Title: Trouble Makers Part 2

Text: II Timothy 3:6-9

FCF: We often struggle keeping the church and the gospel pure

Prop: Because people in the last days will be ungodly and do ungodly things, we must avoid these people.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Timothy chapter 3. Last week, we saw Paul balance the hope from the end of chapter 2 with the reality of chapter 3. Chapter 2 finishes in hope that the opponents of the gospel and even those wayward Christians will be turned around. That they will listen and God will grant to them repentance that leads to a knowledge of the truth. But that is all counter balanced with the reality that in the last days the church will experience a time of trouble because of people maintaining some outward form of Christianity but having lifestyles that prove they are still unconverted.

Paul instructs Timothy that he should avoid these kinds of people. He should instruct and rebuke them – but ultimately if they prove that their conversion never happened by continuing to live in unrepentant lifestyles of sin, he should separate from them and excommunicate them from the church.

The goal is the purity of the gospel and the church. The goal is to prevent what Paul will talk about next.

Today, Paul will isolate a group within that class of nominal Christians, that not only appear to be godly yet without the gospel’s power, but also stand in opposition to the gospel itself. They are compared to Jewish mythical boogeymen who only destroy these nominal Christians and hasten their demise. Timothy is called to action, and so are we.

I am in II Timothy chapter 3. I’ll begin reading in verse 1 and we’ll read through verse 9. I am reading again from the ESV today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1343 or in the version you prefer.

Transition:

Today’s message will be a good deal shorter than last week, but we will seek to wrap up Paul’s idea from last week and apply it to ourselves. Let’s dive in.

I.) What people do in last days will make Christian life difficult, so we must avoid these people. (6-9)

a. [Slide 2] 6 – For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women,

i. This is why avoiding the staunchly nominal Christian is the absolute necessity of the church.

ii. Among them are those who seek to distort the gospel.

iii. These people who have this form of godliness but their lifestyles do not show any power of the Spirit in their hearts, are not content to doom themselves in their denial of Christ.

iv. They must pass on their poison to all who will listen.

v. But where would they find an audience who will listen to them?

vi. Paul lists several who are at risk for falling prey to their influence.

vii. First it is those who allow or entertain their teachings. They are cunning and sneaky. We ought to never allow just anyone into our home to teach the word of God. So those who lack vigilance will fall prey to them.

viii. Only those who are tested, tried, and qualified ought to teach the scriptures to the church.

ix. And even then, like the Bereans did with Paul and Silas in Acts 17 – we take what they say and see if it fits with the rest of the scriptures.

x. And this includes not just people in our churches who are untested or untried but even the people on the radio, TV, and internet who we go to and hear preach or teach us. Be very careful who you allow in your home. Measure each person by the Word of God.

xi. You can get ordained on the internet in 2 weeks today. Ordained Pastor is not a viable descriptor for someone who is trustworthy. We must get more specific.

xii. So not doing our due diligence on the faith and practice of the teacher is one risk factor.

xiii. But another is a willingness to be captivated by teachings they’ve never heard before.

xiv. These men creep in and capture. They stealth in, appearing to be just like every other teacher, but then slip in their different message and captivate the hearers.

xv. You should be looking for teachers who challenge you and are used of God to bring conviction of sin and hope in Christ.

xvi. If the preacher is only telling you what you want to hear, confirming everything you already believe, making you feel good about yourself, or focusing on you and not God – then look out! This is a huge red flag.

xvii. So, risk factors for these men influencing us are a lack of vigilance for who we listen to, and a willingness to only listen to what feeds what we want to hear.

xviii. What else?

xix. Paul reveals that these women are weak.

xx. I do not think that Paul is saying that women are weak in general. Nor do I think he is saying that being a woman is a risk factor in being duped by false teachers. But being a weak woman is a risk factor.

xxi. Perhaps you remember from I Timothy, it seems that the women, particularly young widows in Ephesus, had a particularly hard time resisting these men. Not only accepting their teachings, but also being sexually immoral with the teachers and usurping the authority and teaching roles of the Elders of the church.

xxii. This is probably the only reason Paul highlights these weak women here. Not that all women are weak, but that these women compared to godly women, were particularly weak.

