Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Exegesis
- Theme: The Last Days
- Topic: How would people in the last days live their lives
- Truth: People in the last days would live foolish lives contrary to the truth.
- Thrust: Timothy must be careful that he does end up like them.
Exposition
- Theme: Worldly people
- Topic: How do worldly people live their lives
- Truth: Worldly people live foolish lives as if there is no truth and no God.
- Thrust: Christians must be careful that they do not live like worldly people.
Exhortation
- Type: Truth oriented
- Take Home Message: Christians who live like worldly people are like crazy people.
- Trailing question: How do crazy Christians live
- Talk (sermon):
A. Take-off (intro)
Define crazy? Crazy is living as if there is no truth and there is no God. They deny reality. People who live like that are actually crazy people. Why? Because there is truth and there is God. Reality exists. Worldly people live like crazy people when they choose to deny God and His truth. Sooner or later, people who live like that will realize their craziness. God himself will make that clear to them. But in the mean time He may allow them to continue in their craziness. God himself would want them to know the truth, if they are willing. But sadly those who are foolish, and worldly, are not interested in knowing the truth.
However, there is a greater danger. The greater danger is when those who already know the truth (Christians) live as if they don’t know or have not encountered the truth. Those who live like that are like crazy people. They are crazy Christians. How do crazy Christians live?
B. Teaching outline (body):
First of all, they love themselves and the world, rather than God and others (vv.1-5). They may appear religious or spiritual on the outside, but their fruit reveals who they really are. They are crazy people. Their priorities are all about things, accomplishments, tasks, careers, possessions, etc. They have no love for God or for others. Instead they just love themselves. They invest their energies on the things that will not fully satisfy. Only love and relationships can fill the soul, but in their craziness they reject true love — for God and for others. Second, they influence others who are like them, thus multiplying themselves in the process (vv.6-9). They use people rather than love them. In other words, they are not content to being crazy by themselves. They want others to become crazy just like them, especially those who do not know true love also. So they deceive them. The result is a multiplication of craziness, even in the body of Christ.
C. Touchdown (conclusion)
Those who already know the truth but live their lives as if they have not are like crazy people. Christians who live like worldly people are like crazy people. It’s a sad state of affairs. Christians must be careful not to live like crazy people. We have already come to know the truth, and we must live according to it. God has already set us free from false love. Let true love reign in our hearts. Let our lives bear fruit in accordance with the truth that is in Christ Jesus. Let us live loving God and others, rather than loving the things of this world or even ourselves only.
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