“WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF OUR DAY” – 1 Timothy 4:1-5
FBCB – 7/11/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Science fiction TV series in 1960’s – “Lost in Space.” The Robinsons, American family, get thrown off course in their quest to colonize space. Have a robot w/ them that has superhuman strength. The youngest son’s name was Will Robinson. Anytime he would be unaware of a dangerous situation, the robot would begin to shout, “Danger, Will Robinson!”, while it waved its robot arms.
Today, I want to be like that robot. Stand before you & shout “Danger, Christ-follower!” “Danger, Church!”
- 4th of July – Want to be like Paul Revere & his midnight ride. Not warning you that the British are coming to attack, but that the devil is coming to attack.
- Want to be like someone standing in middle of road b/c the bridge is out.
- Want to be like a carbon monoxide monitor that goes off to warn you of danger that you can’t even see or smell, but that can kill you.
There is impending danger that could cause you to shipwreck your faith. Satan is hard at work deceiving, destroying, & decimating as many Christians & as many churches as he can. Ephesians 6:11 instructs us to “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take you stand against the devil’s schemes” (sermon series on spiritual warfare in Aug – “It’s About to Get Real!” based on Eph. 6:10-20). Word “schemes” – craftiness, strategies to trick us & trap us. He’s watching. He’s waiting. He’s working to find that perfect opportunity to put just the right temptation in front of you to take you down & to take our church down.
- Right before Cain killed Abel in Genesis 4, God warned Abel: “…if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you…”
- Picture of a thief or a murderer or a rapist crouching down & hiding right at your door, patiently waiting for you to walk out w/ your guard down so he can attack you.
- That’s exactly what happened to Cain. Sin pounced on him & he killed his brother.
- And that’s exactly what will happen to us if we don’t recognize the dangers that are all around us.
Conclude “How to Do Church” series today w/ a word of warning. Established need for sound doctrine, live Godly lives, have Godly servants, & the need to be serious in our prayer life, praying for all people & for our gov’t leaders. Now this warning.
EXPLANATION – 1 Timothy 4:1-5
The Church – We are God’s people. 1 Peter 2:9 – “…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession…” (NLT).
We are THE winning team. We are the people who have the ONLY answer to the problems in the world. We worship & serve the ONLY God who is the one & only true living God. We possess & share the ONLY Gospel – the ONLY Good News of the ONLY Savior of the world. There is no hope, no peace, no eternal life or abundant life apart from Jesus Christ.
So, it should come as no surprise to us that Satan is going to attack & try to distract us & disrupt the work that God has called us to do – “Making Much of Jesus” by obeying the Great Commission & the Great Commandment.
Paul knew that the enemy was going to attack the Church, so he warned Timothy to get ready.
Sometimes Satan will attack inside the Church. Timothy was already dealing w/ false teachers infiltrating the church. That’s what Paul is speaking about here. He spoke to this issue two other times which tells us just how serious the threat was:
- 1 Timothy 1:3-4
- 1 Timothy 6:3-5
At other times, Satan will launch attacks outside the Church. I don’t have to list all the ways he can & will do that in our society today. Suffice it to say that he will stop at nothing & will use any means necessary to try to bring us down.
This passage strikes a serious warning to believers & must be taken seriously by all of us – whether we are behind the pulpit or in the pew.
APPLICATION – We must recognize & respond to the dangers that confront us in our day.
THE DEPARTURE HAS STARTED – v. 1 – Go to airport to catch a flight. Walk into terminal. Looks on board for your departure time – the time that your flight is going to leave. Hopefully it will be on time & be exactly when it is supposed to leave.
This is what Paul is talking about when he wrote, “…the Spirit EXPRESSLY says that in latter times some will depart from the faith…” – Paul saying that the Holy Spirit is going to make it clear that this is exactly what is going to happen. And guess what? It’s exactly what is happening. The departure has started. People are being deceived & duped by Satan & are abandoning the church & leaving their faith behind.
- Latest stats I could find show that the number of people in the US who describe themselves as Christians is declining rapidly
- Within our own denomination, we’ve lost over 2 million members since 2006, & baptisms are at the lowest level in about 100 years.
- I know of missionary families who’ve given their lives on the mission field serving the Lord whose children have abandoned the faith & walked away from the church & away from Jesus.
- Entire denominations that consider themselves Christian denominations are approving of & even celebrating every sort of immoral, unbiblical lifestyle imaginable.
The departure has started & is everywhere. But it doesn’t have to happen HERE at FBCF. It’s up to us to commit or recommit to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly.
THE DEMONS ARE TEACHING – It’s truly frightening to think about the reality that this departure is happening b/c so many are “devoting themselves to deceitful spirits & the teaching of demons” (v. 1b). That means that they are being led astray by demons that are providing instruction in unbiblical, heretical doctrine. Some translations actually use the words “doctrines of demons.” Same word here as in 1:10 – “sound doctrine.”
Think about how easily that can happen in our day & how widespread it is. Technology can easily provide anyone – including someone controlled by a demon – a worldwide platform to espouse their garbage. And b/c so many Christians are so shallow in their faith (remember the sermon on the need for sound doctrine & how critically important it is?), they are easily tripped up when they hear something that sound sort of right, or something that affirms a wrong belief that they already have. These demon-led teachers are nothing but liars who are totally insensitive to anything that is good & Godly & Christ-honoring.
- 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Discipleship SO important in the Church!
THE DESTRUCTION IS HAPPENING – When a catastrophe happens, there is always the evidence of the event after it’s over.
- Florida condo collapse
- WTC 9/11
- Hurricane Katrina
- Jones County tornadoes last year
- Piles of rubble – Homes & businesses destroyed – Lives lost – Families turned upside down.
The departure has begun; the demons are teaching; & now we are seeing the destruction happening – seeing the evidence all around us of the spiritual catastrophe that is happening in so many people’s lives. Paul told Timothy it was coming – 2 Timothy 3:1-5. These things are happening right before our very eyes, in our own homes, our community, our state, & our nation.
THE DEFENSE WE HAVE – Our defense against the dangers that Satan brings against us is not our own strength, our own wisdom or intelligence, or our own schemes & plans. Our defense comes from the Lord. It comes from His Spirit working in us & through us. It comes from all the things we’ve talked about regarding “How to Do Church.”
- Sound doctrine
- Godly lives
- Strong servants
- Serious prayer
- Recognizing the dangers
Hymn 412 in 1956 Baptist Hymnal – “Onward, Christian Soldiers” (I’m sure our cancel culture wouldn’t allow this these days) – 3rd verse:
“Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod;
We are not divided; All one Body we,
One in hope & doctrine, One in charity.
Onward Christian soldiers, Marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus going on before.”
Bracelets:
- WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?
- FROG – Fully Rely on God
- PUSH – Pray Until Something Happens
Don’t just wear the bracelets – Live the life!
We need to be radicalized – Radicalized for JESUS!
