Well, if you have your Bibles, please meet me in the second
letter to Timothy written by the Apostle Paul.
In chapter two, excuse me, chapter 3 and we will read from
verse 1 again. second Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 1,
the word of God reads but understand this That in the last
days, there will come times of difficulty for people.
Will be lovers of self. Lovers of money proud, arrogant,
abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful, Unholy
heartless, unappeasable slanderous without self-control
brutal. Not loving good treacherous.
Reckless swollen with Seat lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God having the appearance of godliness.
But denying its power avoid such people Lord, we come before your
word. And we ask, oh, God, because we
confess our weakness. Lord, we do not want this to be
a dead Service. As one man said, how can we have
a Debt Service with the living Christ?
We ask. Oh God, that your power would
radiate in this place that your wisdom would be known that.
As we hear the word of God, as we hear these verses, we will be
like those officers who were sent Arrest Jesus.
And they came back saying no one has ever spoken.
Like this, man, we want to be exposed to that same wisdom and
power. We asked, oh, Lord, that your
people that we would be astounded by your truth and not
just so God, emotionally or intellectually pray that you
would cause us to obey this word, to apply it to our lives.
And so Lord, in this moment, may the spirit of wisdom and
revelation. Ation rest upon the ministry of
the word. We confess or God that apart
from your holy spirit's help up apart from the work of opening
our minds and burning in our hearts.
This meeting will be futile. And so, have your way in exalt,
the name of your son in our midst.
And Jesus name, we pray and ask these things because we hunger
for righteousness. Amen.
And amen. Amen.
As you are aware last week, we began a new section in the book
of 2nd Timothy that introduced us into the theme of the last
days and more specifically Paul writes about how as we approach
the Glorious and triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We will first be met by an amplification and escalation of
ungodly Behavior. Inspired by the spirit of God.
The Apostle begins to go into this list of specific sinful
characteristics, that will pollute the general population.
And we learned that such conduct the things that we just read is
mainly energized by the emerging, false teachers, and
false doctrines that will only get worse and only magnify as
well as a greater resistance to the gospel and to the truth on a
wider level. And this text, those few verses
that we read provide the necessary warning for the
difficulties that will come as we as we advance in gospel work
and we really want to see Souls come to Christ, Paul's very
realistic and the Holy Spirit is very realistic and he wants to
let his people know. You will have great difficulty.
There will be times of great difficulty, not that the gospel
is ineffective. Not that people will not be
saved but it has been set. It has been declared that it's
only going to get worse before it gets any better.
But it's also the motivation. The motivation that Timothy
would get from this to be all the more passionate about
declaring the truth as Society chooses to spiral into greater
depravity and darkness. This is not to be hopeless, it's
to charge the church to be more hopeful and more faithful to the
word of the Lord to stand your ground.
Let the world fall, let the world stumble but you Timothy
and you Christians who are living in the generation and the
generations to come. That will lead to the second
coming of Christ. Stand your ground.
And our goal with these verses last week was to take take the
time to skip over each of these different traits and get an idea
of what is coming, what is already here?
And what's only going to get worse, but we didn't get very
far, did we know we stayed at the first point we stayed at the
first attribute, which was for people will be lovers of self.
And the reason why we stayed there, and the reason why Paul
presents it first, it's because it is the primary cause it is
the heart that pumps the life into every other sinful thing
that is listed here. It is.
The life Giver. It is the Energizer of all these
sinful attributes and even more Which gives us a great Insight
that if you and I want to see greater Holiness, if we want to
deal with maybe some of the things that we are tempted to
fall into, then we must by the power of the Holy Spirit, cut
off the lifeline, which is self-love deal with that, and
you will deal with many other things kill that and you will
put the death, many other things that choose and decide and want
to put you to death. And that's why Jesus Christ your
Lord. I hope your master.
I hope has made it the primary condition for his discipleship
program that you and I should deny ourselves.
Deny yourself, don't love yourself.
Don't praise yourself. Don't make you this Center the
moment you do. That is the moment all these
other vices will become a reality in your life but denying
yourself brings Fort. A fruit brings Fort many fruits
of great Holiness and righteousness that will bless
others and bless you. But after talking about being
lovers of self, he immediately meets it with what we read here.
That in the last days, the quality of mankind will be
lovers of money. They will love money and this is
a much more dangerous in that most of us might estimate.
It's a much more crucial thing to understand because yes we've
always known that. There has been a love of money
since the beginning of the world.
But more importantly, we have to understand that in the latter
times, there will be a level of consuming passion for material
gain. Like we have never seen before.
