How Should the Church React?, Part 1

There is a growing trend in churches today where leaders have exchanged the truth of the Bible for another message other than the pure gospel and his followers of Jesus Christ to be on our guard is paraphrase: the message Eugene Peterson rendered Paul's warning to Timothy in this way, unscrupulous conmen will continue to exploit the faith.

There is deceived as the people they lead astray today on Insight for living will be looking at this alarming passage in second Timothy as Chuck Swindoll continues the important series called the church only. Please to the second letter to Timothy, and I would like to read for you the last five verses that would be verse 13 down to the end of the chapter verse 17 second Timothy three beginning at verse 13 but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived you, however, continuing the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, or reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate equipment for every good the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck called. How should the church react for the next few moments. I invite you to step into an imaginary time tunnel. Let's go back to another era. Some 70 years ago in another place across the Atlantic to Great Britain talk of pieces in the air.

Certainly we deserved it. After all, we've finished what was known as the war of all wars and we have won the war and now we enjoy the fruits of that our own prime minister has made a trip and the treaty has been signed with that strange fellow that stops around Germany with that funny mustache and that silly swastika on his arm. I mean, what can become of that Neville Chamberlain was told us.

I have the document. This won't last another three months.

It's all over, believing except there is one among us who doesn't like a prophet from the Old Testament. He keeps saying you cannot trust that dictator.

He is a Nava somatic murderer. He is a brutal man. He will invade our shores and take our land. There is no peace. We must stand against him. Looking back over the years. We realize Winston Churchill spoke truth, though many of us at the time were not ready to hear it.

Three years after the great second world war, he sat down with pen in hand and wrote his magnum Opus 6 volume work on the second world war's reflections, the things that makes sense so much better since. Looking back.

Interestingly, when I pulled that first volume of my shelf.

The one titled the gathering storm 40 covers the events related to that which led up to that great second world war, I noticed that he has a theme for the book the very beginning. In fact, I checked each of the volumes has its own theme. How telling is the theme of the gathering storm how the English speaking peoples through their unwisdom, carelessness and good nature allowed the wicked to rearm. It's been said for years that the hindsight is 2020 vision. Fast forward to 2001. Early September who could care less about Osama bin Laden, whoever he is a handful of people is is is worth watching, but we knew better were secure and safe until the towers fell until the Pentagon the whole weighing almost destroyed the plane crashes Meadowlands Pennsylvania and we realize a foolish we were how unwise hello careless how good-natured we had been. We are living in treacherous times when I say that I'm not referring to the price of gasoline.

What I refer to treacherous times. I'm not talking about the political polls as important as they may be not just that and it's not a sign of my age you go to guy my age you think.

Here we go again same old prophet of doom exaggerating beyond his over the top again, pause and think. Think back and look at where we are and gather up in your mind the last 10, 12, 15, 18 years we better or worse church stronger, healthier people being fed more by faithful expositors or is it no entertainment 101. Some of you have come out of that background in it just about broken your heart to look back and remember what once was and what now is the difficulty to convince people is that the enemy is invisible if we could just see him if you could just know the forces of evil visibly you would you have a whole another perspective and that is why I keep in my library. This little guy now as soon as I put him on the pulpit. You notice he is bright red has a bad nose has sinister eyes horn has horns looks over the years is horns of gotten loose on me.

He has lost his arm, which is told pitchfork. His tail was no longer there but he's there. Nevertheless, in fact, when my sister gave this creature to me used to say go to hell when you push this whole thing down. That's what red across the front here, but he is now pious. He is not more, place it says welcome. That is the only thing true about this little caricature.

Everything else is not stupid silly ridiculous. Satan is not ugly and Warrington carrying a pitchfork and sitting on his shoulder whispering ugly little things in your ear is the most beautiful creature, God ever created.

And so when Sonny took 1/3 of the heavens with him when he fell, and they have become his demons supernatural creatures that carry out their insidious sinister plan and our strategy is right on target. Everybody thinking. It seems all so very it back in the day where you belong were not doing great many mornings regularly.

Men and women. We need warnings about our culture and about our times and about the church in general.

We need warnings we need to be aware so I have warnings that have been flowing out of me in this series rather regularly, but I need to say a couple of things to begin with. Here Percival hearing of danger is important, but it's incomplete. I can stand here in Wornall through the time were together and they may be accurate warnings and the maybe passionately said and I may believe they with my whole heart, but it's incomplete.

What's missing. What's missing is the right response and that's the other statement I will give you responding to warnings is each person's responsibility. If I see a firefly sing in that room up behind you.

You can't see it from the direction you're facing.

