Describes the perilous times of the last days as foretold in 2 Timothy 3:1, characterized by self-love, covetousness, and a love of pleasure over God. It contrasts these negative traits with the qualities of a true man of God, emphasizing the importance of guarding the deposit of faith and the treasure of God's Word. The message highlights the Apostle Paul's final exhortations to Timothy, urging faithfulness and loyalty to God's Word amidst a world increasingly turning to paganism and superficial godliness.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
Speech quality score (model-estimated, SCOREQ): before 2.24 → restored 3.78
This evening I would like to read the passage at Second Timothy, the second epistle of Timothy, chapter three, commencing at the beginning. Before I read the passage, just let me say that this is the last message of the Apostle Paul. He was a wonderful writer, a wonderful apostle. you wrote thirteen different books or epistles. But this is the last one. And that makes it very, very important. And the person that he's writing to is a very, very dear friend.
That is Timothy. If we were to turn over to the Acts of the Apostles, we would find the first time that Paul met Timothy. Paul was doing pioneer gospel work. and he came to Leicester and to Caenium. And it was there that he preached the gospel and saw a wonderful work done. Now, among those that were saved, were born again, regenerated. At that time was a young man called Timothy. And after Paul had left there and came back again some little time later, he found that Timothy had developed in a remarkable way.
and his reputation had spread not only in the area where he lived but also in the surrounding district and so the Apostle Paul invited him to come with him into the work of the Lord and the relationship between Paul and Timothy lasted for twenty years and it never had a breach or anything that you could say was contention or anything of the kind. It's a beautiful picture of an older man and a younger man working successfully together.
The younger man respecting the older man and the older man trying to encourage and help and counsel the younger man. That is the picture we get of the relationship between these two men. We find that Timothy Under the guidance of the Apostle Paul, we find he was engaged at least in four different kinds of work, four different missions that had been committed to him. The first one was a missionary of comfort. Timothy was young, but Paul had been in Thessalonica and had to leave there in account of persecution, and he invited Timothy to go to Thessalonica and to comfort them concerning the faith.
Apparently some of the members of the church in Thessalonia had died and they needed help and they needed counsel and they needed comfort. Now Timothy was perfectly adapted to that type of work. Anything we know of his character. He was a loving person, courteous, and he went there And that first mission that he had was a complete success. And when he came back and reported to the Apostle Paul what had happened, Paul's heart was full of joy to think that Timothy was able to comfort those that were going through difficulty.
My beloved brethren here this evening, I believe that one great thing that we need today everywhere is a missionary of comfort. There's many a weeping eye, many a broken heart. And I have no sympathy with any man that stands on a platform and uses a foot lash and say on kind and hard things to the people of God. We need a ministry of comfort and is delightful to think that Timothy was perfectly fitted for that job. And then he had been so successful there. Paul invited him.
to go to Corinth. And there it was a mission of correction. And when he arrived there, he was quite young. And when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he said, when Timothy comes among you, let him be without fear, because he works the work of God as I do. But you know those people at Corinth, they were sarcastic, they were critical, And the result was that when Timothy went there being young and possibly not very well in body at the time, they just wrote them off. And his mission there was not a success.
And they had to leave Corinth. And later another dear brother collaborated with the Apostle Paul had to go to Corinth. And then when he went to Corinth, he was successful. in the recovery of the church at Corinth. So Timothy was not a success at Corinth. He wasn't the type to go there. But God saw to it that someone else did. Now the third place that he went to was Ephesus. And he went there with a mission of consolidation. There were difficulties there at Ephesus, that great church that the apostle had founded.
He went there and it was while he was there that Paul invited him to come to Rome. In the meantime, Paul had been arrested and he was in prison at the time and he was very anxious that his friend Timothy would come. And so he asked him to come. And three times over, in this little epistle that we're about to look at, we find that three times over, he said, come, come quickly, come before winter. Oh, Paul, he said, you know, I'm cold, I'm in prison.
