In the Last Days Difficult Times Will Come
2 Tim. 3:1-7, 10-12
May 17, 2009 FBC, Chester Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
A Play Are You Ready
B But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5 holding to a form of godliness , although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance ,11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Tim 3:1-7,10-12 (NASB)
C The last days will be difficult times.
1 “Difficult” is better translated as perilous, violent, or hard to deal with.
a The Messiah uses this word to describe the demonic duo in the cemetery of Gadarene in Matt. 8:28: When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.Matt 8:28 (NASB)
aa The men were so violent, difficult, people didn’t go near the cemetery.
bb Dangerous, perilous, difficult, hard to deal with
b The last days will be like a demonic cemetery
aa The only place the demons felt comfortable was in a place of death, rot, decay, grieving, brokenness
bb The last days will look at demons running the place.
c When I was a kid, a big country song was, “I’m Going to Hire a Wino to Decorate our Home.” Take out the dining room table, put sawdust on the floor, a bar & stools, neon lights so her bar-hopping husband will come home instead of staying at the local tavern. In the last days, people are going to fall away from the faith & believe in the doctrines of demons. But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons...1 Tim 4:1 (NASB)
aa Make a mockery out of covenant of biblical marriage
bb Rewrite our history to delete or minimize Christian heritage
cc If it feels good, do it
dd Entitlement replacing hard work
2 The last days are difficult because of a preceded increase in demonic activity, which was with a falling away.
I Plenty of sin (v. 2-4). For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...
A The top story for months has been the economy.
1 It’s safe to say that today the economy is a global concern.
a For the last decade, people made fortunes overnight, making as much as possible, as quickly as possible.
b You don’t need to be a financial genius-in a bull market (financial maximum).
c For 10 years, things have gone swimmingly
2 The tide stopped suddenly (tsunami followed by a swift inundation).
a Everything was fine until the bottom dropped.
b “It’s easy to see who’s swimming naked when the tide goes out.”-financial maxim
aa The reason we know Freddie/Fannie/AIG/Meryl Lynch/countless banks were swimming naked is because the tide went out, & they were no longer swimming (also, State of Illinois).
bb Now we’re trying to save/rescue who’s left (bailing out left & right because those who played fast & loose have been fully exposed).
B We’ve learned that God uses the idols of a nation to execute His judgment.
1 The 10 plagues in Egypt, supposedly the Egyptians had gods who should have counteracted God’s judgment.
a Crocodile god: Nile turning to blood; Ra (sun god):darkness; Apis (bull): cattle were stricken
b Escape into the desert-in 40 days make a golden calf
aa So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Ex 32:28 (NASB)
bb God wasn’t going to allow His people to bow before a golden cow.
c There’s nothing we can really do to stop this thing (judgment/prophecies)
2 If the Almighty refused to allow His chosen people to give honor to a golden calf, He will not permit America to worship at the feet of some man-made brass bull.
C The stage is being set for a one-world economy, as world leaders are calling for a centrally-controlled global government.
1 The Group of 8 (68) is already online
a Ministers from the U.S., U.K, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, & Russia are already foreshadowing an iron-fisted consortium of global dictators.
b Their method of control will be a Byzantine forest of regulations that direct every financial action of every human on earth. The Bible calls it the “beast”.
2 Loving money is a door (if not the door) to unlocking the emergence of a one-world government, currency, & the emergence of the Antichrist.
There will be plenty of sin that focuses on self, even to the point that it will bleed into the Church (transitional sentence).
II Plenty of religion (v. 5-7) ...holding to a form of godliness , although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
A Because people have chosen to worship themselves, the landscape of the last days’ Church has become infested with aposty.
1 God’s plan is for us to...
a Worship Him...love people...use things
b When we remove God from the position of worship & replace Him with ourselves, things go south.
aa Worship self-use people-love things
bb The Western church (preachers) have played into it.
2 Developing sermons for felt needs, perceived problems, feel-good sermons... hold hands & let’s all get along (Islam, Jew, Christians).
a Preachers on Larry King who say, “Jesus is the way for me, my way.”
b Never a preacher who can powerfully defend the Gospel of its life-changing, truly gracious, life-giving power of the full & true Gospel.
B The last days will have the religious group who have denied the POWER of the true, full Gospel.
1 If you do...you’re old-fashioned, a bigot, judgmental, fundamentalist...
a Gay marriage, abortion, filth in our schools
aa CHS, a black T-shirt with a red cross: “Bad Religion”
bb If you say a word, you’re immediately labeled a religious fanatic.
b Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (V. 12)
2 The most persecuted people in America aren’t gay, lesbian, transgender-has nothing to do with race or sex...they’re the believers of Jesus Christ.
a Shut up, sit down by politicians/media-lost our place at the table.
b Weakened by powerless pulpits, playing religion, & downplaying the power of the Gospel, Holy Spirit.
c We’re witnessing prophecy unfold as we watch society redefine marriage, desecrate the sanctity of life, the Holy Church of God, His people (Israel), & His bride the Church.
d They want us gone! If they’d just wait a little bit longer, that trumpet’s gonna blow, & we’ll be gone, anyway.
aa The nation is kicking God out, but He’s not going quietly!
bb Shaking everything that can be shaken
Conclusion
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