But if I see that far and it's raging in the smoke is beginning to come through the doors I shout, fire fire get out. You sit there and say I believe you Chuck I'm with you preaching man let's do it and you don't run you don't believe me, what's missing a response that's responsible a reaction that makes sense.

What is that what it certainly isn't marching on all churches that have left the faith isn't taking out a full-page ad in USA Today signing. Our names were the last one standing in the gap because were not the last months that we are in the minority, but full-page ads don't do any good, not the long run, but we need his direction for our individual personal life so that we know how to respond when no one else is around you see being entertained will never prepare you for the doctors report that it's cancer and he fears it may not be treatable or when the policeman calls in the other end of the line tells you it was your son who overdosed. Suddenly the entertainment stuff falls flat in the loose sermon annexing the ditties that were thrown out, called preaching really don't help you need truth to live by. You need depth to fall back on unit spiritual scriptural muscle to keep exercising unique quietness and solitude in time alone with God in the development of your walk so that whatever happens the next 9/11. Whatever happens, you will be from side you can stand on your own. So for this reason I asked the question what must the church realize last time we were together. I want to go to the other side and answer how should the church react and remember difficult times of, the more difficult verse one chapter 3 harsh hard to deal with exceedingly violent somewhat even render it savage time savage time you believe that your your really double up on your teaching of your children you really believe that you read the news. A different way you'll see through a lot of the stuff that appears on the screen you'll understand what the enemy is trying to do to because savage times of calm that brings us to our first of four guidelines. Verse 13 evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived first guideline stay realistic in the appraisal of your world.

When the greatest things you can do is just remain realistic. Don't drift boat move into fantasyland will pull the covers up over your head thinking about tomorrow morning. Things will be better.

Don't listen to the nonsense that says pieces everywhere. Would you know in your heart. It isn't the church as a whole is doing great when you know it isn't because expositors are less in number than they have ever been in God's people are not being taught.

For the most part stay realistic in your appraisal of the world around you look at the word evil. Let's let it say what it says stump heads was in it. It means evil Walter Bauer in his Greek English lexicon very reliable source offers.

The synonyms morally or socially worthless, wicked bad base vicious degenerate evil intentioned all those words fit this term evil say realistic about your times not everyone right wears a collar and uses the Bible is to be trusted. Not every church that has a vast following is to be attended. Glitzy does not mean there's gold charisma does not mean it's worth believing everything must be determined by where you stand regarding the word of God and will come after that in just a moment and develop that thought stay realistic in the appraisal of your world. Evil men, and the next word is impostors the original term has to do with sorcerer conjurer a cheat, a swindler careful how you pronounce it. Bauer Bauer suggests this is a person who veers from correct instruction to lead others into error.

That's pretty clear and imposter is one who veers from correct instruction in order to lead others into error. So God gives us his own appraisal and says not form that appraisal form that is the basis of your appraisal stay realistic. In fact, look at what he heads. They will proceed from bad to worse.

The Greek says they will advance to the worse and interesting. They will advance to the worse times won't improve. So don't be surprised if things are worse. 10 years later than now and if things are worse now than they were 10, 20 years ago. It's exactly as God said they will proceed from bad to worse, I wrote a great line this past week. I'm wanting to memorize expect a gradual worsening of heretical distortions expect a gradual worsening of heretical distortions.

That's an realistic appraisal of our world. Eugene Peterson in the message renders verse 13 as follows unscrupulous conmen will continue to exploit the faith. There is deceived as the people they lead astray as long as they are out there, things can only get worse pretty clear and it don't be fooled by any of the externals men and women don't be fooled anymore than your full by the little red creature everybody would call the devil.

That has nothing to do with the devil second. Verses 14 and 15 you, however, I love this contrast very strong contrast but you but you Timothy. It is true of evil. And and and and impostors but you Timothy are different. You, however you continue in the things you've learned and become convinced of values. One of the words. It's not appreciated today. This tradition and those were the Orthodox faith in those words revealed and continue in the things you have learned, knowing from whom you have learned them.

In other words, there is no reason to abandon reliable information.

Just because it's been around for centuries and there's no reason to reject what is new and fresh.

If it is in keeping with the long-standing truth that has been set forth in the Scriptures.

Nothing is necessarily wrong with innovation. Unless it's drifting from trustworthy truth.

