INTRODUCTION

1. Christians perceive that the world is getting worse, so we sometimes wonder if the end is near. However, God is patient, "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2Pet. 3:9).

2. As the darkness of the world deepens, the light of truth and righteousness shines even brighter. Indeed, the follies of our time are becoming more obvious to all, showing us the constant goodness of God's ways.

    

IN LATER TIMES, IN THE LAST DAYS

1. In each of the two letters to Timothy, Paul warned of a coming apostasy.

   1. We do not know for certain about the specific fulfillments of these warnings.

      1. There was likely some degree of fulfillment within the lifetime of Timothy and those whom he taught, but we cannot say with certainty.

      2. Some have connected these warnings with the rise of the Roman Catholic Church and the description of the man of lawlessness in 2Thessalonians 2:1-12.  However, we cannot confirm this by Scripture.

   2. Nevertheless, we can know for certain that these passages warn us about anyone who bears any of these characteristics or behaves in any of these ways in our generations.

2. Consider Paul's warning in 1Timothy 4:1-3:

   ¹But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, ²by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, ³men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

   1. This passage describes not only persons who fall away from the faith but also the process by which they fall.

      1. Generically, this process could apply to any apostasy, for anyone who falls away from faith in Christ listens to false and deceitful doctrines.

      2. An apostate Christian also "sears" his conscience in lies and hypocrisy.  In other words, he becomes insensitive to his conscience's prodding to turn back to the Lord by continually behaving contrary to what he knows is right.

   2. Verse 3 describes specific issues of the particular apostasy addressed here by Paul (forbidding marriage, abstaining from food).  Of course, not every apostasy involves these issues.

3. Also consider Paul's warning in 2Timothy 3:1-9:

   ¹But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  ²For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, ⁴treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.  ⁶For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, ⁷always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. ⁹But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.

   1. Difficult times are often caused by the ungodly behaviors of men.  Paul did not warn us of drought, famine, disease, or some natural disaster, but instead he warned of ungodly men.

   2. Such ungodly men are described in verses 2-5.

      1. It is not necessary for a person to possess every one of these traits in order for him to fit this description.  Any person who possesses even one of them will cause difficulty.

      2. The clear instruction for us regarding these men is to avoid them.  Let this be repeated: "Avoid such men as these."

   3. These men are to be avoided because of their evil influence.

      1. They have an especially strong effect on "weak women weighted down with sins..."  Such women are easily captivated by evil men.

      2. The instruction to avoid such men is not a prohibition against engaging them for rebuke and correction, but rather it is a warning against falling under their evil influence. Certainly, we must actively try to save them, guard the truth, and preach the word of God (1Tim. 2:4; 2Tim. 1:14; 4:1-4).

   4. Such men will be limited in their progress, and eventually "their folly will be obvious to all."

      1. Paul compares them to Jannes and Jambres, who opposed Moses and failed.  Scripture does not tell us who these men were, but the Jews believed that they were the Egyptian magicians of Exodus 7:11-12.

      2. These men oppose the truth in their depravity, and eventually the truth about them will be evident to everyone.  They will succeed in their evil intentions to an extent, but they are ultimately bound for failure.

          

SOME OBVIOUS FOLLIES OF OUR TIME

1. Lately, the folly of ungodly men is becoming more and more obvious.

   1. Paul described the progress of these men in 2Timothy 3:13:

      But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

   2. As they have gotten worse, their folly has grown more extreme.  We are now seeing practices that some of us thought would never happen.

   3. The lines between good and evil are clearer than ever, and any so-called "gray areas" are disappearing.  There is a blessing in this, for the obvious folly of wicked men makes it easy to choose the side of God.

2. The latest state of their folly makes obvious what has been true from the beginning: these men are evil and wrong.  Consider a few specific issues.

   1. Abortion of unborn babies has always been wrong, but lately this folly is becoming more obvious.

      1. The Scripture against this wicked practice is more than abundant (Ex. 21:22-25; Deut. 12:31; Ps. 139:13-16; Prov. 6:17; 28:17; Jer. 20:17; Luke 1:15; Rom. 9:11-12; etc.).

      2. The recent video revelations of Planned Parenthood's practice of harvesting organs and tissue from the babies they kill for profit has shown how depraved this practice is. Hopefully, the knowledge of these atrocities will draw more attention and help stop them.

      3. The Planned Parenthood videos make obvious what has always been true.  Abortion is thoroughly evil and "brutal" (2Tim. 3:3), and those who provide abortions have proven to be "lovers of money" (2Tim. 3:2).  God's people must have nothing to do with practicing, promoting, supporting, or endorsing this folly and those who facilitate it.

   2. Homosexuality has always been wrong, but lately this folly is becoming more obvious.

      1. The Scripture against this wicked practice is abundant (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-27; 1Cor. 6:9-10; 1Tim. 1:8-11).

      2. The recent state marriage licensing for homosexuals has forced this folly on the whole nation. The homosexual agenda has advanced this sin beyond what most Christians thought possible.

      3. Licensing homosexuality as marriage has pushed the issue to an absurd level, but the truth about this sin remains unchanged. Homosexuality is an abomination, and God's people must have nothing to do with practicing, promoting, supporting, or endorsing this folly and those who facilitate it.

   3. Violence has always been wrong, but lately this folly is becoming more obvious.

      1. The Scripture against violence is abundant (Gen. 6:11, 13; 9:5-6; Ps. 11:5; Prov. 6:16-17; Matt. 5:21-22; 15:19).

      2. The recent rash of mass shootings in theaters, schools, and other places as well as the ongoing epidemic of murder in the cities dominates the news.  The lack of value for life is astounding, but it is no wonder considering how senseless killing has become a measure of manhood and a form of entertainment.

      3. The frequency and scale of violence in our nation cause us alarm, but we should have been alarmed long ago.  God's people should never have anything to do with practicing, promoting, supporting, or endorsing this folly and those who facilitate it.

          

CONCLUSION

1. As the folly of evil men becomes obvious to all, some will see the truth and turn away from their folly.  Others will deny the obvious and continue in their folly.

2. Eventually, every soul will recognize folly for what it is.  That may not be until the Lord comes and every knee bows before Him (Phil. 2:11), but it will happen.  "They will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all" (2Tim. 3:9).