Be Forewarned: The Days Are Evil! Part 1 of 2

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Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious part one specialty said that such value to mythologists, for you now and globally. Thank you for this beautiful that you've given us. We thank you that we can gather this place to worship freely with thank you Lord for giving us the Bible you preserve the word that you protected through the centuries. It's your word is the truth. Sometimes Lawrence is hard to read because the message is so somber that's what we have to do this more. We have to read a text at a site somber and sobering, but Lord is the truth. It's a private that everyone here this morning will recognize that what I'm about to say comes from you and not from me. What I pray that you would take your word that you would penetrate the hearts and the minds of every person that will hear this this morning, and if someone hears it online later that you penetrate hearts of those together need to hear.

Knowing that I pray. Amen. Auditing title this message before worn. The days are evil to be looking at second Timothy chapter 3 verses one through nine. You probably heard the old joke about the man who was having a bad day a friend sitting him cheer up things could get worse. So he did what he was told he cheered up and sure enough, things got worse with that is in essence what Paul is trying to convey in his last letter to Timothy. Remember, Paul is sitting in a dungeon in chains in Rome year is approximately 66 a day.

Paul knew that things will only get worse. In fact, to him thanks and got worse.

That's why he was in prison and he loved Timothy and he wanted to make sure that Timothy was prepared for the difficult days that lay ahead.

Things are going get worse. Mankind was becoming more and more wicked, and Timothy would need to be strong and remain strong impulse to letters to Timothy first and second Timothy Paul challenges Timothy to be strong to remain strong and to live for God cannot deliver the things in the this world in first Timothy chapter 6, verse 11 through 15, Paul writes to Timothy, but you man of God, flee from all this worldliness and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness fight the good fight of the faith take hold of the eternal life to which you will call when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses in the side of God and of Christ Jesus, I charge you to keep this command, without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul loved Timothy more than anybody else in your you want to make sure that Timothy was prepared to fight the good fight in the difficult days of the coming days, which would see the world becoming more and more evil. I wonder what Paul would say to this morning. In light of the world in which we live.

I believe I know what he would say if eggs are set this morning out you think about this. Just almost close your mind and you pick up all sitting in that dungeon with a pin in his hand knowing that he soon to be executed and he's writing the last thing she wants Timothy to hear and really the last thing that God wanted to tell the world through Paul. So this morning we have to have the privilege of hearing Paul speak to us through time.

So in in honor of the ring of God's word.

I want us to stand up and listen to what Paul has to say to us, would you stand up with million as I read this passage.

Second Timothy Trott chapter 3 verses one through nine, beginning with verse one Paul writes but mark this there'll be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash conceded lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Have nothing to do with them. Verse six.

There the county worm their way into homes and gain control of the weak willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Janice and Jim brass oppose Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth men of depraved minds to his followers. The faith is concerned or rejected, but they will not get very far because as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone you babysitting in this portion of Paul's letter.

I believe that he's trying to convey three very important points to Timothy in here they are the first point is a warning. The second point is a revelation in the third point is a command I was the first consider the warning obligate.

Paul was standing right here this morning in my place. I believe this is what he would say everyone listen to me and listen carefully. I want to warn you about what is in store for the world.

The days are coming going to grow more and more violent and wicked. This is the warning the power give us this morning right here in 2015. This is the most wanted to start from this dungeon.

Look at verse one again.

Paul writes, but mark this there'll be terrible times in the days in the last days the conjunction but change the direction of Paul was going in this letter from an encouragement to Timothy to live a godly life to this warning that he wants each of us to understand this license. But mark this.

That means realize this. Understand this, get in your head.

He doesn't want us to stick our heads in the sand that some of you would probably hear brother here a much more encouraging and uplifting messages morning.

That's why semi people listen jealous thing. The one thing to you. I'm not jealous thing if things are really going to get worse and much worse regardless have a reason for wants to know this saw. Even though this message morning is not one that particular jewel giving and one that may make you livid, uncomfortable, going fasten your seatbelts on anybody leaving don't you listen carefully about what this phrase the last days is a reference to the time period between the first coming of Christ in his second coming is the age of the church's age in which we now live. Hebrews chapter 1 verses one and two states in the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times in inverse ways, but in these last days he spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the universe. First John chapter 2, verse 18. John writes dear children, this is the last hour you've heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come is that we know is the last hour she would when John wrote this verse. First John 218. He was describing the day in which he lived, as well as a day in which we live. When Jesus came into this world almost 2000 years ago the clock counting down the last days begin to take. We are living in the last days just as everyone else who was his lived since Jesus walked on this planet, however, also believe that we are inching very close to this last hour. The hour that will usher in the second coming as we get closer and closer to that hour.

The Bible makes it very clear that the world will grow more and more violent and wicked.