We might think that the worst that can come from loving money
is that you become. So ambitious and life that you
neglect your spiritual disciplines and you're not as as
frequently attending your church because you want to make the
extra shift, whatever the case may be.
Honestly, that's what Christians believe the most dangerous thing
about loving money is is that you don't show up to church and
you neglect your time in the morning and you just become so
motivated for for gain that you just walk away from.
Basic Christian. Disciplines I'm telling you this
afternoon, that it is much more disturbing than that.
Because you know the verse not in 2nd Timothy but in 1st
Timothy 6:10 For the Love of Money is a root of all kinds of
evil. Never mind.
You just being lazier with your spiritual disciplines.
It is a root of all kinds of evil.
So what's the equation in light of understanding the last days?
Here's the equation. Paul says, that, in latter
times, there will be a greater love for money and there will be
more lovers of money and because of that, then the result will be
according to First Timothy 6:10 that there will be greater evil.
There will be more evil, all kinds of evil, creative types of
evil for one, sole purpose because it is the manifestation
of loving gain. The scriptures testify this in a
book, the book that most describes what the last days
will look like. In the Book of Revelation,
consider these verses turn with me to Revelation chapter 18.
Which describes the response as you're turning there, the
response of the inhabitants of the Earth.
Once they witness God, judging the Antichrist economic Empire.
Most of this chapter deals with the response of the merchants of
the world, who will witness the Fatal hit.
That the economic system that this world will know during the
tribulation will take. Because as we know that in the
final years before Christ returns, there will be a one
world political system, a one world economic system that will
be led by political figure who is labeled in our Bibles as the
man of lawlessness. And this man will be an agent of
Satan, that will introduce a deception.
Unlike the world has ever experienced.
And with this, widespread deception will come at false
peace. There will be a false
tranquility and they're also be great Prosperity.
There will be a flourishing commercialization that will
bring much luxury into that time and much gained for many people.
But God will judge him and God will judge his work and his
kingdom at some point. And I want you to see in
Revelation, 18 how again, the merchants will respond to the
Swift. Wrath of the Lord, specifically,
on the economic headquarters of the Antichrist during the
tribulation period. Verse 11 of chapter 18.
And the merchants of the earth, weep and mourn for her since no
one buys their cargo anymore cargo of gold.
Silver. Jewels pearls fine, linen,
purple, cloth, silk Scarlet, cloth, all kinds of scented
would all kinds of Articles of ivory, all, kinds of Articles of
Frankincense, rather costly would bronze iron and marble
cinnamon spice incense myrrh. Frank Is wine oil, fine, flour
wheat, cattle and sheep horses, and chariots and slaves.
That is human Souls. Notice that when God judges
Babylon, which is some say, it's a literal Place.
Some states as symbolic term to describe again the headquarters
of the Antichrist economic and political agenda.
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her.
That's disturbing. You know, why?
It's disturbing read the book of Revelation.
And if you read the book of Revelation, you will see very
quickly that there is little weeping and mourning from
Sinners on the earth, concerning their sin.
You don't see this kind of reaction when it when it deals
with God trying to get the the world's attention by
Supernatural shakings and plagues and pestilences.
Oh no. If anything read Revelation, 16,
you will see that the people will all the more Curse God as
they are objects of discipline. When God begins to move
supernaturally in a way that is so obvious that it is a
Transcendent being that is doing these things and they will still
bite their tongues. And curse God. what all when
their financial gain was damaged, When their sales, when
their trade was destroyed, they wept.
They were broken. They were dismayed, they were
shattered. And I read that and I thought
surely this is an example of how man proves that they are under
the lordship of Mammon instead of the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Surely, this is an illustration of how people love money.
And there are more concern. According to this verse about
the lostness of their gain rather than the lostness of
their souls. Do you want to know how you love
money this afternoon? Let me give you a hint.
You're more concerned about your financial condition, then your
spiritual condition. You're more concerned.
If you've lost money, then if you've lost your testimony,
you're more concerned. If you've lost something, then
if you've lost your prayer life, you're more concerned that if
you didn't get the newest, instead of growing in the
presence of God, Here we see these people broken over the
fact that they, they had so much going for them and it was all
taken away at a moment. What a testimony of the
fickleness of your finances. There is a very, very fine line
between us owning stuff and stuff owning us.
And Paul said, in that famous verse about the Love of Money.
How it is. A root of all kinds of evil in
the ESV. He goes on to say for it is
through this craving that some have wandered from the faith.
We got to read our Bibles slowly, he didn't say it is
through the gaining, just the craving of it.
