear a godly and healthy view of God.

He addresses teachers that are supposed to be teachers of God’s word and God’s principals.

There won’t be a shortage of teachers, there will be a shortage of teachers who teach a healthy and correct gospel.

Talk about their desires- they will be teachers only there to comfort and tell them what they want to hear.

There will be no challenge to address what is wrong with their lives.

Itchy ears, tickle the ear phrases are for people who only want to hear what they want to hear.

They profess to know the truth but are backslid in the faith, apostate, or former believers expressing false teachings that match their personally formulated gospel according to themselves.

Paul then shifts his advice to us with a series of imperatives that contrast those who are in Christ and those who will be in end times.