See, Satan will know me, Satan knows the Bible better than we did. Satan will know that the time for spinal destruction is at hand.

And he's not going to go quietly.

Paul warns us that there will be terrible times in the last days this this war, terrible. It comes from a Greek word that literally means perilous dangerous savage and violent desire not to scrub the day in which we live. Did you know that the is only one other place in the New Testament. This word is used is found in Matthew chapter 8 verse 28, which states one he that is, Jesus arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes to demon possessed man coming from the teams met him. They were so violent that Ward that no one could pass that way. Apparently the wickedness they will characterize the last days would be so violent that is only one word to describe it that, is that it is demonic.

I'm somewhat of a news junkie use junkie both on account of a jerk to I love to watch the news every night because I really love to see what's taking place in the world. My wife Gracie is learning to love to watch O'Reilly with me most the time for the main reason I watch the news because I just want to stay abreast of what's happening on the world and always watch the news to the lens of Scripture as I watch the news over the last two years.

I have to say that I've never seen a world so perilous everywhere you turn this danger and the danger that is out there is turned decidedly violent in this increased violence is has brought great distress around the world and this is exactly that were distress exactly describes the way the world would be. According to Jesus, when we approach the in world is full of distress. Matthew chapter 24 verse 21 Jesus said, for then there will be great distress unequaled from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened to these two verses make it clear to me that the world we live in. Even though it's full of violence and wickedness is going to grow exceedingly more violent and wicked as the end approaches. Luke 21 verses 25 through 28 Jesus said on the earth. Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. That phrase worn and tossed the city is just a picture of a world that's chaotic, full of chaos.

He says men will faint from terror apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken over the images with his twin towers collapsed. There's all the people in Manhattan running. You can see that they were the men will will faint from terror Apprehensive What Was Taking Pl. in New York.

That's the way Jesus says the world will be because at that time they will see the good news that the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory in Jesus is this when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

At some point when the world has become so violent that is about to destroy itself.

Jesus says that we should stand up that we should lift up our heads because the end is upon us in our glorious credential be at hand. So what I'm telling you this morning is not something where you should leave you with your hips down when I get through preaching this morning. We should be walking out of here standing up what I had to looking up because the end is near. In the last days the world will become more and more evil rebellion against God, will become more prevalent, more visible and more bold you will be just like in the days of Noah that Jesus said that the debt the last days will be just like the days of Noah in Genesis chapter 6 verses five through seven we read the Lord solidly think of God. Looking down the earth. This is the Lord's great man's wickedness on the earth to become it. Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lotus agreed that he had made man on the earth in his heart was filled with pain so the Lord said, I will white men con enough created from the face of the earth, men and animals and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air from Greve that I've made evil became so prevalent in the days of Noah that God finally said enough. Probably the world we live in is headed towards another time when God will say enough and in the end will come. Paul has issued a warning is a warning to believers.

Delos wanted to believers is because we don't want to listen to listening with all at once. Really believe God's word is most people think that man is basically good.

This explains why many people have a very difficult time: anyone or anything evil to the kind of thinking goes against their worldview, but they should heed Paul's warnings that the days ahead will be filled with ever-increasing wickedness, ever-increasing violence and unabated evil. All we have to do is watch the evening news and observe the world around us and we can see the Paul's warning has already come true when people are being beheaded and burned alive is only one word to describe it that Ward is evil is an evil that is been brought on the world by demons.

The last days are upon us and they are exceedingly wicked, not his call issue this morning, but he's offered as a revelation, a picture if you will, of the heart of mankind during these last days. In verses two through five. Paul uses 18 characteristics of the evil that will be prevalent as the end approaches worn were worn worsening wrote the following in 1999 omission that date is. That was 25 years ago.

I want to write today. This would arrive in. There's no doubt that these characteristics started to appear in Paul's day, and now they have increased in intensity is not simply that we have more people in the world a better news coverage. It appears that evil is deeper and of greater intensity is being accepted and promoted by society in a bolder way is not that we have small pockets of rebellion here and there, all of society seems to be informant and rebellion the R&D in terrible times Paul begins his diatribe essay that people will be lovers of themselves and there lies the problem is we read through this list.

One thing becomes quite apparent. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Jeremiah 79 states, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. You can know it. Listen if you don't take the one thing away from her this morning. Take this. There is no cure for the human heart, except Jesus Christ. He's the only hope for the world. Mankind can try to cover his wickedness with education and rebellion but that is nothing she is with education, religion that is nothing more than putting a coat of paint on a rotting façade in this list we see that people will become lovers of themselves, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure. Notice that there is no mention of being a lover of God.

This does this not describe the world in which we live.

Never have been more aware of how much not condone convicting I'm condemning myself here. Never have I been more aware of how much we love, money and pleasure. And the reason we love, money and pleasure so much as we love ourselves so much. I don't know if you know this but raising kids is getting very expensive, especially if they're used to taking private jets to the five homes and escalating divorce battle Chicago hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin says in court papers that his wife and Griffin wants $1 million a month for child related expenses. How can three kids under age 10.

