Listen to this startling quote by Jesus Christ that He made to His disciples. And, of course, by extension, we are His disciples today. So maybe He's asking us the same question. Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Will He find faith on this earth? Is faith diminishing day by day? Year by year? Statisticians and researchers have produced numerous reports of late showing the decline of faith in America and the Western World in general.

There was a report by Melissa Steffan in "Christianity Today" on October 10 last year, and here's what she wrote. She said, "Doug Sweeney, professor of church history at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said, 'Mainline churches have long been aware of their declining membership.' Somehow our children aren't catching the significance of our faith and feeling the need to stick around, until they have children and want them to be raised in a faith community." She's quoting Doug Sweeney.

And then she says, "Now nearly onethird of Americans under the age of 30 identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated. Nearly double the percentage of their previous generation. In just one generation those that are religiously unaffiliated has doubled."

The title for the sermon today is, "Will He Find Faith?" Think about it. Imagine a world without faith, a world with no hope for tomorrow. Imagine a world that is hopeless and faithless. Many have speculated about what Jesus meant when He questioned the faith of humanity in the end time.

Let me tell you about the "Nones." Do you know who the Nones are? Not the nuns, like the nuns from the Catholic church, but the nones.

Listen to a few excerpts from Michael Gerson in the Washington Post from March 25th of this year in an article he wrote titled "An America that is Losing Faith with Religion." Here's what Michael Gerson said on March 25th. "The nation's religious composition as revealed in a recent presentation by Luis Lugo of the Pew Research Center is changing. In 2012, America ceased to be a majority Protestant country the result, mainly, on a decline in the number of mainline Protestants. One group, however," he says, "has swelled; those with no religious affiliation, also known as the Nones, as in 'none of the above.' In the 1950s, this was about 2 percent of the population. In the 1970s, it was about 7 percent. Today, it is close to 20 percent. These gains can be found in all regions of the country."

Then continuing in the article, "Only about 30 percent of this group 6 percent of the public are atheists or agnostics. The rest of the Nones describe themselves as indifferent to religion or as 'nothing in particular.' Their overall growth has been swift and unprecedented. Though causality is hard to establish, many Nones hold a very dim view of religious conservatives asserting that churches are too focused on rules and money and too involved with politics."

Gerson continues, "But the trend appears to run deeper. As Lugo points out, declining trust in religious institutions since the 1990s has been accompanied by declining trust in most institutions." Not just religion. He says, "With the notable exception of the military." So the only institution gaining trust, in gaining a following, is the military. He says, "Confidence in government and big business has simultaneously fallen, and the public standing of both of those is lower than even the church. Whatever the explanation for the decline of institutional religion, it has major social and political implications."

And so we see from this opinion piece, the Washington Post, that not only is commitment and faith to religion declining, but trust in most institutions, including government and big business.

Will Christ find faith then of any sort upon His return? It's certainly beginning to look like an end time scenario of hopelessness and faithlessness before our Saviour returns. And many are increasingly losing heart.

Let's turn to Luke 18 and read the first 8 verses. Here's the quote from Jesus about faith on earth from His parable, that line in Luke 18.

Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

V.2 Saying: in verse 2, giving an example here there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard men.

V.3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'

V.4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man,

V.5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'

V.6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.

V.7 Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

V.8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. But, nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

It's a chilling question. And others are now asking it. And many are losing heart, losing faith in society around them.

Christianity Today writer, Melissa Steffan, wrote an article on July 3rd, titled "Half of Adults Say Religious Nones are Bad for America." So people are seeing this trend of those who say they are none of the above, and getting concerned about it.

She says, "As more Americans identify as religiously unaffiliated, almost half of all adults say the socalled rise of the Nones is a bad thing for society." But here's an interesting twist. She adds this. "Friendly atheist blogger, Hemant Mehta, says, 'That means even some Nones think it's a bad thing that more people are Nones.' And the atheist says, 'I don't know what's weirder, that there are evangelical Christians out there who are happy that more people are becoming nonreligious, or that there are a lot of unaffiliated people who are upset by it?'"

