Standing Corrected (California)
Growing Disciples • Sermon • Submitted
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Greeting
Greeting
If you don’t know me, I’m pastor Dan Johnston
I’m Kevin’s brother
But this church is also where I cut my teeth as a pastor
My wife Tasha and I came in 2009, I was hired to do worship in 2011
I became a pastor a couple of years later and served until 2018
For my walk, those were some of my favorite years
Then became a youth pastor in NC for 2 years
Now I’m the senior pastor at CrossPoint Church in East Peoria, IL
I love the church where I serve now, but it’s nice to be home so to speak
I want you to know that I love this church and still pray for you all
Lifepoint will always be dear to my heart
My family grew here, my kids were baptized here, we did some wonderful ministry together
I had a wonderful mentor in pastor Glenn
Many of my favorite memories with my favorite people are here with this church
I know it sounds like I’m kissing up, and I am, but it’s also true
I’m thankful for the opportunity to share God’s word with you this morning
And for the week I’m here to help Kevin adapt and just pray with him as he starts his senior pastor journey
Prayer
Prayer
Introduction
Introduction
Illustration: Finding my Christmas presents on the porch and the living room
Tash tried to be patient and not blame me...
But there’s still a thought of, “Why are you going through my mail?”
It was intended for her, but also, it was intended for me - but indirectly
Today we’re going through Timothy’s mail, finding a letter indirectly about us
1 Timothy is letter to Timothy from Paul
1 Timothy 1:1–2 (ESV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pretty standard type of greeting from Paul
But there's something important I want to point out before we get into the meat
Paul uses his “title” - Apostle of Christ Jesus
That tells us Paul is speaking with authority
He endears and credits Timothy’s name as well
“My true child in the faith”
That passes Paul’s authority on to Timothy
But also endears him in a personal way - it’s not a business correspondence to Timothy
That tells us two important things
Timothy has authority and favor in what he’s doing
Someone besides Timothy needs to know what this says
As we read and Kevin continues on, you’ll see two main themes
Paul wants to encourage Timothy in his work
Paul has business to tend to with the church
Let’s find out what’s going on:
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
Background
Background
Paul travelled and met coworkers
Timothy was impressive young man
Became his mentor
Why? Bad stuff was happening in Ephesus
Not surprising because of Paul’s history there
Ephesus was an epicenter for Greek/Roman Gods (especially Artemis)
Paul ran into disciples while passing through
Stayed for 2 years as missionary
Eventually left because of a huge riot blamed on Christians
Wrote to Ephesians (and Colossians and Philemon) from prison
Left prison for Macedonia and stopped in Ephesus
Things were bad, so he left Timothy behind
What was bad? TEACHING...
Test:
Test:
A. Fight the good fight. (Proverbs 13:24)
B. God helps those who help themselves.
C. Eat, drink and be merry. (Ecclesiastes 8:15)
D. I escaped by the skin of my teeth. (Job 19:20)
E. This too shall pass.
F. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
G. A house divided against itself cannot stand. (Matthew 12:25)
H. Money is the root of all evil.
I. Be in the world, but not of the world.
J. It’s better to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Specifically, Paul mentions DOCTRINE
What is doctrine?
a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church
In Ephesus they have false teachers AND
They are focusing on things that are unimportant
Specifically genealogies and myths
It can be hard to face false teachers
People don’t like confrontation
Maybe that’s why Paul has to encourage Timothy to stay
Last week Paul and Beth mentioned leaving...
It’s hard to stay when there’s something wrong
But there’s power in reconciliation
That’s why Paul wants Timothy to stick it out
The world tells us differently...
Your job gets hard? Quit!
Your marriage gets hard? Divorce!
Your cell phone provider is expensive? We’ll pay your early termination!
Tired of your old car? Roll over your old loan!
That mentality creeps into the church too...
Moody Monthly reported 70% is transfer growth
Some call it “sheep stealing” or “church piracy”
Not only is it bad (not real evangelism)
Also because people move when they don’t like something!
Worse, churches cater to it
For Timothy, rather than leaving, he corrects bad doctrine
The other part are distractions
Genealogies and myths:
Battle of Dryfe Sands
Maxwell’s with 2000 men
Lord Johnstone got word and assembled 800
Taunted Maxwells from hilltop
Rushed down and attacked on horseback
Downward strokes = Lockerbie licks
Genealogies tell us who we are
Jesus was descended from David
Two genealogies - Matthew and Luke
That’s all we need!
Listed in YouVersion
The problem was, they already knew who Jesus was
Son of God!
No need to keep searching for human bloodlines
Furtick vs. Matt Chandler (Elephant Room)
Preaching to build the attendance vs. building the attendees
Answer should be YES! Both!
Otherwise we get what Paul calls “speculations”
Frank Turek
One ended stick or rock too heavy
I believe God can do all those things
He created the laws that we analyze with limited minds
But it’s lofty and useless
I said, “Works for me” and sat down
That’s why we need to teach sound doctrine without getting distracted by the parts that don’t matter!
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
First, he is doing it in love
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
That means if you have a revival with millions, but not love...
You are just noise!
From a pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith
What matters is inside you! Not outside...
