| As American's living in the Twenty-first century, we | | | | and expand to reach across the world, and spread to |
| are exposed to a never-ending bombardment of | | | | the Church at large. |
| advertising. We see ads for a little of everything. | | | | The basis of this is that they themselves do not |
| Back when I was a child, and there used to be a | | | | endure sound doctrine, they do not accept the unerring |
| family television hour. That was when networks still | | | | word of God as practical for today's world. Why? Paul |
| understood that there was much to be gained from | | | | tells us. "...according to their own desires, because they |
| having what we now look back and nostalgically wish | | | | have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves |
| for, a time when there was a defined set of values. | | | | teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the |
| The good guys wore white hats, bad guys wore black | | | | truth, and be turned aside to fables." |
| hats, and the good guy would save the day, get the girl | | | | It is not because of a desire for truth that they search |
| and live happily ever after. | | | | for meaning, but to give justification for their desires. |
| The worst commercial we had to worry about was | | | | And because we have lost the ability to articulate our |
| the one for Ban Roll-on Deodorant, or Timex watches. | | | | faith, and give an apology or defense of what we |
| Nowadays, not only do we have to look out for ads | | | | believe and why, we lose ground to those who have |
| for beer and wine, but also articles of feminine hygiene; | | | | answers to questions that others have with a certainty |
| not only programs where there are no defined | | | | we fail to have. The word for learning to defend the |
| characters who are good and bad, but programs | | | | faith is Apologetics. We have friends who are being |
| where the bad guy is good, good guys are despised | | | | lead down a slippery slope because we don't have the |
| and religion is the last refuge of scoundrels and fools. | | | | ability to do what Paul asks. "Convince, rebuke, exhort, |
| Remember back in the eighties and early nineties | | | | with all longsuffering and teaching." |
| when we were told to watch out for the New Age | | | | In other words, be able to tell people in and outside of |
| Movement, and how it was going to take over | | | | church what you believe and why; correct a brother or |
| everything. Well, turns out that the New Age wasn't | | | | sister who is wandering from the historic truths of the |
| new, they didn't take over and the things we have to | | | | Christian Faith; encourage the brother or sister who is |
| worry about are the same ones that have been | | | | enduring the slings and arrows of the enemy; to have |
| plaguing the Church since the time of Paul. Well, | | | | patience with those who struggle with issues of faith, |
| actually since the time of Moses. (Exodus 32: 1-6) | | | | and be able to teach others. |
| God had just brought the Children of Israel from out of | | | | We forget that there are those who in times past to |
| the land of Egypt, passed them through the waters of | | | | the present day who have given their lives to |
| the Red Sea, fed them and gave them peace. Yet, | | | | preserve the Apostles Doctrine. From Peter, to Paul to |
| because they hadn't seen God's Man for a period of | | | | Anselm to Wickliffe, Hus, and Tyndale, there have |
| time, they were distracted and turned from the way | | | | been people who were willing to die rather than allow |
| that they knew was right, the way they had been | | | | the gospel to be undefended. In the Book of Hebrews, |
| brought up in, the faith passed down to them from | | | | the writer takes us through the faith hall of fame to |
| their parents and their parents parents. | | | | show us what the Heroes of the Faith would endure |
| And just like the Children of Israel, we today have a | | | | for the truth. (Heb 11: 33-40) |
| generation, which has been drawn far a field from the | | | | All though history there have been those who have |
| faith delivered "Once for all unto the Saints". And like | | | | been willing to die rather than compromise the truth. |
| them they have been drawn away from the truth to | | | | From Peter and Paul, to Stephen and Silas, Anselm, |
| idols. | | | | Wickliffe, Hus and Tyndale, the Church has not lacked |
| Idols are not necessarily objects or even thought of as | | | | examples of those who would endure all to deliver |
| "idols" by their worshippers. The idols of today are | | | | pure doctrine. |
| many and often have no quote unquote "religious | | | | It is as the Catholic writer, G.K. Chesterton said: "When |
| aspect". In fact, many of the biggest idol worshippers | | | | we cease to worship God, we don't worship nothing, |
| today claim that they are not "Believers" in anything. | | | | we worship anything." |
| They have no set of beliefs, no creed, no statement | | | | We must give greater emphasis on being able to |
| of faith and do not meet in a building. They are all | | | | show others that our faith is based upon historical |
| around us, we see them day-by-day. | | | | truths that have been documented even by the |
| They are the friends of our children, our co-workers | | | | enemies of the Gospel. |
| and our relatives. They are the people who live in our | | | | We must be able to articulate the claims of our faith, |
| homes and sometimes the people who come to our | | | | to "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once |
| churches. They are all around us, every day of our | | | | for all delivered unto the saints. But you, beloved, |
| lives. And like Moses, it is our task to intercede for | | | | remember the words which were spoken before by |
| them to God, to snatch them from the jaws of the | | | | the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told |
| enemy. | | | | you there would be mockers in the last days who |
| This is what our passage today speaks of. Paul is | | | | would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. |
| here speaking to the Church in general and Timothy, | | | | These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not |
| his son in the faith specifically. Because of this, take | | | | having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves |
| these words as if God was speaking directly to you | | | | upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, |
| with them. | | | | keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the |
| Preach the word! Because the time is now! Even as | | | | mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Now |
| we here sit, the Episcopal Church is about to split over | | | | unto him who is able to keep us from falling and |
| an issue that should have no basis for discussion. Even | | | | present us faultless before the presence of his glory |
| though it is occurring in the American version of the | | | | with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is |
| Anglican Church, the affects of the decision that will be | | | | wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power both |
| reached will have an affect upon wider Anglican body | | | | now and forever. Amen. |