2 Timothy 3 v 1 – 5
1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (ESV)
The Lord says that we will experience times of difficulty.
The difficulty is caused by:
1. The Malady – narcissism
People are lovers of themselves.
Why do we want all of humanity to be our fan club?
Two things mark the narcissist:
a. A relentless, complete and absolute self-interest: How I look, what I have and what I feel.
b. Complete lack of empathy for anyone else.
Don’t be like that – it will bring difficult times for the young ones.
2. The Means – materialism
Lovers of self are always lovers of money.
For most of them work is for other people – not for them.
Work is for the believer – not what you do, but for who you do it – for God and your neighbour.
You are making the world a better place.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)
3. The Motive – hedonism
Lovers of pleasure – want to feel good all the time.
Can there be better pleasure than loving God? Why do people then love themselves so?
What’s the solution? Avoid such people.
The first one you need to avoid is YOU – we must avoid being such a person, by being in Christ – not in Adam.
How is Christ different?
Philippians 2:
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)
Let you chief end be to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.