Looks Can Be Deceiving
2 Tim 3:1-9
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth — men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
NIV
Looks Can Be Deceiving
(2 Tim. 3:1-9)
Intro:
A. We now return to our regularly scheduled programing. In March I began a brief overview the last recorded words of Paul found in 2 Timothy. Here we are 3 months later and I am picking up in chapter 3. Our time apart due to the corona virus changed our worship from being together physically to being together virtually. It changed my sermons from series to week by week sermons waiting for the time when we had some hope of assembling together.
B. So today, even though we are still doing a small group worship, I want us to dig deep into Paul’s final words. I want you to understand that Paul believed he would be killed soon and wanted Timothy to come to him quickly. In this very personal letter, Paul gives Timothy encouragement, instruction and warning. The passage today is one of the things Paul warns Timothy to be aware of.
C. To set the stage for our passage, Paul warns Timothy about the future with an illustration from the past. This section opens with these words (READ 2 Tim. 3:1). There are some things you and I need to expect in life. It is great to have ideal and dreams, but it is also important to understand reality. Paul says to Timothy, “mark this,” “understand this,” the Message says, “Don’t be naive.” Difficult times are coming and are here.”
D. It’s great that as Christians we want to always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but when it comes to what is taught, we need to look a little deeper into the character of the people who lead.
I. Deceivers We See
A. There are sins that we see in people and there are motives that we don’t see, but try to deduce. When Paul begins this section, he does so by telling Timothy difficult, terrible, times are coming.
B. Here is what makes those times terrible. First, people will think and act counter to God’s desires. Look through this list for a moment (Read verses 2-4). If I were to describe who these people were, I would definitely go with the worldly unbeliever.
C. But I want you to catch what Paul says in verse 5. “Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” The New Living Translations says, “They act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”
D. Here is my point; this list not only describes what we call a degenerating secular society, but what Paul warns Timothy can happen within the church. When Christian people center upon self, instead of God, this list will happen in the church.
E. Ponder the phrase that such people “look” and “act” religious, but deny the power of God that ought to be at work in our lives. “They enjoy the outward expressions of the Christian faith, including endless and often senseless theological discussions, and assume that the practice of these visible manifestations of religion is sufficient. But they themselves haven't changed, since they still participate in the vices that are common among the heathen, and as a result their very lives deny the very power of the religious faith that they profess. This first sentence may also be expressed as "They act as if they worship God, but they have really stopped believing in him." (from the UBS New Testament Handbook Series)
F. The power of godliness is that it transforms the heart of the person. It’s the power seen in repentance. It’s the power of the blood of Jesus to take away my sin. It’s the power of the word of God that is sharper than a two-edged sword and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. When the Spirit of God comes into our lives, the Holy Spirit convicts of us sin and empowers us to walk in the light. When we meditate upon God’s word, either it changes us or we seek to change it. The power of godliness transforms us, and this list is about people who deny transformation.
II. What Deceivers Do To Us
A. So where does this take us as people who desire to live in the power of God? Paul's advice to Timothy is the type of people he listed need to be avoided. There are times when our friendships need to change, when our jobs need to change, when our actions need to change.
B. Solomon said in Prov. 1:10, "My son, if sinners entice you, do not give into them." Paul told the Corinthians (15:33), "Bad company corrupts good character." A friend who once told me, “Avoidance is better than resistance.” The meaning was simple; if you don’t want to get sucked into the actions of the type of people Paul just listed, then stay away from them.
C. You see, these types of people “creep into households” Paul says and “capture weak women.” Now, ladies, don’t take that too personally. For women are generally far more spiritually minded and desirous than men. So when Satan wants to hurt the church he will often go after the women for you ladies are a great spiritual strength to the body. If Satan can destroy you or lead you astray, he knows that your influence upon your husbands will also lead them astray. Don’t believe me; look at the story of Adam and Eve.
D. My point, avoidance of such people is better than resistance. If we just simply look at where this type of teaching and thinking takes a person, it will be obvious that the end is folly.
III. Paul’s Example
A. Miracles served several purposes, and one was to confirm that the person doing the miracle had the power of God behind them. The miracle confirmed the message.
B. But what about sorcerers, magicians and people who used what we call “dark magic?” The Bibles tells multiple stories about such people. We don’t know all that they were able to do, or even if it was true power, but for all that saw it, it looked like power. It looked like God was at work in these people.
C. One such time was when Moses and Aaron first came before Pharaoh. The Bible records for us what happened in Ex. 7. God sends Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh and Aaron to throw his staff down and it turns into a snake. Picture that. A man throwing down his staff and it changing into a snake. POWER! Right? Well, Pharaoh calls his magicians in and guess what – they threw their staffs down and they also became snakes.
E. Paul tells Timothy that such people are like “Jannes and Jambrese who opposed Moses.” Who are those two? The Bible never gives us any information about the, but the Jewish tradition in the days of Paul is these two names are the leaders of the magicians in Egypt who tried to do the miracles that Moses and Aaron did. Let me tell you the rest of the story about the magicians (READ Ex. 8:18-19).
Conclusion:
A. I want a spiritual life that lasts. I want a faith that is vibrant and filled with power. I have walked a pathway that looked good on the outside to some, but I knew that inside I was filled with dead men’s bones. I want to live in the power of God that leads me to live a godly life, and it’s mine to possess.
B. Jesus came to give us an abundant life. A life filled with the power of the Spirit at work in us. The calling is for you and me to keep in step with Spirit. That means we look to God and His word for truth and knowledge.
C. Take hold of that power today. You can, for God has enabled you already. Will you take hold of that power? If we can help you live that life of power, then come as we stand and sing.
Because of Jesus,
Jeffrey Dillinger, minister