So that's just an interesting thought, that even those who are Nones themselves aren't so sure it's a good thing for the rest of society if more become like that.

I believe that one of the biggest challenges we face in the United Church of God and in the greater Church of God community in preaching the gospel of God's kingdom in this day is the very phenomenon of the Nones. A huge percentage of our population is afraid to commit to anything. They're afraid of big business. They're afraid of government. They're afraid of religion. The Boy Scouts get more attendees. Doesn't matter which group you decide to join. They're all seeing a declining commitment, let alone in religion. And even those who are willing to commit to a faith, our version of Christianity is the most unpopular of all. The seed we sow of the gospel today so often falls on stony ground, thin soil, onto weather beaten plots, using the analogy, notwithstanding the effect the devil has on blowing that seed and scattering it abroad as well.

Our task as God's people to get people to commit  to commit to their faith, to commit to their Creator, is a huge challenge today. The faithless in society is growing in leaps and bounds at an alarming rate. And almost everyone is afraid to fully commit. There's another obvious trend being picked up by analysts all over the world separate now from the subject of the Nones the unaffiliated. The United States and British nations are in decline, even a rapid decline. Much of this can be chalked up to an arrogance against God. Could be chalked up to what we see happening in society around us, trying to put God out of everything we do. There's no faith in the Creator God and a refusal to follow biblical admonition in how to live our lives. Seeing decline in the United States is all around us.

The case in point is the Edward Snowden spy leak debacle. He's now been released from the international transit lounge at the Moscow airport. He's been given a Visa to stay in Russia now. Listen to this headline by the Wall Street Journal, written by Bret Stephens, on June 24th. He titled his piece, "The Age of American Impotence." And here's some excerpts from the article.

Stephen says, "At this writing, Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive National Security Agency contractor indicted of espionage charges, is in Moscow where Vladimir Putin's spokesman says his government is powerless to detain him." But, however the Snowden episode turns out, what he mainly illustrates is we are living in an age of American impotence. The administration has decided it wants out from meddlesome foreign entanglements and now finds itself surprised that it's running out of foreign influence.

Speaking from India, Mr. Kerry offered a view on what it would mean for Russia to allow him to flee. Disappointing, said our 68th Secretary of State. And then Bret Stevens concludes, "Moscow must be trembling."

It doesn't take much research to see what happened to the British Empire in the last 70 years. At its height it was the largest empire in history, and for over a century was the foremost global power. By 1922, the British Empire helped persuade over onefifth of the world's population. The Empire covered almost a quarter of the earth's total land area. At the peak of its power, the phrase, "the Empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire. Its expanse around the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.

Where's the British Empire today even the United Kingdom is now splitting apart when Scotland wanted to go out on its own? Well, guess what? The United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world currently, is following the same path. It's now in decline. Its military is scaling back. It can no longer afford to keep such a presence around the globe. It no longer has the same influence on the world scene. It is becoming impotent, as put by Bret Stephens in the Wall Street Journal, and you have to agree.

What is the major cause of this? It's a turning away from God, from faith in God in all aspects of American life. It's doing away with God's law, the 10 commandments. It's also because of a violation of the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath day holy. And it's because of a decline of faith in God. As the Nones become a larger and larger portion of society, and as love for fellow man wanes, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

Let's turn to Matthew 24 and read a prophetic passage here. Let's read Jesus' own words about the lack of faith before He returns. It's a description of end time events.

Matthew 24:3 Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us  you know, we want some inside information here  when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

V.4 So Jesus answered and said to them:  Here's what it's going to look like when I return "Take heed that no one deceives you."

V.5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." So there will be an abundance of false religions.

V.6 You'll hear of wars and rumors of wars. So see that you're not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. It's actually going to get worse than that.

V.7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places.

V.8 And all these are the beginnings of sorrows.

V.9 And then they, speaking of God's people, will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you'll be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 

V.10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 

V.11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

V.12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. We must read verse 13.

