THE DISRESPECT & REBELLION OF THESE LAST DAYS

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=850403" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#330066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="048005f0dkblkv.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Preach The Word</b></FONT><B>     </b><B>|    </b><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B> </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preach The Word"><U><B>home</b></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2 Timothy"><U><B>2 Timothy</b></U></A><B>   l   </b><A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DANIEL"><U><B>Daniel</b></U></A><B>   l  </b><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ZECHARIAH: "><U><B> Zechariah</b></U></A><B>   l   </b><A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MARK"><U><B>Mark</b></U></A><B>    I    </b><A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TOPICAL STUDIES"><U><B>Topical Studies</b></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#DDDDDD" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>THE DISRESPECT & REBELLION OF THESE LAST DAYS</b></div> <div> 2 Timothy 3:2e,f</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>1. PEOPLE IN THESE LAST DAYS WILL BE BLASPHEMOUS. </b></div> <bR> <div> "People will be… abusive" v.2e</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >Blasphemoi</FONT>":  From where we get "Blasphemous".  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >Verbal abuse: "speaking evil."  </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >Vines, p.124</FONT></div> <bR> <div> "Blaspheme": To speak of, or address (something sacred, esp.God) impiously or irreverently."  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >(Websters)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <U>Synonyms</U>:  Cursing, damning, swearing, profanity</div> <bR> <bR> <div> In other words, people today will be in the habit of letting what's in their heart be verbalized through their lips. People will become less and less ashamed of cursing God or God's people or God's standards and ways. </div> <bR> <div> Contrary to what many like to believe (that the heart of natural man is inherently good), the Bible says that the heart of man is  quite scary thing to behold.  It's a cesspool of all kinds of evil. </div> <bR> <div> "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"  Jeremiah 17:9</div> <bR> <div> "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15</div> <bR> <div> "(Jesus said): What comes out of a man is what makes him `unclean'. For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean."  Mark 7:20-23</div> <bR> <div> "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" Matthew 12:34</div> <bR> <bR> <div> And for a selfish and prideful person, to blaspheme others is the most natural thing to do. Why? Because such a person is so bent on making others look bad. He believes that by putting others down, he'll boost himself up.  And, if God be the greatest, well, if he can succeed in putting God down, then he'll really look high & mighty.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Some Biblical Examples of Blasphemy</b></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Shimei:</U></b><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </b></FONT></div> <bR> <div> "As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>2 Samuel 16:5-8</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>The Jews:</U></b><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </b></FONT></div> <bR> <div> "The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" And they said many other insulting things to him."  Luke 22:63-65</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>The Pharisees:</U></b><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </b></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I> </I>"Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons…And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12:22-24,31-32</div> <div>  </div> <div> "As to Christ's teaching concerning blasphemy against the Holy Spirit… that anyone, with the evidence of the Lord's power before his eyes, should declare it to be Satanic, exhibited a condition of heart beyond Divine illumination and therefore hopeless. Divine forgiveness would be inconsistent with the moral nature of God. As to the Son of Man, in his state of humiliation, there might be misunderstanding, but not so with the Holy Spirit's power demonstrated."  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" >Vines, p.124</FONT></div> <bR> <div> In this case the blasphemy was attributing the work of the devil to the Holy Spirit of God.</div> <bR> <div> Is blasphemy among us today?  It goes without mentioning, doesn't it? It's "everywhere"!  People cursing people. People cursing God.</div> <bR> <div> So, what's a Christian to do? <B>Aim for the heart and be an example</b>.</div> <bR> <div> Don't waste your time trying to reform an unbeliever's vocabulary until he's come to Christ. What grieves God the most is not a dirty mouth. It's a sinful heart. </div> <bR> <div> "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  Ephesians 4:29-32</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>2. CHILDREN IN THESE LAST DAYS WILL BE REBELLIOUS.</b></div> <bR> <div> "People will be… disobedient to their parents." V.2f</div> <bR> <bR> <div> I don't think it's necessary to explain any Greek terms here. It's quite simple enough to understand. And all of us here know very well, at least I would hope, what it means to be <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >disobedient to…parents</FONT><I>.</I></div> <bR> <div> Kids disobeying parents have been around since Adam and Eve's kids.  The <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#990080" FACE="Arial" ><B>first reason</b></FONT> kids disobey their parents is told very plainly in the Bible. Your kids and mine have an inner problem.  They have a heart condition.  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#990080" FACE="Arial" ><B>Their heart is </b><B>plagued with sin</b><B> from birth.</b></FONT>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Ps. 51:5  "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child." Prov.22:15 </FONT></div> <bR> <div> So your child is not disobedient because he lives in such a bad world.  The world only throws gas on a fire that's already been flaming since he entered the world. Don't teach your child to blame the world for his rebellion. Teach him that only Jesus Christ can cleanse his sinful heart.</div> <bR> <div> The <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Arial" ><B>second reason</b></FONT> that kids today are more rebellious and disobedient than ever is because of <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Arial" ><B>passive and self-indulgent dads</b></FONT>. Our generation is going through a period of history where men, even Christian men, have abandoned their primary, God ordained, role of leadership a long time ago.  