What Must the Church Realize?, Part 1

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll. All of us who are parents would be the first to say we are fallen people. We have many bad mistakes. Good parents when they find out bad mistakes they made. Make it right, you can never fully recover all of the harm caused. But you can do your best.

Say what needs to be said.

I was wrong when I am sorry for in churches all across the country, pastors and leaders have intentionally abandoned what they consider traditional methods, hoping to attract a larger audience. In doing so they strayed from teaching the Scriptures alone, relying solely on clever communications and creativity at the expense of presenting unfiltered biblical truth to their congregations today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will sound the alarm with the proverbial wake-up call for anyone who loves the church to introduce his message. Chuck will read a passage of Scripture that clearly identifies the obvious danger signs that we have a serious passage of Scripture before in the second Timothy chapter 3 where a series on the church. Last time we dealt at length with the whole idea of worship, which is pretty much a misnomer flexes like silence and stillness and it seems appropriate that in the process of our thinking about church for this era in this generation, word of warning is in order. That's today and then a proper response to the warning is in order and that's next time.

Look at the first five verses of chapter 3 of second Timothy today will look at the last five we think about responding to what we hear today in the same chapter next time. Second Timothy three beginning in verse one but realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, re-violators, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power and avoid such ministries. May God give us the ears to hear, and then the courage to do what were told in this section, listening to Insight for living for resources designed to help you dig deeper into today's topic go to Insight.org and now the message Chuck titled with the question what must the church realize sometime the most responsible thing we can do is warn someone else of impending danger you're living near a river and the river is rising because the rain doesn't stop falling and you know that a flood is on its way. Most responsible thing you can do is to tell your neighbor is a flood is coming. If you're in a part of the Third World.

And you know the waters contaminated and a friend of yours comes to visit and doesn't know that it's only right to say, don't drink the water, it will hurt you to make you sick if you're going through the checkpoint at the airport and you make it through and then nothing buzzes the person behind you makes it through and nothing but and both of you step to the side to get redressed and while that person is putting his shoes on. You notice he has a weapon that somehow didn't get detected in the checkpoint.

You don't dare go on, you stop until an authority you warned him that there is a weapon here this individuals carry you do that because someone could be hurt because there could be danger.

There could be death very responsible thing to do when you know the danger lurks is to warn someone you not being crotchety you're not naysayer you're not a doom and gloom person your realist when we come to this section of the Scriptures.

In second Timothy three. It's helpful for me to remember and perhaps for you as well that this is dungeon talk ball is in the dungeon that once out of it. He will lose his head literally.

He's only hours from death, so it's no time to be quaint and cute he is, in the words of one man is all wiry experienced apostle writing a slightly timid young pastor Paul was in his mid 60s. Timothy is probably in his early to mid 40s and he is timid. Paul is scarred with the years of ministry behind him and Timothy is to take the baton and continue to run the race. Paul wants him to succeed Timothy right now is pastor of a church in the city of Ephesus policies danger lurking not the first time he's level warnings. He told the elders in Ephesus or shortly are not too far from Ephesus that there would be those who would crop up in their own church who would deceive many. Watch out, Paula said words to Timothy of warning, Peter gives us warnings, be sober, be vigilant. Your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour wake-up, be alert. That enemy is powerful and to make it even more complicated is invisible and so were his forces so these are strong warnings along the way, just as you would give to your son or daughter going into a high school that's dangerous high school I attended back when the Earth's crust was cooling was a dangerous place. My folks didn't even realize how dangerous wasn't uncommon to see stabbings fistfights were daily occurrences. I walked into the boys room.

On one occasion and fellow was lying in his own blood with a knife in his chest, not an exaggeration. I was so scared I would do. And the fellow who'd stabbings that get out. I set a new record on getting out why dangerous place to be at my folks know how dangerous they would've leveled many warnings many warnings. Today I want to tell you the church can be a dangerous place, and those who were most dangerous are those you will often think our most pious, they will not look like the devil. The old caricature of the devil. And because we tend not to think like this. And because Timothy had to be reminded to think like this.

Paul writes realistic words of warning sorta sets the stage in the first verse of this chapter and I want to go there to begin with. He begins by saying something I want you to know. In fact, literally we keep on doing this keep on knowing this, be aware of this. Realize this. Stay alert to this in the last days, which began with the coming of Christ. That is only intensifying in these later days before Christ's return difficult times will come. Let your eyes graze over the word difficult to be pedantic here and all but I do want to take time over words to help you see the color in them that you may miss Cully Poss is the word used only here and over in Matthew 828 clay pots is an interesting word means harsh hard to deal with. In fact, when you look at Matthew 28, Matthew 828 you'll see it refers to two men who have demons there described as clay pots and it's translated exceedingly violent. It helps me some time to read those words into this text Timothy and my brothers and sisters living in the 21st century. Realize this exceedingly violent times are upon us believe that.

