Grace Energized Men are Sound in Love (23 of 31)
Series: Grace-Energized Men
John Barnett
May 3, 2008
As we open to Matthew 24, Jesus sat down near the end of His earthly ministry and painted a vivid picture of what the world would look like as it neared its final days. We have studied that message called the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 many times. But this morning I would like you to look at just two verses in that chapter with me-v. 11-12.
Please open there with me and follow along as I read them:
Matthew 24:11-12 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. NKJV
Jesus warned that as the end of days approaches, false doctrine would increase and that real love would decrease. The word "grow cold" is not an adjective describing a condition, it is a primary verb describing that the active display of love will be radically decreased. Repeat that with me, we are in a world where:
False doctrine will what? INCREASE (right); and where
True love would what? DECREASE.
So the church nearing the end of the age is faced with increasing false doctrine and decreasing genuine love.
False Doctrines Rising and
Genuine Love Waning
Of course, to prepare for such an onslaught facing Christ's church, God had a plan. That plan is our study this morning, and it is found in Titus 2:2. Look closely at the fourth and fifth of the qualities that God wanted to be lived out in the godly older men.
Titus 2:2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; NKJV
Notice the proximity of "sound faith" (vs. the false doctrine) and "sound love" (vs. the defective love) in this passage. Paul was addressing a current and future need in the church.
God wants His love lived out in Christ's church throughout all of its history. He wants each member of Christ's family to see soundness of love in action-starting with the older, godly men who ...
Series: Grace-Energized Men
John Barnett
May 3, 2008
As we open to Matthew 24, Jesus sat down near the end of His earthly ministry and painted a vivid picture of what the world would look like as it neared its final days. We have studied that message called the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 many times. But this morning I would like you to look at just two verses in that chapter with me-v. 11-12.
Please open there with me and follow along as I read them:
Matthew 24:11-12 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. NKJV
Jesus warned that as the end of days approaches, false doctrine would increase and that real love would decrease. The word "grow cold" is not an adjective describing a condition, it is a primary verb describing that the active display of love will be radically decreased. Repeat that with me, we are in a world where:
False doctrine will what? INCREASE (right); and where
True love would what? DECREASE.
So the church nearing the end of the age is faced with increasing false doctrine and decreasing genuine love.
False Doctrines Rising and
Genuine Love Waning
Of course, to prepare for such an onslaught facing Christ's church, God had a plan. That plan is our study this morning, and it is found in Titus 2:2. Look closely at the fourth and fifth of the qualities that God wanted to be lived out in the godly older men.
Titus 2:2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; NKJV
Notice the proximity of "sound faith" (vs. the false doctrine) and "sound love" (vs. the defective love) in this passage. Paul was addressing a current and future need in the church.
God wants His love lived out in Christ's church throughout all of its history. He wants each member of Christ's family to see soundness of love in action-starting with the older, godly men who ...
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