Confusion in the last days

 1 Timothy 6:2-10; BCBC/IOUC; 2/20/2022; Rev. Paul Wang

  Introduction

The present age is evil, the signs of the last days appear,  and the day of the Lord’s return is drawing near.  As the church, the body of Jesus Christ, how should we prepare for the confusion brought about by the last days?  Let’s look at the first point

  Forsake the faith

One of the characteristics of the last days is that there are voices that turn people away from the truth, right?  Maybe we just heard the sermon today, and when we got home, someone said bad things about Jesus and the gossip of the church.  First, beware of pagan heresies.   If we are still ignorant of heresy today, then you are already in danger.   This is the reason why I invited Pastor Lo to preach in my first sermon this year.  Today’s heresy is invisible and difficult to identify.  But paganism is obvious and easy to identify, right?  The influence of paganism in recent years cannot be ignored either.  In fact, apart from heresy and paganism,   some extremes may bring even more harm.  When brothers and sisters face these three types of eschatological phenomena, it is easy for them to become confused, and even drift with the trend    and become weak and stumble.  So what should I do?

Second, hold on to pure faith.  Paul’s teaching was to “obey the pure words and doctrines of godliness” of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In fact, the church has been doing it all the time, and it is still doing it today.  The book of Acts records that when Jesus ascended into heaven, the angel told the disciples that the Lord would return like this.  Therefore, giving an account to the Lord has become the top priority of the disciples!  Among them,  upholding the pure truth is the key point, right?  When the Lord returns, will what we believe still be the truth entrusted by the Lord back then?  Since the establishment of the biblical canon at the First Council of Nicaea,  the church has been wary of heresy.   The difficulty in upholding pure faith so far is that there are always suave, eloquent gentlemen who say some plausible “biblical principles”.  In fact, the Bible does not say that they are designed to confuse the people of God.

Finally, an attitude of obedience and godliness.  The LORD is more pleased with the obedience of men than with the sacrifice of rams.   However, the first motive for human sin is disobedience.  God has said that,  if people listen and obey, there will be no sin and rebellion.  We are the same,  everything likes to go with the feeling.  If it feels good, obedience is not a big problem; if it feels wrong, obedience will be gone.  What’s missing here is godliness,  our attitude.  Attitude determines altitude, do you agree?  Behind the attitude are values, that is, godliness, that is, having a heart of reverence for God.  Contrasted with awe is our old selves.   Including our past experiences, beliefs, prejudices, and obsessions,  will affect our obedience and godliness.    Let’s look at the second point:

 Greedy for world

This is the most incomprehensible point for me.   Since one has already chosen the way of heaven and the cross,  why should he still be greedy for the world and money?   There is an old friend of a friend who is the mission director in the mission field and is in charge of the money sent by the missionary organization.  He was supposed to be a faithful steward.  However, the greed in the heart took power and became the scorched “black wood” drawn from the fire.  First of all, the results of life come from the heart.  When a person is born,  he fights with his own heart.  Competing for favor,  food, love, profit,  fame, glory, etc.,  right?   Since Adam chose Satan’s vision, his mental skills have been broken.  When the mental skills are broken,  the truth originally in the heart can no longer be held.   Paul said that when a man’s mind is broken,   “Result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions.”  During the Cultural Revolution,  I was only an eight-year-old child.   I was quite young, but the bad habits of the Cultural Revolution have naturally poured into my life.  Such as “Conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words. “  These are probably the standard of life for those of us who have gone through the Cultural Revolution!   In fact, I feel that what we were fighting for and coveting is just for winning!  It seems that we want to win everything, and we will do anything to win.  If we don’t win, our life is worthless!

Second, contentment is a great gain.  In fact, there are not many needs in life,   and the real food and drink expenses are not difficult to meet.  Paul said:  “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”   But are you content?   To be content means to let go of greed.  Can housing be less luxurious?  Can driving be just a means of transportation?  Can it be the principle of simplicity when buying purses and clothings?  Can you be grateful for everything?  We didn’t bring anything into the world, and we can’t take anything away.   In fact, our daily food and beverages are all given by God and are God’s grace.  Why do we only want grace,  but do not ask the God of grace?  Uncertain money, is it reliable? Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and righteousness, and one day’s troubles are enough, and don’t worry about tomorrow.   These are the mysteries of contentment.

Finally, greed is the root of all evil.   There is a secret that I don’t want you to be ignorant of, that is, money and wealth are all given by God.  Believe it or not, those who aim to get rich will end up being eaten by money.  Even if we are doing business, making a fortune is not the goal.  People of God do business,  and making money is just a means of business,   but the purpose is to glorify God and benefit people and do the right thing in the business.  As long as you want to get rich, you will be controlled by money.  “Fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”   Anyone who lives for the purpose of making a fortune will have a miserable ending!  Especially those who do whatever they can to make the first pot of gold, stealing and cheating, and doing everything they can.  His sin of covetousness will affect three or four generations.  Let’s look at the third point:

 Not truly believe

The saddest thing in life is that people come to the church, pray their prayers to accept Christ,  and get baptized,  but in the end they don’t really believe in Jesus Christ.  Do you agree?   First, use God.  What do people do when they come to the church, to the house of God?  Sing praise?   It feels beautiful, right?  It’s beautiful to listen to without singing, right?   Listening to the pastor’s sermons and listening to the answers and sharing of Sunday school questions is also a high-quality “feast” of emotion, reason and spirit.  Do you agree?  People in the church are relatively honest,  and whether they are doing things or doing business, they are all “the way to gain”.  When a child goes to college,  he may also need a letter of recommendation from the pastor, and so on, which benefits a lot.  However, many “benefits” have been obtained, but not being serious to God, isn’t it a pity?

Second, self-deceiving.  When people fall into the trap of “deceiving oneself”,  they have already entered the point where it is difficult to extricate themselves!  All you have to do is lust for money, and sorrow will entangle you in the swamp.  Knowing that you are making a mistake,  but not repenting, is deceiving yourself. Paul said: “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. (Galatians 6:3) ”   The Lord is coming back soon,   and you are still wasting your time:  not reading the Bible, not praying, not preaching the gospel, not witnessing,  not meeting regularly, not tithing, not loving one another, not forgiving others, not participating in discipleship!

Finally, indulge in ignorance.   Even so,  I am reluctant to come to a conclusion,  or even to judge whether you are saved or not.  But there’s one thing I don’t want you to not know,   and that is ignorance,  which is sin in the eyes of God.   Man’s arrogance expresses his lack of security, and he needs to put up an empty shelf to strengthen his courage.  It is because of ignorance that people have the motivation to attack people.  A person who does not like to read will enrich himself by arguing.   Find a few words from it to fill your ignorance.  Once people know their ignorance,  there may still be hope.  As long as you learn, you can still learn.  The main concern is the addiction caused by idleness.  Addiction is letting one’s eyes stare down to the point of depravity.

 Conclusion

The confusion of the last days, all because of confusion entered the last days.  The Bible says that in the last days, some people will forsake the truth,   and false Christs and antichrists will appear to deceive the people of God.   Adams, who were greedy from the beginning,  will continue to love the world!   False believers who match false Christs will also come into the world.  However, all who belong to the Lord will be kept by the Lord!  Jesus said, My Father is greater than all,  and the Father will preserve those who belong to him.

Let us pray……

1 Timothy 6:2-10

2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.