Be aware of that because all seems peaceful and know in no way means all is peaceful because you cannot witness the presence of the invisible evil forces. In no way means they're not present when you enter into the Christian life. You enter into a battleground not a playground.

Some of you have come from churches where you were and intimidated and abused and you are a victim of toxic religion and you need time to heal. That's why we don't just instantly put you to work when you come to Stonebraker. Some of you need simply to be quiet and listen to grow in learning heal to get beyond the lacerations. The manipulations the intimidation of a dictatorial pastor perhaps aura a body of people that would that would captivate you would not let you think and not encourage you to learn and grow give you room to to fail. We come upon difficult harsh hard to deal with exceedingly violent times. Now the responsible thing is for this man who is experienced in aging close to death to give warnings to one who will carry on when he's gone and the answer is not to lie low and of the way to evil passes. This is in Cinderella that is of the Wizard of Oz's. This is real life living folks move. It was hard in Paul's day, how much more intense it is today. I I have witnessed in these later years, harsh and violent things that I never saw early in my ministry was never that much aware of them if they were there. I am ever aware of them now and Paul is aware of them, far more important than mine. Paul's words and I love Eugene Peterson's rendering of this section of Scripture. Listen to it. Don't be naïve. There are difficult times ahead as the end approaches people are going to be self absorbed money hungry self-promoting stuck up, profane, contemptuous of parents crude course doggy dog unbending slanderers, impulsively, while Savage; treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags. My favorite line in the whole group. Bloated windbags addicted to lust and allergic to God they'll make a show of religion but behind the scenes.

They are animal. Stay clear of these people. I call that a strong warning. I want nothing that I say today to take away from the impact of these words so we work our way through 19 vices.

I'll do my best to keep it interesting.

But you must do your best to concentrate.

It all starts with self, lovers self, lovers first thing listed. This is a self-love that is overwhelming and compulsive and tyrannical. We have the discipline of psychology to think for the introduction of the word narcissism.

This is a narcissistic individual at her or his worst. This is a self-love or who is of course a money lover and along with that verse for a pleasure lover. But tragically in the verse four.

Not a God lover, self-love, or leads to money lover. It's the picture of greed. The things money will buy materialism to the backs we would say today.

This is an individual who is caught up in the bumper sticker. He who dies with the most toys wins every time I see that I go will how stupid can you get.

He who dies with the most toys dies most disillusioned these individuals love the things that money can get. And as he unfolds. He goes to the very first that you would expect these individuals are boastful.

If the word for braggart.

The bluster their way through people unconcerned that anyone might notice that it's pride on display.

That's what they do what they are is arrogant to the next word arrogant this want you to think of it as not really as bad as it is, but it's just raw conceit in the next term could be rendered abusive visit long before you get there. When you spend enough time with a self-love or who is a money lover, boastful, arrogant, there is abuse there as they work their way out of these terms become uglier the deeper you did the next five words you pause here and give you low quick lesson that might help the next five words, if you were to read it up as Paul originally wrote it begin with the letter a alpha called alpha primitive and when the lettering REIT when a word in Greek begins with that letter a negates the action of what follows, we have the prefix on you in holy is changed completely.

When we add on holy godly means the opposite. When we say on God Greek would say godly, holy these next five words begin with that letter a. So the opposite of what would normally be there is emphasized and each I think falls into a family kind of context.

The first circle to be impacted by the self lover who becomes a money lover boastful and arrogant is the family. The first to be impacted as the family and would you notice these abusive individuals are disobedient to parents, there's the work we have the word obedient when you add this you go to the opposite side. It's the flip side of our world is it insolent and disrespectful world pause and say a word for parents. First of all, all of us who are parents would be the first to say we are fallen people so give us a break. We have made bad mistakes. Good parents when they find out bad mistakes they made. Make it right to do whatever they can to make it right, you can never fully recover all of the harm you've caused. But you can do your best. Say what needs to be said. I was wrong when I am sorry for your respect your parents forgive. I get to that moment, disobedient to parents, suggest the idea of surly and insolent of never noted time in my years on this earth when I've seen more disrespect for parents, the now is sometimes shocking. Please as a believer in Jesus Christ. Learn to honor those who birthed you and reared you warts and all, that your parents disobedient. The parent is followed by ungrateful. There's one of those words on grape. This would mean devoid of even elementary appreciation. Failure to see the value of another sacrifice and what they owe them. This individual wants what he or she wants now.