V.13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. That's a reminder there for us to stick with it. You will be saved. And notice verse 12.

V.12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Evil will run rampant. Faith in God and obedience to His way will be hard to find in this scenario at the end, right before Christ returns. Let's turn to 2 Timothy 3, if you would for a moment. Read the first 5 verses. 2 Timothy 3:1, Timothy kind of adds to what Jesus prophesied and what Jesus says. He says.

2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days we haven't quite reached this yet perilous times will come. And here's a description again.

V.2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

V.3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without selfcontrol, brutal, despisers of good,

V.4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God,

V.5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 

So see in verse 4, "lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God," the Nones of all types will be the norm. Faith in God will be very hard to see.

I have a fascinating concept to bring to you here now. This may be something you have not heard before. After all, why should we be worried about the lack of faith in society? As long as we do what's right, who cares about everyone else? Well, it's now being proven that faith in God has a huge positive impact on our society. This is not something that can be accomplished by the Nones or by atheists.

Let me explain. The question has been asked: Is religion an essential driver of economic growth? Is faith in a higher power a determinant of the success of a society? And is there any particular religion or faith that is more successful at this than all of the others?

One of the most respected economic analysis magazines is Forbes Magazine. Let me quote to you some excerpts from a Forbes article from May 29 of this year by Jerry Bowyer, Bowyer, Jerry Bowyer. His article is titled, "Is Religion an Essential Driver of Economic Growth?" And let me read you some excerpts from his very lengthy piece. You'll get the idea here. Bowyer says, "Peter Berger is perhaps the world's most prominent living sociologist. He's written two dozen books including seminal texts in the development of the sociology of religion, the sociology of knowledge and the sociology of modern development. He may be the most qualified person to speak with authority on matters pertaining to the relationship between religious beliefs and economic development.

"At age 84 Berger is still sharp as a tack and has a long lifetime of study and analysis behind him. When I asked him what he has learned in a lifetime of studying these questions, he told me that there are certain social preconditions to economic development, and that the way society operates is important in regards to how prosperous that society can become. This is largely a matter of culture, and for most of the world culture basically means religion. Religion drives culture; culture drives social forms; social forms drive development."

I'll skip down the article a little bit. He says, "Regarding different religions and their level of conduciveness to growth, he said they are not equally conducive." He pointed out that the lifestyle which arose from Protestantism plays a decisive role in the creation of modern prosperity. "It upheld the virtue of productive labor in this world as opposed to an other worldly orientation        often associated with medieval Catholicism. Result is a welleducated, highly skilled diligent work force and large pulls of capital. Without this, or something like it, modern capitalism would not have arisen as it did."

And then he says, "But not all religions, at least in the current form, have these same characteristics, therefore not all religions are equally conducive to development. And he points out it's not a matter of bias. It's simply a matter of facing the facts. And then Bowyer says, "According to Berger, for example, Confucianism preaches many of the virtues, such as education, hard work and delayed gratification, which are conducive to prosperity among individuals, but that Confucian's disdain from commerce tends to create societies which are more conducive to entrepreneurial stagnation. Therefore Confucian China can stagnate for thousands of years."

"Regarding Islam, Berger points out that historically the subservient role in women in economic nations is a source of economic drag. To isolate half of the talent of a population from productive activity is bad enough. But to add to this to a pattern of leaving women uneducated makes things even worse because of the role that mothers play in the intellectual development of children."

It's a really interesting study. I went ahead and listened to the entire interview that Peter Berger gave here. It made me realize that the culture of the Christian religion, as shown by the facts and by decades of research, is one that develops the most prosperous economic model for a society or nation. And so if a nation decides to stray from that religious basis, what can we expect to happen? Economic difficulties, recession, debt, unhappiness. And these are the results of a nation distancing itself from God and His way of life. We see it happening now in our nation all around us.