And he said, when you come, bring that cloak that I left at Troas, because I'm cold, I need something for my body. And then he said, bring the books and the parchments. He said, I need something for my mind. But he said, I want something for my heart. And Timothy, he said, I do want you to come. And so Timothy, he went to Rome and he was with the Apostle there in the last little time of Paul's mission, Paul's work here below. So when we think of the relationship between Timothy and Paul, it delights our heart to see the wonderful example of these two individuals in the work of the Lord.
But again, let me repeat. It's Paul's last letter. It's what you might call his valedictory. He knows perfectly well he's going to die. He's going to be executed. and they did want this dear friend with him at that time. You remember he mentioned the people that were there. He said, only Luke is with me. Dear Dr. Luke, he was Paul's companion, had been with him for many years in his pioneer labors all over the places where they preached the gospel and found out many churches only Luke is with me.
But here we find, he said, Timothy, I do want you to come. And I venture to say that when Paul was executed outside the city of Rome, I believe that Luke was there, and dear Timothy was there as well. Now with that little outline of the life between these two men, it throws a floodlight on what we find in this last message that Paul is writing to Timothy. At the beginning, again, this encouragement, but when he comes to chapter three, he gives a dark, dark picture, a bleak picture of condition of things in the last days.
We were speaking this morning of First Timothy, When he's writing, he speaks of the latter times, but here it's a little near. He said, in the last days, and then he gives a long account here of the condition of things that would be in the last days just prior to the coming again of the Lord Jesus. So this is the passage that we want to read. I may have a little difficulty in reading it, I don't want to make any apologies. I have lost the sight of one eye and very poor vision of the other.
So if I stumble a little bit in reading the passage, please forgive. So, First Timothy chapter three and verse one. This know also that in But in the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall the lovers of their own selves, covetous, boosters, prar, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, true sprayers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despite us of those that are good, traitors, heavy, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.
For of this sort are they that creep into houses and lead captives silly women laden with sins. led away with divers lust, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now, as jails and jambries withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith, but they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men. as their sponsor was.
But thou hast truly known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me in Achaya, at Iconium, at Lystra, which persecutions I endured, but God But out of them all the Lord deliver me. Ye and all that live going to in Christ Jesus shall suffer for persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
I don't want to read any further than that. But here we get a description of the last days. given by the Apostle Paul. This is a pretty picture. And some of the words that we find here, there are nineteen different items that the Apostle mentions in connection with the last days. This morning, looking at the Lutter Times, I believe was the introduction of some of the things that would characterize later on the men that are spoken of here in this chapter. First at the beginning, he said, in the last days there shall be perilous times.
Now that word perilous, it means fierce. It is a word that's translated in the Gospels of the man with the legion of demons. And you remember no man could tame him. And it was among the truths. And the word actually is fierce, and that is not an exaggeration of what we find here in this chapter concerning the condition of things in the world in the last days. Pertilous times. And then he gives a nineteen, nineteen different items of the condition of things at that time.
Now, it's perfectly... evident that we can't go into these different terms in detail but there's one thing I want to remind you of and that is if you look at the first chapter of the epistles of the Romans where there is a description of paganism and that there's some very very strong statements used there in connection of the condition of the pagan world that existed in the time of the Apostle Paul. So the same man that wrote Romans chapter one, he wrote First, Second Timothy chapter three.
And here there are nineteen different items as well. And it would be an interesting study to compare the two. But in any case, the world here has turned to paganism. and some of the terrible things that we find in the world today we find them reflected here in the description that the apostle gives are at the beginning he speaks about love and he speaks the use of the term four different times or five different times and three times over He tells us of love that's manifested by some.
And when it is used here, it's used positively. And then two of them we find are used in a negative way. Men shall be lovers of their own selves. Self. Confidence. Lovers of money. and then thirdly, lovers of pleasure. Now these are three things that he speaks of that had the list of this terrible, terrible catalog of condition of things in the world. Men love themselves, they love money, and they love pleasure.
When we look at these words, it's completely contrary to what we find in connection with the believer. Sometimes I meet a young person and they've just graduated from college and I say to them, what did you study or what was your major at college? I say to psychology and this is the kind of thing that's being propagated in schools and colleges at the present time. Boost your ego. Make yourself self-importance.
