Church Matters - 1 Timothy 1:5-11

Dr. Kevin DeYoung

1. Wolves don’t usually know they’re wolves.

While some false teachers are knowing hypocrites who borrow religious language to fleece the flock, most errors in church history have been promoted by those who sincerely thought they were doing the work of God.

2. Wolves can quote the Bible.

3. Wolves tend to be imbalanced.

What I mean is that false teachers have a tendency to let the big themes of Scripture silence specific verses. Wolves ignore the whole counsel of God. They like to take themes like love or justice or hospitality or law or grace and then round off all the edges of Scripture to fit this one big idea.

4. Wolves are impatient with demands for verbal clarity.

False teaching thrives on ambiguity.

5. Wolves come in different shapes and sizes.

READ (1 TIM. 1:5-11)

What does the local church want to communicate?

1. A Sincere Message.

Jaime Garcia - Bethel Baptist Church, Houston

It was May 16, and the northern part of Houston was experiencing spectacular weather. But in Texas—especially in the springtime—the weather can change in an instant.

That evening, a weather advisory was issued suddenly, warning residents to seek shelter from a fast-moving and potentially destructive thunderstorm headed toward the area that had the potential to spawn tornadoes. Soon after, straight-line winds of more than 100 mph and a tornado barreled into the area, throwing the region into chaos. According to local news reports, the storms caused flooding, downed trees and power lines, some deaths, and nearly a million homes and businesses were left without power.

Among the places affected was Bethel Baptist Church, where, according to Senior Pastor Jaime García, the storm ripped off part of the roof allowing rain to pour into the sanctuary—causing extensive damage, including to sound equipment and musical instruments.

García is no stranger to storms. In addition to his duties as Bethel’s pastor, he is a storm chaser. That day, he was in another city recording video for a local news affiliate. As soon as he heard about the danger threatening his community and his people, he returned home to Houston.

“I saw all the destruction and people who were desperate and scared,” said García, noting that the drama only intensified once he learned how the storms had impacted his church and members of the congregation.

And yet, they were not deterred.

The next day, Bethel members mobilized to clean and repair the church as best they could, then went to work serving the community. The following Saturday, they came together to help the community by going to homes to cut down trees and “extend a hand of love,” García said.

God also opened doors for the church to distribute food provided by an aid organization from Mississippi while the power was being restored. Church members set up a distribution site in their gym to distribute food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries to those impacted by the storm.

Though hurting themselves, García said the storms provided a great opportunity for Bethel to fulfill its mission: to love God, love people, and serve others.

“That’s part of who we are,” García said. “If there’s something to be done, we’ll be there to serve and show them the love of Christ.”

The Biblical church seeks to communicate the gospel out of love for God and neighbors.

2. A Legitimate Message.

(Galatians 3:21-25)

The Biblical church is apposed to legalism and focused on the gospel of Jesus.

3. A Glorified Message.

“Dad, why can’t i look at the sun?”

The Biblical church points people to the gospel where the glory of God is revealed.