xxiii. Rather than guess at what he means, Paul seems to explain himself in the following phrase. What are weak women?

b. [Slide 3] Burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,

i. First, they are burdened with sins. What does this mean?

ii. That they are burdened with the guilt of sin and not able to find mercy from God.

iii. Why might this be a risk factor for being influenced by false teachers?

iv. If you are overwhelmed with guilt over sin – any message that puts that to rest will be appetizing.

v. Remember that God alone grants repentance to men. But what about messages that skip this step or circumvent this truth?

vi. Messages such as legalism where man can work their way to God and please Him with their lives. They do not need to repent for sin committed – they just need to try harder.

vii. Messages of license insisting that what is clear sin is not actually sin. They do not need to repent because virtually nothing they have done is sin. God is love – you need not repent – He accepts you just the way you are.

viii. Messages that tell us to wipe away the guilt of sin by getting over it, letting it go, or forgiving ourselves. These messages teach us that the problem of our guilt is because we still lack something after being given repentance by God. When in reality our guilt points to our lack of trust that God is right when He says – There is now therefore no condemnation in Christ. We need not forgive ourselves, for we have not sinned against ourselves. Instead, we need only to believe God when He says that those who are in Christ are a new creation. Our past sins are gone, and our new person has come. We still look back at previous sin with disgust and hatred – but not because we are still held accountable for them – rather because God has changed our hearts in the gift of repentance toward them. Indeed, that is what the gift of repentance looks like – an utter opposition to our former ways.

ix. But these women, when being overwhelmed with guilt of sin – rather than accepting that only God grants repentance – they succumb to teachings that free them of needing God’s gift of repentance at all.

x. They are also weak because they are led astray by various passions.

xi. Not only do they have this guilt of sin hanging over them – but they are also still captivated by fleshly desires and lusts.

xii. They are weak because they have not mortified their flesh. At this point their identity in Christ becomes suspect. Because all those who name the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.

xiii. What makes them weakest? They do not have a sure testimony of faith in Christ that produces obedience.

xiv. And so, when these cunning serpents – these fork tongued prophets enter and teach a message that allows for some of their passions to be fulfilled without transgressing God’s laws. And when they give somewhat plausible answers for why they are able to satisfy their lusts without sin– weak people walk willingly and happily into their trap.

xv. But weakness is not just in reference to lifestyle. It is not just guilt over sin or desire for lusts…

c. [Slide 4] 7 – always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

i. From where does a knowledge of the truth come?

ii. As Paul said in chapter 2 – it comes as a gift from God. It is linked to the gift of repentance.

iii. God must grant repentance to people. When He does, that leads them to a knowledge of the truth.

iv. And so, another reason that these women are weak, is not just that they are still captivated by lusts and guilt over sin, but that they are also captivated by a pursuit of learning.

v. Having circumvented or neglected the need for true, genuine repentance, they are attempting to find answers without the one who gives them all.

vi. And so, what do we have here?

vii. Well, if there are three groups of people in the world; those who are believers, those who are unbelievers; and those that are a big question mark, what is this text saying?

viii. Those who are unbelievers, opponents to the gospel, will have their greatest effect and influence upon those who do not have a strong testimony of faith.

ix. Those who are weak in faith and practice. Those who are enslaved by their passions and guilt and are not satisfied with the answers they have found because God has not given repentance unto knowledge of the truth. In other words, the nominal Christians not only contain these sly enemies, but are easy prey for their schemes.

x. This is yet another reason that the last days will be full of difficulty for true believers. These trouble makers will prey upon the nominal, religious, nationalistic Christian, and they will have GREAT success.

d. [Slide 5] 8 – Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,

i. Jannes and Jambres are two names which are not mentioned in the bible save in this text.

ii. Yet they were supposed to have opposed Moses. But no Old Testament scripture passage records this. So where do these names come from?

iii. These names are pulled from extra-biblical myths and legends. Pagan, Jewish, and Christian myths and legends abound concerning these two men.

iv. The records are conflicting, developing, and heavily suspect in what we can believe is true. But nearest we can understand…

v. Jannes and Jambres were the two Egyptian Wizards who were able to mimic God’s power in style but not in magnitude. Remember? Moses cast down his rod which turned into a snake. The two wizards did the same. But the snake of Moses ate the snakes of the two wizards.