Just the appetite alone has the ability to pull you away from
your faith, never mind, having the stuff, just wanting it and
dreaming about it, and wishing it, and going into debt for it.
Just the craving has the ability to persuade you away from what
truly matters, and that is your personal walk with the Lord
Jesus Christ. There's a very fine line, think
about it. As we look at this, notice, the
reaction between these Merchants concerning, the loss of their
possessions. And a man, like job When
everything was stripped away from him, because God allowed
Satan to have a hand on his stuff, on his farm, on his land,
on his cat, on his own children. Notice the difference of
reaction? Oh, he wept.
Oh, he was broken but he worshipped He worshipped, why?
Because he had stuff, but stuff didn't have him.
These people, they wept. Why?
Because all they had was stuff and that was taken from them.
There's a very fine line between us owning money and money owning
us. And it's very unpopular teaching
to talk about the love of money. And I'll tell you, this is
because many preachers Love Money themselves.
Many people are in Ministry just for the sake of financial gain.
I fear for you preacher and how you will stand before God
because you have all along served Mammon instead of the man
Jesus Christ. But secondly, the you hear the
list there and did you notice that a majority of the materials
that were mentioned? Describe luxury, over a
necessity? Look at the list again.
What is this cargo of? Gold pearls fine.
Linen, purple, cloth, silk, this is talking about extravagance.
This is talking about about stuff that you add on to what is
necessary. And it is true that the sadness
here stems from their sales and their trade, taking a blow.
And the merchants not being able to make more as a result of what
God had done, but consider how strange this is.
This is during the tribulation period, this is during a time
where the world will know unusual, manifestations of God's
Wrath. Up to that point we really are
just experiencing God's passive wrath where he lets people and
Nations dive into their sin. But when the tribulation period
comes, it will be very much God's Act of Wrath on display.
And so you're going to see catastrophic things millions of
people dying animal. All these things just just
turning to Ash. And yet you look at this in
Revelation, 18 and what do you see a people who are still
concerned about the newest and the Latest.
Look at how the grip of the Love of Money can a can so get you
that it can distract you from the very thing around you.
That is signaling the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Then in Jesus talked about the last days being like that, they
will marry given to marriage. They will drink, they will eat.
They will buy, they will sell in the last days, the days of Noah,
the days of lot. We think that when the
tribulation period comes, were all going to be in Bunker's
know, there's going to be people here that are going to be very
much busy, with their work, and growing, and stocks, and real
estate and jewelry and fashion and furniture.
Not knowing that you were at the threshold of the return of Jesus
Christ. Materialism has such a powerful
convincing power over people that it can even keep the
devotion of men and the final hours of History.
But did you notice the last thing that was mentioned on this
list? the last thing on this list that
these Merchants are so disturbed about slaves, That is human
Souls. The word slaves in the original
simply means bodies. The bodies of men and in other
word, for word translations, like the nasb, the new King
James, the King James, they would they would say slaves and
human Souls /, human lives. What does that mean?
The spirit of God is showing us that the love of money will be
so great in the last days that people will become objects for
sale. That people, their bodies will
actually be Commodities. Not the service of people not,
not slave labor. No people People will actually
be given a people actually be on the same list as cattle and
chariots. Because we were being told by
this that the love of money will be so great, that the desire
Financial game will be so intense that humans themselves
will be for sale. We're already seeing that today.
We're seeing though, you do not see it.
So obviously, it's happening. It's even happening this
afternoon where little girls are being kidnapped by vicious man
and being sold into sex trafficking.
All that. That seems so vile and
Despicable, right? Well, pornography makes an
annual revenue of twelve billion dollars.
And guess what the commodity is a pornography?
Humans. Their bodies.
You don't think we're living in the last days.
Or what about the services that are given under the guise of
healthcare. When in reality, there is
genocide happening in the wombs of mothers on a daily basis.
And even some of those body parts that are extracted, are
are sold and used for research when I living in the last days,
huh? Are you waiting for a volcanoes
to erupt and waiting for tsunami?
Don't come. But Paul says here.
There's going to be lovers of money. and notice on that list
in Revelation 18 where the human Souls were, they listed Last.
Last there. Last on the list.
To say that man will cherish in a steam material Goods over the
sanctity of human life. In the last days, there will be
lovers of money. We're in the last days we're
seeing it and it's only going to get worse, brothers and sisters.
But we come back to our main text.