You ask the average dad today, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"what's your role in the home and how do you go about it?" </FONT> And he's totally clueless.  The result being that the ship called "Home" is lost at sea. And the first to figure it out are the kids. And when kids don't have a leader, the first route is confusion, than humiliation, than despair, than anger and rebellion. </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Arial" ><B>The third reason</b></FONT> that kids today are more rebellious and disobedient than ever is because of <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Arial" ><B>wild and self-centered moms</b></FONT>.  </div> <bR> <div> Most women today are on a crusade, a rampage of selfish love.  They love themselves more then their husbands, more than God, more then their kids. The prevailing motto is Me, Myself and I.  So if the husband gets in their way, he can leave.  If God, out the window.  If kids, daycare or abortion. Whichever comes first. </div> <bR> <div> Then you hear women confess their heartbreak of dropping babies off at day care. And, Boom!  Some good ole lady so-called Christian counselor writes an article in a <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Today's Christian Woman"</FONT> magazine entitled, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Get rid of the guilt!"</FONT></div> <bR> <div> No, the truth and bottom line of the matter is that the new moms of the millennium have chosen to ignore the calling of their Creator.  Raising Kids is a 24/7 job.  And the salary is greater than money. It's another generation of children of light in a world of darkness. Kids who'll say "no" to the world and "yes" to God.</div> <bR> <div> Frankly, I'm getting nauseated at the cliché's I hear career women tell my wife <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Oh, how lucky that you can stay at home!"  "Oh, well, I can't afford to stay at home!"  "Oh, so you don't work!"</FONT></div> <bR> <div> It's not a question of being <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"lucky"</FONT> or <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"being able to afford it"</FONT> or <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"not working"</FONT>, it's a question of <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" >"where your faith is!"</FONT> That's the question. </div> <bR> <div> It's not a cultural issue, or preference issue.  It's a faith issue: if you believe in God's plan for the home and are ready to die for that God-given plan. That's the issue.  This plan was ordained even before the Fall. God's judgment on the man and the woman only affected the roles God had ordained "before" they sinned. </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Man:</b></FONT> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >"Through painful toil…(and) the sweat of your brow you will eat food."  Genesis 3:17-18</FONT>   Affected his role as Provider.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Woman:</b></FONT>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.</FONT> (mother)  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >Your desire will be for your husband, and he will be ruler over you."  3:16</FONT> (wife)</div> <bR> <div> "Train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."  Titus 2:4-5</div> <bR> <div> So, if you raise kids in a home where mom and dad are only their when they're totally burned out and spent, and model a lifestyle of selfishness and self-indulgence, and have them raised by two different set of parents (home and daycare) don't be surprised to live in a society where kids have no conscience, talk to their parents like they talk to their dogs, and bring knives and guns to school.  The problem that needs to be fixed first is not the community, the schools or the video and the music. It's with the parents and the priorities at home. </div> <bR> <div> So, we shouldn't be surprised that the kids in the last days are "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Arial" >disobedient to parents</FONT>". That's what God predicted. What we should be surprised about is that Christian dads and moms are following the world more than God!</div> <bR> <div> So now that we've done some blasting, lets start building.  How can a Christian home survive in such dark times and set the standard in a non-absolute society?</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>A. LET DADS BE DADS</b></div> <bR> <div> "Let your "yes" be yes, and your "no" be no." James 5:12</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>a. Dads, Be Gracious and Loving.</b></div> <bR> <div> "Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the Church." Eph.5:25</div> <bR> <div> "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." Col.3:21</div> <bR> <div> So, God calls Dads to seek a life of balance. Balance between Unconditional love and Solid Truth. So, don't trash grace for truth. And don't trash truth for grace either. Be an encourager and faithful disciple of Christ. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>B. LET MOMS BE MOMS</b></div> <bR> <div> Moms, if you only remember one thing out this message, remember this: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"You can't please the world and God at the same time. You can't have a career outside the home and expect to be effective at raising your kids at the same time."</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Oh, well I know one woman who did, Pastor!"</FONT> My response is, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"That's one out of how many?"</FONT></div> <bR> <div> You need to ask yourself, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"who is your Master?"</FONT> God or the world?  God or Hollywood? God or you? We need real moms today.  Moms at home, who love God, love their husbands, and love their children. Moms with a vision. A vision that surpasses that of the world.  The world says, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Live for today!"<I> </I></FONT> God says, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" >"Live for Eternity!"</FONT>  This world is in desperate need of godly women and godly men. And God is giving you the opportunity to raise them.  To invest yourself in a cause that goes beyond this world. </div> <bR> <div> We're reaping today what our parents have sown yesterday:  selfishness, self-centeredness.  God is challenging us to roll back the tide with Christ.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."  Psalm 19:14</div> <bR> <div> Amen and God Bless You All.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>