Second Timothy 3:1-5

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Robert B. ReichThe American Prospect

The great conflict of the 21st century will not be between the West and terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The true battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernists; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe their allegiance and identity to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is mere preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism itself is not the greatest danger we face.

Issue Date: 07.01.04 Quoted in National Review

Portrait of a Selfish

Generation

Vs. 2 “For people will be… lovers of

themselves”• Amplified: “people will be lovers

of self and [utterly] self-centered”

• The Message: “people are going to be self-absorbed”

Vs. 2 “For people will be… lovers of

money”• Message: “money-hungry”• It is selfish when we think the

only purpose of money is to acquire things for ourselves.

Vs. 2 “For people will be…boasters,

proud”• Boastful (pride expressing itself in words)• Proud (pride expressing itself in attitude)

– Haughty, disdainful of others– “Stuck up”

• This is selfish because it is motivated by making one’s self appear important and minimizing the importance of others.

Vs. 2 “For people will be…

blasphemers”• ESV: “abusive”• A related word refers to those

who blaspheme God, but this word refers to scoffing at and heaping scorn on other people.

• This is the selfish because it is attacking the value of other persons.

Vs. 2 “For people will be… disobedient to parents”• “contemptuous of parents”

• This is selfish because it is refusing to acknowledge the parents who gave us life, as if we owe no one our respect.

Vs. 2 “For people will be… unthankful”• Literally, “Without grace”• This person is selfish by

pretending to be self-sufficient, refusing to acknowledge the help received from others along the way.

Vs. 2 “For people will be… unholy”

• NLT: “They will consider nothing sacred”

• Without the common decency that even unbelievers have

• This is selfish in that the highest authority these people recognize is their own desires.

Vs. 3 “…unloving”

• Unloving– Literally: “Without natural family

affection”– ESV: “Heartless”

• These people are selfish in they are perfectly willing to meet their own needs at the expense of those they should be caring for.

Vs. 3 “unforgiving, slanderers”

• Irreconcilable– unbending, unforgiving,

unappeasable• This person is selfish in flatly

insisting on his own way without regard to others.

• Slanderers– NASB: “malicious gossips”– Related to a word for the devil and

the one from which we get diabolical• This person is selfish in his

willingness to destroy another person’s reputation to accomplish his own goals.

Vs. 3 “without self-control, brutal”• Without self-control

– Amplified: “loose in morals and conduct”

• Brutal– Without the slightest sensitivity nor

sympathy• Both too soft and too hard at the

same time: too soft on themselves (self-indulgent), and too hard on others.

• Selfish in that the only pleasure he cares about is his own and the only pain he can feel is his own.

Vs. 3 “without love for what is good”

• NAS: “Haters of good”• “There can come a time in a man's

life when the company of good people and the presence of good things is simply an embarrassment.” —William Barclay

• Selfish in that they resent the presence of anything that shows them up; they would rather good did not exist than to be made to look bad or feel guilty.

Vs. 4 “traitors”

• Numerous translations: “treacherous”

• Willing to betray their friends• Selfish in that they will stop at

nothing to get what they want

Vs. 4 “reckless”

• Headstrong, rash, driven by passion• Selfish in his unwillingness to

consider the consequences for himself or for others.

Vs. 4 “conceited”

• Amplified: “inflated with self-conceit”

• Message: “bloated windbags”• This person is selfish in that he

never bothers to consider the value or contributions of others in his life.

Vs. 4 “lovers of pleasure rather than

lovers of God”• Amplified: “[They will be] lovers of

sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God”

• Message: “addicted to lust, and allergic to God”

How do we STOP being so

Selfish?Luke 10 – a

story

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10

Featuring the art of Henry Martin

Luke 10:30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down

from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped

him of his clothing, wounded him, and

departed, leaving him half dead.

Luke10:31 Now by chance a certain priest

came down that road. And when he saw him, he

passed by on the other side.

Luke10:32 

Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at

the place, came and looked, and passed by on the

other side.

Luke 10:33 

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came

where he was. And when he saw him,

he had compassion.

Luke 10: 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn,

and took care of him.

Luke 10:35 

On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the

innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and

whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will

repay you.’

Luke 10

36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

How do we STOP being so

Selfish?Luke 9 – a

recipe

Luke 9:23-2623 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Desires

23.Then He said to

them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Rejecting the life based on self-interest & self-fulfillment.

Amplified: “disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own

interests”

Deny23.Then He said to them all,

“If anyone desires to come

after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow

Daily

23.Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow

Direction

23.Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.