If it’s just outside, we get that legalism
Here is a pie chart that we teach about spiritual health
We think that’s what we need to do (show pie)
But this is what we should do (show pie)
Then Paul tells us what happens if that’s our motivation:
6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
If legalism becomes your focus, you start talking about stuff that doesn’t matter
Catholic funeral
We’re supposed to be kneeling!
Not attacking the Catholic Church… just her attitude
Not thinking about the prayer itself, just the kneeling
When things get abstract, beliefs get weird
That’s where the Mormon church came from
Joseph Smith wanted answers to the unknown
So he found golden plates that just so happened to have all the answers
We do that today
How do you reconcile spiritual teachings with your Christian beliefs?
I reconciled it because I was able to open my mind about the absolute, indescribable hugeness of that which we call God. I took God out of the box because I grew up in the Baptist church and there were rules and belief systems and doctrine. I happened to be sitting in church in my late 20’s and I was going to this church where you had to get to church at 8 o’clock in the morning or you couldn’t get a seat. There was a very charismatic minister and everybody was into the sermon and this great minister was preaching about how great God was and how omniscient and omnipresent... and God is everything and then he said “The Lord thy God is a jealous God.” I was caught up in the rapture of that moment until he said “jealous.” Something struck me. I was about 27, 28. I was thinking “God is all, God is omnipresent, and God is also jealous? God is jealous of me?” Something about that didn’t feel right in my spirit because I believe that God is love and that God is in all things. That’s when the search for something more than doctrine started to stir within me.”
Know what that is? Let me read verse 7 again:
7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
That person was Oprah Winfrey
5th most influential woman in the world
2 honorary doctorates
Her show was on 212 stations across 100 countries
Has a magazine, two TV channels, movies, broadway plays, food line, and books!
The world listens to what Oprah has to say!
So she says doctrine is not important if you want to know God...
Why?
She couldn’t understand what the Bible said, so she found her own way
And now speaks about it with confidence...
And people listen!
How Do We Know Good Doctrine?
How Do We Know Good Doctrine?
Tim Challies: 5 questions to test ANY doctrine!
The test of origin
Sound doctrine originates with God
False doctrine comes from man or Satan
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
EX: The Church of Scientology
Invented by L. Ron Hubbard, not God
2. The test of authority
Sound doctrine’s authority is within Scripture
False doctrine’s authority is from without
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
If it’s not in Scripture, you cannot be confident of it’s authority!
Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone!
EX: Mormon heavenly families
Tell the story of families in heaven
Woman’s 7 husbands die
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
3. Test of consistency
Sound doctrine is established by all of Scripture
False doctrine may only be supported in some Scripture
3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,
Charles Spurgeon says this:
Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong, it is knowing the difference between right and almost right.
God’s story is ONE STORY
Scripture interprets Scripture
This could say this, or say this!
What does the rest of Scripture say?
EX: Lions are symbols of evil
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Lions are a symbol of evil!
Rev 5:5, 2 Sam 1:23, 1 Kings 1:23, Jer 51:38, Heb 11:33, Rev 5:5
Lions are actually a symbol of power!
4. Test of Spiritual growth and Godly living
Good doctrine leads to Spiritual growth and Godly living
False doctrine leads to Spiritual weakness and ungodly living
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
There were $11 million in sales the first week of the year...
What was it? Marijuana!
EX: Yeah dude, the Bible don’t say nothing about weed!
And it’s totally legal!
After prayer night we’re going to hotbox the sanctuary then...
No! Why? It doesn’t promote Godly living and spiritual growth!
Not only is it a gateway drug...
It makes you lethargic and lazy
AND it gives you the munchies you glutton! (Prov. 19:15)
If you know a doctrine will lead to something ungodly, it’s bad
Good doctrine will always pass all of these tests
Bad doctrine will always fail at least one
Distractions
Distractions
However, some things are not clear...
Those are the things we shouldn’t let distract us
EX All dogs go to heaven
Believing that dogs go to heaven:
Does not come from God
Is not in Scripture
Does not go for or against the rest of Scripture
Does not prohibit Godly living or spiritual growth
I personally believe they do, or at least I hope they do
Isaiah makes it clear there will be animals in heaven
20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?
Solomon is saying we don’t know the answer!
We’re not going to have an official doctrine on this
I don’t care what you believe here
But I don’t want it to become a distraction!
Closing
Closing
Why is doctrine so important?
Barbra met Michael Mastromarino
It was almost like a dream. He was just this perfect guy.”
Successful oral surgeon
Big house in the suburbs and 2 kids
Started a business selling tissue for transplants and bone grafts
Made $4 million in 4 years
The she learned about the real him
First, he was passed out in his office with a needle
Then, he was arrested with a prostitute
Then the worst...
Arrested 2006:
Stealing/selling skin, bones and body parts from the dead
Knowingly sold them with hepatitis, HIV and cancer
My life with him was an entire lie. Everything that I believed wasn't so. He always had a story. ... He lied to his attorney; he lied to me. He lied to everyone that crossed his path.
My point? You only really know someone if you know the truth about them
Same for knowing God
Question: Do you know God?
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Closing
Closing
If you want to know God, you have to know Him through Christ
You can know Him this morning
PRESENT GOSPEL!