People lately are tired of hearing of “Doomsday”. There’s a syndrome now called “Apocalypse Fatigue”.
The Apocalypse for us is not something dread – that's the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ - and our glad hope - the second coming of Christ.
God says: 2 Timothy 3:1 ...in the last days perilous times shall come. Perilous times are coming. These “last days” will be desperate days. Extreme times - times of stress and trouble. How are we to get ready? To prepare?
It seems like Australia has fallen in many ways... People hate what is good. And they love what is evil. Truth has been abandoned. Bible-believers are openly persecuted for their beliefs.
Why are these days perilous? Because... Men shall be lovers of their own selves. Self centred. Men are covetous; money-lovers. Greedy and grasping - lovers of money more than lovers of God. In these perilous times we see Boasters - boastful of their own wisdom or spirituality. They are proud. Arrogant.
Men are blasphemers… abusive; quick to criticise and put down. People in these perilous times are disobedient to parents. There is much disrespect. Instead of parents ruling their children, children rule their parents. We are told: Honour your father and mother.
People are unthankful; ungrateful, thankless. Let's give God the glory for His many blessings!
In perilous times we see people are unholy; not separate from the world. People are without natural affection; callous, and hard-hearted. People are also trucebreakers - they don’t care about the covenant of marriage, or keeping their word. People are false accusers – malicious; slanderers. Also, incontinent - this means "out of control" - many lack spiritual or moral self-control. In Galatians 5:23, “temperance” - or self-control - is a fruit of the Spirit.
People are fierce – brutal, savage - like wild beasts. They are despisers of those that are good - they are opposed to goodness and those who stand for what is right. In perilous times we can expect people to be traitors - or treacherous. People will be heady – in other words, headstrong - rash, reckless, hasty. Also, men will be high-minded. In other words, conceited and puffed up.
Another big sign of perilous times: People will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. We live in a pleasure-loving society. In church we see a lack of faithfulness - and a trend towards entertainment in churches. People seek their own pleasure - rather than God’s will and purpose. Some shall have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. We can expect a religion that will have a "form" - a show - of godliness, while it lacks the real dynamic power of God to change lives. Some have a show of faith - and talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Paul tells Timothy to turn away from such people.
Some are unteachable. They have a problem with the truth. Though they are always learning they never come to a certain knowledge of the truth. They actually resist the truth. It seems a modern day phobia is Bibloso-phobia - a fear of the Bible. People shy away from the Bible and truth.
Paul warns: 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The twenty characteristics of people in the last days are the results of humanism. We can expect the last days before our Lord’s return to be increasingly characterised by a falling away, moral decay, and a rejection of Bible truth.
There’s a Trojan Horse entering the gates of the church and it threatens its stand for truth. We need another reformation. A return to Bible truth.
Paul foreshadows: 1) a society coming apart at the seams, and 2) a church completely infiltrated by the world. Paul’s warnings are true of our own day.
What are we to do? Do we conform - or compromise? Paul says: 2 Tim. 3:14-15 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned …thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Keep believing and obeying the inspired, profitable, perfecting word of God. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Extreme times call for extreme measures.
Desperate days call for the determined preaching of God's Word. The harder the times, the deafer the people, the itchier their ears, the louder and the clearer must be our proclamation. This is our response to the times of terror.
These increasingly perilous times are not a reason for despair, but we can rejoice in our blessed hope - the Glorious returning of our Lord and Saviour. In perilous times you can have the blessed hope.
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