If you doubt that show up at the time when the will of the deceased is red and the siblings have a chance to juggle what's available.

Call me if you ever find Scylla's sisters and brothers I can think of the word. When you give siblings that's it siblings. When you find siblings saying all you have my part. I don't deserve it. I want you to have Michael I don't expect a call anytime soon. If I know the last time they wanted exactly equal skull. The spirit of entitlement and it doesn't wait until the parents have died how great it is to come across individuals who have been great in life.

But they realize they have their parents to thank for much of Marion Anderson was one of those individuals just magnificent contralto voice that gave her ultimately worldwide acclaim and fame, but she never forgot her roots. On one occasion a reporter interviewed Marion Anderson and up asked her to name the greatest moment in her life. Those who were also in the room hearing the question wondered which one she would choose she had a difficult choice, like tonight, Arturo Toscanini said publicly, a voice like hers comes once in the century or her. There was a time back in 1955 when she became the first African-American to sing with the Metropolitan opera company in New York, or she could name the time that following year when her autobiography, my lord, what a morning made the New York Times bestseller list or when she was selected by our president to be a delegate to the United Nations 1958 before all that she had been invited to the White House to sing for the president and the Queen of England and her Royal husband.

1963 she was awarded the coveted presidential medal of freedom.

She would never forget the day she stood in the shadow of the Lincoln statue sang before 75,000 Washington DC in front of cabinet members and all of the Supreme Court justices, and most of the members of Congress, but she may know the above. Her answer was after she smiled and looked at the reporter greatest moment of my life came when I could go back home and tell my mama she wouldn't have to take in washing anymore.

How great is that okay hurrah how you rise in life has significant all important.

You. You may begin to believe you are or however much you make. Isaiah puts it this way in chapter 51 remember the whole from which you were dog in that good. Remember the pit from which you came once in a while it's good to go back to the pit just walk around the old homestead. It's amazing what happens when you do that I go back to Del Campo, Texas, and I can go any further with Adam wherever your place is. Every once in a while.

Just drift back and remember those who sacrificed for you so you can become who you are now those who know you and front probably love you more than anyone ever has in this or ungrateful, followed by unholy. It's a term that describes those who fail to possess even the basic decencies of life, to the Jew that would be not burying the dead would be called an active on SCS which is the Greek word, it was an Aussie office for a brother to marry her sister for her son to marry his mother doing that is unnatural in human that's the word translated here on holy unloving is lacking the basic affection for one siblings, parents and children, and then this fifth one in the list of the familial terms is irreconcilable rendered in some versions as implacable as the idea being unforgiving time for me to pause and ask you a directly. Is there anyone you need to forgive because I don't know. I can ask all of you the same question. If there is don't go to your grave with a grudge.

If someone is asked you. Please forgive them big enough to accept grace. There confession. But these individuals are lack of. There is no place in their life for a covenant of agreement is no negotiable middleground were in a passage in second Timothy where the author Paul exposes a number of character flaws that often show up in our churches, and there's much more that Chuck Swindoll wants to say on this topic you're listening to Insight for living in this nine part series is called the church awakening to learn more about Chuck Swindoll in this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org to dig deeper on your own and to take notes along the way.

Remember, you can access the online resource called searching the Scriptures. This is a free Bible study tool and we encourage you to interact with Chuck sermon notes online or to print out the PDF insured with friends this series on the church. Awakening is perfectly suited for small group discussions with your friends at church as well. It's free. When you go to Insight.org/studies then as the international news continues to focus on the intense conflicts in Eastern Europe remind you that for many years Insight for living has been speaking into this part of the world we done so through Chuck's Bible teaching translated into languages such as Polish and Romanian. These ministries are part of our long-range strategic plan to make disciples for Jesus Christ in all 195 countries of the world we call it vision 195. When you give a gift, you're helping us provide Chuck's teaching in your own country, and a portion is applied to going beyond our borders were clear. Bible teaching is desperately needed. So thank you for supporting the ministry of Insight for living to give your donation today.

Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8881 more thing.

Did you know that Chuck has a daily email devotional. It sent to your inbox each morning to help you start your day with God. Thousands are taking advantage of these daily inspirations that come from some of Chuck's best writing and you can to the email devotional is free to sign up, go to Insight.org/devotion Friday on Insight for living in the preceding message. What must the church realize was copyrighted in 2008 and 2010 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited