Living In Unthankful Times
2 Timothy 3:1-9
Introduction: The Humanist’s Prayer
Lyman Abbot once paraphrased the Lord’s Prayer to reflect the philosophy of those without God. We might call it the Humanist’s Prayer:
Our brethren who art on earth,
Hallowed be our name.
Our kingdom come,
Our will be done on earth,
For there is no heaven.
We must get this day our daily bread;
We neither forgive nor are forgiven.
We fear not temptation,
For we deliver ourselves from evil.
For ours is the kingdom and the power,
And there is no glory and no forever.
(James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 446.)
Note: Perilous times means difficult, troublesome, trying, uneasy, hard, violent, threatening, and dangerous days. The picture is that of people turning to and fro, here and there, not knowing which way to turn. “The last days” is a Biblical term that points to the end of the present age, the days right before the return of Christ, and the end of the world. It should be noted, however, that the marks of the end time are somewhat characteristic of all ages, but they are to be intensified in the last days. (The Preacher’s Outline And Sermon Bible: 1 Thessalonians – Philemon. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. Chattanooga, TN. p. 256.)
I. PERILOUS TIMES ARE MARKED BY A GODLESS SOCIETY. 2 Timothy 3:1-4
Illustration: Differing Perspectives
Shortly after the Communist revolution in Cuba, there were strong persuasive attempts at turning the people away from God. In grade schools, teachers would ask their students whether God could live up to His promises or not. Of course, the students said yes. The teacher would then illustrate how impotent God actually was. The teacher instructed the students to fervently pray for candy. After ten minutes, the teacher would ask if anyone received any candy. The students responded with a sad "No." Then the teacher would ask the students to ask the Communist state for candy. With expectant hearts, the students did so, and the teacher went around the room filling the students hands with sweets.
This truly is a differing perspective. Communism as a cure for social ills has no room for a loving God. The state’s protection of the individual for the benefit of the state will never replace God’s own Son dying for our sins on the cross. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 110-111.)
A. A Godless Society Is Self-Centered, Covetous, Proud And Boastful. 2 Timothy 3:2a
“…lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud…”
1. Self-centeredness highlights the lives of unthankful people. Matthew 25:43
a. They have no concern for others.
b. They have no concern for God.
c. Their selfish ambitions control their thoughts, their actions, and their lives.
2. Materialism dominates the lifestyles of unthankful people. 1 Timothy 6:10
a. They don’t want more, they want the most.
b. They don’t want better, they want the best.
c. They have a craving for things that cannot be satisfied.
3. If necessary they will lie, cheat, and steal in order to get what they believe they rightfully deserve, and arrogantly boast of their successes. Matthew 23:12
4. They may offer a pretense of humility, but inwardly they believe they are better than anyone else. Galatians 6:3
B. A Godless Society Lacks Respect, Holiness And Love. 2 Timothy 3:2b-3a
…blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving…
Illustration: Apathy Toward God
In his book The Stranger, Albert Camus tells of a man living his life without caring about anyone or anything. Just before he is to be executed, the chaplain says to him, "Don’t you believe in God?"
The man says, "No."
The chaplain says, "How do you know God doesn’t exist?"
The man replies, "Whether he exists, I don’t know. I do know that I don’t care either way." (Ravi Zacharias, "The Lostness of Humankind," Preaching Today, Tape No. 118.)
1. Unthankful people respect nothing.
a. Their mouth is full of cursing and slander. Psalms 10:7
b. They rebel against their parents, disdaining all manner of instruction and discipline. Ephesians 6:1-3
c. They have no appreciation for anything, especially the things of God. Romans 1:21
2. They are irreverent, indecent, immodest, and immoral. 2 Corinthians 7:1; Mark 12:30-31
3. They do not know how to love. Romans 1:24-27
a. Family relationships are destroyed as the pursuit of pleasure and lust engulfs their lifestyles.
b. Alcohol and drugs become substitutes for feelings as they turn into emotional cripples, unable to feel or experience anything that is real and natural.
c. Perverse sexual passions become “natural” expressions of love, but in reality are only avenues of destruction.
d. As they reach the bottom, they lash out at anyone around them who would dare curse their lifestyle.
e. Even in the face of death, they embrace their selfish choices and despise God for His righteous judgment. Romans 1:32
C. A Godless Society Is Untrustworthy, Undisciplined, And Untamed. 2 Timothy 3:3b
“…slanderers, without self-control, brutal…”
1. They are untrustworthy. Ephesians 4:25,32
Illustration: Importance Of Family Life
In Charles Swindoll’s Book, The Quest For Character (Multnomah), sociologist and historian Carle Zimmerman, in his 1947 book Family And Civilization, recorded his keen observations as he compared the disintegration of various cultures with the parallel decline of family life in those cultures. Eight specific patterns of domestic behavior typified the downward spiral of each culture Zimmerman studied:
* Marriage loses its sacredness;…is frequently broken by divorce;
* Traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost;
* Feminist movements abound;
* There is increased public disrespect for parents and authority in general;
* An acceleration of juvenile delinquency, promiscuity, and rebellion occurs.
* There is refusal of people with traditional marriages to accept family responsibilities;
* A growing desire for, and acceptance of, adultery is evident;
* There is increasing interest in, and spread of, sexual perversions and sex-related crimes. (Confident Living, November 1987, p. 34. Cited on-line at http://www.bible.org.)
2. They are undisciplined.
a. They have no self-control over their lives.
b. They are driven by pleasure with an “if it feels good, do it” attitude.
c. They are controlled by their passions, giving in to their sexual cravings without regard for holiness.
3. They are untamed. Revelation 21:8
Illustration: Despair Haunts America’s Youth
Decadence and despair haunt many of America’s youth. Perhaps fourteen-year-old Rod Matthews represents the most horrible extreme. Uninterested in baseball or books, Rod found one thing that did stimulate him: death. His curiosity was intensely aroused by a rental video, Faces of Death, a collage of film clips of people dying violently. He wanted to see death happen in real life.
So one winter day Rod lured a young friend into the woods and hammered him to death with a baseball bat. At Matthews’ trial a child psychiatrist testified that the boy was not conventionally insane. He just “doesn’t know right from wrong…He is morally handicapped.” (Against the Night, Charles Colson, p. 21-22. Cited on-line at http://www.bible.org.)
a. Murder and violence grows more chilling as society becomes calloused and desensitized to the heinousness and brutality of violent crimes.
D. A Godless Society Despises What Is Good. 2 Timothy 3:3c; 2 Peter 2:10
“…despisers of good…”
1. They despise authority, whether it be parental, governmental, judicial, societal, or religious.
2. They uphold what is evil for what is good, and demand their right to practice that which is harmful to others. Isaiah 5:20
3. They will not take a stand for what is good and right for fear of losing their own privileges.
4. They presume to have the right to whatever they want, and they want it now.
E. A Godless Society Is Headstrong And Conceited. 2 Timothy 3:4a
“…headstrong, haughty…”
1. They walk according to the flesh without any thought of the consequences. 2 Peter 2:10
2. They are so wrapped up in their own self-importance that they have no consideration of others and no consideration of God. 1 Timothy 6:17
3. They are without humility, trusting only in themselves. 1 Peter 5:5-6
Quote: "We ask God to provide for us, and when He does we congratulate ourselves upon our success." (Pulpit Helps, November, 1991, p. 10.)
F. A Godless Society Loves Pleasure More Than God. 2 Timothy 3:4b
“…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Quote: Oliver Green says, “The average church member today does not allow the church service to come between him and his pleasure. Prayer meeting, revival or church duties no longer interfere with social activities. Almost any minister in this country would agree with this, for it is the simple truth that the average church member does not let church interfere with his social life nor with anything he or she wants to do in the line of pleasure.” (Oliver Green. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy and Titus. P. 339f. Cited in The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible: 1 Thessalonians – Philemon. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. Chattanooga, TN. p. 263.)
II. PERILOUS TIMES ARE MARKED BY A POWERLESS RELIGION. 2 Timothy 3:5
“…having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
Illustration: Car Problem
In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push.
After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.”
He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work. (Ernest B. Beevers, Source unknown. Cited on-line at http://www.bible.org.)
A. Powerless Religion Denies The Power Of God. Matthew 23:27-28
1. Worship services in many churches have become nothing more than mindless ritual, with empty people singing empty songs and hearing an empty sermon from an empty preacher. Titus 1:16
2. They have an appearance of godliness, but they do not have God in their hearts and in their lives. 1 Corinthians 1:17-18
a. They profess to be believers.
b. They are baptized as believers.
c. They work as believers.
d. But Jesus does not profess to know them. Matthew 7:21-23
B. The Power Of God Is The Power To Deliver Men From The Bondage Of Sin. Romans 1:16
1. It is the power to give men faith that will save. Romans 10:17
2. It is the power that supersedes the wisdom of men. 1 Corinthians 2:4
3. It is the power to work effectually in everyone who believes. 1 Thessalonians 2:13
4. It is the power to righteously judge all men, saving those who believe, and condemning those who do not believe. Hebrews 4:12-13
Quote: William Barclay says: “The final condemnation of these people [the unsaved] is that they retain the outward form of religion, but they deny its power. That is to say, they recite the orthodox creeds, they go through the movements of a correct and dignified ritual and liturgy and worship; they maintain all the external forms of religion; but they know nothing of religion as a dynamic power which changes the lives of men.” (William Barclay. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. p. 219. Cited in The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible: 1 Thessalonians – Philemon. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. Chattanooga, TN. p. 264.)
III. PERIOUSE TIMES ARE MARKED BY CORRUPT MINISTRY. 2 Timothy 3:6-9
A. Those Who Are Weak In The Faith Are Easy Prey For False Teachers. 2 Timothy 3:6-7
Note: The term “gullible women” means little women, little in the sense of being spiritually dead, weak, immature, and unstable. However, it should always be remembered that men are just as gullible as women, just as gullible as women, just as spiritually dead, weak, immature, and unstable. The present passage zeros in on women because of the local situation in Ephesus; some of the women in the Ephesian church were following corrupt ministers. But the warning is applicable to us all: both men and women must guard against corrupt ministers. (The Preacher’s Outline And Sermon Bible: 1 Thessalonians – Philemon. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. Chattanooga, TN. p. 264.)
1. False teachers lead people away from the truth as they “depart from the faith,” teaching as truth “doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1
2. These false teachers are “disapproved” and “reprobate.” Romans 1:28
a. They are unable to distinguish the difference between right and wrong.
b. They have been abandoned by God to continue in their pursuit of false doctrine.
B. False Teachers Resist The Truth. 2 Timothy 3:8
Note: What is a cult?
The term cult just means a system of religious beliefs or rituals. It is based on a farming term in Latin meaning cultivation. Sociologists and anthropologists sometimes use the term cult to describe religious structure or belief patterns with meanings unique to their disciplines. In modern usage, the term cult is often used by the general public to describe any religious group they view as strange or dangerous. Thus, cult can describe religious leaders or organizations that employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal control over their followers’ lives. In addition to these usages, Christians generally have a doctrinal component to their use of the word. Cult in this sense, is a counterfeit or serious deviation from the doctrines of classical Christianity. (Watchman Fellowship’s 2001 Index of Cults and Religions. On-line source - http://www.watchman.org/cat95.htm.)
1. They resist the truth because their minds are corrupted. Romans 16:18; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Jude 19
2. They are disqualified as useless because their understanding of the Gospel is twisted and they are not in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5
C. False Teachers Will Be Exposed And Destroyed. 2 Timothy 3:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
1. God allows false teachers for now so that those who are approved can be recognized. 1 Corinthians 11:19
2. In the end, however, all false teachers and their teachings will be exposed.
Conclusion – The Decline of America
Today, the exalted status of economics in our public debate is being challenged in some rather intriguing places. For example, Wall Street Journal editor Robert Bartley recently observed, "If America is to decline, it will not be because of military overstretch. Nor the trade balance, Japanese management secrets or even the federal deficit. If a decline is underway, it’s a moral one."
Former Education Secretary William Bennett sees evidence of such decline in research identifying the most serious problems in public school classrooms. In 1940, running in the halls, chewing gum, and talking in class headed the list of teacher’s disciplinary concerns; today, robbery, rape, alcohol, drugs, teen pregnancy, and suicide are most often mentioned. Bennett argues, "If we turn the economy around, have full employment, live in cities of alabaster and gold, and this is what our children are doing to each other, then we still will have failed them."
Bennett believes one way to improve our national debate is to counterbalance, the Commerce Department’s index of leading economic indicators with a collection of some 19 "leading cultural indicators" including the divorce rate, the illegitimacy rate, the violent crime rate, the teen suicide rate, and even hours devoted to television viewing. While these cultural variables are only crude indicators of our nation’s social health, they do provide a more complete, and more accurate, empirical assessment of the condition of American society than is available from economic variables alone. Using economic variables -- even under-utilized variables like business productivity and hourly compensation rates -- it is difficult to explain public opinion polls showing that a majority of Americans believe the quality of life in America has declined over the last three decades. To understand such perceptions, one has to consider that since 1960, violent crime has risen 560 percent, illegitimate births have increased 400 percent, teen suicides have risen 200 percent, divorce rates have quadrupled, average SAT scores have dropped 80 points, and the proportion of children living in fatherless families has increased three-fold.
In essence, then, Bennett’s leading cultural indicators are to our national debate what statistics like saves, fielding percentage, and earned run average are to baseball: reminders that economic production (or run production) isn’t everything. Indeed, a society which manages to make great gains economically, but fails to progress in the cultural areas outlined by Bennett is likely to be no more successful in the long run than the 1931 New York Yankees. That ballclub, which featured sluggers like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, scored more runs (1,067) than any other team in major league history. But New York still finished 13 and one-half games behind the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 American League pennant race, in large part because the Yankees’ lousy pitching more than offset run-scoring prowess. (Family Policy, June, 1993, pp. 5-6.)
WHAT WE NEED IS GENUINE REVIVAL
Illustration: Start In The Circle
A man once asked Gipsy Smith, the famed evangelist, how to have a revival. Smith asked, "Do you have a place where you can pray?" The man answered that he did.
"Tell you what you do," Smith said. "You go to that place, and take a piece of chalk along. Kneel down there, and with the chalk, draw a complete circle all around you. Then pray for God to send a revival to everything inside of the circle. Stay there until He answers...and you will have revival."
Gipsy Smith knew that true revival begins in the heart of each person. (source Unknown)