That is completely contrary to what we find in the Word of God. We find the person that gets into the presence of God. I tell you, they don't want to boost their ego. or make themselves self-important. And that is what is spoken of here. First of all, lovers of self. Me first. All the time. Me first. Lovers of self. And anything that gets me on and helps me to get above the other person, that is what I want.
boast your ego and make yourself as self-important as you possibly can. That is completely contrary to what we find in the scriptures concerning the believer. Oh, the Apostle Paul, again and again, speaking of himself, the things that he had before his conversion, he said, I just count them as refuge of no importance whatever. And he said that he was less than the least of all saints. And I tell you, anybody that gets into the person of God, that don't practice these principles of psychology today to boost your ego and make yourself as self-important as you possibly can.
But when you get into the presence of God, I tell you, all of that disappears completely. Lovers of self, me first, all the time. And I think we all need to learn that lesson. And what a delightful thing it is to see people that know the Lord Jesus and think of that one when he was here upon earth, made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of servant and was willing to serve others. So the first word that's used here, lovers of self, be first all the time.
Now, the second is lovers of money, covetous. During the past three years, I have had, in the junk mail, letters that come from certain quarters here in the United States, sweepstakes, and they tell me that all that I do need to do is to sign my name and if I do I'll get a million dollars and on three different occasions three successive years in this sweep sweep sweep state I'm not going to tell you where it came from but it said all you need to do is sign your name and you'll be a millionaire that is the kind of thing that people are after today loavers of money.
You know, I have heard it said that the man's attitude of money is a real estimate of his character. I must say that if ever I won a million dollars on the sweepstakes, I think I would faint. lovers of money and that's the kind of thing that's happening all over the world today every time these things come to our mailbox it goes into the waste paper basket immediately we don't want anything of the kind you know there's nothing more delightful for a man to do a day's work and get his pay at the end and take it home.
There's something delightful about that. Good, hard work, and then get your pay for it. When I first went to Africa, I was twenty-one years of age, and there were two preachers came to me, and one preacher said to me, he said, I want to give you some advice. He was an old man with a lot of experience. And he said, in the work of the Lord, he said, you'll need three things. The first thing, you'll need a head like a wise father. And he said, you'll need a heart like a loving mother. And he said, thirdly, you'll need a hide like a rhinoceros.
He said, that's my advice to you. Those are three things that you require. A head like a wise father, a heart like a loving mother. and a high leg around us. We mustn't be too sensitive. I know of people that someone maybe has heard a rumor about a certain person and it's conveyed to them and for that reason they leave the assembly. It's what you might call thin skin and they're very sensitive and possibly something that doesn't matter, something of no importance whatever. and to leave the assembly for it.
But that was the first advice I got. A head like a wise father, a heart like a loving mother, and a hide like a rhinoceros. Don't take offense quickly, because you'll find out later on that what was said or what was done has no importance whatsoever. But the other preacher, he said this to me. He said, do a good day's work. And he said, the Lord will give you a good day's pay. I was twenty-one years of age at the time. And it's sixty-seven years ago. And I made up my mind that as far as material things are concerned, I would just forget it.
I went out trusting the Lord without a promise of a penny from anybody. And I have never mentioned money. to anybody at any time during these sixty-seven years. But I can say this, going out in simple faith and trust in God, we have never been let down. And in case anyone gets any idea that I'm trying to infer about that we need anything, I can say this. that during the sixty-seven years within the work of the Lord I have never written a form letter or a news letter to anyone except when anyone sent the gift we sat down and say thank you and I believe we should do that but as far as Bonnie is concerned we can say to the grace to the to the honor of our blessed Lord and also to the kindness of God's people During sixty-seven years, we've never liked a single thing.
And God has taken care of every need and we're thankful for it. A man's attitude to money is a prime index of his character. But here, covetous, covetous. And thank God. When we put our faith and trust in the living God, He will never let us die. Now, the third thing where we find love mentioned is lovers of pleasure. Lovers of pleasure. You know, there's a lot of things going on at the present time in the world in which we live.
I don't need to tell you that there are many, many of God's dear people are involved. in some things that would better not. I believe that when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ and when we get saved, when we are born again, we have to be separate from the world and all that's in the world. But I have seen some young people at the breaking of bread meeting and after the breaking of bread, when we've been sitting discussing, sitting remembering the Lord Jesus Christ and in the car they're discussing the football scores or what has happened in certain areas in the theatre or what have you.