I began to think that this would make an interesting message for a Feast of Tabernacles sermon because we're thinking of the Millennium at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Christian religions of our day are actually rather flawed. They do not represent the exact type of belief system that Jesus Christ intended for His church. We know that. Unfortunately, numerous biblical beliefs have been supplanted by pagan theology, all the way from Sunday worship to Christmas and the Saturnalia. And, yet, despite those things, the underlying principles of Christianity have still allowed our society to flourish as blessed by God and as prophesied to Abraham and Joseph's descendants.

So take this all a step further and imagine a time in the Millennium when Jesus Christ is ruling from Jerusalem and all of mankind will eventually be practicing true religion and true Christianity. But if the whole world was doing it right, imagine how that will allow the nations and all of humanity to prosper. Peters Berger's study of the sociology of religion is real fascinating. So with true religion, society can flourish, even economically.

Let's go back to Luke 17, getting back to our subject of "Will He Find Faith?" Why has faith in God diminished here and in most nations around the world?

Luke 17:56. The apostle said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." They came to see that they needed it. And they said we want more of it. Increase it. How do we do it?

V. 6 The Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

So the disciples obviously saw the works that Jesus did and also heard the high standard of His teaching and realized that they needed to have more faith. Probably a whole lot more. Amazingly, as we get closer to the end of this age, we need  we tend to exercise less faith in our lives. People don't seek God and faith in Him like they once did. Perhaps modern technology has had a part to play. Perhaps there are too many distractions that compete with faith in God. Society needs to increase its faith in God just like Jesus told His disciples that they needed to increase their faith. But, unfortunately, it's headed in exactly the opposite direction.

To counteract the pull of society and its faithlessness, we also must pray for God to increase our faith, otherwise, we'll be swept up in it too. It's important to understand some of the reasons why faith in God has diminished in society. Some of you may know Bill Bradford. He's on the Council of Elders. He's from Brisbane, Australia. He wrote a letter to his membership last month, and he outlined three points about diminishing faith, and I noted them down. Here are some reasons he gave for diminished faith in the world today, and even for us in the church.

First of all, he said today we have more solutions to our previously unsolvable problems. So what he's saying is there's been a lot more advances in technology, medical advances to handle our evergrowing number of ailments and problems and sicknesses. More medical care is available and fine programs where medical and emergency care is extended to almost everybody in the Western World. So the thought of asking for an anointing for healing by God is not on the front burner of the minds of many people. Years ago it was in many churches. But it's not only medical advances that are seemingly solving our problems. Many people believe that given enough time, scientists will solve all of humanity's problems.

People do not put their faith in living God's way or following the admonition of Jesus Christ on the forefront. But instead, they turn to science. Secondly, Bill Bradford said we have more wealth and social systems devised by our governments so people are not without help of some form. Social welfare and various forms of government assistance are now given to more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, as reported in the Wall Street Journal on May 26th in an article that was titled this, "Number of the Week: Half of U.S. Lives in Household Getting Benefits." And in that article  this is from May 26, 2012 it says, "49 percent of a population lives in a household where at least one member receives some type of governmental benefit in the first quarter of 2011." And now in 2013, it's over 50 percent now.

The article continues, "This is up from 30 percent in the early 1980s. The increase in recent years is likely due in large part to the lingering effects of the recession." "But," says the Wall Street Journal, "even without the effects of the recession, there would still be a larger reliance on government."

So do you catch that? A larger reliance on government. People looking to government to solve their problems, which is fine up to a certain point. Yes, we want to have trust and faith in their government, which is also a decline, as we know, but all at the expense of faith in God. And interestingly some scientists will tell you  social scientists will say once more than 50 percent of the population becomes dependent on the government, there's no turning back.

Wouldn't it be great if more than 50 percent of the population put its trust and reliance in God? But it will get much worse. Let's turn to Revelation 13:34 because the book of Revelation predicts a time when almost all of humanity will put its trust and its faith in government, in a world ruling government, accompanied by religious superpower. Here we read about the ultimate dependency on government.

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads"  this is talking about the beast power "as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast."

See, they're not following God. They're not having their hope and trust and faith in the Eternal, the almighty God. No. All the world marveled and followed the beast.