My job every time I speak is to make sure that my words are relevant with our time and to connect with my world around me so that you and I are on the same page. We say nothing wrong with that. Everything right about that holds everyone's interest in it helps you see that this is for our time, but in no way is my relevance to take away from the impact of the true that Paul exhorts Timothy to fall back on their own long-standing bond together the two of them had been through a lot the virtues that Timothy learned from Paul. He says we can continuing them and be convinced of the things they went through together, Paul is appealing to the bonding between himself and Timothy. Just remember your roots as well to the next verse, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writing which were able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus is a great time to pause and apply this were you reared by parents who love the Lord. I didn't ask for you, reared by perfect parents would all answer the same answer flawed areas of vav of failure is true of all of us, but to the love the Lord really faithful to instill within you and appetite for spiritual things give you a little glimpse into my background of most important adults in my life as I was growing up was my maternal grandfather was closer to him than I was to my own father, which says a lot for grandfathers. By the way, you can have an impact on the lives of your grandchildren and grandmothers as well. A course I can't remember a time. My mother wasn't memorizing Scripture. I used to drive me up a wall at at the time I didn't value it. I confess I was a kid growing up I want to play ball at one of my buddies and my mother wanted share with me her thoughts from Ezekiel or wherever she happened to have been at the time and I see much value in it. But as I look back I remember how deeply entrenched my mother was in the Scriptures, and how she prayed for me in and saw through my my childhood childish and teenage stop sheet she kept an eye on the things of God on my behalf. She would claim verses for me. I did know what that meant.

I now know what it means that from childhood. I've known a mother who love the sacred Scriptures which were able to give wisdom. This unsaved because of my mother. She shared with me the good news of Jesus. She was there when I was born again. I have mentors that I can recall in my teenage years, Sunday school teachers who who looked past a lot of the nonsense in my life who saw a few pieces of of of jewelry in the midst of the garbage and that and this stuff I have mentors in high school I had a man in my days in the Marine Corps who saved my life spiritual as he took me under his wing and for 16 months. We learned the Scriptures together. I did street witnessing and we did. We did evangelism and we did Bible studies together all the time.

The same bunch of guys I was with were going down the tube morally. I was going up spiritually, not because of me, but because of a mentor grateful I am for that so that I look back on the 16 months, not machine, but with gratitude turn a whole life around. I got to Dallas seminary and I met men who knew Jesus and had walked with him.

It seemed like forever I never been around men so godly and good WordPerfect but they were good men and and and they built into my life and impulses to Timothy continue in the things you learn to became convinced that be convinced of the long-standing prudence that you been taught will help you when all hell breaks loose in your life it will help you when the next 9/11 gets closer to home. He'll help you when the flood takes your plates. It will help you when you get the report from the doctor and your eyes fill with tears. This will help you.

This will hold you close to him. This would deepen you faith becomes reflected through the personal experience you've had with those people in your life meant something to him. I ask you one occasion to just write him a letter.

Thanks ever once in a while if you can locate and pick up the phone and someone to tell you how much you meant to me back and name the things that they taught you. I still say to my mentors in Dallas seminary. You'll never know what you meant to me and you never know what you still mean to me once in a while I get stopped in the Scriptures, and I want to pick up the phone and call Ray Stedman Nana did an internship with and he's dead now. I miss Rick but because of that relationship with Ray I Morton discriminate my discernment is Calvin who wrote nothing is more inconsistent with the nature of faith that light, uncertain evidence which allows us to embrace everything indiscriminate Greenstein don't question it because it's long-standing don't see it is out of date because it goes back to your childhood truth then is truth. Now, reliable information is reliable information is timeless.

Many of us can identify a person or two that came alongside us in the early days.

These men and women modeled the Christian faith.

For us, knowingly or unknowingly, they were our mentors you're listening to Insight for living and this is message number seven and Chux nine part series called the church awakening. There is much more teaching ahead and to learn more about Chuck Swindoll in this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org.

If you're inspired to dig deeper or perhaps you're motivated to ignite the conversation with your friends at church.

I recommend you request the book that complements the series. It's called the church awakening. Whether you're a pastor or layperson Chux assessment of the state of our churches today will resonate with your personal experience, but more importantly it will inspire you to embrace the true church of Jesus Christ as defined in the Bible to purchase a copy of Chuck's book. The church awakening give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or it may be quicker to place your order online@insight.org/offer were grateful to those of you who give above and beyond the price of resources because it's your partnership that allows us to inspire healthy churches beyond our own borders. For example, even during immense persecution of Christians in Eastern Europe are pulling together and drawing strength from one another. We know that's true because the Bible teaching you enjoy on Insight for living is translated into numerous languages including Polish and Romanian, and these ministries are made possible when you give it's all under the umbrella vision 19 our mission to make disciples in all 195 countries to give a gift today.

Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8880. You can also get today by going online to insight.org/inviting you to join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll continues his series called the church awakening on Insight for living.

The preceding message.

How should the church react was copyrighted in 2008 and 2010 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2010 by Charles Morse window. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited