Those Who Oppose The Truth Series

INTRO.- ILL.- A little girl came very early one morning to her mother, saying, “Which is worse, Mama, to tell a lie or to steal?”

The Mother replied that both were so sinful she could not tell which was worse.

“Well, Mama,” replied the little one, “I’ve been thinking a good deal about it, and I think it’s ever so much worse to lie than to steal.” “Why, my child?” asked the mother.

“Well, you see Mama, it’s like this,” said the girl. “If you steal a thing, you can take it back, unless you’ve eaten it, and if you’ve eaten it, you can pay for it; but a lie is forever.”

A lie is forever. Smart girl. And many people in our world both tell lies and live lies.

Famous American Fibs

- The check is in the mail.

- I’ll start my diet tomorrow.

- We service what we sell.

- Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.

- Money cheerfully refunded.

- One size fits all.

- This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.

- Your luggage isn’t lost, it’s only misplaced.

- Leave your resume and we’ll keep it on file.

- This hurts me more than it hurts you.

- I just need five minutes of your time.

- Your table will be ready in a few minutes.

- Open wide, it won’t hurt a bit.

- It’s not the money, it’s the principle.

And here’s one that could well the biggest of all: You only go around once in life, so eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die and there is nothing after death!

There are many smart people in our world but they oppose the truth of God with their lies, even though they think they aren’t lying.

ILL.- For example, it is said that the smartest person in the world today is 68 year old Stephen Hawking from Oxford, England, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and was supposed to die in his 20’s.

Hawking takes an agnostic position on matters of religion. He has repeatedly used the word "God" to illustrate points made in his books and public speeches. His ex-wife, Jane, however, said during their divorce proceedings that he was an atheist.

He said, “There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works.”

Hawkings doesn’t realize it, but if and when science does work it’s because God says so!

There are many supposedly well-educated people in our world today who not only don’t acknowledge God and Christ, but also oppose the truth of God with their lies. In our text, Paul speaks of some people like that.

II Timothy 3:4-5 “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

Paul is saying that some who have only a form of godliness but deny God’s power in life are some who oppose God’s truth. It makes sense that if a person is living a lie, i.e. claiming to believe but not really believing then they would oppose God’s truth. If nothing else, they oppose the truth by living a lie.

PROP.- Paul describes some specific people who opposed the truth of God.

1- They are home invaders

2- They are ignorant of the truth

3- They are depraved of mind

I. THEY ARE HOME INVADERS

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires.

Wow! What kind of deal is this? Apparently, there are some false teachers/preachers who would not hesitate to, as Paul says, “worm their way into homes” and deceive people, the women who are at home.

ILL.- When I was a student at Ozark Bible College back in the 1960‘s I worked part-time for the Fuller Brush company. Did you ever buy anything from the Fuller Brush man?

My boss for Fuller Brush products was a guy named “Lefty.” Does this sound somewhat suspicious? His name did to me.

Normally, you would think if a guy was named “Lefty” then he probably a “lefty.” However, in this man’s case I don’t it was true, but what I think he should have been named was “Shady.” Because he dealt with people in a shady way as in a “shady deal.”

Fuller Brush products were good products, but the way “Lefty” tried to sell them to people was kind of shady or indecent. Why? Because he got very pushy with people and I actually witnessed him put his foot in the door one time when a lady tried to shut it in order to get rid of him.