WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:07.200 Well in 2023, a uh church in Firth, Germany hosted an experimental worship service. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:14.080 Now, when I say that uh word experimental, many many of you out there might become skeptics and you say, What does that mean? 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.160 Uh what is this experiment? 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:22.960 Well, the entire worship service from start to finish was planned and performed by artificial intelligence. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.800 The sermon was written by ChatGPT and delivered through an avatar on the screen above the altar. 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.039 You can see what it looked like here. 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:38.799 The liturgy, or the order of service, was AI constructed, although a human had to press pause when the people responded. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:47.840 The service drew hundreds of people who, when surveyed afterwards, reported that the service was both meaningful and impactful. 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:51.359 Now you might be asking yourself, well, why would a church do this? 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:57.119 Well, the theologians who organized the experiment stated their goal up front. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:02.159 They said, we wanted to explore whether AI could perform the functions of religion. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:06.560 And their conclusion after the experiment was done was that it could. 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:15.920 By every measurable account, the words, the structure, the emotional cadence, the pastoral tone, the average congregant could not discern a difference. 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:19.359 And they felt they had an encounter with the living God. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.040 So, MBC, what do we do with this? 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:28.319 Was this a real experience with God or a counterfeit simulation? 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.560 Now, the debate over AI use and ministry is raging right now. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:38.079 And I would say using AI for brainstorming ideas or administrative efficiency, that's one thing. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:43.040 But some practices, like the one we just heard, are extremely concerning. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:44.640 In fact, I would go even further. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:45.680 There's others, like St. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:52.400 Peter's Chapel in Switzerland, who recently installed an AI Jesus avatar in their confessional booth. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:58.799 It was another experiment, but the theologian who did that one was shocked how seriously people took the experience. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:03.280 Some even thanked the chatbot on the way out for their time. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:08.400 Now, this is a current issue of our day, but it's one we need to think about deeply. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:10.879 Can an algorithm be your pastor? 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:14.639 Or does it merely give the appearance of knowing you? 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:20.560 Well, I think AI can have a place and maybe be a helpful tool if used wisely. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:26.479 Large language models lack what Paul calls the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:32.240 It can imitate the words, but it lacks the spiritual power that only comes from God Himself. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:41.680 And so Paul warns in 2 Timothy 3.5, which we just read, that some things have an appearance of godliness, but deny its power. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:46.319 And so in our text today, Paul asks a question no AI can answer. 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:49.280 Is your faith real or counterfeit? 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:54.159 So turn with me to 2 Timothy 3, verses 1 to 15. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:56.960 2 Timothy 3, 1 through 15. 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:01.759 Now, AI is a new, complicated, and potentially dangerous technology. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.960 We must be extremely discerning in our use of it. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:10.479 But this illustration shows how complex and unnerving our culture has become. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:12.000 Can you sense that? 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:15.439 See, when Paul wrote to Timothy, AI did not exist. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:21.520 The first century church had its challenges, just as this 21st century church does. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:24.080 And so he begins chapter 3 this way. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:29.840 He says, But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.240 Now last week, Pastor Dave covered the important topic of sexual temptation. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.599 Make sure you go back and watch that message if you missed it. 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:50.319 The week before, we covered the end of 2 Timothy chapter 2, and Paul concluded that chapter discussing that some people in the church have been ensnared by the devil, and we need to bring them back. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.280 And he continues that theme in chapter 3. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:55.919 Understand this, that's a deliberate phrase. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:57.680 It's an intention grabber. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.719 Paul is saying, listen up, listen to what I'm about to say. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.199 In other words, listen carefully. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.000 The last days will bring difficulty. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.039 Now, he's calling Timothy to understand the time, the moment that he's living in. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:13.280 Paul is about to die, as we've heard. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:18.319 Christians in the Roman Empire are undergoing severe persecution. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:21.519 They're being burnt alive, fed to wild animals. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:23.279 It was horrific. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:30.800 Now, some might assume the free, whenever the phrase the last days is used, it speaks to a time future to us. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:38.079 But biblically speaking, the last days refer to the entire time from Jesus' resurrection until his second coming. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:46.959 And while I do think there will be an intensification prior to Jesus' return, the phrase applies to Timothy's time as well as ours. 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.759 What will happen in these last days? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.319 They will be difficult, he says. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.920 And if you look in the original, that's a very strong word. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:00.959 In the classical Greek, it was specifically used to describe savage animals. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:15.199 The word appears twice in the New Testament here and in Matthew chapter 8, where Jesus describes the Gadderene demoniacs, and those were men so violent, so out of control, so dangerous that no one could pass through their region. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:18.959 How many of you have been to the zoo recently? 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:20.720 Alright, a few hands. 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:22.319 My kids love the zoo. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:22.639 Right? 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:24.160 The Philadelphia Zoo is great. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:26.639 The Bronx Zoo, if you haven't been there, it's enormous. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:32.560 And the favorite exhibits are the big cats, the lions and the tigers and the leopards. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.759 Now, most of the time, if you've been, those cats are asleep. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:37.199 Not very menacing. 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:43.199 But if you're fortunate, maybe you'll see them prowling around, staring you down through the glass. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:48.399 At the Bronx Zoo, the lions are so far away, there's a ditch in between you and them. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:49.199 Why? 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:51.839 Because they are dangerous and savage. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.480 You don't want to be in the cage with the lions. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.279 But what happens if you are? 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:58.959 How would you live? 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:03.600 Timothy is living in savage times and his faith will be tested. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:07.920 Now, Paul is saying that this is not some distant time for Timothy. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.240 This is what he's been given right now. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.439 In other words, if his faith is not real, if it is counterfeit, he will not remain faithful to the end. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:21.519 So does anybody think we're living in savage times today? 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:23.199 Here's a couple examples. 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:25.360 The American family is in danger. 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:28.399 Marriage and birth rates have been declining. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.439 We may not have anybody to pass the faith on to. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:33.680 The mind is being weaponized. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:41.120 The rise of AI that I just mentioned, reality itself is being questioned, and absolute truth is contested at every corner. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.279 And the church is under attack both within and without. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:56.800 While there are signs of revival, Pew Research still shows a 12-point decline in the number of Americans who identified as Christians between 2011 and 2023. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:05.680 The Barna Research Group consistently finds that only 10% of people who call themselves Christians hold a true biblical worldview. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:09.680 I would submit we're living in the last days. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:11.519 They are savage times. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:17.519 And the question before us is this how do you know if your faith is real or counterfeit? 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:21.279 And that's the topic of 2 Timothy 3, 1 to 15. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:23.680 Paul's not just addressing Timothy here. 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:25.680 His principles are timeless. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.759 They speak to the first century church and the 21st century one. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.439 So how do you know if your faith is real in these savage times? 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:39.040 Well, Paul says that real faith, you can tell it from its counterfeit in three ways. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:41.360 Number one, in what it loves. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:46.160 Number two, in what it seeks, and third, in what it costs. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:49.279 So let me pray, and then we'll look at each of those in turn. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:54.240 Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for your goodness and your grace and your mercy. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:00.879 Lord, I thank you for each person who is here, who's here in person, who may be watching, who may be listening later on. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.279 Lord, I ask that you would speak to our hearts. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:10.160 Holy Spirit, would you both confront us, challenge us, as well as motivate us to live for you? 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:16.240 That you would get the glory, that people would see you in the way that we live and in what we love, Lord God. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:19.040 Help us to love you above all things. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:22.160 And speak to us now in Jesus' name. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.120 Amen. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:24.079 Amen. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.759 So first, you know real faith by what it loves. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:31.040 Now I want you to think for a moment about what you love, right? 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.639 Make a list in your head. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:34.000 Everybody loves something, right? 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.639 For most of us, we have people that we love. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:40.159 That could be a family member, a friend, maybe even a coworker, right? 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:42.639 Some of us have activities that we love. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.000 That could be camping or pickleball or shopping. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.480 Some of us love those things too much. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:54.399 You might love food or movies or learning or, you know, the list can go on and on and on. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:55.840 What do you love? 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:03.679 Now I want you to notice that everything on the list that I just gave you requires potentially time. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:05.039 It requires money. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.600 It probably requires attention. 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:11.039 See, when you love something, it it consumes you. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:17.919 This is good when your love is rightly ordered, but if if your loves become disordered, it's a problem. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:21.440 So look at what Paul says in verses 1 and 2. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:22.159 He continues. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:26.559 He says, but understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:26.960 Why? 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.679 For people will be lovers of self. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:31.759 Lovers of self. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:34.000 Now we already discussed the first part of this verse. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:42.960 The days will be hard, they'll require our attention, but now Paul turns his focus toward examples of the difficult days, and he starts with us. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:49.279 Now, as you read on, I want you to take note of something really important contextually for these verses. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.679 Many people mistakenly read these verses and say that, oh yes, in the last days, the world's gonna be evil. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.919 Everybody in the world is terrible, I know. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.039 I have to watch out for them. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:00.559 It's gonna be dark. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:08.639 And that may be true for certain, but in these verses, Paul is not talking about the world out there. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:12.080 He's talking about those inside the church. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:22.879 And so instead of focusing on the people that are out there, the world that's out there, these verses should be read and how the world's influence has made its way in here and into your heart. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:25.120 What is the first piece of evidence? 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.919 He says, people will be lovers of self. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:30.879 Now you might say, well, what is wrong with that? 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:32.720 What's wrong with loving yourself? 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:34.399 I thought that was a virtue. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:37.840 After all, 13 years ago, Queen Elsa told me to let it go. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:39.200 And I mean, come on. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.759 What does she sing on the mountaintop? 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:44.080 It's time to see what I can do. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:46.480 I gotta test my limits, I gotta break through. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.639 No right, no wrong, no rules for me. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:49.919 I'm free. 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:51.279 It's about me. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.120 Now that song captures a modern cultural sentiment. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:56.799 Love yourself first. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:58.480 You are enough. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:10:59.840 What did Oprah say? 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:01.360 You be you, right? 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:07.840 Now here's a smattering of sayings from various self-love quote-unquote blogs. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:09.279 Put yourself first. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.320 Self-love is not selfish at all. 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:16.159 Be a master of loving yourself, and people will follow. 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:20.320 You are powerful, provided you know how powerful you are. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.240 Do you know how powerful you are? 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:28.799 Now, I don't want to come across as deriding the sentiments here because I do believe it's important to care for yourself when you need it. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:37.120 There's a reason they tell you to put your mask on first on the airplane when it gets decompressed because you can't help others if you don't. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:45.120 But I also want you to recognize that the criticism I'm offering is counterintuitive to the modern American ear. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:50.159 So even now, some of you are wondering, well, is this true, Pastor Bob? 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:50.639 Right? 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:54.320 Is love of self really a bad thing? 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.519 I mean, if Paul is just, his advice is antiquated. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:09.840 And to that objection, here's what I would just say: that if you read the Bible, you read the whole Bible, and you look at the different characters and the admonitions and the things that are in there, you will not find people struggling to love themselves. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:17.360 The Bible is full of people who love themselves, who live however they want, right? 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:20.480 And what they do is they wind up forgetting God. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:26.639 Now, in the Bible and in real life, people don't struggle to love and live for themselves. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:29.519 What we struggle is to live for and love God. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:32.879 That is what you see in Scripture. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:38.080 Now, how many of us can honestly raise our hands and say, I love God more than myself? 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:44.720 See, God calls us to live a life of self-giving love, of sacrifice. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.720 Yes, be confident in who God created you to be. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:51.840 But you are not the center of the world. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:54.799 You are not the protagonist of the story. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:56.240 Jesus is. 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:00.240 We must love Him and worship Him above all else. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:03.440 And when we do, that's when everything else falls into place. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.679 When we don't, the fruit of disordered love manifests itself. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.120 So Paul continues. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:10.879 People will be lovers of self. 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:32.720 Now listen, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with inflammation of conceit. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.039 Man, I'm out of breath. 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:36.399 Just go through that list. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:42.000 But notice that there's a reason that love of self heads the list. 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:47.279 Because everything that follows is the fruit of this disordered self-love. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:52.000 So if you look at this list, ask yourself: do I display any of these characteristics? 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.519 Or would I want to be friends with somebody who displayed these characteristics? 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:01.039 I won't go through them all, but let me just highlight a few. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:02.559 Lovers of money. 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:05.840 Now, money is a part of life. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:11.360 Indeed, some of us have a God-given skill set that helps us make money. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:17.440 But love of money is somebody who hoards wealth and harms people to achieve it. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:18.720 Is that you? 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.600 Disobedient to their parents. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:24.399 Now, kids, I'll just pick on you for just a second here. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:30.799 I know, I know everybody in this room and those watching at home, they are they obey their parents all the time, right? 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:35.279 Nobody gives their parents gray hairs or talks back to them, right? 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:36.879 We love Jesus at NBC. 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.799 This is not nobody here in the room, okay. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:40.559 But but let's just say you did. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:44.639 Let's just what would the root of that motivation be? 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.679 Could it be selfish desire? 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.519 Unappeasable. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:50.639 What does that mean? 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:53.120 We don't talk about the unappeasable that often. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.519 What what is he getting at here? 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:59.360 It refers to an unwillingness to be reconciled with others. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:01.200 It's my way or the highway. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:10.480 And in fact, there may be a lack of peace between you and others, and no matter how hard others try to make peace with you, you cannot be appeased. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.559 Does that describe anybody? 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:14.559 Why can't you be appeased? 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:17.840 Now I can go on and on and on, but you you see you see the list up here. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:19.120 You get you get the point. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:24.000 Paul bookends this section with a convicting statement in verse 5. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:33.279 So he comes, he concludes with, We are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.200 He says, Avoid such people. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:37.039 Wow. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.279 All right, Paul, calm down. 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:42.879 Paul, Paul and his lists, man, he's always gonna get you. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:49.840 Now the list began with a love of self, but see, it ends with a love of pleasure, and they're two sides of the same coin. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:54.320 As Martin Luther put it, it's a love that's curved inward towards us. 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:58.080 But I want you to notice that there's an exchange happening here. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.600 Rather than loving God, you love pleasuring yourself. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.919 It's a disordered love. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.000 Now, the middle clause in the verse is extremely convicting. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:11.440 He says, people who love themselves rather than God can have a what? 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.639 Can have an appearance of godliness. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:20.639 And when you focus on yourself and take matters into your own hands, you deny the power of the gospel. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:22.399 You become your own savior. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:24.639 And he says, you should be avoided. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:26.720 I'll come back to that in just a moment. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:31.840 But I want you to sit for a second with the phrase appearance of godliness. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.440 What does that mean? 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:35.360 What does that look like? 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:42.320 And does anybody sitting here today or listening have an appearance of godliness and they're not what they seem? 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:46.559 See, the phrase is pointing out something that does not reflect reality. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.000 It's a facade, it's artificial, it's it's a costume, if you will. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:57.919 Much like our AI pastor illustration at the beginning, it's a godliness with no real power. 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:03.120 Now I know it's May, but um, let's let's just pretend it's it's October. 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:05.759 It's how well actually it kind of feels like October outside. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:08.799 Uh it's a Halloween, let's pretend it's Halloween for a moment. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:11.519 How many of you get dressed up in costumes for Halloween? 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:12.480 All right, some of you? 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:13.440 Okay, good. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:18.240 Now, usually those costumes don't reflect your true self. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.160 Or maybe they do, I don't know. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:26.160 But even if you wore, let me just say, even if you wore Superman's cape, gentlemen, you can't fly. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:27.759 Don't try it. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:35.039 Ladies, you can don Wonder Woman's tiara, but I don't think the lasso of truth will work on the average person. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:37.279 Or maybe it will, I don't know. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:39.039 Maybe maybe you do have a superpower. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:50.720 See, my point is, it's easy to wear a costume, especially a church, that we craft an appearance of something we are not because we think we're supposed to act a certain way. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:55.359 And the appearance of godliness does have an incentive. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:18:02.640 So you might think if I if I appear godly, I can gain power, I can gain influence in the church if I wear the right costume. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:09.920 You can look like Bible man, but your heart posture must match your head knowledge. 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.599 So ask yourself: am I wearing a spiritual costume? 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:17.359 Do I have an appearance of godliness? 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:22.160 Now, Paul was confronting the false teachers of his day who did this very thing. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:24.319 But it happens all the time in the church. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:38.319 See, my heart breaks every time I hear of church leaders and pastors who are convicted of crimes or whatever it is, that they're wearing a costume, they're living out an appearance, but they're denying the power of the gospel in their lives. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:45.039 So, church, if you if you want the power of the gospel to heal and convict you, you have to be honest about who you are. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:46.480 You have to confess your sin. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:52.319 You have to repent of your self-sufficiency, and you have to trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:54.319 That's what Paul's getting at here. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:57.920 Real faith is known by what it loves. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:02.799 You will love yourself or you will love Jesus, and it will be evident to all. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.319 Who do you love? 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:08.799 Now, before I move on, let me talk about Paul's final command. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:10.799 Avoid such people. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:13.599 Is this an average churchgoer? 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:19.279 Well, in Paul's context, he's specifically talking about these false teachers he's been combating. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.480 They are people who obtained religious credentials. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:33.759 They appeared legitimate, but they denied the gospel and were just in it for their own gain, whether that was financial or fame or both, or both were selfish. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:40.400 I think the proper application for this section is to ask, can I recognize a counterfeit gospel? 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:43.599 Or put another way, can you see the crazies out there? 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:54.240 Like we live in a time of deep fake AI videos or nonstop social media posts that look real, but you have to discern fact from fiction. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.200 What we need is more Bible knowledge and wisdom. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:03.920 Because not everything you see, counter to popular belief on social media or the internet, is in fact true or real. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:08.640 Can you tell the difference between a true gospel teacher and a false one? 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:14.400 There's a Bible teacher named Mike Winger who runs a ministry called the Bible Thinker. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:16.160 He's got really great videos. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:19.119 You can check him out at BibleTinker.org. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.920 Recently, he felt called to expose false teaching in a particular movement. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:31.599 A recent social media post had him write, I exposed a lot of bad guys today, and I'm asking for prayer related to that. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:38.000 See, when you recognize somebody teaching a counterfeit gospel, Paul says you have to mark and avoid. 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:45.119 But it's also worth clarifying that when Paul says avoid such people, he's not telling us to never engage people like this. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:51.839 Rather, he's saying we should avoid prolonged intimate association with those who peddle a false gospel. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:56.559 Confronting heresy is good, but we must avoid its influence in our lives. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:00.640 So how do you know if your faith is real or counterfeit? 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.559 Examine what you love. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:06.640 But second, real faith is known by what it seeks. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:08.319 By what it seeks. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:09.920 What do you seek? 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:19.599 See, if verses 1 to 5 focused on our loves, our heart motivations, verses 6 to 9 speak to our actions when our loves are disordered. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.519 So he continues in verse 6. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:22.319 Listen. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:38.880 For among them, these false teachers, are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.480 And you're saying, Paul, my goodness, what are you talking about? 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:45.920 Paul's always got these crazy things he's saying. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:50.079 Now remember, Paul is talking here about people who need to be avoided. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:54.559 And now he's getting specific about their actions and why they're untrustworthy. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:57.039 And he makes a pretty, pretty strong accusation here. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.680 These people creep into households and capture weak. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.640 Women. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.920 These are the original creepers, my friends, right here. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:08.960 Now, before your mind starts to run wild, let's discuss what he means. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:15.440 First, he is describing, indeed, predatory behavior on the part of these false teachers. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:30.400 They are systematically targeting immature households, people who have been captured by their youthful passions that he was talking about in chapter two, likely newer believers who have not fully left their life of sin. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:41.359 And make no mistake, the tactics of these false teachers are sinister, and they are done with the end goal of establishing a type of psychological dominance over their victims. 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.200 This is serious stuff. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:48.480 Now, the phrase weak women, you might say Paul, Paul and him talking about the women, right? 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.240 Weak women, it's not meant to target women specifically. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:23:01.039 Rather, these are women in the context of Ephesus who are spiritually stunted, captured by the local gods of the area. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:07.200 They are not strong, godly women who can discern this false teaching from a mile away. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:15.599 And it's also plausible that these women came from influential families that these false teachers were trying to ingratiate themselves towards. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:23.759 So when he says these women are burdened with sin, it means their desires were controlling them rather than the other way around. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:30.640 In other words, the false teachers chose them because they thought they were easy to win over with their words. 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:34.640 Now, verse 7 speaks to their spiritual immaturity further. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:38.319 He says, These women were always learning and never arriving at the truth. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.400 Now you might say, Pastor Bob, well, isn't learning a good thing? 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.839 I thought I was supposed to be a lifelong learner. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:51.440 And yes, I am a big proponent of lifelong learning, but that is not what Paul's talking about here. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:59.119 These women were intellectually curious, but they never reached a genuine understanding of Christ or the gospel. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:07.839 So people who are curious in this way will often entertain all types of beliefs, but never commit to understanding the truth. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:12.079 And so that's why I say real faith is known by what it seeks. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:15.599 Because we can seek all types of things, right? 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:20.960 We can keep asking questions, but at some point we need to make a decision. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:26.319 See, as a pastor, I've met many people over the years who are exploring faith. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.640 Very curious people, yes. 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:34.400 They may attend Bible studies, they may meet for coffee or dinner and ask questions about Jesus. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:38.880 But some of those people will get stuck in a cycle of questions. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.799 Have you met with or witnessed to somebody like this? 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:55.200 The questions aren't bad, they're good, they're good questions, but ultimately the issue is about a resistance to surrender to acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:55.839 Why? 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:59.519 Because it means that their lives then will radically change. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:02.720 They still want to functionally be the God of their life. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:10.960 And the false doctrine will lead to a sinful behavior because they've not given Jesus authority in their life, even though he has it already. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:16.480 So if you know somebody like that, don't be afraid to challenge them with the gospel and call them to repentance. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:23.039 Paul's main concern here is spiritual stagnation that comes from seeking the wrong thing. 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:27.200 And now he gives an illustration of that in verse 8 and 9. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:38.079 He says, Just as Jonas and Jambray oppose Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:46.000 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:51.759 Now again, some of you are saying, here goes Paul, he's naming names. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.680 Have you been reading 2 Timothy? 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:58.319 Paul is calling out people by name over and over and over again. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:01.599 I mean, and to be fair, this guy's about to die. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:03.279 He's like, all right, I'm done with it. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:05.200 No, the filter is off, okay? 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:09.039 He's like uh George Costanz's dad, Frank, in his festival celebration. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:10.640 He's airing the grievances. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:12.720 I got a lot of problems with you people. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:17.200 Now you might ask, well, who in the world are Jonas and Jambray? 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.119 Have you ever heard of these people? 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:20.799 When did they oppose Moses? 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:24.160 In fact, go back and read the Exodus account, Exodus 7. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:25.119 Are they there? 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:27.599 Spoiler alert, they're not. 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:28.960 They're not in there. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:38.319 These names come from Jewish tradition that says these men were the chief Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses and Aaron when they went before Pharaoh. 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.759 But the Old Testament does not record their names in Exodus 7. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:48.160 So if you'll remember, these magicians were said to match Moses' miracles. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.559 They could even change water into blood. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:52.480 They brought the frogs, right? 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:55.039 But they couldn't duplicate things like the plagues. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:27:03.279 And they're not mentioned in the Old Testament, but the Jewish believers at the time of Paul would very much have known the tradition and who these people were. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:06.799 So why does Paul name these two men? 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:12.160 Well, first, they were counterfeits, just like the false teachers of his day. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:15.839 Second, they opposed the power of God through Moses. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:21.599 Paul includes them to show that the true gospel is more powerful than a false one. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.440 Nothing can stand in its way. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:26.880 And the parallel structure here matters immensely. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:30.240 Paul has been exposing these false teachers in the church. 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:31.920 He says, have nothing to do with them. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:37.359 And then he offers this comparison with these two Egyptian magicians who opposed the people of God. 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:44.640 Paul says, just like them, the current false teachers oppose the truth, they're corrupted in mind, they're disqualified. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.000 Don't seek them. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:54.000 And if you cannot see it yet, the followers of these two men will eventually be exposed as believing in folly. 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:57.519 Now, this middle section, I will admit, is very hard-hitting. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:02.160 Paul is offering strong evidence and a strong warning for us. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:10.960 He's saying there are false teachers in the church and within the culture, and we need to be more discerning than these women of Ephesus he was talking about. 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:14.559 We have to learn to mark and avoid the false teachers. 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:19.200 So to give you an illustration, let me just say this. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:26.480 You know, as I drive around the area, I periodically see storefronts advertising psychics who can read tarot cards. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:27.279 Have you seen these? 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:27.680