And after telling us that for people will be lovers of self
lovers of money, Paul moves on to say that they will be proud
and arrogant. Again, the ESV is unique here
because another word for word translations, the word proud is
replaced with the word boastful, boastful, and the original
Greek, the word as eyelids own actually meaning empty
Pretender. So I believe that the best fit
for that is actually boastful because the original says empty
Pretender and it helps make a distinction when you have
boastful there instead of proud because the neighboring word is
arrogant and being boastful and arrogant they overlap but
they're not the same thing. But Paul says in the last days
there will be empty Pretenders and this is to speak about how
men will exaggerate their own greatness.
Speaks about one who boast about their accomplishments, their
knowledge, their abilities, their experiences, by stretching
the truth or even making claims that have no basis in reality.
It highlights the attitude of someone who comes off and wants
to make sure everybody knows that they are superior.
Or they're the most significant one in the room.
And it is essentially the verbal manifestation of self-love.
So in the last days, there are going to be people who are going
to give the impression that they are something or someone when
reality, they are something else.
And let me give you a very innocent example.
You got people today that edit themselves to the point where
they are different online than they are in person.
It's a cultural thing. It's normal to us.
It's like it seems fine, but I think it speaks of what Paul is
talking about here. Even on a physical level.
We want to show people that don't know, us in reality and
people are making tons of money on this through Instagram and
other things. And they have so skewed
themselves that they are pretending.
To look like somebody to have perfect skin to have the perfect
shape and to be perfectly symmetrical.
You, what is that? Is that just?
It's fun. No, it says something in the
last days, this is going to become very known, very common.
And it's going to be widespread. Arrogant as well boastful and
arrogance again. They overlap but they're not
necessarily the same thing because you can be arrogant and
not be boastful you can be arrogant and not necessarily
trumpet it. It's not as vocal.
It's something that manifests in different ways, but it primarily
plagues the heart and it's a, it's a convincing of yourself
that you Harbor. And that is you are greater than
everybody else. Just about everybody else and
the eyes of the inner man. They look at others with
contempt. And although they don't demand
the praise of others, there is an internal worship service
happening continually in the internals parts of who they are.
The Arrogant eventually cannot hide their arrogance. when you
esteem yourself above others as preeminent, in value and worth,
It will, it will make itself known.
Sometimes it's known through actions other times.
It verbal vomit, it just slips out in the right time.
And there's some kind of comment that is made.
Because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,
this is the channel in which the heart is revealed.
And sometimes as proverb says, all it takes.
Is a look that can speak much louder than words.
Why am I saying all this? Because in the last days,
humility will be a rarity. In the last days, a humble
spirit. Will not be as common as
boastfulness and arrogance. Over history, we have lost
species of animals and in like manner as we advance from
generation to generation. Humility will become nearly
extinct. The Bible speaks about this sin.
And great, great warning and James 4:6.
We are told. God does what Tommy?
He resists or he opposes the proud.
Guess what's so fascinating about that?
Verse? James is talking to Christians,
ain't talking to non-believers and he's not teaching about the
pride of those who have not submitted to the righteousness
of God in Christ Jesus, he's actually talking to Christians
and if we don't believe that, then Peter borrows the same
language. When he tells Christians, clothe
yourselves, in humility toward one another.
And then he says, for God, opposes the proud, but he gives
grace to the humble. What's amazing about that word
resist or opposes? Is that it actually means to
range in battle against. You know what that means.
It's a military term. So let me translate it and
simple language, God. We'll go to war against the
proud. Unless somebody knows I can't
find of any other kind of sin that God speaks in such manner,
he will set up the battle ranks, he will declare war against
those who have harbored arrogance.
You know why? That's concerning to me?
I don't know about you. I have enough things fighting
against me. Hey, I have this flesh to deal
with I got the world to deal with.
And I got the devil to deal with and so do you and the hordes of
demons? They oppose me daily and I'm
sure they oppose you too. But according to this verse, if
I want to add one more, all I have to do is be unrepented in
my pride and, and I have God to deal with and guess what if God
is on our side, it doesn't matter who stands against us,
the flesh, the devil All the hordes of hell if God is for me.
None of these things can overcome me. but if God is
against me, It is a matter who I have on my side. this is a
matter of I have the entire world standing behind me with
their hands on my back, as Paul said, rhetorically to the
Corinthians, are we stronger than he So you can only imagine
the war is that the Lord will have with people in the last
days. As there will be a greater
military of the boastful in the arrogant.
And let's be very Vigilant here believer.
Let's be very, very Discerning concerning.
Spiritual warfare. If pride is the very thing that
invites God's Army against me. One of Satan's greatest
strategies against the Christian what the temptin to be proud.
Consider that. One of Satan's greatest
strategies is to allow the heart to become puffed up.
And this is how clever he is because when we allow that Pride
to be planted, a nourished and mature, and the enemy knows,
never mind, I don't have to deal with them.
