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weekly sermon 5-3-09 In The Last Days
With all the talks and reports of the diseases that have no cure, we have many talking about how we are in the last days before the coming of Christ. I wanted us to take a look at a few things that the Bible says about the last days. The last days show many terrible happenings, worse weather, worse diseases, and most of all, worse behaviors of mankind. I know that most folks look at the last days as a very bleak time, but I see the last days as one of signs, wonders, and glory.
I want us to take a look at some words from Paul and what he was given by God, to tell us about the last days.
2 Timothy 3:1-17, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: (2)For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3)unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, (4)traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5)having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (6)For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, (7)always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (8)Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; (9)but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. (10)But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, (11)persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of [them] all the Lord delivered me. (12)Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (13)But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (14)But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned [them], (15)and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16)All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17)that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
There are a few things I want us to pay note to in this chapter of 2 Timothy.
First, notice what the world will come to in the last days. Notice that man will come to be lovers of the things of the world, themselves, money, inflated egos, disobedience, unholiness, and desires of the flesh. Men will hate their parents, other men, their own self control, forgiving others, their own self worth, and most of all the full power of God.
Secondly, note the names of Jannes and Jambres. Jannes and Jambres were magicians that went against Moses with Satanic powers. If you have ever read the story of Moses, as he went against the Egyptians, you will know that Moses stood before these magicians and went test for test against them. I bring up these names for a special reason, one of which I will get to a little later.
Lastly, I want us to remember that it is Paul writing the words of God here. Paul was only a messenger, a messenger deliviering the words that God instructed him to deliver. We read these words from Paul as though it were him talking through his experiences. Paul talks about some of the consequences, in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, of trying to follow the Gospel of Christ. Paul was persecuted, jailed, abused, and worse for his teachings of Christianity. We must notice even though Paul went through all of this, he was here teaching about God. This tells me that God brought Paul through all the terrible times he encountered, no matter the severity of the persecutions. This should give us some sense of hope in our existence and purpose in life.
We just read, from Paul, about how in the last days there would be terrible times for man. We read how men would hate men, nations would hate nations, men would hate God and how men would love money, men would love themselves, and men would love the sins of the flesh only and have nothing to do with God or His doctrines.
All of this sounds very bleak and dismal. This is the part that I spoke of at the beginning of this message, that some say how bleak the last days will be. I want you to see that, yes in the last times there will be men of terrible behaviour, there will be terrible times, and there will be worse diseases and weather, but there is also something else that we can look forward to in the last days.
Turn with me to Acts, Chapter 2.
Act 2:17-21, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (18)And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (19)And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: (20)The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: (21)And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
We must take a look at the words also spoken by Luke in Acts concerning the last days. We have seen the bleak grim hope of man, written in 2 Timothy. We see this from Paul because it is how man will act, it is how man will think with a man's mind, but we now see how God will think with His mind. God shows us here in Acts that no matter how man thinks or acts, God will prevail in the end.
God will pour out HIS very own spirit on all men, they will prophesy, they will teach, they will see visions, have dreams, and see signs and wonders. God will show a revelation that has never has been seen before or since on all man. All man will have to do is open up their hearts, eyes, and minds to accept the spirit of God, and when they do, that shall fulfill the 21st verse of this passage. They shall call on the name of the Lord, and they shall be saved.
As we can see through the bleakness, a light will shine, THE light will shine, and THIS light will save the souls of man from the bleakness of the darkness they follow.
Jannes and Jambres were mentioned before for a special reason. As I stated, they were magicians who used Satanic powers to promote their own fame. During the time they used these powers, God gave His powers to Moses to defeat those magicians. This is a picture painted of man, being the magicians, and God being God. No matter what Satanic powers comes against you, even in the last days, God can give you power you never knew you had, that you may be able to defeat anything that should come against you.
Yes, let us remember the bleakness of the last days, let us understand how man will be deceitful, lustful, boastful, and full of the sins of this world, but let us also remember that we have a Father that loves His kids, sent His Son to die for us, and has prepared a place for us next to Him in the land of glory.
I believe times are hard and I believe times will get worse, but I also believe in the saving grace of Almighty God, or the death of Christ would be all in vain.
If you are facing bad times and have never been introduced to the salvation of Jesus Christ, all you have to do is say a simple prayer.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ, Pastor Stone
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