Signs Cubed - 1 Tim 4:1-5
August 28, 2022
how many biblical signs point to return of Jesus… quick count of at least 65…
Mark 13:1-8… “signs… wars, earthquakes, famine… beginning of birth pains…”
1Tim 4:1-3… “last times… depart from faith… accept doctrines of demons…”
2Tim 3:1-9… “lovers of self… lovers of money… boastful, proud… scoffers… disobedient to parents… ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving… slander others… hate what is good… betray their friends… reckless… act religious..”
2Pet 2… “destructive heresies… deny Jesus… evil teaching… shameful immorality… truth slandered… greed… twisted sexual desire… proud… arrogant… scoffers…”
can’t cover them all… behavior of people is one of the biggest signs… pray…
2Tim 3:5… “they will act religious… but they will reject the power that could make them godly… stay away from people like that…”
Titus 2:11-13… “grace instructs us… to live righteous and godly lives…”
It is honest to admit that there is much room for difference of opinion here. Only fools and madmen are positive in their interpretations of the Apocalypse. —Charles Spurgeon
Hate what is Good
hate is strong dislike, hostility, or intense animosity… in the last days, people will respond with more hate than ever… especially hate good and love evil…
Psa 120:6… “I am tired of living among people who hate peace…”
Prov 1:22:29… “how long will fools hate knowledge… not choose to fear God…”
Prov 5:12… “at end of life, you will say… how I hated discipline… if only I had not ignored all the warnings… why didn’t I listen or pay attention… I’m in ruin…”
Prov 12:1… “to learn, you must love discipline… it is stupid to hate correction…”
Prov 13:19… “fools hate to turn away from evil…”
Isa 5:20… “what sorrow for those who say evil is good and good is evil…”
Mic 3:2-9… “you hate good and love evil… hate justice and twist all that is right…”
even Christians can be haters… can hate knowledge, instruction, correction… feel like we already know it all… teach me something new… keep me entertained…
1Cor 8:2… “if anyone thinks he knows anything… does not yet know it as they ought…”
2Tim 3:16… “all scripture useful… teaching, rebuking, correcting, training…”
2Tim 4:3-4… “time is coming when people will not tolerate sound doctrine… but will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear… they will reject truth and chase after myths…”
What factors lead people to choose a church? Worship style, children’s ministry, God’s presence, and friendliness were some top answers. However, the top two responses were doctrine and preaching. 88% said sound doctrine led them to their church. When it comes to reaching this generation… bold, deep, biblical preaching is not the problem. It’s part of the solution. —Kevin DeYoung – The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation
Betray their Friends
frequent in Nazi Germany… saw it in our generation during pandemic… inform upon or deliver into hands of an enemy; be false or disloyal to… friends and family turned people in for not wearing masks… for not quarantining… many felt betrayal by government, educational, medical institutions… self-interest was very high…
Psa 38:11… “loved ones stay away… fearing disease… family stays at a distance…”
Psa 41:9… “even my best friend… one I trusted… has turned against me…”
Psa 55:12-13… “not enemy who taunts, not foe who insults… it is my friend…”
Matt 24:9-10… “persecuted, killed, hated… many fall away… betray one another…”
Mark 13:12… “brother will betray brother… father his child… kids their parents…”
John 13:21-30… “truly, one of you will betray Me…”
Depart from the Faith
teachings inspired by demons will dramatically increase… much of our culture is influenced by demons… abortion, immorality, school shootings… not demon possession… but oppressed and influenced… even Christians can be influenced… sin is a choice… will we be influenced by God and His Word… or the devil…
Matt 16:22-23… “no, Lord, never… get away satan, you’re a dangerous trap…”
1Tim 4:1-3… “HS clearly says in the last times some will turn away from the true faith… they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons…”
2Pet 2:1-2… “false teachers… cleverly teach destructive heresies… even deny Jesus… many will follow their evil teaching… the way of truth will be slandered…”
as a result of this demonic influence… many will turn from truth… the why is very interesting… because they focused on their sin and not the cross…
1Tim 4:1-3… “depart from faith… having conscience seared with a hot iron…”
kausteriazo… souls branded with marks of sin; carry perpetual consciousness of sin…
Rom 3:23-24… “all have sinned… justified freely by His grace thru Jesus…”
Rom 4:25… “He died because of our sins… raised for our justification…”
Rom 6:23… “wages of sin is death… free gift of God is eternal life thru Jesus…”
1Cor 15:3-4… “most important… Christ died for our sins… buried, raised…”
Col 1:20… “God reconciled all to Himself… making peace thru blood of cross…”
Col 2:11-17… “made you alive with Christ… He forgave all our sins… cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross…”
Heb 12:2… “eyes fixed on Jesus… for joy set before Him… He endured cross…”
1John 2:2… “He is sacrifice for our sin… not only ours… but of whole world…”
1Pet 2:24… “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross…”
departing from the faith isn’t about losing salvation… that’s secure in Christ… when we focus on sin… truth takes back seat… become unfruitful… in our lives and lives of others… have no power, influence or control over the world…
Dan 9:24… “the Messiah will bring in everlasting righteousness…”
Matt 13:18-23… “word crowded out by worry and wealth… become unfruitful…”
Mark 1:15… “time is fulfilled… kingdom has come… repent, believe good news…”
1Cor 6:9-11… “sexually immoral… idolaters… adulterers… homosexuals… drunks… thieves… greedy, abusive people… none of these will inherit God’s kingdom…”
basileia… not to be confused with actual kingdom, but rather right and authority to rule;
church hurt can also cause us to depart from faith… good church will offend you… no gossip or slander… go talk to them… forgive… make up your mind that you’ll never leave Jesus… church is part of God’s plan for you… pray…
Matt 18:14-17… “if believer hurts you… go and tell him… work it out…”
Gal 5:11… “if I were no longer preaching the Cross… no one would be offended…”
Eph 4:32… “be kind… forgiving one another… just as in Christ God forgave you…”