Because one day and also month with 10 zone your needs. She says that she needs 300,000. Also month for private jets hundred 60,000 ells a month for vacation rentals and 60,000 also month the professional staff. Paul says that people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure invest the Lord in which we live. In Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 32, Paul describes the downward spiral of sin that is so evident in our world today. I want you to listen very carefully to what he says begin with verse 18 Paul writes the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what is been made so that men are without excuse follow. They knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but the thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claim to be wise, they became fools exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles and jets born was falsely he saved enough foolishness and wickedness. We turn away from God. The very one who longs for our affections. We rebuff instead of loving our heavenly father we give our affections to idols like money and pleasure in what is God's response.

He listens. Have we won't… Your own way he kisses over to our own desires. In this passage in Romans, Paul says that three times God gives is over three times, he just lets us go our own way.

Verse 24. Paul writes, therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchange the truth of God for a lot and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator who is forever praised on the end. Because of this second time.

God gave them over to shameful lust. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they do not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God. The third time he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what… Not to be done. They become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. Joan did this message today.

I could be arrested for some point in fact we start amen study on Tuesday night about 10 years ago we started with Romans and our member saying that at some point. What I'm saying this will be called hate speech. I could be arrested. I got really bad claustrophobia.

If I get arrested with somebody getting out of jail quick. I say this with no hatred, no animosity towards anybody who is gay. In fact, several years ago I had a man come to my office. He was about 34 years old at the time he had a daughter who was seven years old he sat in my office right across from me EE confessedly with tears dripping off his cheek, that he had three sexual relationships.

You know what I did not do. I do not from a bottle at him till he was a sinner. I begin to tell him about my sins, my sins, worsen his under the Bible better than he does. When I sin I know what I'm doing and I know it's wrong, but listen how society needs to be turned around, we headed over the cliff as our society has turned more and more from God. God has given us over these letters go our own way. If you look at the history of our nation. You can see very clearly in the 1960s, which were characterized by psychedelic drugs and free love when the saying was make love not war.

During that time predict God gave us over to sexual impurity to natural sin. The first issue of Playboy magazine hit the newsstands in 1953 and by the 1960s and 70 1970s, the magazine hit its zenith in terms of popularity and circulation. As we continued in our downward spirals and nation. God think I was able to shameful lust to unnatural sin in the 1990s into thousands homosexuality was thrust upon us and everything you own television in the movies in the courtroom.

And sadly, even in some churches and listen each time that God is given is over the downward spiral has only accelerated until finally God has given us over to depraved my mother can no longer distinguish between good and evil, between right and wrong and that is what we find assisted in America we are a nation with a depraved mind, we call sodomy J we call murder choice we call a God-fearing man who believes the Bible is God's word ignorant and bigoted how depravity has become so wicked and rebellious that not only do we as a nation practice OF evil, but we cheer and celebrate with those who do all these things in our celebration. What we do as a nations were mocking God and were asking him we inviting him to judge us.

Paul concludes his indictment of those whom God is given over with these words in verse 32 although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them just want Hollywood. Hollywood celebrates that which God calls indecent, unnatural and perverted. I noticed a very sober message. This message bringing of pleasure and what I'm the one since the truth become straight from God's work.

These are not my words. These are God's words, you don't get mad at the mailman for bring in the mail. If someone doesn't like what I'm saying and they have a problem with God's word.

We need to remember this one truth. God is holy and we are not.

He is the one who determines what is right and what is wrong.

Rebecca second Timothy Paul says in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful Prout abusive disability to the parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, just look at the Middle East, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash conceded lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God now could spend the remaining town this morning describing each one of these words but I decided I might want to put you off or that said, your words have meaning. These words mean what they say they don't really need any explanation see the real problem we face as a nation and the society is this.

We don't really love God that we would lost sight of God. So the question is how do we lose sight of God. How do we as a nation that began with a Christian foundation lose its way with the answer to that question points to what I believe is the number one problem we face as a nation that is this. We as a nation have lost our spiritual mooring dear Maureen S.

Moore refers to the cables by which a ship is securely anchored numerous elbow pulls up into the harbor you're looking for mooring that you can top two so that you will drift away by the currents in the win.

We as a nation have lost a mooring in the Swift's house back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Paul points to the problem in verse five when he says having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Was he mean by this policy, informing us in the last days. People will be religious and lost. We will have a form of religion that is no longer mortal, anchored to the gospel or to the trues are given to us in the Bible will be a form of religion that has no spirit and thus no power do you need to find a Christian Christmas if somebody possesses the Holy Spirit. This concludes part one will air next week. Being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources@findingpurpose.net connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net