Coldness of heart

Matthew chapter 24 and verse number 12 and because iniquity shall abound Matthew 24 verse 12 because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold no 2nd Timothy chapter 4 please 2nd Timothy in chapter 4 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 10 verse 9 ready for the context do thy diligence to come shortly unto me for Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world and is departed in the Thessalonica Grisha's to Galatia Titus unto Demacia only Luke is with me take mark bring him with thee for he is profitable to me for the ministry Titicus have I sent to Ephesus the cloak that I left at Troas with carpets when thou comest bring with thee the books but especially the parchments Alexander the coppersmith did be much evil the Lord reward him according to his works of whom be thou where also for he hath gently at greatly withstood our words at my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me and by me the preaching might be fully known that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion I'll finally back an axe just just maybe a reference to this acts 28 it's a personal experience of the Apostle here x-28 verse number one and when they were escaped then they knew that the island was called Melita barbarous people showed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire and received us everyone because of the present rain because of the cold when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks he laid them on the fire and there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand they said among themselves no doubt this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffer not to live that's quite an assessment and he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm that means he didn't even give it a second look I don't think he looked at it well they are literally focused right on it verse 6 how be it they looked and when he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly but after that they looked a great while and saw no harm come to him and they they changed their minds that's something and said that he was a God and so on if I was to ask those that seek to shepherd and lead amongst the people of God today what is the greatest problem what is the greatest challenge in our assemblies today I likely could get a variety of answers and they would all have reason to listen to them but if you were to ask me that same question what is the greatest challenge that we have amongst us is God's people today I speaking from experience I would have to say coldness of heart cold hearts there's very little you can do with a brother that's bitter and less with a sister that's better reminded that the Philippian epistle but thank God when they can get past or get over their bitterness but coldness brethren and sisters there is a remedy for coldness now these are the words of the Savior himself and thank God he does not say all but he says this because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold not all the love of many shall wax cold because iniquity shall abound we live in a society that flaunts it it's iniquity in our face and says get used to it or get over it this is the way life is doesn't have to be that way that's the way it is for them and we don't want to be any part of that mess that society is in today and we're not here to try and fix its ills but I'm sure there is not a believer that's taken the time the expense to come to the stoke conference that wouldn't like to go from this conference warms I did yesterday God knows I did I did what I think every believer likely dinner should have done I thank God for the meeting yesterday brethren our hearts were spoken to maybe not as in greater measures they should be or could be God was very gracious to us I trust you'll be the same today coldness of heart go to the doctor now take the blood pressure when you get this age that's the first thing forget about the thermometer but I always remember as a kid when you're sick at home out came the thermometer and mom was taking the temperature sometimes it wouldn't be a bad thing to have at a conference would it imagine them just take your temperatures you came in maybe even kind of a scanning sort of a thing and it was just without you knowing you came to the door and it just registered on the wall here's what he is here's what she is you saw you turn go that way right are you telling me today honestly rather honestly you're telling me today that you're as a warm a Christian as you'd like to be let me ask you something are you as warm as you were a year ago now it's amazing that you will not necessarily sense that coldness yourself but as others that will sense it that there's something there there's a distance there there's a just not quite the same there's a coldness that is crept in because iniquity shall abound there's no argument about iniquity abounding the love of many shall wax cold it's interesting that word for wax cold is the word for evaporate that is due to there's vaporization and there's evaporation and we're not going to go into the chemo part of it today but let me say this is to do with the reduction of temperature and that's what the word is used the thought of many hearts waxing cold there's a reduction in temperature don't read the Bible like you I'll tell you some of the symptoms of it obviously you don't read like you used to read you don't pray like you used to pray you just there's just something there that there isn't the heart engagement that there once was in the things of God there's a coldness that is subtly crept in listen don't let the enemy win the day brethren and sisters please don't let the enemy win the day let there be that warmness you know a believer may not be a great teacher a great preacher a great participator but they come in their faith well there's something to be said about someone that brings just a little warmth into the company of God's people are you that kind of an individual would you like to be that kind of an individual now that's why I read in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 because we read there of a man by the name of Demas not that I'm gonna spend all my time speaking on Demas because I'm not but something that happened with Demas he gets a very honorable mention at his first mention first time he's mentioned I I think most of us got likely a fairly honorable mention the first time we were mentioned guess who came into the assembly fellowship this morning thrilled to have up and after a while you say how so-and-so making out oh we don't see them like we used to oh how's she doing out well just I was interested in our conference as she was this year it's all of us does it have to be and I appreciate we're good friends I'm not saying because he made it made the announcement but I know the other brethren do too I appreciate it went from our platform appreciation is expressed expressed the kitchen staff and that started long before this conference did in their homes working away to express and convey that's working together that's what