Navigating Troubled Waters

Navigating Troubled Times

2 Timothy 3:10-17

Good morning everyone, glad that you have joined us.

This morning we are going to look at the seasoned Apostle Paul’s warning to a young believer name Timothy.

Paul is trying to encourage him to stay strong in the faith and also challenged him to make a difference.

Before we read the text and his words to Timothy, let’s look at how Paul describes the culture and what was ahead for Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 Read from Bible

Does this sound familiar?

Does this sound like it could be today?

Few people would question that we are living in dangerous times.

I think the last decade has brought fear and anxiousness to a lot of people for a lot of different reasons.

The advancement of powerful weapons.

The fear that one bad decision or move by our government and this world could be destroyed as we know it.

Every generation seems to advance in some ways in technology but we get farther away from getting along with compassion.

I am from the old school- Sometimes I forget how old I am. I remember when TV turned off at 2 am and didn’t return till morning.

Where the star spangled banner was played and then the TV went to a siren noise and an air raid signal was on the screen and you had to turn it off to get the noise to stop.

We had air raid drills where we had to get under our desk at school in case of a nuclear attack.

Never could figure what being under that little desk would do except maybe stop a piece of the ceiling from falling on you .

Every generation thinks that the new generation is worst than they were.

My parents thought that we were worse, and our grandparents thought that the last two generations are getting worse.

Note his tone as he lets Timothy know what he is up against. “Mark this down” “Take note.” There will be terrible times in the last days. Not maybe, there will be…. This is why.

“lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy and it just keeps escalating downward- treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Get this! “Having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

Have nothing to do with them. Wow! That doesn’t seem too Christian.

Have nothing to do with them? Is the apostle Paul really saying that? Yes! Yes he is! If you take it in the right context of how he said it.

This world is heading in the wrong direction.

This world is rebelling against God. It is having a form of godliness.

Have nothing to do with that!

He is charging Timothy and he is charging the church- have nothing to do with that. Be holy, be who God wants us to be.

Here is how the world lives- The beginning of the chapter. Here’s how you should be living! (Comparison)

Text- 2 Timothy 3:10-3:17 Read slowly

You have heard the expression

Cheer up! Things could be worse, so I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse.

That was the message of Paul to Timothy.

Paul was deeply concerned about what he was seeing as a trend and he did not like it and he was challenging Timothy to not be like the culture.

Some want to look at these last days and say “anything between Christ first coming and His return are considered last days.” True.

Some want to think last days as moments before Christ returns this is how society will be. True.

Hard times and hard days are coming.

If we are not ready, Christ will return as a thief in the night.

Christ could return at any time!

The Greek word translated “terrible” from verse one means it will be fierce, dangerous, frightening.

One preacher describes it as savage times as men cast off all moral restrains and society begins to disintegrate.

Buckle up Timothy- times are going to get rough!

Church…buckle up because things are changing!

Pay attention

Mark this down

Understand this and get this!

Don’t be surprised when this happens.

This is what happens when a nation turns it back on God! We have seen the nation of Israel do it repeatedly.

Reject God- get unruly, ungrateful, create idols.

Lovers of pleasure- moral collapse! All that once was good is now abandoned. All that once was rejected is now embraced.

Society breaks down.

“Every man does what is right in his own eyes.”

Woe to the person or god that would tell us different.

Unfortunately that is not where the religious rebels stop.

Watch out for those that have an appearance of godliness

Watch out for moral breakdowns

Watch out for postmodern religion that takes you away from God’s fundamental truth.