You know, I believe we should be separate from that kind of thing. Do you remember what I said about the Apostle, about Moses in the Old Testament He made a decision instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. Instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season, he deliberately took up the reproach of Christ for the sake of the people of God. He made a decision that day, and it was a momentous decision, and it separated him from all the sinful pleasures of the world at that time.
So this is the third thing. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. We must be dedicated. We must be separate from anything that would soil our souls or that is not according to the Word of God. So here we find these three things in connection with love. And then the last two negatively. We read, No lovers of good or lovers of God. Now this is the condition of things here, and they're very plain and very simple. And we believe today that every true believer should follow the principles that we find in this passage.
And then going on down, I can't take time tonight to look at the different things that are said. There are nineteen different items. And it's concerning the world in which we live. And thank God, when we do follow the example of the Apostle Paul, and all that he did himself in this life and testimony down here, we would avoid some of these terrible, terrible, bleak, dark words that we find in the condition of things at the commencement of this chapter. Many years ago, I heard a brother give an address.
I don't remember where it was, but he gave an address, and I'll never forget the way he outlined the chapter. And he said, first of all, we get evil men. Then he said, we get silly women. And thirdly, we get the man of God, and the word of God. And that just about covers the whole chapter here in connection with Paul's first last words to this young man. Evil men, silly women, and the man of God. Now, when we look at the second epistle of Timothy, you'll find that in each chapter there are two main mentions.
And again, I don't want to go over them. there's a little difficulty in pronouncing the different names, but we find two of them in chapter one. We find two of them in chapter two. We find two men in chapter three. And again, in the fourth chapter of this letter, again we get two individuals, and they could be characterized as evil men. And then city women. Now, I want to say this, as far as women are concerned, I have the highest estimation in my mind and in my life concerning sisters, concerning godly women that we find among the assemblies today.
I have spent the most of my life in isolation in the middle of Africa. And that what I have seen in connection with godly women in Africa and the work that they're doing, I have the highest estimation of the opposite sex. Some people get the idea that the Apostle Paul was a woman hater. That is not true. If you read Romans chapter sixteen on the way he refers to sisters in that chapters, it's absolutely delightful. He had a wonderful estimation for good women.
But here we read about silly women. And mind you, there is such a thing. I believe the most beautiful thing in the world is a good woman. And right in this epistle, we find two of them. We find Eunice and Lois. That is the mother and the grandmother of Timothy. And these dear women, the work that they did, I believe, was responsible for putting the Word of God into the heart of this young man.
And everywhere we go, we find godly, godly women. Over in Angola, where we have spent a good part of our life, there are two women at the present time in Rwanda. And right away in the far interior, in spite of all the fighting and trouble and bloodshed, there are two other women, absolutely alone. And the work that these dear souls have done is beyond all praise. and I take off my hat. And again, let me repeat, there's nothing more beautiful in the world than a good woman.
But at the same time, there's the other kind, and there's nothing more dangerous than a bad woman. As far as silly women are concerned, I think you could put that term on Delilah, the woman that tempted Semson and as far as bad women are concerned we find another woman Jezebel the worst woman in Holy Scripture but we just want to leave them alone but at the present time I believe that women have a tremendous effect on society I don't need to emphasize that but at the same time I want to give a tribute from the bottom of my heart to those that are following the principles of the Word of God and carrying on their works, sometimes in a quiet way, and it's only a coming day that they'll have that a war.
Evil men, yes. Silly women, yes. But oh, there is the man of God. And Paul, in addressing Timothy, That is the term that he uses for him. And when we turn over to the next chapter and see what Paul has to say to Timothy, he gives them some advice and he gives them his last message. It's one of the most delightful, delightful descriptions in the Word of God concerning the situation and the relationship between this older man that's about to die and the younger man that's coming to have companionship with him in that last great traumatic experience of life when he was martyred.
