S. E. Kuntzman
(7/16/19)
Text: 2 Timothy 2:15,
(15) Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.
(16) But shun profane and
vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
(17) And their word will eat
as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
(18) Who concerning the truth
have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the
faith of some.
(19) Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that
are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.
(20) But in a great house
there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of
earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
(21) If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for
the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Ancillary: 1 Timothy 1:18-20, “This charge I commit unto
thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that
thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is
Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn
not to blaspheme [defame, rail on, revile, speak evil].”
It is known as “The Wellington Avalanche,” and it occurred
on March 1, 1910, in Wellington, WA.
It “was the worst avalanche in the
history of the United States, marked by the total death count, which numbered
to 96.[2]
For nine days at the end of
February 1910, Wellington was assailed by a terrible blizzard. Up to a foot (30
cm) of snow fell every hour, and, on the worst day, eleven feet (340 cm) of
snow fell. Two trains, a passenger train and a mail train, both bound from
Spokane to Seattle, were trapped in the depot.”[1]
“Late on February 28, the snow
stopped and was replaced by rain and a warm wind. Just after 1 a.m. on March 1,
as a result of a lightning strike, a slab of snow broke loose from the side of
Windy Mountain during a violent thunderstorm. A ten-foot high mass of snow,
half a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, fell toward the town. A forest
fire had recently ravaged the slopes above the town, leaving very little to
impede the avalanche.”[2]
“The avalanche missed the Bailets
Hotel (which also housed the town's general store and post office), but hit the
railroad depot. Most of the passengers and crew were asleep aboard their trains.
The impact threw the trains 150 feet (45 m) downhill and into the Tye River
valley. Ninety six people were killed, including 35 passengers, 58 Great
Northern employees on the trains, and three railroad employees in the depot.”[3]
“White Death moving down the
mountainside above the trains.
Relentlessly it advanced, exploding, roaring, rumbling, grinding,
snapping - a crescendo of sound that might have been the crashing of ten
thousand freight trains.
It descended to the ledge where the
side tracks lay, picked up cars and equipment as though they were so many
snow-draped toys, and swallowing them up, disappeared like a white, broad
monster into the ravine below.”[4]
There is power in accumulation.
Things don’t just happen overnight, but there is a buildup
of either positive or negative amounts that produce a point of no return.
Paul was warning his son in the gospel of the dangers of “the
little foxes, that spoil the vines.”[5]
Just as in the days of Jude, there are “…certain
men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the
only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”[6]
These false teachers come into the church from time to time
and little by little they feed on the tender grapes who have not fully grown to
maturity, and destroy them.
It is time to do as the Apostle directed Timothy, “(1) This know
also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”[7]
“FROM SUCH TURN AWAY”
Isaiah was clear about the issues of his time and fallen
human nature is still the same today (Isaiah 28:9-13):
(9) Whom shall he teach
knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned
from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
(10) For precept must be upon
precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
and there a little:
(11) For with stammering lips
and another tongue will he speak to this people.
(12) To whom he said, This is
the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing:
yet they would not hear.
(13) But the word of the LORD
was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line
upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall
backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
They scoffed at the prophet and the Word of God.
They mocked the words spoken by prophets who had been "moved
on by the Holy Ghost” to write and speak what they divinely uttered.
Doing so, these mockers and blasphemers continued on into a total backslidden state,
were broken by the breaking of that Word, and were bound and placed in
captivity.
Too many are bound today, by these false teachers, scoffers,
mockers, and spoilers.
It is the devil’s plan to do so and he’ll use false
teachers, as he did in Paul’s day, to deny truth and overthrow the faith of
some.
2 Timothy 2:15-17
(15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(16) But shun profane and vain babblings: for they
will increase unto more ungodliness.
(17) And their word will eat as doth a canker: of
whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
They were profane and vain words because they were not based
on the Word of God. Their words, their teachings, were blasphemous, and every
one that heard them unwittingly were eaten up spiritually like a cancer, like
gangrene setting in.
It is almost impossible to expunge false doctrine because it
accumulates like snowflakes on a mountain until one day – WHITE DEATH pushes
everyone in its patch into the cold abyss.
“FROM SUCH TURN
AWAY”
2 Timothy 2:19-21
(19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one
that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
(20) But in a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to
honour, and some to dishonour.
(21) If a man therefore purge himself from these,
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use,
and prepared unto every good work.
Ephesians 2:19-22, “(19) Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
The Word of God is sure:
·
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto
them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)
·
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written,
That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke
4:4)
·
“…The seed of the word of God.” (Luke 8:11) –
[It’s incorruptible and full of life]
·
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
·
Heb. 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
·
1 Peter 1:22-25, “(22) Seeing ye have
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (23)
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for
ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
In conclusion, Wellington, WA, changed its name soon after
that horrible avalanche to Tye, WA.
Changed their name and redirected their future.
Someone needs to redirect their future and turn away from false teachers and blasphemers: “…Let every
one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19b)
This Is Your Turning Point