God will deal with them. When Jesus Christ returns to
this world. To this Pride, pumped Pride,
filled world, I want you to see how he's going to deal with this
sin. It's quite amazing because one
of the prophets, the Minor Prophets and their minds are not
because they're less significant than Isaiah, Jeremiah and
Ezekiel just because their prophecies are a little shorter.
One of the Minor Prophets, pulls the curtain back and give us a
little peek into the millennial reign of Jesus when he
physically Returns on the Earth. And I want you to turn to that
book called Zephaniah with me in chapter 3.
And I want you to see how the Lord Jesus Christ will
specifically handle the people of Israel.
And those who are proud and arrogant in the midst.
I'll give you some time to find Zephaniah.
It's not a very popular book. Zephaniah, chapter 3.
And once we hear the rustling of the leaves, calm down will
expound. Zephaniah chapter 3 again.
This is a prophecy about the world to come.
Not heaven. This is why we believe in the
literal reign of Christ because you have a lot of prophetic
words to deal with Because they haven't happened yet and if
we're just waiting for heaven and we have a lot of wasted real
estate in the Bible. Is that when I Chapter 3
beginning in verse 11 on that day, you shall not be put to
shame. Because of the Deeds by which
you have rebelled against me. Now, look what happens for then.
On that day Christ returns and becomes king.
I will remove from your midst, your proudly, exultant ones and
you shall no longer be haughty in my Holy Mountain.
Think about this when the Lord Jesus Christ, pierces, through
the skies, and with those Pierce feet lands on the Mount of
Olives, one of the top priorities that Christ will come
to accomplish is to cleanse the world from Pride.
Is to wash the hearts of those who try to be in close proximity
to his Dwelling Place from haughtiness because those who
have haughtiness harbored in their hearts cannot be close to
his Earthly Throne, he will not tolerate it.
As he comes as the Messiah, he will deal with this Pride.
That will be so common. Can you imagine a world will
Pride will be suffocated? It's hard to imagine, you know,
why? It's hard to imagine because we
live in a culture today, that celebrates Pride as confidence.
And a strength. But our King is Meek.
And he is humble gentle lowly in heart, and he will demand from
the citizens of the world to reflect his character.
And so when Jesus first came into the world, he said, learn
from me for, I am gentle and lowly in heart, but when he
comes again, he's not going to say learn from.
He's going to make you be humble.
Because when we stand before the superiority of his glory, the
moral Majesty, the radiating righteousness, the power of his
wisdom. Pride will have a very difficult
time surviving under his Rule and reign.
And I look at this, and I get excited because if what will
characterize the last days is that there will be the proud and
the Arrogant, what do you think? Will characterize the
inhabitants of the earth? When Jesus comes look at verse
12. But I will leave in your midst
of people, humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the
name of the Lord, because that's one of the evidences that you
are humble, and lowly. You are dependent on the Lord.
You hide in the Lord, you seek wisdom from the Lord, your
protection is the Lord. Your provision is not your bank
account, it's the Lord, the humble, and lonely.
That's who I'm going to leave in the midst.
I'm going to come and clean up all the junk.
That the human heart has created and that the Antichrist has
encouraged and I will leave in your midst, the humble and
lowly. I'm excited.
Come Lord, Jesus. But I'm not just excited because
this is a glorious window into that time.
I'm excited because it holds application power for today.
Well, what do I mean by that? Well, ask this if Jesus is going
to deal with the pride in the world, by becoming the ruler of
the Earth. The righteous King of the
Nations. Then what is the solution for
the arrogance? That might so live comfortably
in my heart, the pride of my heart, the heartiness, the snob
Enos of my heart, the same solution for the world.
When he comes, Jesus Christ must sit on the throne of my will.
If Jesus Christ sitting on the throne on Mount, Zion will deal
with the pride and the world. And Jesus Christ sitting on the
throne of my heart will deal with the arrogance that will try
to live so comfortably Within Me.
In other words, as you submit to him as we seek him as we crown
him as Lord and Master every single day, trust that he will
be faithful to remove the pride from the midst of us.
And to, instead replace it with a humility that reflects his
character. the more I behold, the example of Christ, the more
I pray for the reality of Christ of my soul, The More, I Seek to
imitate Christ, the less pride has the power to have its way in
me, The solution to the pride in this world will be when the
Prince of Peace comes. To eliminate it with his power.
And the only Power for Pride to die in my heart, is if Christ
becomes the king of it, we should be very careful of
praying things as a church, really because when we pray,
Lord lead this ministry. Lord have your way in our midst.