V. 4 "So they worshiped the dragon who is that? who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast." They didn't just marvel at him. They worshiped him, "and said, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

And so this future government superpower will be adored, and even worshiped, until, as we also read later in the book of Revelation, this whole plan goes horribly wrong, and it turns into a murderous religiously motivated worldwide nightmare.

Bill Bradford then said, in his third point, we have more knowledge now. And knowledge is increasing so that where there are problems, we can find solutions. So people have more government help. There's more welfare. There's more knowledge. Where people once lived by faith and had a conscious belief in God, because they had no other choice in early societies, we now have many choices. There's always a new way of doing things, of understanding things, that somehow make our life better, or at least we think it makes it better.
Of course, this becomes the ultimate goal to make your life better, not to live a more Godly life. It's to make your life better. Listen to these headlines and you'll see what is important to people today, because we have more knowledge and more solutions so that your life can seem to be better. Here are some top headlines about how you can make your life better. "Thirteen iPhone apps that will make your life better." You can read the article and find out what they are. "Twentyfive ways to make your life better immediately." "Fortyeight ways to make your life a million times better. You owe it to yourself." Another one, "Six ways to make your life better today, by the eHarmony staff." And another headline I found, "The five secrets to living happily ever after." I bet you it's not turning to God and the Bible, any of those five secrets.

But when you dig a little deeper, you'll find that things are not really better. Despite technology, what appear to be more solutions, more wealth in some countries, more government assistance, and more knowledge, people are actually not any happier. Ever wonder why some people long for the good ol' days? Gary Petty did a Beyond Today program with that title a couple of years ago. Why are more diseases emerging every day that we don't have a cure for? Why do people do terrible things to other people on a much larger scale than we've ever seen? Violence, rape, people oppressing others, child sex traffic, terrorism, suicide bombings, homelessness, sexual disease, cancer. You know it's all out there. Knowledge is increasing, but so are the problems. People are more educated and quite technologically advanced, but it isn't increasing happiness when you look at it carefully. And it does seem that a few are benefiting from all this advancement. The vast majority of humanity is still in a hopeless condition. In some ways it seems like life has changed for the better, but only where you and I live. Mostly in the Western World. Not for the vast majority of mankind. This world is not better off, because human nature still hasn't been changed. God is still on the outside of planet earth looking in. People don't want Him. "Leave us alone," they say.

I watched a onehour documentary last month on television titled, "The Fourth World." Lest you think that poverty, disease and epidemics are getting any better, more than one billion people now live in what is coming to be called the "fourth world." You and I, in the developed western nation, we live in the first world. Russia and China is called the second world. Most of Africa and much of Latin America lives in the third world. Now, they call it the developing world, although it's not really. But more than one billion people live in the fourth World, a new category of abject poverty and absolute hopelessness. And I think you'll start to see this reference more and more as time goes by. I'd never even heard of the first world, second world, or third world countries. Well, now, they're talking about the fourth world. 

As we read earlier from Matthew chapter 24, Jesus knew this when He predicted that as a sign of the time of the end there will be wars, rumors or wars, famines, disease, and all with the underlying cause of false religion and false Christ being preached and a faithlessness in the true God.

So it will even reach the point when our governments realize they've got to try something new, and they try a global approach to find a solution. And that global approach will be the enforcement of false religion backed by a power military. But that experiment too will fail and in a horrible manner.
We read the Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy a few minutes ago about the perilous times to come at the end as well. Both Jesus and Paul understood that things would not get better without God. Regardless of man's best effort to do it on his own, it will not get better, because human nature is not being changed by God's Spirit. Rather, Jesus and Paul said it's going to actually change, but for the worse.

The knowledge and abilities in which man experiences growth did not produce the right kind of change. A new flat screen T.V. is not the right kind of change that society needs. It's religious in nature is the kind of change that's needed. And indeed we are living in more perilous times than we ever have, and it will get worse. And I think that as the ends of this age approaches, much more humanity will join the fourth world. Notice Luke 23:28. Let's turn there for a moment. Because Jesus wondered if He would find faith on the earth when He returned. And actually, on a worldwide scale, the answer to the question will most likely be no. Okay. No.

