2 Imothy 3

There is the choice from two collects today.  One prays that the Church will be steadfast in faith; the other prays that God will defend His Church from false teaching.  This morning I want to collate those prayers into words of St Paul when he wrote Timothy.

During the 1939 war there was a comedian named Rob Wilton who had a catch-phrase, ‘don’t you know there is a war on.’  Those words are what all Christians need to hear, and should remember and recognise, there is an intense anti=Christian attack, which we have to defend, from forces not only from the secular world with its actvists, but from within the Church, a false doctrine is being thrust on us which true Christians must be prepared to resist.

  There is now a spiritual war going on. We are living in a time when our faith is under sustained attack, so in the words of the collect, ‘we must be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel, and steadfast in faith and active service.’ And in the words of the other collect,’ Lord God defend your Church from false teaching.’

First then, the need for being steadfast in the faith.

I watch American news broadcasts, and see the American people are both stunned and amazed at how we in this country, have let our Christian faith be attacked and diminished.  Something many of us wonder at. 

On the main services in the United States, the Church services are all solidly biblical with the Pastors devoid of the robes our Ministers have.  A Bible is very apparent, often held in the hand. How wonderful to see the Bible given its due authority. What is the purpose of a Christian service, unless the Bible is given its true place.

One of the favourite pastimes of our entertainment industry is ridiculing Christians. On TV, Christians are portrayed as gullible, and somehow lacking in common sense. There has always been hostility toward Christians, but today it is open season.  TV ministers appear to be shallow and superficial. And this very perception, real or not, has given ample ammunition to the detractors of Christianity. It is most noticeable, that these people never have the courage to mock Islam.

Any expression of  Christianity, by word, deed or symbol can lead to suspension or dismissal from employment, again something which does not apply to other faiths.

 Far more serious, is the legislation that the government has introduced which is distinctly anti-Christian.  Churches and Church organisations no longer have freedom to act in accordance with their beliefs, but are forced to employ people who are clearly unsuitable, because their lifestyle is blatantly contradictory to Biblical teaching.

 In addition, we are not expected to suggest our belief and standard of morality are more worthy.  Indeed, some verses from the Bible could put us under threat of prosecution if forcibly preached upon.

 You can realise how the fundamental beliefs of Christianity are being eroded, and there are undisguised attempts to force our faith into a closed minority sect.  Every Christian is required to fight this spiritual attack on our faith.

 Paul was writing to Timothy, a young man who Paul hoped would take over from him and maintain the faith in those early days.  Timothy was a timid man, and like many in today’s world,was put under enormous pressure from non-believers.  We all have to keep on pursuing our faith, not content to think we are all safe and have all we need.  If you just coast along, and let down your guard, you may fall into their trap. 

 Secondly, let us look at false teaching.

In addition to these direct attacks from outside, we are facing problems from within the Church, from those who preach a different and false gospel from that laid down in Scripture.  There are those who have their own agenda, motivated by a desire to promote a moral lifestyle which is acceptable to modern society, but which does not accord with Scripture.

However convenient and popular same sex marriage is, to people and some of the bishops, it is not to God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who have created marriage, the bedrock of society, to be only between a man and a woman.

 Sometimes we hear a suggestion, which I accept is made as an attempt to cause people to attend Church services, but unfortunately that put forward is as ridiculous as it is unsuitable.  For instance, have coffee services in which people sit at tables and have coffee as part of the service. The minute coffee is withdrawn, is when the people leave.

There are others it would be embarrassing to mention. 

It was a similar situation, as when the Pope condemned people living together outside marriage.  Whilst we recognise it is now a fact of life, any Church which preached that would soon empty.

Today, worship services do not always have the fervour and passion that once was held; people are drawn away from belief in judgement, such a major doctrine of the Bible.  We need to return to the Scripture, with eyes opened afresh, to learn the doctrine of eternal life and salvation. 

Paul, writing to Timothy, said, ‘ a time would come when people would not want to listen to sound teaching, but having itching ears, would find teachers ready to suit their own likings.

Surely that is descriptive of our own day. It indicates a time when people will forsake what is commonly called ‘a Christian consensus,’ an undergirding of the institutions of social life by Christian principles, and substitute others. This is the time in which we live.

Paul is referring to a godless world, a life centred on self and what’s in it for me approach.  As we see crime and lawlessness increase, rebellion against authority, many people wonder what is going wrong with our country.

Some of us would say when the liberal minded educators, were allowed unlimited freedom, to take Christianity out of education and supplant it with freedom of expression.

Sound teaching, is that which leads to health and wholeness of spirit, soul and body; teaching that permits human beings to live at peace, to develop themselves and enjoy their lives. But, Paul says, men and women will turn away from that and refuse to hear it.

They will do this, because truth requires people to abandon passions, which they do not like to do; and submit to the authority of God. They turn away from the truth, they will not even give it a hearing. It is not that they will listen to the truth and then decide whether it is right or wrong; no, they do not even want to hear it. They do not want you to say anything in this direction, and they resist, sometimes openly, sometimes with subtle influences, every attempt to introduce the truth into any situation.

Then, since they will not listen to teachers of truth, as the apostle says, they will look for others who will teach them what they want to hear. There is a disease, widespread in our day, called "itching ear disease," which Paul mentions. This is an ear that wants to hear a particular line of things, an ear that wants to be entertained, an ear that is always looking for something new, an ear that wants constant affirmation and does not want to hear anything negative or contradictory.

People who have this disease, look for teachers who will scratch that itch; and the result, the apostle says, is that they "wander into myths."

What do these teachers, which such people accumulate in great numbers teach? They cannot teach the truth because the truth is unacceptable, so they teach attractive lies, fantasies for the most part, speculative philosophies, that emerge from the minds of men which have no basis in fact or history.

A matter of greatest concern, is that our children are being denied Christian teaching.  All other faiths, educate their children in their own faith, only Christian children are missing out.  Children are a trust from God and belong to Him not the state. Yet the state interferes so much.  All of us, parents, grandparents, godparents have a responsibility for them. 

But, schoolteachers have a tremendous influence on them. And in consideration of the views of some teachers, parents need to be so watchful.  They need to examine the children’s work, and find out what is being taught. 

I understand, many teachers do not even believe in God, or have no Christian belief, and in some schools children are being taught that all religions are the same.  No longer are assemblies held, sometimes said to be because of shortage of time, yet there seems plenty of time for explicit sexual instruction.

Gone are the days, when parents as a matter of course, would send their children to Sunday school and/or read and tell them about Jesus and bible stories.  Consequently, the children are growing up without any Christian knowledge, and are then unable to pass it on to their children.

We have been saturated by a world that is committed to falsehood. That is why, as Paul sets forth here, we must increasingly proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus. I understand the feelings of frustration, that come when we see all that is dear and precious in humanity being destroyed by these lies. The apostle reminds us, that the most effective thing is, announce the truth, tell of reality, make it clear, spread the word. and declare that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You and I are called to advance that work. Do not let anybody tell you that your life as a Christian does not count. It counts tremendously. It is the most significant thing taking place on this earth today, Glory in what God has called you to do, and be faithful to his command.

May God bless you and may God's Holy Name be forever glorified