How To Stand When It Is Difficult To Stand (1 Of 2)

We have had FIVE major revolutions in this country, that have brought about these drastic changes.

(1) THE COMMERCE REVOLUTION

When the commerce revolution came into existence, it replaced the agricultural age in this country. During the agricultural age, most people in this country farmed for a living. Year after year, they farmed and produced crops for their families, and for the market.

But when the COMMERCE REVOLUTION broke loose in this country, society began to change. Suddenly:

• New beverages came into existence, such as cocoa, tea, and coffee

• Stock companies began to open

• Banks began to multiply

The Commerce Revolution brought many changes to us. But that was only the start of things, next we had -

(2) THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

When the industrial revolution came into existence, the world really began to change.

Illus: Farmers that used to take days to plow a field, with the invention of tractors, could plow those same fields in a matter of hours. Factories began to produce more than they were ever able to produce in the past.

Then came-

(3) THE TRANSPORTATION AGE

When the transportation age came, men began to build cars, trains, and airplanes. People who had never been more than ten miles from their homes, began to travel hundreds and thousands of miles. People who had never been out of the county in which they lived, were beginning to travel all over the world.

Then next came-

(4) THE INFORMATION AGE

During this age, hand held calculators and crystal-controlled watches appeared everywhere.

Then next came-

(5) THE COMMUNICATION AGE

This is the age of computers.

Illus: If you had told someone a couple centuries ago that one day:

• We would be able to sit in our homes, and talk with someone on the other side of the word on a telephone, they would not have believed us.

• We would be able to sit in our homes with a television set before us, and we could watch a ball game thousands of miles from where we were sitting, they would not have believed us.

• We would be able to sit in our office, and dial a number into a fax machine, and send documents thousands of miles in a matter of seconds, they would have had a hard time believing it.

• We could type e-mail on our computer on the internet, and at the touch of a button, send a letter to someone who lives on the other side of the earth, in a matter of seconds. If we told our ancestors this was going to occur one day they would have had a hard time believing it.

We live in a changing world, and it is almost hard for us to believe the many changes that are occurring daily. The trouble is, many of these changes are not for the better.

Illus: It would be a shock to bring a man like Abraham Lincoln back, and show him around in this new age we live. It would be even more of a shock to bring back some of our spiritual forefathers, and show them what some churches have become.

They would be shocked in WHAT THEY HEARD, and WHAT THEY SAW!

• For example, it used to be that people dressed up to go to church, but now they dress-down.

• It use to be, the Bible was treated with respect, and it looked different from any book in our library. You could look at the cover and tell it was the Word of God. Today, many of these versions have made it look like any other book, filling it with pictures of young people playing soccer, and with cartoon figures.

• It used to be an act of disrespect to come into the house of worship with a piece of chewing gum in your mouth. Now they come into the worship service with soft drinks and snack foods.

The apostle Paul could see this dreadful time coming. Paul gives Timothy some timely advice about standing fast.

I. A CHARGE TO GOD’S MEN

In 2 Tim. 4:1-2, we read, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

These verses of scripture need to be examined very closely. There are THREE things we need to consider:

A. THE COMMAND

Look at verse 1a, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,...” This is an order, not an option! Paul said, “I charge thee…”

Paul is saying, I do not care if you are living in a changing world, DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO IT! WHY SHOULD WE NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD?