PRODUCERS of a HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT-IV—2Timothy 3:1-9
Need:
We live in a country of great corporate & personal wealth.
Why do people/things seem to be getting worse with times? Why is the world getting worse/colder/violent? I’m gonna fix this.
Self-protection/Isolation/Anonymity/Introversion/Antisocial/Aloof/Perversions/Indulgence/Alignments/Identification/Worldliness/Self-help
A Distortion of relationships at all & various levels
Isolated/Alone/Separated/Useless/Powerless/Fearful/Inept/Depressed/Devil-may-care
The last days will be characterized by a hostile(antagonistic) environment.
The Apostle Paul, revealed to Timothy that a hostile(antagonistic) environment will characterize the last days.
A hostile(antagonistic) environment will characterize the last days.
Why will hostility/antagonism characterize the last days?
22 producers of a hostile(antagonistic) environment.
“Perilous/Difficult”—calepov—Hard to do, to take, to approach; Hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous.
‘....it is hard to keep our integrity in the midst of general corruption.’—Matthew Henry(1721)
A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by,
a distortion of….
1. Self(:2a)
2. Wealth(:2b)
3. ACHIEVEMENT/Ability(:2c)
4. VIEW/Pride(:2d)
5. Reverence(:2e)
6. Authority/Respect(:2f)
7. Position/Grace(:2g)
8. SEPARATION(:2h)
9. AFFECTION(:3a)
10. RECONCILIATION(:3b)
11. ACCLAIM(:3c)
12—A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by…
A Distortion of Control(:3d)
Explanation:(:3d)
:3—“unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,”
“Without self-control/Incontinent”—akrathv—Without self control, intemperate. From: —kratov—Force, strength; Power, might; Dominion.
‘Control’(Eng.)—To determine, limit & regulate the behavior of.
Unrestrained by even natural ability. Self-will rules!
If there is No objective truth, truth is determined at the individual level.
Argumentation:
Prov. 29:18—“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.”
Jude 16, 18; 2Pet. 3:3—....“walking according to their own lusts...”, “...walking according to their own ungodly lusts...”; “....scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,”
—Living from one lust to the next!
2Pet. 1:5-8—“But....giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Gal. 5:22-25—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Illustration:
*A government without self-control becomes dictatorial of either 1)The people’s whims(anarchy) or 2)A man’s(totalitarian) whims. Spending thru the roof, Everyone on Govt. payroll/Distortion of CONTROL
Personal finances go haywire/finest of clothes, Meals out, Extravagant Vacations/Maxed-out Credit cards/Distortion of CONTROL
Buy houses beyond need—Maxed-out Morgages/House poor/Distortion of CONTROL
Eating/Gluttony encouraged/Eating Contests/Diets way of life to the exclusion of moderation/Distortion of CONTROL
Lawyers seek unbelievable settlements for rediculous lawsuits/Distortion of CONTROL
Craig’s List/Used for Murderers - Child Trafficking-Prostitution/Distortion of CONTROL
Chain smokers/One right after the other/No thought of stopping/Becomes habitual addiction/Distortion of CONTROL
You Tube videos/Anything goes/Distortion of CONTROL
TV show ‘Jackass’/No Propriety/Cult notoriety/Distortion of CONTROL
Kanye West’s(hip-hop-& rap) remarks during 2009 VMAwards/Interrupted Taylor Swift’s award to state his opinion that Beyonce’s video was better/Distortion of CONTROL
Mike Tyson —Feb. 10, 1992—Convicted of rape—June 28, 1997— Bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear/Distortion of CONTROL
*We’ve become a nation without CONTROL!
Application:
?You guilty of Distorting CONTROL?
?You contribute to a Hostile Environment or a Friendly/Benign one?
13—A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by…
A Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY/Humaneness(:3e)
Explanation:(:3e)
:3—“unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,”
“Brutal/Fierce”—anhmerov—Not tame, savage, fierce. From—hemerov —lame.
—Used only here in Scripture.
Animal-like
Animal cruelty is closely related to human brutality.—Disregards the freedoms of innocence.
Argumentation:
Gen. 49:5-7—Jacob’s blessing his sons—“Simeon & Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.”
Rev. 13:1-2—“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads & ten horns, & on his horns ten crowns, & on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, & his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, & great authority.”
Rev. 3:11-12—“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, & he had two horns like a lamb & spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, & causes the earth & those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
Dan. 8:23—“And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.”
Gen. 9:20-27—“And Noah began to be a farmer, & he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine & was drunk, & became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, & told his two brothers outside. But Shem & Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, & went backward & covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, & they did not see their father’s nakedness. So Noah awoke from his wine, & knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.” And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant.”
Illustration:
Animal-like—April 12, 2009-Berlin Zoo in Berlin, Germany/Metally disturbed woman scaled fence, a wall & a line of shrubs to enter the Polar Bear enclosure at feeding time/Brutally mauled/Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY
Nazi—People worked, literally & purposely, death/Buried in mass graves/Experimented upon/Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY
Communists/Attempt to force godless society/Imprison, torture, destroy, disfigure, & humiliate their own people/Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY
May 2003/Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq/Americans treatment of Iraq & Afghan prisoners/Pictures seen on internet & news/Naked hooded bodies piled w-perpetrator smiling behind them/Cruel
Portrayal of brutality in movies/Violent films/
Rapists/Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY
Women beaten by husbands for asinine reasons/Coffee isn’t hot, cool, black, sugared, creamer, bold, mild, etc./Distortion of HUMAN DIGNITY
Homeless shelters/Scrooge— ‘Decrease the surplus population
Application:
?You guilty of Distorting Dignity/Humaneness?
?You contribute to a Hostile Environment or a Friendly/Benign one?
14—A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by…
A Distortion of GOODNESS(:3f)
Explanation/Argumentation:(:3f)
:3—“unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,”
“Despisers of good/Haters of Good”—afilagayov— Opposed to goodness & good men. Negation of—filagayov— ‘loving good.’
What is “good”/‘goodness’?—
Ps. 86:4-5—“Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, & ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”
Mk. 10:17-18 “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, & asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”
Acts 10:38—“....Jesus of Nazareth....went about doing good & healing all who were oppressed by the devil....”
Rom. 2:4—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Prov. 26:24-25—“He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself; When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;”
2Pet. 3:9—“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Rom. 12:2—“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Rom. 13:3-4—“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, & you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
Eph. 2:10—“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
2Tim. 3:16-17—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, & is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Heb. 13:16—“But do not forget to do good & to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
1Pet. 2:11-12—“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
*1Pet. 2:15—“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--”
3Jn. 11—“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”
—Goodness seeks to bring out & provide what is best for others.
How is “good” determined?—by God—the very measure of ‘good.’
Isa. 5:20-21—“Woe to those who call evil good, & good evil; Who put darkness for light, & light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, & sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”
Illustration:
K.K.K./White supremacists & nationalists/Demand their right to practice that which is harmful to others/Openly parade it/Base acceptance of other people upon things outside of anyone’s ability to effect—impossible to change—Skin color-Geography-Language(accent)-Ethnic origins/A Distortion of GOODNESS
Application:
?You guilty of Distorting GOODNESS?
?You contribute to a Hostile Environment or a Friendly/Benign one?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by,
a distortion of….
12. CONTROL(:3d)
13. DIGNITY(:3e)
14. GOODNESS(:3f)
A hostile(antagonistic) environment is produced by,
a distortion of….
1. SELF(:2a)
2. WEALTH(:2b)
3. ACHIEVEMENT/Ability(:2c)
4. VIEW/Pride(:2d)
5. REVERENCE(:2e)
6. AUTHORITY/Respect(:2f)
7. POSITION/Grace(:2g)
8. SEPARATION(:2h)
9. AFFECTION(:3a)
10. RECONCILIATION(:3b)
11. ACCLAIM(:3c)
Presented 01/10/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf NC 27054
