Light in a Dark World 2 Timothy 3:1-17

This world is becoming more godless. 3:1-9

2 Timothy 3:1–5 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable,

malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

Ephesians 2:2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

The Diagnosis – Death by Darkness

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

1) lovers of self

2) lovers of money

1 Timothy 6:9–10 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

3) boastful

4) arrogant

5) revilers

6) disobedient to parents

7) ungrateful

8) unholy

9) unloving

10) irreconcilable

11) malicious gossips

12) without self-control

13) brutal

14) haters of good

15) treacherous

16) reckless

17) conceited

18) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

19) holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power.

The seed bed soil 3:6-7

2 Timothy 3:6–7 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

‘always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth’

The poisoning agents 3:8-9

2 Timothy 3:8–9 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

Jesus Christ remains the only answer. 3:10-17

The Prescription –Life in Christ

Be faithful in the face of opposition. 3:10–13

2 Timothy 3:10–11 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

2 Timothy 3:12–13 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

The Godly will stand.

Anchor yourself in God’s Word. 3:14–17

2 Timothy 3:14–15 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.