Our text is found in 2 Timothy 3:1-7… specifically we’ll be looking at verse #5…

2 Tim 3:1-7
3:1 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.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Verse #5, once again says… “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

We’re going to discuss SHOTS today. Infection, and INJECTION… to fight infection or prevent infection. There are thousands of virulent strains floating around in our world today. There are new strains of the flu; new types of pneumonia; new strains of this and that. Every year, the centers for disease control work feverishly to find new inoculations for viruses, and diseases. It’s all about HAULTING the spread of disease. Stopping it from going further than it has gone.

They encourage the elderly to get flu shots, and pneumonia shots. They encourage parents to get their children a shot to ward off Chicken Pox. Even employees are offered injections for things like Hepatitis. It’s all about KEEPING you from getting a disease… KEEPING you from getting infected.

When you get an inoculation, what is happening? You get some of the DISEASE. A small CONTROLLED portion of a disease is injected into your blood stream. The hope of getting the injection is that your body’s natural immunities will kick in and keep you from getting the actual illness. In the case of the FLU SHOT… you get just enough of the real FLU VIRUS injected in you. The hope in getting it is that by taking the shot, it keeps you from getting the flu.

For the majority of people every year, inoculation is successful in keeping people from becoming ill. It is a kick start of your immune system. It wakes up your immunities PRIOR TO your getting the larger exposure to something that can potentially be harmful.

Inoculation in the world is POSITIVE THING. Every year it keeps people from getting sick… in some cases prevents death. How many children were saved because of the Small Pox Vaccine? How many elderly and small children are saved every year because of the flu shot? It’s a miracle.

Inoculation in the WORLD is a POSITIVE thing. But I’m going to talk with you briefly about a NEGATIVE inoculation; an inoculation that does NOT produce a positive result; a shot that doesn’t save lives but guarantees death; a shot that kills everyone who gets it; a shot that is guaranteed to have a negative effect. Do you want that shot?

I’m talking today about the Inoculation of Christianity. Stick with me now…

Remember, an inoculation means getting a small dose of the real thing… in order to keep you from getting the disease. In the case of Christianity, people get JUST ENOUGH of Jesus. Just enough of church… just enough of God… just enough of the Bible… Just enough of a dose to keep them from catching the REAL THING.

Is Christianity VIRULENT? What do I mean? Does it have spreading power? YES! Christianity is a SPREADING FAITH. It is constantly GROWING and TAKING OVER. That’s the effect it’s supposed to have in our lives. We’re supposed to become infected by it. It’s supposed to consume our very being. All one has to do is read the book of ACTS, and see the way Christianity truly spread in the first century church…

Acts 6:7
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Acts 12:24
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Acts 13:49
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

Acts 19:20
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

But that shouldn’t surprise us. Does not the scripture tell us…

Matt 11:12-13
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (NIV)

Christianity should be virulent. It ought to infect us… and be spread from us, infect everyone we come in contact with. It ought to infect our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers. It should be VIRULENT in a positive way. It should spread. It should INFECT.

But for SOME, it doesn’t infect. Some miss it. Some never get INFECTED WITH JESUS. They go to church every week, but it never sticks. They go to Sunday School but their daily life never changes. They get RELIGION, but never catch a RELATIONSHIP with God. It’s the INNOCULATION of CHRISTIANITY; just enough exposure to never catch the disease; just enough to avoid the INFECTION. And it’s a problem…

How is that a problem? The Inoculation of Christianity? Hearing the Word just enough that it ceases to affect you and fails to change you. Worship doesn’t move you. Prayer doesn’t interest you. Praise doesn’t matter to you. Fellowship doesn’t concern you. Jesus doesn’t change you. Paul wrote about it to the Galatians:

Gal 5:4
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you,

That’s EXACTLY what inoculation does. It makes the INFECTION POWERLESS in your life. Friend… JESUS is one INFECTION I want to get! I want to be hopelessly infected by His presence. I want it to be a terminal condition. I don’t want there to be a treatment for it. I WANT it to invade every part of my body and my life. I WANT IT to change me… I want it to influence me. I want it to spread from me into others. That’s one INFECTION that I HAVE to have! I want to be INFECTED by Jesus. I want HIM to flow in my blood… and be pumped by my heart. I want to breathe HIM out through my words, and my speech. I want the world to be able to look at me and say, “He’s got a BAD CASE OF JESUS.”

God, don’t let me EVER be inoculated to your presence! Don’t let me ever take worship for granted! Don’t let me ever fail to be filled with your Spirit! Don’t let me ever stop feeling the anointing! Don’t let me ever become desensitized! Don’t let me ever get INOCULATED against YOU, Lord.

And yet, the church is full of people that have been INOCULATED against Christianity. They got a SHOT of it… but never CAUGHT THE INFECTION. They got a taste… but never filled up. They sampled, but never bought in. They have a FORM OF GODLINESS, but DENY THE POWER of it.

Service after service goes by… and they remain unchanged. They haven’t been to an altar in more years than they can count. No one’s ever heard them pray out loud. If there was a trial to prove their Christianity, there wouldn’t be enough witnesses to win the case. They don’t cry before the Lord ever. Either they’ve NEVER been saved, or they abandoned their relationship with God years ago. Either they’ve NEVER been filled with the Holy Ghost… or they gave up speaking in tongues years ago. Christianity no longer moves them. Church is just something they do. It satisfies a social obligation… but don’t expect it to move them.

But FRIEND, if you’re WILLING, God will INFECT you with His power today! In spite of an INOCULATION, He’ll give you the real deal. Despite the apathy… He’ll give you FEELING again. Despite the disinterest… He’ll get a hold of you again. He’s able to give us the genuine article again.

Bethel Church of God needs a REINFECTION of JESUS. We need a REINFECTION of the HOLY GHOST. A REINFECTION of HOLINESS. A REINFECTION of VISION. Child of God, you are called for GREATER THINGS… in Jesus name. If you only knew what God got planned for us! If you only knew what God has in store! He KNOWS the plans He has for us… plans to PROSPER US AND NOT TO HARM US! PLANS TO GIVE US A HOPE AND A FUTURE. He’s got plans.

Bethel Church of God is a church of DESTINY. You are a PEOPLE OF DESTINY. You were never intended to be inoculated, and never catch the real thing. You were destined to be a carrier of Christianity; a carrier of the GOSPEL; a carrier of the HOLY GHOST. You are a man of DESTINY! You are a woman of DESTINY! God doesn’t have you here by accident. Decide today… “NO MATTER WHERE I AM… NO MATTER WHERE I’VE BEEN… I’m getting INFECTED TODAY!”

“I’m getting the genuine article. I’m not taking the shot. I want the REAL THING.” TODAY is your day. TODAY is your day.