vi. According to Jewish tradition, they were two chief magicians in the court of Pharoah who foretold the birth of Moses as “the destroyer of the land of Egypt.” This caused Pharoah to call for the death of Jewish young boys.

vii. They also were said to have asked Moses when he did his miracles “Do you wish to introduce magic into Egypt, the native land of the magic art?”

viii. They were also said to have made themselves invisible and flown over the Red Sea’s destruction of Pharoah and his army. They then disguised themselves among the Israelites and instigated the people to make the golden calf. Some records say they were the two servants who went with Balaam as he was commissioned to curse Israel. And it was only in Numbers 31 that Phineas finally killed them with the sword.

ix. We can clearly see Jewish Rabbis making these men into the boogey men of the Israelite people, possibly even trying to pass responsibility of Israelite disobedience in the wilderness to these two trouble makers.

e. [Slide 6] So, these men also oppose the truth,

i. And like these two, the false teachers in Ephesus are trouble makers. They are hounding the church.

ii. And they are able to mimic the style of the gospel in its message – but they lack its power.

iii. They have disguised themselves as the church having a form of godliness but they are the enemy of the church as they deny the gospel’s power.

iv. How did they get here though?

f. [Slide 7] Men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

i. Their minds and their faith are both lacking.

ii. Their minds are corrupted. This is the same word we use for the doctrine of depravity.

iii. However, when we talk about the depravity of man we are mostly referring to man’s inability to seek, desire, or otherwise come to God without God’s intervention. God alone grants repentance, right?

iv. But here, this depravity more refers to the same kind from Romans chapter 1. Where God gives people over to a depraved mind. What does that mean?

v. They have been duped as well. They have fully believed and accepted what they are teaching as the truth.

vi. While some false teachers peddle their teaching knowing it is false. Most of them have gotten high on their own supply. They have believed, hook, line and sinker, what they are teaching. And if we see this as the same as Romans 1, this is actually, ALSO, a judgment of God for their opposition to the truth.

vii. In this, their faith – their trust – their confession – is proven to be null and void.

viii. In order for faith to qualify it must believe the same things the apostles taught and must conform to the same lifestyles the apostles lived. Paul will get into that in the next section when he turns to Timothy to show him how he is to oppose such teachers. But before he gets there, Paul wants to comfort Timothy and the church

g. [Slide 8] 9 - But they will not get very far

i. With such a dire picture of difficulty in the church in the last days because of these kinds of people… both the false creepers and the weak confessors… it may leave those who are God’s true children in fear for what could happen.

ii. But Paul lovingly finishes a section as daunting as this with hope. He has done similar things before, even in this very book.

iii. And of what does He assure Timothy and the true church there in Ephesus?

iv. Although these opponents of truth will have influence that is powerful among those who are weak – ultimately they will not succeed.

v. Not because we are strong – but because the power of the gospel works to make us strong in the truth – in faith and in practice.

h. [Slide 9] For their folly will be plain to all as was that of those two men.

i. Just as Jannes and Jambres were eventually seen to be lesser compared to the true God, Just as the sword of the Lord in the hand of His servants slew these wizards, so also these false teachers – though duping many of the weak – will be defeated by those whom God has made strong.

ii. The Spirit of God in us will enable us to see their deception and keep us free of their lies.

iii. The Lord knows who are His… yes?

iv. So those who name the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.

i. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: So last week, we saw that people who look godly but are not actually converted have always and will continue to infiltrate the church. These people we have labeled nominal Christians – or Christians in name only. Paul expands the text here to show that among this group of nominal Christians, there have always been and will continue to be a group whose intentions are not simply to appear to be godly, but will also seek to reshape a new gospel for themselves and lead astray whoever they are able. Ultimately, they will be unsuccessful, but that doesn’t mean Timothy can be idle.

j. Passage Application: Timothy must avoid all nominal Christians. Especially those who seek to reshape the gospel and lead others astray. He can be comforted in the knowledge that they will fail to succeed against the true church – but the fulfillment of that, requires his avoidance of them. Both refuting their teaching in meekness and putting down their influence by shunning the teachers in excommunication.

k. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text is easy because Paul has already begun that discussion. Although pulling from extrabiblical material, the concept is purely scriptural throughout. Even in 2nd Timothy he has alluded to Korah’s rebellion. We have seen this same truth appear in Joshua, Judges, and the stories of the Kings. Those appearing to be true Israelites, worshipers of God, have abandoned Him for something far less. So the cycle continues. It repeats itself. That even in the New Covenant community, there are still those who merely look like God’s people but lack His power in them. Among them still are those who wish to undermine or question God’s truth.

l. Broader Biblical Application: And like Timothy we as a church must be vigilant against such a threat. Of course, heavenly vigilance gifted by our God does not express itself in violence or arrogance. Rather it expresses itself in a meek and kind desire for purity. Purity beginning in our hearts and going out from there to the rest of our local church, and even beyond to the whole of the visible church. We ought to have a desire to see the church protected against false teaching and teachers. They will arise, mostly, from among us. So we must be ready to meekly refute their teaching with the truth and suppress their influence with rebuke and church discipline. Avoiding such men will ensure the purity of the church and thus the purity of the gospel preached from the church.

Conclusion:

[Slide 12(end)] So taking Paul’s point from last week, that nominal Christians will infiltrate the church, and adding to that this point that from among them will arise those who oppose the truth, how then shall we live?

With Timothy we are to avoid these people. But what does that look like?

Paul has already answered this question in chapter 2.

To the nominal Christian, those who say all the right things, mentally agree to all the points of doctrine we do, those who come to every service, those who perform every ritual, but are still enslaved to sin, living burdened by their guilt, seeking knowledge and never arriving at the truth… what should we do with these weak people?

We must instruct them with diligence, patience, and meekness. We must rebuke them when we see them practice sin. We must call them to repentance. And knowing that God alone grants repentance that leads to a knowledge of the truth, we must pray for that end. Our goal in ministry here at CBC should be to get as many people out of, and keep as many people out of the middle question mark group that we can. Part of purifying the church is sorting out the backslidden from the never converted. This is done through church discipline which in its earliest stages is simply rebuke and instruction. But at the end it will either restore the weak confessor to strength or it will confirm that they were never truly a believer. If the second is the conclusion, that is where we must avoid these people. They must be excommunicated from us for the sake of the purity of the gospel and to protect the rest of the church still in that question mark group.

Ultimately it is this unknown middle group that are most susceptible to the lies of false teachers and opponents of the truth. This is the second group we must avoid. A group from among the nominal.

But lest we think we should militantly or violently address this group – Paul commands Timothy to meekly instruct his opponents. Knowing full well that they will not succeed in their corruption of the gospel. Either they will fail and their lies will be seen and understood by all, or they will be granted repentance which leads to knowledge of the truth.

Ultimately, Paul declares the victory of God’s true church over and above all that oppose it. God knows who are His. He will keep them. And what is the human responsibility of that keeping?

Avoid these people. Instruct them toward repentance and faith, but if they will not listen, they should be excommunicated and treated as unbelievers.

As the last days continue to roll on, the church will see many more deny Christ either by forsaking what they have confessed as truth or by forsaking Christ by living lifestyles of unrepentant sin. Yet we know that the true church of God will not fail. We will not succumb to the teaching of false teachers, nor will the nominal be able to remain so for long. But rather than rest in this knowledge, we are tasked with actively avoiding these people in the church. We ought to be concerned with the purity of the visible church of God hoping to bring the true church and the visible church closer to being the same thing. We do this by preaching and teaching the truth, living it out in our lives, and avoiding those who cannot or will not do likewise.

With this Paul’s antidote for false teachers is complete. Both instructing and refuting them meekly and avoiding those who have shown themselves to be deaf to the calls of God, these are sure ways to help protect the true church from their influence. But Paul will speak to personal protection against false teaching and even dead faith next week.

For now, it is enough for us to have a godly vigilance. Desiring the church and the gospel to remain pure. May we do this meekly hoping that God will gift repentance rather than judgment to our opponents and the nominal Christian.