Lord be the center of attention and have all things unto your
glory. You know what?
He might do as a response. Remove the pride.
From the midst, remove the exalted ones, remove the ones
that are a part of the ministry to have it for their selves and
their own name and their own reputation, be careful.
The same way, he will cleanse the earth when he becomes king
of Christ is King of Maranatha Bible Church Christ will cleanse
this place. From Pride from those who will
not allow him to cleanse their hearts first.
And we come back to our text and second Timothy And we read.
We're making progress. We didn't stay on one.
For people will be lovers of self.
Lovers of money, proud, arrogant, and then interesting
enough in the ESV. We are told that people will
become abusive. Abusive, that is an interesting
translation of the original word, which is in the Greek
Blasphemous sound familiar. It's where we get the word
blasphemous. And that word is so pregnant.
With application, it speaks of to speak evil against to revile
against To ridicule to slander and even to be abusive.
And most people have limited the sin of blasphemy as being
something that we can only do against God.
No, we can be Blasphemous against one another.
And that's why I believe that. Yes we chose the word abusive to
widen the application of the original word to not make people
think that it's something that people only do against God, know
they will, they will do it against others.
Paul by the spirit, listen to this foretells that there will
be a heightened level of insults.
Of disrespect of vulgarity of cursing Of Dishonor and
reviling, that will be the common language of the folk.
And even though such words, carry the force to cut to wound
to destroy, even defile the imagination of those who are in
the presence of blasphemy, it will be so prevalent.
It'll be so normal. And you know that we're living
in that day, whatever Direction you turn into your eyes, will
see your ears will hear a blasphemy.
It's in our entertainment. If we can call it that, It's in
the music. It's in the conversation.
On the commute. It's in the conversation at
work. It's so prevalent and I wonder
if Paul had a chance to make a weekend, visit to America and
then head back to heaven on Sunday evening.
He would make the observation. This is the blasphemy that I
told Timothy about 2,000 years ago.
This is it, I'm sure he would come to that conclusion and we
can spend the rest of the remaining time pointing to how
it's real here, how it's real. There you're fully aware of it.
But again, remember this point that when we started this
section and Timothy, we don't want to just study the evil
behavior that will mature, the wickedness that will grow in our
generation and the future Generations.
If God does not tarry, we want to make an ambition that if this
world is only going to get darker than let the light of
Christ shine brighter. Let's match the wickedness with
righteousness. If the world is going to succumb
to the power of the evil one, and allow the flesh to dominate,
Then we met, we submit to the power of the spirit and still
remain the salt of the earth. And so I'm reading this and I'm
thinking, okay, yeah, abuse abuse with the language abusive
with slander and reviling, and cursing.
I mean, you got Christians today who are calculated with their
cursing because you want to be cool or not.
Cool, your amateur, your marring, your testimony, I can't
help but think about how every ugly Dimension, that Paul lists.
Your Christ is the exact opposite.
He is the exact polar opposite. And when I saw this, that people
are going to use their tongue to be abusive, the my mind rushed
to well, how did Jesus use his tongue?
Because he's our example. And if the world is going to
intensify in this, then Lord, let Christ be real.
Even with this mouthpiece and I couldn't help.
My mind, went to that Prophecy of the suffering.
Servant in Isaiah, chapter 50, would you meet me there?
It's so precise about one of the elements of the Messiah who will
come into this world and it doesn't deal with his healing
power though. That is wonderful, doesn't deal
with his miraculous abilities. It doesn't deal with doesn't
necessarily deal with his power. For preaching.
Though it is included in that. Look at what this is about.
Jesus this is what Isaiah foretold about Christ your lord,
your savior, our master and Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4.
We read the Lord, God has given me The tongue of those who are
taught. That I may know how to sustain
with a word. Him who is weary morning by
morning. He awakens, he awakens my ear to
hear as those who are taught You know, that verse, I'm sure
you're convinced can be a whole sermon series.
What does it say about Jesus? As this is one of the suffering
songs of the Messiah. We are told here that Christ
says, the Lord, God has given me all.
Look at the humility. Look at the servanthood.
Look at the dependency of Christ in the flesh.
The Lord God Yahweh has given me and I received something from
him. what is it that he is received from God the tongue of
those who are taught or learned, And as I said earlier, in prayer
that tongue was so impressive. So powerful so captivating it
dripped with the honey of God's word it dripped with piercing
power convicting strength, comforting Grace.
That even when the Pharisees sent those officers to arrest
and they came back Spellbound like where is he?
The like we've never heard anybody spoke like him.
We've never heard anybody other words.
