1 Timothy 4:6-16
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good
minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the
good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject
profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself towards
godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is
profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and
of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach,
because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men,
especially of those who believe. These things command and
teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the
believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by
prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both
yourself and those who hear you.
I’d like to recap where we are in this sermon series as we are
walking through the book of 1 Timothy. Paul has been giving
Timothy a blueprint of how to establish a sound church. He’s
talked about the foundation and establishment of our faith in
Christ, he’s given Timothy his testimony, and encouragement to
continue to seek the Lord. Paul has given Timothy an outline of
how women’s behavior in the church and men’s response should
all reflect the glory and character of God. And now, we are in the
middle of Paul shoring up Timothy for his calling in leading a
ministry.
Last week, Deacon Kevin encouraged us by challenging us to
listen to the Holy Spirit by remembering the promises that God
has left for us in the person of the Holy Spirit. God’s spirit rests,
walks and abides in us and we have the same power that brought
Creation to life and raised Jesus from the dead:
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
We cannot know the power of the Spirit if we do not know His
word.
We cannot know the presence of the Spirit if we do not seek his
power.
In this passage, Paul encourages Timothy to not just teach the
word but to LIVE it out. We know the word is alive and sharper
than any double-edge sword. So tonight, we will talk about how to
use that sword to maintain spiritual fitness and grow consistently
by the word of God:
Don’t cheat the process: Apply God’s word evenly
Just like in physical workouts, we want the results quickly!
Getting up, going to the gym, meal prepping, measuring food and
counting calories is not for the faint of heart. It takes consistency
and dedication but there is always a way around the process. A
quick protein shake here, a weight loss supplement there, a 5
minute workout here, a shortcut to fat burn there. These things
do not lead to consistency in maintaining weight loss.
So it is in the spiritual. Now, you have Youtube pastors, prophets
and teachers. A quick sermon on the Instagram reel. A book on
“10 steps to holiness” or “Fast track fasting”. These “quick fixes”
are not how and where you should get your doctrine. As a
reminder to why we are training, let’s examine the text and get
into our lesson tonight:
Point 1: There is no substitute for the truth
1 Timothy 4:7
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself
towards godliness”
The ESV says: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.
Rather train yourself for godliness.”
Your first rebuttal to protect your holy Instagram feed or favorite
Joseph Prince book is to say: “They are teaching the word of
God! I saw the scripture! They really are teaching the truth”. To
which I will say, great! That’s awesome that you took the time to
study what they are teaching – but how is that teaching
developing your doctrine?
Doctrine matters. What do I mean by doctrine? Doctrine is the
biblical teaching found in the God’s word. It is the fundamentals
of Christianity. True doctrine is based on the person of Christ as it
is related to the Triune God and everything aligning with the Virgin
Birth, Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It is what shapes the
global and local church. How you develop your doctrine matters.
What you watch, what you hear, what you respond to will
eventually build your foundational faith. We must protect what we
take in! Our faith depends on it!
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues
of life
Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we
have heard, lest we drift away.
It is imperative that we ensure what we hear concerning the
things of God are true and based on the word of God alone.
1 Timothy 4:7
But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself
towards godliness.
We must be diligent to pay attention to what is training our souls.
Every year, around Easter, The Ten Commandments will air on
network television. While on the surface, it seems to be a
national treasure and a rough synopsis of the deliverance of the
Israelites, there are a lot of inaccuracies that will lead you to
believe this story from a movie perspective vs a biblical
perspective.
For instance, the story never reflects God’s anger that was
kindled by Moses’ disobedience to circumcise his son. Moses
was going to lead a nation to freedom but had failed to lead his own household. This shows that God is serious about those in
leadership having their house set in order. If you only watch the
movie and not read the text, you’d miss that.
Understanding this context allows us to know the character of
God as merciful, compassionate yet providing discipline to his
children out of his great love for them. So, when we experience
God in this way, He is not foreign to us but it reinforces what the
word has already spoken about Him.
