Perilous Times

well welcome welcome everyone to uh another midweek Bible study here at Cornerstone Apostolic Church uh it's always a joy and a privilege to have all of you join us in this half hour Bible study each midweek uh we are gathering together family friends uh getting our Bibles out our notepads pen and paper whatever you need and we're looking into the word of the Lord and spending some very valuable time trying to grow and to mature together as uh Christians in 2020 um we have come to really understand and to comprehend that together as we grow in the word of the lord we become stronger haven't we learned that uh it helps us to mature and to grow and uh we are going to continue tonight in our study you might might want to share with somebody even this midweek study you can do that on the app or on your uh website on your computer just share the session with them they can also go back and watch the uh pre-recorded archived sessions on uh one of the others series that we've done on um Thessalonians Phil uh Philippians Colossians Galatians Ephesians okay but um there there's some good stuff there I think that we can all enjoy so share share with somebody invite somebody to be part of this Bible study as well first of all we're going to pray of course every every week we begin with prayer because prayer makes the difference for all of us right uh remember those needs that uh you've know about your co-workers or family neighbors those affected by um job loss maybe uh those affected by co could be sick uh all those situations going on remember those folk in prayer take their name to the Lord in prayer uh it's the least you could do for them also pray for our church uh pray for CAC pray for our community as we are in the process of trying to rebuild our structure over on igog Gap Road let's pray for that Community pray for Chattanooga pray for the United States of America we are definitely in need of the hand of the Lord right so pray for that pray for our leadership pray for our military men and women the First Responders those that are working hard to protect us day in and day out all right pray for them uh pray for our missionaries around the globe wherever they are pray for God's hand upon them protection and that God will give them Revival and an outpouring of his spirit all right lot to pray about so let's begin our session tonight with prayer Lord we do love you and we thank you for another opportunity to come together in the scriptures to study to draw knowledge to gain information Lord that we can apply to ourselves and we can mature and grow together in your word thank you for our time we love you Lord and we ask your blessing to be upon us tonight Lord bless each one as we gather together every family every home every individual I pray Lord God for the needs of your people you know what they are people need healing Lord Direction guidance in this hour I'm praying for that Lord that you would somehow and some way let your hand work upon their lives I pray for our community God bless Chattanooga bless um our community Lord our church and where we're rebuilding pray for the United States of America God bless our nation tonight bless our leadership Lord I pray for our military men and women pray for our First Responders wherever they are Lord that you would protect them as they protect us pray tonight Lord for our missionaries around the world wherever they are let the hand of the Lord be upon them keeping them protecting them Lord and and your hand upon them leading and guiding them Lord we commend our time together tonight into your hands we want to know you we want to have fellowship with you we want to hear what says the word of the Lord help us tonight God let us gain knowledge let us grow together The Wonderful matchless Name of Jesus we pray amen amen amen all right we are going to tonight finish up with the second letter to Timothy uh we're going into chapter 3 and 4 now uh just a bit of History while you're getting your Bibles open uh Paul wrote this to his uh spiritual son Timothy and uh this according to historians as this letter is being written uh Paul is in a a jail or in a prison actually in Rome and he will be facing Nero for the second time uh some say in fact that this was his last writing okay in his first letter of course first Timothy uh Paul was trying his best to not only help the churches but to help the preacher help the ministry uh he was given some great Insight great instruction on how that uh as men as leaders that we could lead the congregation new people coming in they can develop and grow and uh Paul spent a lot of time in the first letter doing that the second one a little more specific uh again it's almost as if U he's at the end if you will of this long journey and uh it's about 66 ad at this point Paul's been all over the the then Known World If You Will preaching and starting churches helping people planting new works and uh now he's in this prison now he is admonishing this young man Timothy to make sure that he's prepared for task at hand we looked at that last week's study to show yourself approved now as you learn and grow in the scriptures of course and in the things of God that maturity is going to help you as you are helping others okay it's the same with us today in our generation so we're going to pick up with chapter three and notice here uh it's very interesting how again this if indeed it was Paul's last letter uh he's he's very specific in what he says watch this uh 2 Timothy 3 verse number one this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves Covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful Unholy without natural affection truce Breakers false accusers incontinent Fierce despisers of those that are good first four traitors hey high-minded lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power there of from such Turn Away Paul is trying to help this young Pastor Timothy and uh if if if Timothy can get a hold of the principles of the power of God's word okay then both the Old Testament and the New Testament if you will those scriptures that you can find that even Timothy had access to from the old laws if you will then you can understand the character and the principle and the makeup of God that being said um Paul is speaking here in this letter to Timothy and he mentions the last days um we don't know when the last days will be no doubt Timothy in reading the letter that Paul's writing to him he was questioning that as well whenever they though understand before the culmination the ending of the plan of God there will be dangerous times perilous times it's called that people are going to the things of God they're going to turn from them now he's not speaking of specifically he's not talking about guns and weapons and missiles and bombs and tanks and stuff but he's talking about the likelihood that Humanity is going to change going to run after things that are contrary to the way that God designed them and so he he begins to go through this list Paul does they will be lovers of themselves that is completely contrary to God's word they will be Covetous what is one of the Ten Commandments don't covet right they want what others have they're going to turn away they're going to begin to be boasters meaning that uh they they think of themselves and they promote themselves they'll be proud in another word blasphemers even they won't even believe that God can do anything they will be disobedient to parents again all of these that Paul's mentioning notice these are contrary to the laws of God unthankful and Unholy uh without natural tendencies natural affections okay again contrary to the things that God built or designed man to be truce Breakers again false accusers again incontinent in definition they lack moderation or self-control all of these things that Paul's mentioning to Timothy about the last days specifically every one of them are works of Flesh they they go 100% 180 degrees if you will Contra contrary to what God wants for Humanity despisers of those that are good they'll be traitors they'll turn away from what they had heady they'll think a lot themselves highminded they think more of themselves than anything else they'll love pleasure more than they love God and this whole list that that Paul gives to gives to Timothy as the preacher um they are very specific all right in other words I if if people in the end as the perilous times happen as the dangerous times come if people really and truly follow this list that that was given given to Timothy there's no room for God in their lives there's no room for truth in their lives Sin is Sin wrong is wrong and when you go contrary to the laws and the principles and the precepts of God you are going to find yourself paying the penalty because the price tag the the wages if you will of sin is death in fact he he even goes far to say they even have a form of godliness all right but they don't understand the power that's in godliness and therefore Timothy you teach your people preach to the church tell them turn away from those things don't get caught up in the carnality and the worldliness of things can I roll the film forward 2020 month of November all of the things Paul wrote to Timothy you can see are very evident in our time today no doubt every generation has looked at their surroundings their generation and they have probably repeated that same thing but I'll tell you friend 2020 this whole list is exactly what's happening in our world today what does that tell us that tells us that although Timothy and Paul lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago it's coming true today verse number six notice here how he continued for of this sort in 2 Timothy 3 and6 they which creep into houses and Lead captive silly women Laden with sins LED away with divers lust ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth those who are doing these things the Disobedience the traitors the he High mind those people that are following after the flesh okay they are going to be able to influence where Paul refers to them as silly women Laden with sins in other words they don't take it seriously and in their mind and in their Spirit their actions they act as if there's no end there's no reason to even consider the end if you were to go back in the Old Testament Would we not find another story like this called the days of Noah yeah in fact they don't want real truth they they simply want to lead you away from truth those type of people they're always learning things okay they're always educating themselves they're scientifically they have knowledge of things but they're also what they're learning is leading them away from the power and the principles of God stay away from that Timothy don't get near it tell your people stay away from those things you follow godliness Holiness perfectness righteousness in God okay he continues and and he even gives reference to Old Testament days and in verse eight now as Janice and jamre withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt Minds reprobate concerning the faith he attaches The Same Spirit of the day in which he's talking about to the those who faced Moses back in in in front of pharaoh their minds are corrupt they are morally deprived of of of of anything morally pure they are unprincipled if you will for an example when those two men Janice and Jamber stood in front of pharaoh they tried to defy Moses and the voice of God and God dealt with them by allowing the staff of Moses to swallow up the sticks that they had in their hands and he showed them God's power is greater than anything that you can try to conjure up all right verse number nine but they shall proceed no further for their Folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was talking about Janice and jamri but thou H has fully known my Doctrine manner of life purpose Faith long-suffering charity patience you've known about me persecutions afflictions which came into me at Antioch and at ionium and lra what persecutions I endured but out of all them out of them all excuse me the Lord delivered me yay and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall shall suffer persecution no notice that when Paul mentions these guys those guys will not be able to stand in front of the truth of God they're only going to lie and cheat they're only going to corrupt things don't worry about them power of God is going to manifest who they really are they have motives that are morally impure okay Timothy you know the truth you've seen what I've taught you you've heard you've read the letters you've been able to draw from these letters and help the church is Timothy you stay true to the gospel you stay true to the church all right Paul he mentions again his faith his patience his longsuffering the things that he went through and he understands that anybody that is following God the spirit of the world the spirit of Janice and jambre if you will persecutions are going to come but you got to endure them all right afflictions and hardness is going to come against you endure it God delivered Paul God is going to deliver you that's what he's telling Timothy and that's what Timothy now is spreading to the church if I may in this generation the day in which we live listen things are going to happen in your life but you stand firm endure those afflictions those things that are difficult and contrary to what you feel like or what you know to be biblically sound listen to this evil men seducers verse 13 says shall acts worse wait a minute and worse deceiving and being deceived but continue thou in the things which thou Hast learned and Hast been assured of knowing of whom thou Hast learned them and that from a child thou Hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise into salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus verse 16 all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Repro for correction for instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thly thly furnished unto all good works Timothy evil men will not get any better there will be evil men and they will get worse and worse all right they will use deceit and lies to confuse people about righteous living and holy things okay but Paul tells and he encourages Timothy to know and to rest in the perfect knowledge of knowing who God is and what he is in your life from the time you were a young man Timothy you've known these things the word of God has been breathed you you get it right he mentions for an example in in the other letter that his grandmother his mother there was these things that happened in their lives and this also was passed on to Timothy the Bible is the truth that's in you Timothy and for us today in our generation the more we study on Wednesday nights or any other time the more we get into the word what's happening is we are maturing and growing in Jesus understanding that all things come from him as this chapter three closes out Paul's reminding his young friend that there is so much to learn and there's so much to do to follow God as the preacher follows the words of the Lord God the message that he gives to others they will learn and they will grow also because it's all in the name of Jesus that people love truly love and follow and worship him now as we transition into chapter four here of second Timothy notice something here I charge thee therefore before God this is Paul talking to Timothy and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom this is what he tells him I charge you preach the word be instant in season out of season rebuke re reprove excuse me rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and Doctrine for the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lust shall they Heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables notice here final word finally this is what he says I charge thee Timothy I'm I'm looking at I'm looking at you through this letter and I'm trusting you with with something I want you to preach the word you be ready all the time to give an account for the things of God I've done what I can do to help you Timothy you've got the holy ghost power you got maturity and growth in the church maturity and growth in the spirit of God I've seen this in you in action therefore you be ready all right be able to teach be able to instruct and help people all right you reprove them in other words you speak to them in correction listen to me this is what the Bible says you're following a lie you need to turn around and walk after God you rebuke that is a Stern disapproval of something you can tell them that as the preacher you can do that Timothy he says to exhort with longsuffering I'm doing it again I'm telling you over again I'm telling you over again Timothy was warned that a time was coming after the honeymoon if you will notice when when you go back into the churches the letters of the churches we we've read in Ephesians and Philippians Colossians we read in these letters the church is growing fabulous things are taken place man they're multiplying new converts all the time coming in and after a few years of this that now we're looking at 3040 years into the church if you will now there are some that are beginning to walk away some that are beginning to question some are are beginning to to bring lies and untruths into the church um that's the the nature nature of humanity if you will if you don't have the power of the spirit of God trying to change or doing the change in your life doing the powerful things in your life then you're going to fall backwards if you don't have the Holy Ghost in your life if you've not been baptized in that name you are going to be face to face with the things of the enemy and he is going to tempt you push you he is going to rebuke you he's