When we look at the whole epistle, we find the man of God, we find him in each chapter. In the first chapter, we find him the man of God and his trust. Were there a deposit? And that good deposit that was committed to Timothy, Paul told him that he was to guard it. Just like a soldier, he was to guard the trust that was given through him. I believe that that trust was the word of God. And also the teaching that he had had from the Apostle Paul and from others. What a wonderful deposit that he had.
It was just like a bank deposit. Paul, he said, I have committed all to that bank, but then God takes the deposit. That is the deposit of fundamental doctrine, and he hands it on to a successor. And so in chapter one, we find the man of God and his trust. The deposit that was handed to him And Paul said to guard it, just like a soldier, guard that deposit. Now, in chapter two, we find the man of God. We find him there as a servant. And we find the servant of God, or the man of God, on his test.
There are a number of different illustrations that are used in chapter two. And the Apostle, he applies them through Timothy. The first one is a son in a family. And then he speaks about a soldier. And then he speaks about an athlete. And after that he speaks about a farmer. And then finally he speaks about a workman that needs not to be ashamed. And in connection with these different illustrations that Paul gives to Timothy, there is a responsibility.
So in chapter two, it is the man of God and the test of these different things in life and the attitude that he takes to it. Now, in chapter three, this passage that we have read together, here he speaks about the Word of God, the man of God and the Word of God. And Paul, in speaking about his relationship to the Word of God, the wonderful, wonderful, precious Word of God that is given to him, he first of all speaks about his conversion.
He said there that it was through the Word that he was brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he spoke of that time when he was at Iconium. And he preached the gospel and it had brought fruit in the life of young Timothy. And there we get the man of God and his treasure. Oh, the word of God that had been put in his heart when he was young, it bore fruit when the evangelist came along. I would like to say to those that have a family today, My beloved brother or sister, if you have children under your care, never, never forget to put the precious Word of God, the seed of the Word, into the heart of the young person while they are small.
It will bear fruit in the days to come. And that was the way that Timothy was brought to the Lord, and his grandmother lost. They sold the word of God in his heart. And the result was that when the evangelist came along, it bore fruit in conversion. So here we get the word of God in salvation. And then he speaks about its inspiration. And he tells us all scripture is given by God himself. The God-breathed word and its propitum for doctrine, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God should be perfect, thoroughly furnished with all good work.
So here we get the Word of God as a means of helping us in all our affairs and also in the work that we are seeking to do. and then the final message that he gives in chapter four is he said preach the words preach the words this is what god will use so in each chapter the man of god is characterized first of all by a trust and then secondly by a test and then thirdly by a treasure the precious word of god and then In chapter four, we get here the final triumph of Timothy in the work that he was doing.
When I turn over to the last chapter and think of Paul's last message, you know, it would bring tears to your eyes. Paul said, I'm already being offered. The time of my departure is a time. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord will give me in that day and not to me only but also to all them that love his appearing. What a wonderful valedictory address that he gives in this last chapter.
But I thank God that Timothy, I believe that he was there and he had that ministry of companionship and comfort. with the Apostle in the last hours of his life. So we get here this dark, bleak picture of the last days and the things that are characteristic of it that we see on every hand today, paganism in the world. And we find the different characteristics described not only in Romans one, but also in Second Timothy chapter three. thank God on the other hand there is the man of God on the word of God and Paul he gives the exhortation of the end to be faithful and loyal to it in his lifetime here as we look at these things I think it would give us some instruction today and not only that some comfort thank God for men like Timothy And we thank God for men like the Apostle Paul, that not only practiced
what he preached, but also was willing to lay down his life as a sacrifice for the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless his word to our hearts for his name's sake. Just a little word of prayer. Our blessed God and Father, We come to thee with joy in our hearts as we think of the relationship of this young man and the older man. We thank thee for the love that exists between us. And we thank thee for that tie that never had a rupture.
We thank thee, our Father, for the exhibit of it in thy word. and what an encouragement it brings to us. The Lord, we do pray that thou will bless thy word to each heart tonight. Thou knowest the pagan condition of so many parts of the world today and the things that are happening in these last days. But we thank thee for the encouragement of thy word, and we pray that we may be men and women of God seeking to carry out The principles that we find in thy word. These are our desires.
We just commend them to thee with our thanksgiving and praise and worship. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.