The Closed Mind (Part 2)

Review

Turn to 1 Timothy 4:7-8.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to keep our hearts with all diligence. We learned to guard our hearts from two things:

Heretical deception

People claim to speak on God’s behalf today, but we must compare what we hear with Scripture. If what someone is saying is popular, chances are, it is not of God, it is of this world.

Hypocritical demands

We must always guard against being put under any man-made rules that go beyond what God has said. “We must guard our minds against any teaching that makes demands not found in God’s Word.” God has set a standard, His name is Jesus. We must follow Him.

Message

The closed mind is on guard against these things. Now this evening we are going to consider two more things to guard against:

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A closed mind guards against hopeless diversions - 1 Timothy 4:7.

Read 1 Timothy 4:7, 1:4.

When I worked at Walmart logistics, I could count on the fact that peak season would be an adventure. One of our responsibilities was to make sure that the Walmart stores received on-time deliveries year round, but especially during peak season, which was roughly from the middle of October and end with Christmas.

When it was peak season, you never knew what you might deal with in a typical day, but you knew it would be anything but boring. Our shipping volume would more than double, which meant a whole lot more drivers on the road, a lot more trips to be paid, and a lot more that could go wrong. During peak season we would also utilize dozens of non-Walmart truckers to help move our freight. That added another level of complexity to the operation.

From the time that I would clock in to the time I would clock out, it was pretty much nonstop answering the phones, checking driver trip pay, and helping with all of the normal daily operations. It was not uncommon to be talking to a driver on the phone, talking to a driver at your office window, and working on a third thing on the computer at the same time while having a pile of other projects waiting. There was absolutely no time for diversions during peak season. You had to be closed to irrelevant distractions.

That was the mind that Paul wanted Timothy to have. He wanted Timothy to be on guard against hopeless distractions.

In 1 Timothy 4:7, Paul cautions Timothy to shun or avoid “profane and old wives’ fables.” Now what on earth was that?

“Fables” is translated from the Greek word “μῦθος”. It’s where we get our word “myth.” It’s a story that is delivered by word of mouth.

The Jews had many such stories. Their history was full of traditions and ideas passed down for generations. We discussed some of their historical traditions in our study Through Jewish Eyes, but the Jews had many more besides. The temptation was to elevate these traditions to the authority of Scripture. Paul cautioned Timothy to avoid such things.

1 Timothy 1:4 KJV 1900

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

The Jews were commonly infatuated with genealogies and their family tree. You may recall that in Philippians chapter three Paul challenged anyone to surpass his pedigree.

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Philippians 3:4–5 (KJV 1900)

If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Paul was telling Timothy, “avoid anyone who tries to make themselves superior to you by their stories or by their family tree. And if anyone does try to promote themselves by their family tree, give them my business card.”

Application: Church family, it’s a temptation to get discouraged when you negatively compare yourself with other Christians.

Maybe you’ve heard a preacher share a story about some amazing thing that God did in their life and you’re tempted to think to yourself, “Wow, I wish God would do that for me!”

Don’t do it! Don’t compare yourself to others! Exercise yourself unto godliness instead and follow Jesus.

Maybe you’ve heard another Christian share their family background. Maybe they are a fourth or a fifth generation Christian. All of the men in their family were preachers and some of the women were too! At least, they come across as being super spiritual. You hear about their family and you’re tempted to think to yourself, “Well, I certainly don’t have that background. I’m just a nobody. I’m sure that God pays attention to them but He certainly doesn’t care about me!”

Can I remind you, Timothy’s dad was a Greek. By Jewish standards, Timothy didn’t come from a stellar background either! Probably he was tempted to think that he was a nobody as well! So Paul warned Timothy to guard his heart against these hopeless diversions that would steal his contentment in Christ. Instead, Timothy needed to daily work out in godliness.

Christian, don’t let the distractions of other’s superiority steal your joy in Christ. Be firmly convinced in your mind who you are in Christ. That is what matters to God - not your family tree and not man’s traditions.

A closed mind guards against hopeless diversions. Secondly…

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A closed mind guards against hindered diligence - 1 Timothy 4:7-8.

Some people are well-versed in nothingness…It is amazing how diligent and disciplined we can be in areas little importance. We just have to watch the big game, watch the news, go to work, eat lunch, work out, etc., but how diligent are we in godliness? - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 78.

Diligent commitment to godliness is a hard thing to maintain because you can do it only one day at a time. You can’t work ahead at it. It’s not like a school project that you can work ahead on, get it done, and then take a break from. No, diligence means taking one more step each day.

“How’s your exercise program? While physical exercise profits for life, spiritual exercise profits for life and eternity.” - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 78.

Application: Christian, do you have a spiritual workout every day? Your workout routine may look a little different than the next person’s, but it should include talking to God in prayer and listening to God through His Word.

Don’t be a Christian that is an expert on trivial matters but illiterate in the things of God. Guard yourself. Be a spiritual athlete with a mindset that is guarded against spiritual laziness. If you find yourself getting comfortable spiritually, if you find that God hasn’t convicted you of anything lately, it’s time to get alone with God. It’s time to check if your diligence is being hindered by something.

Conclusion

Dr. Goetsch tells a story of growing up on a farm. He says,

We pastured our cows across the river on some rented land. Mom had gotten a phone call from some neighbors that our cows were running across their corn fields and they were not happy. We abandoned our task of baling hay and drove as fast as we could to the pasture. Being on the other side of the river, we had to drive several miles to get there and when we did, the cows were everywhere and enjoying every minute of this new found freedom.

Once out of a pasture, cows can get very disoriented. For the next several hours we chased cows! …People were frustrated, cows were injured, milk production was down for the next two days, and part of the harvest was lost all because I didn't close the gate!

Your mind is the gateway to your heart. Guard what goes in and out. - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 80.