Like he uttered. But this prophecy doesn't deal
with the the wisdom that confounds the wise.
It doesn't deal with necessarily the scriptures that Jesus pulled
out of the Bible though. It includes that the the
application the ability of Christ tongue is right here that
I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.
So all that Revelation, all that knowledge that he had received
from God as he grew up. The scripture tells us in wisdom
and stature it had the ability to lift the weary head.
Can you make like, look how compassionate God is?
That one of the Prophecies of the Messiah is that when he will
use his tongue, people who are discouraged, beaten by life,
deflated will feel as strength. To move on.
That was the kind of preacher. Jesus was when you heard Jesus
preach, it provided strength. It provided life, it provided
hope. Unlike the Pharisees, when they
preached Jesus condemned them, you throw burdens on people that
you yourself are not even able to carry.
That was not Jesus. He lifted burdens when he spoke
to the alleviated, when he spoke, he healed when he spoke
people sense. A bomb to their souls.
If you're aspiring to be a preacher, imitate your master
that even in the hardest words, the hardest rebukes people will
still feel his strength. That's the spirit of Christ and
the true preacher that even if it's a rebuke, they would sense.
There we are. Hearts come to life.
But how did he achieve this? How did Jesus as yes?
Truly God. But also man, how do we achieve
this ability to sustain people with the word, unlike the abuse
that will be known in the last days?
Morning by morning, he awakens. He awakens my ear as to hear, as
those who are taught the speaks about the fellowship that Jesus
had with the father. Was it sporadic?
Morning by morning. I want you to never read those
passages in the gospels. The same way again, when you
read that Jesus often secluded himself to lonely places to
pray, or when you read in Mark, that Jesus woke up.
Even before the sun came up, you know what he was doing that
morning, he was receiving the tongue of those who are taught
He was receiving the Revelation, he needed for that day to
sustain someone else with his words.
Are we not imitators of Christ? I read this and I thought Lord,
do I do this morning by morning. Do I come to you and to your
word? Not some subjective thing.
But do I come to your word and do I come with an open ear and
do I say Lord awaken my ear that I may know how to sustain with a
word. I don't want, I want to stand
and complete opposite to the to the world who are so quick to
tear down and Destroy. They will be abusive, but Lord,
if I'm going to live in these last days, make me like you.
I want to be the person that when people hear me speak, they
are only built up. They feel that much more grace
and energy to live as a Christian.
It feel that much more joyful to be in the will of God.
And if they Veer off that my words, by your grace will bring
them back. And that can only come from one
thing brothers and sisters. If you want to have that kind of
tongue, unlike the tongue of the world that holds no wisdom, no
ability to provide strength, even modern-day psychology.
It's so silly to me when I hear these people even Christians and
I won't mention these peoples names because I believe they're
good people. But these philosophers these
modern speakers that write books about the meaning of life.
And stop, there's no power. It's just how to tidy up your
life a little bit, but it doesn't have the ability to Only
God can give him that sustain with a word.
I want to be that vessel by God's grace.
I hope you would want it to, but it can only come from one thing.
Can't come from Seminary. Can't come from degree, and
listen, those who acquire greater knowledge.
You want to know if it really came from God, when they speak,
does it give you Grace? I don't care how much knowledge
they have. You can study books and memorize
it. And you can just spew out
information, even Bible information, if it doesn't have
If it doesn't have the fruit of sustaining with a word, it's
just knowledge and God's touches in on it.
Morning by morning, he awakens. He awakens my ear to hear.
As those who are taught, can you picture it in Jesus?
As this world is going to pull away from God?
More and more. Of course, they're going to
inherit abusive tongues but as we come closer and closer God
deposits, deposits are knowledge not to impress people with
debates, not to Simply Be apologetic with our faith, but
to even provide strength to the weary heart, Look at the next
verse. In verse 5, we read something
and we'll close here. Because if we want to achieve
that yes we have to have that morning by morning fellowship.
And if you work night shift, don't be condemned.
Okay? I often tell people, people get
sober and I love that bird and brother, I can't my scheduled
this and that and I just say give God what you can give him
And like the woman who anointed his head and anointed his feet,
Jesus will defend you and say she has done what she could.
But when we come to Isaiah 50, look at verse 5, Messiah
continues, the Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not
rebellious, I turn, not backward, let's just read on to
prove that this is Christ. I gave my back to those who
strike and my cheeks, to those who pull out the beard, I hid,
not my face from disgrace and spitting.
This is Christ. But when you look at verse 5,
notice, he says the Lord, God has opened my ear.