Hebrews 12: 5-7, 10
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to
sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be
discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord
loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If
you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what
son is there whom a father does not chasten?
For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to
them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of his
holiness.
Without reading the text in Exodus 4, we lose the whole counsel
of the character of God and are prone to commit character
assassination against God because that’s not who we thought
Him to be.
Watching movies or listening to preachers who exclude the
discipline of the Lord is like reading one side of a two-page book –
you’re only getting half the story.
This leads to bad doctrine. Unbridled thoughts about who God is
and what he has done in the lives of the saints of old leads to the
age old question: “Did God really say…”
The Chosen series is another show that is NOT the pure word of
God. It’s close to biblical context but there are tons of implied
messages about the character of the disciples and of Jesus as
well, some of them formed by Mormon influence.
Mormons do not believe in the triune God; however, they have
doctrine that is very close to Christian doctrine. They believe in
Jesus as the son of God, but they do not believe in his unity with
the Father and the Holy Spirit. Our doctrine teaches that Our God
is One with three persons – not three different Gods.
Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, The Lord is One!”
John 1:1-3, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things
were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that
was made.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.
I am not saying to NOT watch this series but I am encouraging
you in all things, KNOW THE GOD YOU FOLLOW. Be like the
Bereans in the book of Acts!
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that
they received the word with all readiness, and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
God can use these shows to draw you to his word HOWEVER,
There is no substitute for being taught by your pastor and leaders
in your church. There is no quick fix for reading the scriptures
and studying them for context and depth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a work who does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Tim 4:13
Til I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
2 Tim 3:14
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and
been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
God has given you shepherds to teach you, guard your souls and
watch the spiritual food you take in. When you eat from another
Shepard’s pasture, your pastor cannot be responsible for your
intake. Keep your plate pure. This is not just in a denomination –
this is to be found rightfully interpreting and applying the word of
truth in and around you daily.
Quick fix scriptures, 5 mintue devotions and 3 minute prayers are
not sufficient to maintain a truth filter in your heart! Stay devoted
to the studying the word of God!
Point 2: Apply the scriptures everywhere!
1 Tim 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers
in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
There is always an encouragement to “let your light shine before
men” and we usually use this as an encouragement to glean to
our unwavering faith to unbelievers but here in this passage, Paul
encourages Timothy to be an example to other believers.
I think as believers we sometimes over-spiritualize things. Like,
for example, the Holy Spirit doesn’t have to tell you to wake up
and wash your face or brush your teeth. These things are basic
hygiene habits that need to be performed in order to avoid public
shame and embarrassment and to take care of your body. But
maybe the Holy Spirit will help you to avoid anger in traffic
because you took a bad route – this is supported by the
scriptures. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.
Applying the scripture everywhere means to not selectively decide
when the Holy Spirit gets to lead you. Look for opportunities to
exercise holiness. Pay attention to your surroundings – don’t
sleep on the opportunity to seek after holiness. We live in a sinful
world. Our flesh is prone to sin and its sinful nature. We must
actively seek to apply the knowledge we gain from studying
scripture to exercise holiness.
2 Peter 1:3
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life
and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by
glory and virtue.
God has given us his word, His son, and His spirit. It is up to us
to be prudent in how we apply that knowledge.
2 Corinthians 3:18-4:2 NIRV
None of our faces are covered with a veil. All of us can see the
Lord’s glory and think deeply about it. So we are being changed
to become more like him so that we have more and more glory.
And this glory comes from the Lord, who is the Holy Spirit. So
because of God’s mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to
us. And we don’t give up. Instead, we have given up doing
secret and shameful things. We don’t twist God’s word. In fact,
we do just the opposite. We present the truth plainly. In the sight
of God, we make our appeal to everyone’s sense of what is right
and wrong.
