“Follow and Guard Right Doctrine”
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Welcome Everyone:
Announcements:
Prayer:
Read the Text:
13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
We left off from our study several weeks ago in verses 11-12 the emphasis on how Paul mentions several credentials about himself. We have come to learn that Paul was a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.
-Being a Preacher emphasized Paul’s function in ministry.
-Being an Apostle emphasized Paul’s authority.
-Being a Teacher, emphasized Paul’s interpreting the message he authoritatively proclaimed.
As Paul often talked about and even shared the stories of his own imprisonment here, he is also encouraging Timothy by calling him to share in the suffering of the gospel. Paul wants Timothy to be ready and to be prepared for when suffering would come his way.
Why do Christians suffer? Why is it that typically Christians throughout the world have suffered the most persecution?
Answer: *The Apostle Paul suffered greatly because he was faithful to preach the fulness of the gospel message. We are sinners and we must turn from our sinful ways and trust in the work of Christ. Preaching on sin and Jesus are never easy and many will suffer for doing so.
*Paul now goes on to remind Timothy that he is not to be ashamed, for he knows whom he believes in. This phrase here carries the idea of Paul’s certainty. Paul is confident in Christ and what He has done, and he wants Timothy and others within the church to know this for certain.
May we as men never doubt or waiver when it comes to knowing all that Christ has done for us!
The title of our study tonight is understanding the importance of following and guarding right doctrine.
We must begin at the point of affirming all that Christ has done.
-We affirm His miraculous virgin birth. Which means that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
-We affirm His perfect and sinless life.
-We affirm His public ministry and all His miracles and teaching.
-We affirm His death.
-We affirm His bodily resurrection.
-We also affirm that someday He will return for His bride and we as Christians will dwell with Christ for all of eternity. These are the things we must affirm about our Savior, however the doctrine or truth that we see throughout God’s Word is also of great importance and it is important that we don’t deny the truth of God’s Word lest we doubt or even deny any part of it.
So men, do we believe all of Scripture? Not just the parts that we like, but do we hold to all of the truth of Scripture? Our Latin forefathers had a name for this and it was (Sola Scriptura) in other words we hold to all of God’s divine Word. This means we don’t hold to man’s opinion or the government’s rules on things, but in Scripture alone.
When we look around the landscape today what we see is that there are very few Christians and very few churches that have any concern for Biblical truth and because of this there is much confusion that is happening in the Evangelical church today. We also see that false doctrines are now being accepted in the church and many folks believe these to be true.
Many churches today don’t see any kind of importance of teaching right doctrine because it can come across as unloving, or tough and challenging or even un-christian. Here is what Paul said about this later on in 2 Timothy.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
We are in this time church. It’s not for the time is coming. The time has come and many have turned away from the truth of sound teaching.
When you look at churches that are teaching sound doctrine you can often see sound people who have a love for God and His Word. They are not confused about certain cultural issues or doctrines because they are being taught the full truth of God’s Word even the difficult parts.
Pastor John MacArthur says, “Sound doctrine leads to holy living, while the absence of sound doctrine often leads to unholy living.”
Verse 13 = “Follow the pattern of sound words.” The word pattern here that Paul uses has the meaning of an outline. We may thing of an artist who sketches the design or outline of something before he or she actually fills in the picture with beautiful colors. So too here Timothy was to follow Paul’s pattern or outline and then teach others how to apply it and live it.
For us as believers our standard or pattern is God’s Word which encompasses all the things that Paul had learned from the Lord. These were sound words. Men, God’s Word is perfect and sure and trustworthy and it is sufficient for everything that we need in this life and the one to come. In Scripture we have God’s very words and His very truth and standards. We must not add anything that we think is culturally relevant and we must not take anything away from it as some have done. Paul says this to show us how accurate our standard truly is.
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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.
The word sound here means “healthy.” Everything in God’s word and especially the gospel makes those who are sick and living in darkness healthy, once they come to be true followers of Christ. Paul had seen through his years in ministry the importance of healthy sound food and now he desired Timothy to teach this to his followers so that they too could grow in their faith. So, all of these things have been modeled and taught by Paul, but how are we to teach these things? Notice here what Paul says, “In the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Paul wants Timothy to see here that we are not to teach in a way that comes across as we are better than others or even legalistic but with compassion and love.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
We should never be insensitive or mean spirited but we should speak truth in love and boldness not compromising the truth of God’s Word. Paul desired that Timothy not be ashamed or afraid of the message that he would deliver, but to share in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Paul was reminding Timothy that the Lord and His Spirit were with Timothy and he proclaimed these sound words of the gospel.
The question we must consider tonight men is how do we not only follow but also guard right doctrine? We can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 14, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.”
Think back with me before Jesus goes to the cross. Remember His words to His disciples? These words should have been a tremendous encouragement to all of them as they would be faced with the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection shortly. These words are recorded in the Gospel of John.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
When we come to the book of Acts we see that this comes to fruition as the Holy Spirit comes upon those early believers.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
Men, as believers in Christ we need to know that we are the very temple of God and that His Spirit now dwells in us and because of this we can guard the good deposit entrusted to us. Even though we may face persecution or go through difficult times the Holy Spirit is there within us to encourage us and keep us bold in our faith.
The word for good here can mean beautiful. God’s Word and of course His gospel is so wonderful and beautiful that it is called “Good News.” It should be guarded and protected at all cost. Throughout history we know that there have been many people who have tried to cast doubt on it or discredit it in some form or shape. There have been many powerful rulers who have tried to destroy it or not allow it but none were successful. The word of God will remain forever. Timothy was called, like us to do everything possible to protect this beautiful message.
As we have already seen in 1 Timothy there will come wolves and heretics who want to add or take away from God’s Word and so we must keep studying it, we must continue to ask God for His help in explaining it, and we must continue to obey it.
Why??? Because our world is dark, foolish, and lost. Our world desperately needs to hear God’s Word and also receive it.
May we be reminded tonight men that we are not only in this journey. We are not alone in this mission. God is within us and with us and for us. And if we know this to be true than know this tonight.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
May we be men who follow and guard the right doctrine, the true doctrine of God’s Word.
Questions:
Have you ever been tempted to abandon the truth of God’s Word?
Have you ever been ashamed or afraid to tell people about God. What kind of situations did you face for that to take place?
Let me pray for us tonight men.
Close in Prayer: