2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verse 1

•This word for perilous also means, “Fierce, hard to take, troublesome and harsh.” And boy I tell you, does that not describe our day? Totally does! And the reasons for these perilous times are found in the next couple of verses. But man the truth is that we are living in fierce times and what’s playing out in front of our eyes is that generationally things are progressing wildly fast! Why? Because as the world get’s more fierce, the next generation gets more pansy! TRUTH! So the pace, the birth pangs…it’s obvious…are and will continue to speed up!

•Now interesting is that another meaning for this word perilous is “savage.” Now what’s interesting about that is that using that word to describe something cool or hardcore or incredible has just recently become very popular. Like, “Bro that switch backside 180 was savage!” Paul says to Timothy, “In the last days, savage, firerce, hard to deal, perilous times will come,”…why? Why does hardness and savageness come upon your own heart for that matter? Check it out…

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 2 – 5

•Now we gotta pay attention because Paul says in verse 1 that perilous times will come but what we just read doesn’t speak of badness in the times but rather badness in the people. See that!? That’s a big deal to consider, man, because if we would take responsibility for how we are and what we do and the results in our lives…then we might just wake up to the fact that they are not the problem…that it’s us…but that is the hardest thing to wake up to…because we can’t be the problem, right?

•Why is that our default? That is our default to our own hurt! I hope you know that. The folks that are the strongest, the kindest, the most joyful are not the ones that give themselves the most grace but rather the ones that default to, “I need to change, I’m the problem,” rather than, “I’m good…they’re the problem.”
•Notice, all of these things, “Blasphemy, disobedience to parents, unholiness, unlovingness,” leading ultimately to, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” where does it all start? “Men are lovers of themselves…”

•The perilous times, the hard times, the harsh times, the hard to deal times, filled with no love and no forgiveness and slanderous brutality…it all comes back to that simply and yet so so so disregarded and denied truth, that loving yourself and putting yourself first is the greatest of evils and the origination point of all sin.

•Now turn this all around and see what it gets you…, “But now know this, that in your life will come strength-filled, wisdom-filled, joy-filled times…for you will be a lover of God, lover of grace and generosity, complimenters, humble, honoring to God, obedient to parents, thankful, holy, loving, forgiving, graceful in speech, thriving in self-control, gentle, lover of what is good, loyal, heart-strong, steady in character, lovers of God even over pleasure, holding to godliness and walking power, and to such, turn for leadership!”

•Boom! I love that! Your choice! Which will you choose!? It all comes down to who do you put first? You or God. And man man man MAN woman woman woman WOMAN it is so blatantly obvious! Do you see it? Do you deny it? What will you do about it!?

•And one last thing here in imploring you to choose wisely…the enemy is strategic and he is slick…he tempts you to fight to get your way with others and even with God and in that strategy he says love yourself but here’s the thing…notice the 8th thing Paul says through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit after he says that men will be lovers of themselves…he says they will be UNLOVING! Do you see this! And so the “love” for yourself, you’re not loving yourself because you are unloving…you are actually hating yourself and you’re being fooled into doing it!

•You follow God and that is the best way to serve God, serve others and serve yourself. Period. End of story. You put yourself first, you worship yourself and you have made a god out of self and pleasure and that god will disappoint you and leave you powerless and lost.

•Paul says here that many that believe in God fall into this trap…claiming to know God and to have a form of godliness but denying its power…denying God’s wisdom-filled, love-filled, grace-filled authority over your heart, soul, mind and strength life…your everything!

•Paul says to Timothy, know that they’re out there, they’re coming and they’re here…watch ‘em, you’ll see these obvious traits of foolishness, weakness and hate…these symptoms of a heart that is deceived and sick with self-love…know they’re coming, watch ‘em and then mark ‘em and turn yourself away…find the leaders! Protect your church because here’s what they do when left unchecked…

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 6 – 7

•Let this go unchecked in the church and in the church leaders and eventually it will creep into where…households…and then into workplaces and ultimately to public places…which is exactly what has happened. So quick aren’t we to point the finger at the world and blame the world even for the ridiculous carnival that governmental politics has become…but folks…it all started in the church…and if we are to fix it or help in any way…then revival must start with us! If we as the proclaimed people of God do not and won’t put God first then we have no right to expect it of the world…

•Is this you? Always learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth? There is a certain intelligence wrapped around the evil of these last days…so much to learn, so much that can be learned…outstanding and numerous resources to explain to us the things of God and lead us in wonderful truth-filled Bible studies…but for all your skill, for all of your knowledge, all of your knowing…you haven’t come to the truth….

•That who you are and who you’re meant to be is waiting for youat the right hand of the Father…and that until you give your whole life to that, you have no life in you at all….is that you?