And if we're not careful, we're not familiar with Biblical
language and phrases. We might think that it's just an
emphasis that he was very attentive and is quiet time in
the morning. No, that's not what it is.
We heard earlier that. Yes, he comes morning by
morning, he listens, he comes to the word and he was rich.
He was the word. But then we're told that the
Messiah says the Lord, God has opened my ear, and he's not
talking about made me more attentive, know the Messiah, who
would come, was alluding to what you read in, Exodus 21, some
things that most Christians would Skip and that's laws
concerning Hebrew slaves. Can I show you what this means?
Let's turn there. And these were the instructions
that were given. To the slave masters in the old
Covenant. There was rules.
And as you read these rules, you're going to quickly get the
impression that slavery in the Bible is not the same way.
We understand American slavery. Exodus 21.
Look at this. Now these are the rules and
verse one that you shall set before them.
When you buy a Hebrew slave, He Shall Serve six years.
And in the seventh he shall go out free.
For nothing. And then we come here to verse
5. So this is the rule.
If you purchase a slave, he's really like an employee.
He comes on in and after six years, no matter who he is, no
matter how close he is to you, no matter how much he's done for
you. My law is you have to let him
go. But the slave has a choice and
the fact that a slave has a choice implies that he was not
being beaten and whipped and had a iron collar around his neck.
Know look at verse 5 but if the slave plainly says, I love my
master. How can you love your master of
your slave? The way we understand slavery?
This is important. As you answer people's
questions. I love my master, my wife and my
children. I will know, I will not go out
free. If you're a slave, you're
counting down the days for that sixth year again, different
concept of slavery, as people would understand it.
And our history, I will not go out free.
Then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him
to the door or the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear
through with an awl, and he shall be his Slave forever.
So, if a man would be free after six years and in his heart and
goes, but I love my master, he has treated me so, well, I enjoy
his, his Fellowship, I enjoy his friendship.
I want to be a part of him and his family forever, then he
would turn around and he would say, I want to be your slave
forever. So then the master would take
him before God open his ear. Take a sharp instrument known as
an all and Pierce it on the doorpost as a sign of his slave
ship to him forever. Jesus says and Isaiah 50 verse
5. The Lord God has opened my ear.
what is he saying that as the servant of God, he was a slave
to God. Forever.
He was dedicated to the cause of God.
He loved his God as his master and he chose to not do his will
on the Earth, but the will of him who sent him. and because of
that, dedication ever since he was a babe, God honored him
morning by morning with a tongue of those who are learned to
empower others. That is Christ but that is an
invitation for you. And I you want to be used by God
this afternoon. You want to be set apart?
You want God to? So touch your mind and your
tongue that when you speak it Springs out life Open your ear.
I'm talking about morning devotion time.
I'm talking about the opening of the year, that Jesus described,
put your ear on the doorpost and let God pierce it.
And let him claim you forever. That is the vessel that God
uses. The one who says I'm yours.
I'm not going to be passionate about you for 6 years.
I'm not going to serve you like everybody serves you in the
beginning of my faith. When I come to know you, I'm
yours forever. The day, I die, I'm dedicated to
you. And it is those types of vessels
who will stand out in the last days.
It is those types of instruments who have dedicated their whole
life to God that God will use and that's why there are many
Christians that don't have that, you know, why?
Because they haven't given everything to him yet.
They're his there, they're his employee.
They love God, but it's like in and out, right?
It's like, No, dedicate yourself and watch what he will do in and
through you. Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we realize according to your word that we
are indeed in the last days. For we see what mankind has
become and what direction mankind is headed towards.
But Lord, we will not study this.
Merely as a subject, we longed to know what is our call in in
all of this. And we pray and we beg of you.
Oh God. That although these times will
be difficult, although there will be a greater rejection of
the gospel and a greater South love.
Make us like your son. Conform us to His Image.
Even down to the detail of how we use our words.
If the law will reject you day after day, then Lord, may we be
like the master who met with you morning by morning.
We submit ourselves to you. If anybody in here has not fully
given themselves as a bond servant of Jesus Christ made
today, be the Turning Point. May they say I love my master
and I will not go away from him. I will not just visit him, I
will not just come for the holidays.
I will be his slave forever. May that be true of every
servant and Maranatha Bible Church.
We asked oh God that we would be found faithful in these Final
hours of History. We asked oh God, that although
there will be perilous times, you will see a city on a hill
through this local body. Among many other local bodies
that will shine bright for Christ.
Well, we submit to you and worship, not just in song, but
through our Our Lives. We give you all the glory, and
thanks for the word of the Lord today, and Jesus name we pray.
Amen.