we're talking about though the warmth but with Demas it's interesting Paul says and finally in verse 24 Marcus Aristarchus Demas Lucas my fellow laborers but then when you get a little further cautious chapter 414 Luke the beloved physician then he goes on he says and Demas greet you just just kind of a by the way mentioned Demas greets you but then when we come to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 he says Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world not this present evil world I any of us can fall okay I'll be honest with you I don't have a problem with the present evil world of pornography okay I don't there's lots of evils out there that I don't really have a problem with but I do have a problem with this present world I can very easily get drawn into its interest very easy just get sidetracked just get taken from it I mean it doesn't say he left the assembly but here's a classic example of someone that had started to wax cold only mentioned three times and finally when he says he has he has left me or the word there is left me in the lurch okay he's departed Thessalonica maybe heard that down there they didn't have to work as hard maybe heard that going down there they weren't as committed to assembly meetings as they were here where he came from maybe he could go to a place where somebody wouldn't say to you oh we missed you Wednesday night it's a sin if you say that to anybody now you know oh yeah oh no no brethren over it again tell me they say oh brother you can't say that why can't you why not sure your head will go on the block you'll survive yeah where were you meeting night the last meeting night you missed where were you boy you say you're worse than that typical guy yesterday and I didn't have any wisdom teeth out either however we'll go on to something a little more but that's what we're talking about we are today let's admit it those of us that have been preserved a minute brother we are the product of warm Christians cold Christians never helped me but there were personalities and I appreciate one of our brother mentioned that the old and the young together I love these older believers that are warm believers there's just something when they come about you there's a warmth to them sure I know there's those that they want to tell us their testimony every time they see us dear old Willis out there in Manchester you brother worked there know how it is you got all these people behind and he stopped wanting to tell you every day how he got saved well you feel like said come on let's go let's hear it again hallelujah let him tell it it's not cold his wife isn't either so how about you today where would you follow this my speaking someone today is just starting someone maybe it's gotten a little further and someone may be here today like a brother that came to a conference that I was at actually it was a day's meeting and after he was the meeting was over he said I have a letter in my pocket I'm gonna rip it up and destroy it I said good for you didn't you know what was in it if he's gonna destroy it I'm with him you know what it was it was a letter to tell the brethren he wasn't coming back that's getting down there quite a ways you see I'm a man like Peter warming himself okay at the fires of this world and we can beat up on him but Peter can be recovered what about Demas well what about this man Demas he was ruined for God and he was ruined for good and it was just kind of a simple way that he drifted away it wasn't it wasn't just a wholesale announcement I'm through slamming doors behind them no it was just kind of a general drift so easy for it to happen and so easy for it to happen in our experience however the word that is used for Demas by the way is the same word that is used of the Savior why hast thou forsaken me why am I left alone we would get to of course 2nd Timothy Paul is ready again he's speaking more and they were left alone all right and he said no man stood with me no man stood with me it's interesting when you get to Acts chapter 28 I'm gonna I'll come back to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 that must have been quite a scene that that that voyage fact spoke out of the gospel this morning but you take it ministry to they arrive on that island dripping wet soaked and cold and Paul doesn't pull rank and say hey do you catch a few sticks here get this fire going he's out doing it himself and he's the one that gets bitten I'd want those boys sitting on their backsides get bitten we'll put them into action but he gets bitten you ever feel like that when you step out you're trying to do something for the Lord and you see man I wasn't on the way to the cattle auction I was on the way to pick somebody up for meeting and guess what happened had an accident hey it happens why me other people won't carry nothing but their dog in their car nothing happens to me I think somebody the gospel I have an accident here feel like that no Paul doesn't in fact that Viper coming out of that fire fastening itself on him he didn't even give it a second look everybody else did they have it all says had it all figured out boy this boy's bad he escaped the sea he's gonna get it on the land now Paul shakes it off I'll tell you he did something that Adam couldn't do there's a Viper that bit Adam and you and I suffer as a result of that bite today he couldn't shake it off we can't shake its effects off but I want to tell you there's one just while I'm on that on a devotional strain there's one who took that old serpent and broke his power at Calvary and ultimately would destroy every piece of power he's got we long for that day when the king returns and mighty power but then they changed their mind nice way you can change your mind about a brother you ever had to do that what's the big job well no no you'll wait a while especially among the brethren oh yeah no no they're not too quick at that although quick they'll assess things quick but when they're forced to change their mind I'll tell you if you're waiting for an apology don't hold your breath okay we'll bury you it may take a while but it's nice when you can change your mind and just go up to someone and say you know I'm sorry I really had misunderstood you I really misassessed you we appreciate you here they changed their mind it says and then that interesting story interesting passage we see the blessing of God as a result of it however let's come to Paul himself here's the man that didn't want to die like King David did David was a good man but I'm sorry for the way he died I'm sorry they had to call and get that young woman for a king were all his wives what happened have a sad way to injure days cold cold isn't it nice isn't there something so honorable when you can go to a believer's funeral and there you've spoken and you've laid to rest the precious remains of woman one that died a warm believer not everybody died that way brother and I'm sorry to tell you there's been some amongst us that have died without being desired so critical so hard and everybody else there's not a warm bone in them and sad to say when they were buried it was the same way you know that coldness allayed to bitterness however not the Apostle now he is giving us just in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 some things that he wants brought some things are very important to him okay and there's certain things that when it comes to the end it's very important to us you know I would travel and I look I arrived there at the Finley's home and I look at that suitcase and like what did I is there anything here I really I could have done what I could have left at home this is too much luggage and too heavy anymore I'm too old to carry it well I haven't looked through it thought I could pitch out the window I've used it but it's interesting when it comes to the end Paul lays aside everything he brings things right down to now now he says this is what I have to have I have to have I'm riding with a man today on the phone and they're trying to make arrangements for his wife to come because I think basically say I have to have her she's got a cup don't know she's convinced of that yet mine will wait till I get home she's just not a traveler but anyhow we won't go there anyhow Paul says concerning these men I think it's important to notice the names of them even John Mark you know as they as they would go by that Isle of Cyprus he must have looked over his shoulder and thought of one that had left them it hurt him it hurt him but here's a man that proved himself and became approved of the Apostle Paul and it's just bring him bring him he's profitable unto me now three things that he wanted to have before winter and just if you think I'm pushing what I might be a little bit just so you can remember remember them okay he says this and bring with thee the books but especially the parchments so he says bring the books bring the books I had an overseer in an assembly give me a tour of his basement that broke his heart and broke mine we went down in the basement and there's a lovely there would be a shelves of books the size of that those windows over there they stood there and cried he says those were my boys he says he doesn't read them anymore in fact he says he doesn't read his Bible anymore so I can remember when he bought those books with joy it could hardly wait to get home to get started reading them not reading them like he used to now nothing against book sales in books but sometimes when I see some boys packing out with a load I want to say did you read did you read the ones you bought at the last conference and I almost can hear the wife said good for you really they're important to us because we're learning from them and I'm behind books I read books even though I don't have them on the shelf anymore I have them electronically but I read okay I read Paul says bring the books because there was a time when sure the book the Bible but there's a time when these books brought warmth to soul bring the books how do you make it out you read like you used to brother come on we're getting the same age get more time you ever had right no sir you're laughing I know why never been so busy your life really do you read as much as you used to read how about preachers reading as much as we used to you read overseers line it's a very practical thing your books that warms you your books that you're hesitant reluctant to let anybody have because you're the brethren a good bookkeepers but do you care today how you make it out you just bring the books but next door free says no he says bring the books bring the breaker what you say it says cloak excuse me just for now I'm doing the preaching let's go breaker okay it just means keep you warm keep me physically warm I went back and got my friend mark and I said would you cover that that register up I says I'll freeze to death before I'm out of here last night he come up and looked after I can't be cold physically in other words there's physical care okay don't ignore that so he says bring the breaker in other words he wanted to take care of himself physically now that can go in both ways brother we have to take care cuz you're needed man I'm preaching to some people that aren't too far from me just as I speak it when I'm back at Manchester and we need them and I'm preaching to them take care of themselves just bring the breaker bring the cloak something else he says bring the brethren bring the brethren are you happy when you see them come into your yard as you used to be you really want the broader hey I didn't invite you I'll let you know when y'all want you to come don't be hard on brethren when they go to visit you they're trying to help you they're doing their work they're not they are minding their business okay that is their business sometimes people get very very defensive when our brethren have gone out to visit them and just try to encourage them it's a giveaway it's a giveaway of a cold believer when he sees the brethren he's at warm by them I'm sorry to each his own I guess as they say but to travel miles away and never see a Christian that's no holiday for me and I do not have to be preaching please I do not have to be preaching I've never opened a Bible reading in Sussex and I is a long time since I've taken a minister meeting I'm local we have their brethren come there on Sunday morning give a word give a word you're here give a word I don't I give a word already on Sunday morning but it's nice it's so nice when we see brethren come and they've warmed us they have and you want them you say bring the brethren that's really what he is saying in this and this last chapter in other words here's a man that does not want to die cold whether it's in the physical and he's building that fire there in Acts chapter 28 or now in a spiritual side in a second Timothy chapter 4 who would say here today the Apostle Paul went out a cold man as he put his head down on Nero's block as cold as that gelatin must have felt on his neck they took a life of a warm believer a warm believer that knew what it was to warm the saints of God that knew what it was to feed them and to shepherd them and to care for them what are all these things in essence doing warming the believers now listen you cannot warm another believer if you're not warm yourself I'm transmitting cold vibes in the way that I speak in the manner which I speak there's no way I can warm you can know where I can show that but I've been enjoying this word and realizing that my own heart could get the same way because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold I want to leave this conference I want to leave those believers in Manchester as I found them I failed if we can leave them just a little warmer I'm not saying they're cold the Saints here and stout have been left just a little warmer even though they don't get to enjoy the conference you have and I have that's what it's about brothers and sisters you can have all the knowledge in your head as you want and go home with it but God give us warm hearted believers but we'd be able to say with the Apostle sure bring the books bring the breaker but most of all bring the brethren