I’m still planning to do a piece focuses on the things God hates and digs in to Proverbs Ch. 6 and Leviticus Ch. 20, but as things have come up over the past couple weeks I decided this piece was more pressing to what’s going on in the world right now. We’re going to be digging in to Chapters 3 and 4 of 2nd Timothy, looking at the world and the challenges we face as Christians.
“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.” - 2 Timothy 3: 1-5
Difficult times are going to come. Just look around at the world we’re living in. The above verses from 2 Timothy seem to lay a pretty good foundation for what we’re seeing every single day. “Holding a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” seems to summarize much of our modern Christian church, if we’re being totally honest. But it’s also important to note that these things aren’t new or unique exclusively to our time. There have been cycles of degeneracy throughout all of human history. The Old Testament is a catalogue of the Jewish people's journey through these difficult times. The key to these events every time they come up throughout history is how the people respond to them. Rome was fully committed to a degenerate society laden with sin; but in the midst of that was a Christian influence that, even in spite of persecution and literal murder, showed love and compassion. I can’t find the exact text, but there is a quote taken from a letter written by a Roman official to another official discussing how you can always tell who the Christians are because in spite of everything they endure, they are still going out of their way to love those they come in contact with. Though the rest of society was mired in sin, the Christians held to their principles and beliefs and lived to serve and honor God and be holy and righteous. Eventually a Roman emperor converted to Christianity and from that point you get a Roman Catholic revival that changes the landscape of all of Europe. I have a lot of problems with what the Roman Catholic church ultimately did with its political power and influence throughout the next several hundred years of history, but the overall result of Christian morality sweeping across a large part of the world is a net positive. And many societies in Africa and Asia have seen similar revivals take place for similar reasons over the past hundred or so years. Numerous points in history show degeneracy taking hold on society, only to have a God-inspired revival rise up and bring redemption and healing.
The key to every one of these instances, both throughout the Old Testament and modern history (A.D.) is the presence of strong leadership within the faith communities. The Jewish leaders who rose to carry God’s people out of their depths of despair; strong Christian leaders across the Roman empire guiding and influencing the church, and the empire itself; revivalists and revolutionaries of the past millennia who have been willing to speak truth and break from corruption in the church and bring people back in line with God’s wishes. And we, today, are suffering from a void where strong leadership is concerned.
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4: 1-5
God has given us the tools to be strong leaders. And He has called us in to that leadership through the various gifts we have. “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 He has equipped us for this very thing. Our “work” is to “make disciples of all the nations”1 and help bring the world closer to God. God’s word equips us and makes us adequate for whatever this world throws at us. So why then are our churches and “faith based” communities and Christian organizations so devoid of scripture? Why do so many mission statements and professions of faith lack literally and scripture references whatsoever? The love of money, popularity, social acceptance… the love of the world above the love of God, and led those who are “leading” the modern church to embrace society and to walk away from scripture. “They will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” If your church or faith based organization has a mission statement that focuses on buzzwords and lacks scripture, it’s time to throw that out and start at the beginning, with The Word. If the leadership is unwilling to use that as the foundation, it’s time for new leadership. We must stand strong in our faith, we must defend the things that are right and holy and moral. Now is the time for the people of God, who believe in His word and don’t want to have their ears tickled, to come together, to start a revival, to “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Matthew 28:19-20 NASB1995 - Go therefore and make disciples of all - Bible Gateway