God’s Way
Gtcotr/ws081005
Key Scripture: Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, "Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. (NLT)
2 Timothy 3 (NLT)
1 ¶ You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.
2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good.
4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.
6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by many desires.
7 Such women are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth.
8 And these teachers fight the truth just as Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.
9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as happened with Jannes and Jambres.
10 ¶ But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how long I have suffered. You know my love and my patient endurance.
11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord delivered me from all of it.
12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived.
14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.
17 It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.
I. We Are Living In The Last Days
A. People are in love with themselves and their money
B. Children disobey parents
C. People in general are ungrateful
D. Nothing is considered sacred or holy
E. Un-forgiveness rules people’s lives
F. Many have no self-control
G. People seem to love and seek pleasure more than seeking God
H. We no longer depend on our religious leaders to be Godly and Holy people.
II. These are the people we are supposed to stay away from - and certainly not become!
A. People who manipulate others to fulfill their own desires
B. Those who forever follow new teachings but never learn truth
C. Ones who fight against the simple wisdom of God’s word
D. Fools! They are …
III. There Is A Distinct Difference Between A Real Disciple of Christ & An Imposter
A. True disciples are not always supported by the masses but are often pressured to compromise & quit holding to their strict standards
1. Standards of ethics
2. Standards of values
3. Standards of morals
4. Standards of Godliness
B. While Imposters seem to receive support, and they increase
1. This encourages them to continue the deception
2. They fool others and eventually even fool themselves
One of the most dangerous things about deception is that it is so deceptive.
If you were truly deceived, would you know it?
There must of necessity be a standard we all adhere to.
The standard is known as God’s Way!
IV. What Can We Do? (beginning in verse 14)
A. We must Remain faithful to the scriptures
1. Knowing they are true
2. Trusting those who taught them to you
B. The Scriptures give us wisdom to receive salvation
C. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful:
1. To teach us what is true
2. To make us realize what is wrong in our lives
3. To straighten us out
4. To teach us to do what is right
V. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way.
1. To fully equip us
2. To do what God wants us to do.
VI. Now For The Rest Of The Story
A. Talking about imposters - religious people who seem spiritual but are living substandard Christian lives - perhaps they are:
1. Immoral
2. Unethical
3. Ungrateful
4. Unholy
5. Those who love themselves and their money more than God
6. Seeking only the pleasures this life can give them
7. Perhaps they are out of control
B. What is their real problem?
2 Timothy 3:5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly … (NLT)
The King James Version puts it this way:
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof …
C. These are people who fall into a trap of acting religious, acting spiritual and having the appearance of being Godly, but actually they reject the power of God, denying, not accepting into their lives that power which would actually make them Godly. What power is this?
D. The power which comes only from one source - God’s power:
* The Word of God!
> John 1:3 & Colossians 1:16 & Hebrews 1:3
VII. It Is The Word - (John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word … )
A. The Word of God as revealed in The Holy Bible - Each and Every Scripture contained therein is:
1. Inspired by God
2. Profitable to teach us what is true
3. Makes us realize what is wrong in our lives
4. Straightens us out
5. Teaches us to do what is right
B. This Is God’s Way
Don’t be deceived … learn, trust in and accept God’s Word as truth.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, "Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. (NLT)
It really is that simple! It’s just God’s way.