Luke 23:28 Jesus said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." It said things are going to get worse.

V. 29 For indeed the days are coming which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!'

V. 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" Bury us alive or something. We want out of this.

At the end of this age of man, right before Christ returns to save humanity from its own destruction, people will have lost faith, lost hope, and they'll be terrified for their lives, and say just let me die. The great tribulation and the heavenly signs will bring terror on mankind.

Let's turn to Revelation again. Let's go back to Revelation 6:15. There's a similar passage here to what we just read in Luke 23. Revelation 6:15. It's not just those in the fourth world. It's not just those in abject poverty.

Revelation 6:15 And it's the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains.

A fear, a hopelessness in the end time. And, yet, despite the pain and the suffering and the instruction to turn to God, humanity will still refuse to acknowledge God in His ways.

Revelation 9:6 says, and I'll read it to you 

Revelation 9:6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

So people say, "Just let me die. This is absolutely horrible." But then it concludes this way in Revelation 9:21.

V. 21 But they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immoralities or their thefts. They still wouldn't change. They still wouldn't turn to God.

So when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? Not a whole lot. Despite the pain and suffering, mankind will not return to faith in his Creator. Revelation 9:21 says they refused to turn to God, despite their pain. Humanity as a whole will not repent. The exception will be the people of God, His faithful servants led by Jesus Christ, who are being prepared now for Jesus' return to lead and teach true Christianity, true religion to all the world, so that society truly can change for the better. That's why the people of God are here as a firstfruits now, to begin to implement that change.

Let's turn to 1 Timothy 4 as we wrap up this message, because here's our warning to you and to me. Let's heed the warning given to us.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrine of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.

So this warning is to the people of God, those who Christ wants to find faith in when He returns. Without a change in the heart of mankind, it's not going to happen on a global scale until after He returns.

We must remain faithful. Don't lose faith. Don't depart from the faith is what we're told. We must not let the lusts of the world sear our conscience. We must remain spiritually pure. When Jesus Christ returns, He must find faith in us. On a global scale, it will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but we will be there.

Turn forward a couple of chapters to 1 Timothy 6:1112. Once again, a message to you and to me.

Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee those things and pursue righteousness, pursue godliness  is that how you live your life every day, pursuing godliness, righteousness  pursue faith, love, patience, gentleness.

V. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

So fight the good fight of faith. It is essentially that the people who really seek God  not just know about faith, not just read about it in articles about declining faith in America  but actually live by it and fight for it in their own lives. The world can erode our faith, and we won't know it if we're not close to God and in prayer, study, fasting, meditation, thinking and dwelling on God's Word.

When bad things happen to us, we see the need to have God in our lives. But when things are going well, that's when it's dangerous, when you think you don't need God anymore. Can we honestly say that we live by faith now, or have we come to believe in the answers and solutions the world is offering us too?

One last thing about this. Of the many solutions being offered in society, the most alluring is that promiscuous lifestyle so many have become to, involving sex, alcohol, drugs and incessant pleasure seeking, always wanting to have fun. It's like narcissism. Narcissism is a term that originated with Narcissus in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water. In the end he could not take his eyes off himself. And currently it's used to describe a person characterized by egotism, vanity, pride, or excessive selfishness.

Instead, look out for the wellbeing of others. Love God first and secondly your fellow human being as yourself, because some have sunk into an incredibly selfish way of life to deal with the increasing stress of the time, as Paul explained in 2 Timothy 3 we just read. Don't get sucked into the horrible pattern of life that so many are pursuing now. It's not worth it. God's way is a way of faith and increasing faith. The disciple said, Lord increase our faith. That is something to pray for. Truly seek God and obedience to Him in a world growing more faithless and more hopeless every day. Will He find faith? Yes. But where will He find it? Not in the world when He returns. Pray that He'll find it in you.