This is the process. This is what we are aiming for – not just
being a holy person but living a life that is fully devoted to living
out God’s word. This process is us being transformed into the
image of Christ. We are not commended to the scriptures and
holy living to memorize scriptures, or measure my holiness vs.
your holiness, neither to rebuke unbelievers or scold believers but
to encourage one another in righteousness. To live as Christ lived
and represent his Kingdom through the Church!
Philippians 2:5-7
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but make himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Colossians 1:10-14 NIRV
Then you will be able to lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We
pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to
bear fruit in every good thing you do. We pray that you will grow
to know God better. We want you to be very strong, in keeping
with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. We pray that
you will never give up. We want you to give thanks with joy to the
Father. He has made you fit to have what he will give to all his
holy people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light.
He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought
us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Because of what the
Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all our
sins have been forgiven.
Timothy was being commissioned as a pastor of a newly
established church and Paul was guiding him to not relegate his
life to the pulpit but to have a life that was fully given over to the
teaching of the word of God.
You might not have been commissioned as a pastor or a deacon
or a teacher or an evangelist BUT– as a redeemed, born again,
saved child of the King of Glory, you have a Great Commission –
to live out the word of God in every area of your life. This is how
you ensure sound doctrine.
If we take a look at our lives in honesty before God the Father,
where have we neglected to apply sound doctrine in our lives?
Point 3: Check for spiritual gains – Is the gospel real to you?
1 Timothy 4:15-16
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both
yourself and those who hear you.
How is the gospel real in your life?
Are you living as if Christ has risen, conquered, and defeat the
grave? Do you allow sin to run rampant in your life? Are you
given to more excuses than results? Are you looking for empathy
and pity or are you determined to be steadfast, courageous and
fruitful?
The gospel isn’t just offering salvation up to people who have not
accepted Christ but it is living a victorious life through Christ who
has overcome.
No, not every day will be a day of victory but will you get up again
and stand on the Word? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to prune
you and train you up in righteousness? Do you fight intrusive
thoughts or the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Hebrews 5:12-6:1(a)NIRV
By this time you should be teachers. But in fact, you need
someone to teach you all over again. You need even the simple
truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who
lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn
about living a godly life. Solid food is for those who are grown up.
They have trained themselves to tell the difference between good
and evil. That shows they have grown up.
So let up move beyond the simple teachings about Christ. Let us
grow up as believers. Let us not start all over again with the basic
teachings.
Paul was instructing Timothy to not just be a pulpit preacher but to
lead the believers in conduct, in faith and in doctrine.
This is the encouragement to you:
Don’t leave your religion in this sanctuary on Sunday. If you don’t
know something at your job, ask the Holy Spirit. If you are
struggling to be kind to people or struggling getting over
bitterness, take it to the Lord. You always getting into altercations
or misunderstandings? Ask the Spirit to give YOU clarity!! Don’ t
be a bible thumper! Be a dedicated follower of Christ in every
aspect of your life. Let the Lord lead and develop your life. He
purchased you! There is nothing impossible for Him!
1 Timothy 4:16
Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for
in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
You want your loved ones to be saved? Be steadfast in the word
of God.
You want your co-workers to know Jesus? Be consistent in living
what you believe.
You want to be the salt of the Earth and a light on the hill? Do it
all the time, not selectively! Inconsistent growth = inconsistent
doctrine. Consistent growth = Consistent doctrine.
Doctrine, what we believe is how God transforms us. Don’t cheat
the process. Believe in the full counsel of the word of God, apply
it to all areas of your life and watch as you are transformed from
glory to glory into the image of Christ.
Establishing good doctrine in your heart is a matter of
steadfastness and faithfulness. Christ has done all that there is to
be done to establish the church now, dear saint, train yourself up
in godliness that the word of God will establish you in Christ Jesus
by faith!
Philippians 2:13 NIV
For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill
his good purpose.
Join us this Sunday at either 8:30AM or 10:30AM for worship followed by this message from the Word of God.
Christian Life Church of Cedar Rapids
2808 Schaeffer DR SW,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
www.CedarRapidsChurch.com
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