going to try his best to get you away from God and this is what Paul was telling Timothy you correct them you teach them you put them in in a place where they can gain knowledge and wisdom of God because they're going to want teachers that'll come to them and teach them little sweet stories to to to get the response from them that will tickle their ear so that they can say wow they really like what I'm saying although there's no truth in it all right and again notice how he repeats the stay away from that all right he's already used this phrase this is a third time in this particular letter that is used it turn away from run and get away from those people all right watch thou verse 5 says in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry for I'm now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand and notice verse 7 we all know this I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith fath henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing Paul gives some assistance in how that Timothy should act and what he should do he says you watch the enem is going to try to come in and discourage and and and destroy the things of God but you stay true walk watch for that you endure that go through it come out the other side Victorious watch the Power and the hand of God okay and and and the work of the preacher the work of the Evangelist is you're you're spreading the good news the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in doing so Paul transitions quickly from that and he says listen Timothy I want I want to tell you something I have finished what I've been given to do all right I'm ready to die I I got no worries I fought a good fight I have I I've finished what I've been given to do finished my course he said but I've kept faith in Jesus and I'm telling you Timothy soon I'll be off the scene this is the end of of what I am the end of who I am and the end of what I've done here on planet Earth but Timothy I have poured myself into you into the churches the best that I can so that the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to move forward generation to generation to generation a as Paul concludes this is very intriguing as well Paul concludes this second letter to Timothy and he spends a few moments at the end of it again this is re realistically this is probably his last writing and he begins to remember some of those people that he's worked with he he remembers some of those that walked away he even talks how that some did him wrong some uh used him some really didn't have any desire to want to follow God they were just simply going through emotion and then he talks about those that he truly truly loves that came beside him helped him that encouraged him he even talks about you know what I know that I'm in a prison but listen Timothy if you can get to me I want to see you I'd love to just sit and talk to you if you come bring bring the writings bring the books that that you've got that you have access to bring the parchments cuz I got a lot more writing I want to do if I can and uh even even mentioned you know I I left one of my jackets a cloak at one of the churches if you see it would you bring it to me you know it's cold in here in this prison whatever that is this to me very perfectly humanized as Paul I've done everything that I've been asked to do I've accomplished what I'm supposed to accomplish and now I'm cold I'm in this prison I've endured so many things in my Ministry but Timothy I have full confidence that you're going to carry this forward and it's not going to die I admonish all of us tonight in this study uh this is a very powerful letter in that um Paul realizes the urgency of the day and and I want to Echo that friend there's a whole lot of stuff going on outside your house outside the church walls lot of confusion questions there's a lot of negativity there's people you can this whole letter this whole list of things in the letters that we read people are are trying to please themselves they're Liars cheats on and on and goes you you know I don't have to rehash that but that lets me to know that the coming of the Lord is soon at hand so I I want to go to close tonight with prayer and as we pray I want you to pray for yourself pray for your children your spouse pray for your loved ones pray for the church that we will be found in this hour doing what we are supposed to be doing fighting the good fight that we're not going to give up and quit that we're not going to come to the end of this journey end of this race and decide you know it doesn't matter no think of the your your parents grandparents great grandparents great great grandparents I I don't know however far back you want to go think of all of the investment that they gave into the Church of the Living God I would sure hate in this generation to lose it all because I get weary or tired pray with me would you Lord we are part of the church the greatest thing this Earth has ever known the most powerful thing Lord this world has ever come in contact with is the church because we're a body of Believers that covers the globe I pray right now Lord for my brothers and sisters in the church pray Lord that you would help us as we move forward daily help us Lord God not to listen to the lies and the things of the enemy but let us stay true to Apostolic Doctrine and teachings embracing and loving you I plead your blood over every single one of us God give us an outpouring of Truth and passion for truth in our church in our lives in our homes I pray for it in jesus' name help us Lord to focus on you in these days Lord of of peril in these days of danger in these days Lord that's coming I pray Lord that you would help us to be strong through it and come through it Lord endure to the other end because those that endure to the end shall be saved we love you for your word tonight and thankful for it bless Lord everyone that's here in Jesus name amen