Keith Battle - But YOU

Turn your Bibles to Second Timothy, chapter 3, if you have one. Second Timothy, chapter 3. Yes, Second Timothy, chapter 3. I want to read verses 1 to 14, and then I will also read from chapter 4 of Second Timothy, verse 5. After that, I’ll read First Timothy, chapter 6, verse 11. Since we only have Bible study today, let’s pray. Father, please speak through Your Word today in a way that is personal. Empower me and use me for Your glory. Guide my thinking and my words. Let there be life in this message and direction. May someone hear exactly what they need to hear at this moment in their life. I thank You that You love us enough to speak specifically into our lives. Now, please do it. I deny myself so that You might be glorified. I don’t care about impressing anybody; I want to make an impact for You. Would You be glorified? Take over. I bind every spirit of distraction in this room right now—people who are distracted, looking around, cell phones going off, children acting up. We pray for a spirit of focus right now that we might receive exactly what You have for us in this hour. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Verse 1, New Living Translation: «You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious but will reject the power that can make them godly. Stay away from people like that. They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth. These teachers oppose the truth just as Janus and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith, but they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as they did with Janus and Jambres.»

Verse 10: «But you, Timothy—» Everyone say, «But you.» «But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach and how I live and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, but evil people and imposters will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.»

Verse 14: «But you—» Let me hear you say that again, «But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.» I’m going to stop there and go down to chapter 4, verse 5: «But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.»

Now, turn back to chapter 6 of First Timothy, to the left. Chapter 6, First Timothy, verse 11: «But you, Timothy, are a man of God. So run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.»

«But you.» First Timothy 6:11, but you. Second Timothy 3:10, but you. Second Timothy 3:14, but you. Second Timothy 4:5, but you. But you, but you, but you! I’ve been wrestling—anybody had a rough week? I’ve been wrestling with something all week. I woke up one morning—I can’t remember which morning it was—and the two words I heard were, «But you.» «But you, Timothy. I know what everybody else is doing. I know the world is mourning, but wow, I know everybody is doing their own thing, but you’re different; you’re distinct. I know, Keith, what you want to do and how you want to act and how you’d like to backslide, but you have been chosen; you have been set apart.»

I don’t know who I’m about to preach to, but somebody in here has been getting close to doing something that they shouldn’t do because you’re tired, and you’ve been doing right for so long. You’re wondering when you’re going to get rewarded for doing right, and you’ve been contemplating doing wrong. It’s time for you to get your freak on; it’s time for you to get your steal on; it’s time for you to get high again; it’s time for you to have just a drink; it’s time for you to slip out, trip, dip, and skip. But you! There’s a «but you» in this rugged day that God is trying to get someone’s attention. He’s saying, «But you.» Everybody else can do what they want to do; everybody else can please their flesh, but you! Look at somebody and say, «But you.»

But you. That’s my subject today: «But you.» I know it’s not real complicated, but you—that’s what I’m preaching today. But you! But you! But you, Timothy! False teachers all around, false teaching all around; people are going astray, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of me. But you! Disrespectful parents, but you! Going astray—not just unbelievers in the world, but believers in the church are falling away. People in church are compromising, but you!

This is a word for somebody.