B. Signs For the End of the Church Age.
B. Signs For the End of the Church Age.
1. 1 Timothy 3:1-15.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (1 Timothy 3:1)
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (1 Timothy 3:2)
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (1 Timothy 3:3)
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ( 1 Timothy 3:4)
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (1 Timothy 3:5)
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (1 Timothy 3:6)
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:7)
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 3:8)
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (V. 9)
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (1 Timothy 3:10)
Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (1 Timothy 3:11)
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (1 Timothy 3:12)
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (1 Timothy 3:13)
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (1 Timothy 3:14)
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 3:1-15)
2. 1 Timothy 4:1-4.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (1 Timothy 4:2)
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:3)
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:” (1 Timothy 4:1-4)
Paul was living in the First Century of the Church Age and had written 2 Timothy about 68 A.D. Paul had described the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, written about 52 A.D. In fact, at the conclusion of each chapter he made reference to Christ’s coming. (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Paul knew the Rapture would end the Church Age and initiate the Tribulation, and he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to describe and warn Christians about how evil people will be on the door steps of the Rapture. One can easily see in the last 40, or so, years, how our values in American have almost plummeted into non-existence.
Paul continues in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, describing the world’s attitude towards the TRUTH, as recorded in God’s Word, the Bible.
“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;” (2 Timothy 4:3)
“And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:4)
Since the Supreme Court has done its best to wipe God out of America, there has been a great change in people’s response to Christians that witness. It used to be that people were interested in knowing how to have eternal life in Heaven. They rejoiced to know that God loved them and eternal life was a free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9) That the gift of eternal life was accepted by simple faith in the absolute fact that John 3:16 was true.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But today, after two-thousand plus years, these signs are upon us. At the end of Verse 3 are the words “having itching ears.” These are those who absolutely reject the truth and are eager to listen to false teachers that agree with their own ideas that are contrary to the will of God. Churches today have turned into godless entertainment centers instead of Bible-teaching churches.
The Christian’s responsibility is given in 2 Timothy 4:2; 2 Timothy 4:5.
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)
In conclusion: the Word of God, in the eyes of our Supreme Court, seems to be the virus that is destroying humanity. Their pursuit to exterminate this virus has brought America’s social behavior to fulfill God’s Word in Proverbs 29:18,
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
The literal meaning describes perfectly what happens to society when the Word of God is excluded.
a. “no vision” – literally means that there is no word from God.
b. “The people perish” – This is a very interesting word in the Hebrew. Of the 117 times this word appears in the Old Testament, only here is the Hebrew word “PARA” used. The Hebrew “para” means: To loosen; to expose; avoid; uncover; make naked. It is translated as “perish” in our English, which describes the end results of society collectively, or people individually. So, the literal meaning of this verse, in compliance to the Hebrew meaning, would read like this,
“Where there is no word from God the people cast off restraints and literally go to pieces.”
We can hardly believe what we see today in our society. Human beings acting like wild animals, and this is paraded before our eyes, not only on the nightly news; but, in what passes for a television program. We pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”