Danger! Beware of Your Church!
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
II Timothy 3:1
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
II Timothy 4:4
You are in danger. We are in the last days Paul warned about. There are perils for all Christians. You are at risk. The threats are very different from what you think.
Forget the dangers the world warns you about, for those threats are nothing in comparison to this warning from the apostle Paul. They warn about global warming, North Korea, asteroids, Ebola, communism, pollution, famine in Africa, and so forth.
The grave danger for your soul and those of your family is the rise of a carnal, compromising, effeminate, and worldly brand of Christianity. Prosperity preachers like Joel Osteen are perfect illustrations of it. His religion is not Bible Christianity.
Christians will lose the conviction and godliness of previous generations. They will be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (3:4). They will have a form of godliness, but they will not submit to God’s authority to change their lives (3:5).
Churches will replace Bible preaching with storytelling, praise bands, and light and smoke shows like a nightclub (4:3-4). These churches will not require repentance like the apostles, changed lives by their members, or precise doctrine for beliefs.
Paul listed traits that would characterize these worldly Christians and churches.
| Self-love | Disobey parents | False accusers | Heady |
| Covetous | Unthankful | Undisciplined | Haughty |
| Boasters | Unholy | Fierce | Pleasure lovers |
| Proud | Unnatural love | Despise good men | Pretend religion |
| Blasphemers | Trucebreakers | Traitors | Pastors to entertain |
You should be scared. God and Paul said these things were dangerous for your family and you. You need to compare your church to Bible churches and get out of any church that compromises holy living and Bible preaching for anything else.
For more about this danger: Perilous Times