Swerving: A Corrective Thing

INTRO:

I haven’t played golf for a few years.

I enjoyed it but down here in the south “IT’S HOT.”

I would sweat just riding in the golf cart.

For whatever reason I kinda stopped playing.

But there is something I remember when I was at a place that was offering “FREE 10 minute” golf lesson from a professional golf coach.

I thought, this might be pretty cool so I signed up for it.

One of the very first things the coach did was ask me to tee up a ball and hit it.

What he was doing was observing my grip and swing. He then had me putt into the hole.

Same thing, he was observing my grip and stroke on the ball.

If you think about it …. these are the two motions you use in golfing.

What I was showing him was how I play golf. (My Swing and my Putting Stroke)

He looks at how I gripped the driver and says, “I see you have a problem slicing the ball off the tee?”

I said, “Yes! As a matter of fact I really don’t enjoy using my driver anymore.”

He then proceeds to show me how by just a turning of my forearm with my grip and the slice will be cured.

I teed up a ball and adjust my forearm and swung ……… straight down the fairway.

The slice was gone!

My golf game improved and I really enjoyed driving the ball again.

As a matter of fact, I was enjoying playing the game again.

I wasn’t going to be a pro at the sport but I was going to play the game in the fairway and on the greens instead of in the woods.

What stood out to me was how one little adjustment corrected what was causing me to swerve (slice).

I was hitting the mark/target again (The fairway).

I wasn’t swerving (Slicing) anymore.

For those who don’t like sports analogies, I apologize.

But with that said …..

I have a question for us to think about this morning.

“When it comes to our lives today, do we feel like we have been missing the mark/target or maybe it is just the sense of feeling like we have been aiming for the target but keep swerving/slicing?”

Maybe we might be feeling like we have been wandering with really no target to strive for.

I know some of you might not believe me but Paul address this issue with Timothy in the Bible.

If you will …..

BODY:

Turn to 1 Timothy 1:1–6 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 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, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away ……”

Paul’s directive to Timothy is to adjust those who have swerved and wandered away from the faith (Doctrine).

Timothy is commanding these “certain people” …… in our illustration …. Timothy is giving an adjustment to these “certain people.”

Just as that pro instructor showed me an adjustment to my grip, which was to help me to stay in the fairway, play the game it was suppose to be played.

If I didn’t obey his instructions, ….. well you can imagine what my game would look like.

How have these “certain people” swerved?

Paul tells us that they were swerving by (1 Timothy 1:4 “….. devote(ing) themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.”)

Timothy is to charge (command/adjust) these individuals to “STOP” (2 things)

Teaching (False Doctrine)

Devoting (themselves to something other than Christ).

Paul tells us where this “Charge” comes from.

1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love .......”

If one is not careful we might miss this important factor.

Timothy charging these people was not coming from a place of condemnation but of correction.

The charge is directed toward the actions (TO STOP) [Conduct].

But the “AIM” of the charge (directed toward the conduct) is LOVE!

If we look at the word “AIM” in the Greek [Telos] it comes with the understanding of fulfillment.

A better word that is used in other translations might be “GOAL.”

So the goal/fulfillment of this Command/Charge/Correction is LOVE

Love is the goal of this instruction to stop teaching and devoting to things other than Christ.

Now with this said I thinks important we grab a clearer understanding of “LOVE.”

Have you ever really tried to define what Love it?

There are 24 meanings listed in Oxford English Dictionary’s entry for the noun love,

…… six of which are labelled obsolete.

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary we find the following definitions …..

1….. a

(1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties maternal love for a child (2): attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers After all these years, they are still very much in love. (3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests love for his old schoolmates

1…..b : an assurance of affection “give her my love”

2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion “love of the sea”

3….. a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration “baseball was his first love” 3 …..b(1)—often used as a term of endearment : a beloved person : “DARLING” 3 ….. (2)—used as an informal term of address “British”

4 ….. a: unselfish loyal and benevolent (see BENEVOLENT sense 1a) concern for the good of another.

such as …. (1): the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2): brotherly concern for others b: a person's adoration of God

5 : a god (such as Cupid or Eros) or personification of love

6 : an amorous episode : “LOVE AFFAIR”

7 : the sexual embrace : “COPULATION”

8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)

In the English language we see that Love is one word used in multiple ways.

But they each have a different meaning and directive ….

I love my wife ……. and saying I love my truck could get a husband in trouble.

But when we look at Love in the Greek we see multiple words that are translated as Love which helps us better understand what is being stated.

Philo - is the most general word for love or regard with affection.

Stergo - Its the less frequent verb which means to love, feel affection, especially of the mutual love of parents and children.

It can also be used of the love of a people for their ruler, the love of a tutelary god for the people, and even of dogs for their master.

Eros - denote the love between man and woman which embraces longing, craving and desire. (Its where we get the word Erotic)

Agapa (Noun) Agapao (Verb) Divine Love

to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard— to regard with affection

Here in this passage, what we see is the word LOVE (5)!

It is the Greek word “Agape.”

Paul reminds Timothy that the “Aim/Goal” of commanding these certain people comes from LOVE!

This is where it gets really good!

The “aim/goal” of the charge to certain people is not for them to ….

….. Stop teaching different doctrine.

….. Stop devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies.

This was the Charge/Command!

The charge was toward the “ACTION/CONDUCT” (It was to STOP)

The “AIM/GOAL” is LOVE! (Love is the Goal/Purpose of the instruction)

What Paul does now is, he expounds on Love!

Where does it comes from? How is it produced (per say)?

Looking at Vs 5 we read “The aim of our charge is love that issues from…” Love is produced from.

The Greek word for “FROM” is [Ek]

Means to exit or emission out of …

You could then read 1 Timothy 1:5 to say, “Love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.”

Paul presents a three prong dynamic to Love.

A PURE HEART:

The word Heart is the Greek word that means “Where our feelings, impulses, affections, and desires are.”

The word Pure means “resides free from guilt or blame”

Putting this all together …. A pure heart is a place where our feelings, impulses, affections and desires reside free from guilt or blame.

A GOOD CONSCIENCE:

When you look at these two words ion the Greek they are flipped “Conscience Good.”

Looking at both Greek words we can put them together to mean …. An inward faculty of moral judgement that has awakened ones moral integrity.

A SINCERE FAITH:

The same is found with these two words as was with Good Science, They are flipped “Faith Sincere.”

Looking at these two words in the Greek they come to mean …. A conviction that God exist or a conviction in God that is evident for all to see and know.

Paul reveals to Timothy that this is the AIM/GOAL. LOVE

Wrapping up this section I TIMOTHY 1:1-5

The charge is addressing the conduct (The teaching of false doctrine and devoting to myths and endless genealogies)

The Purpose/Aim/Goal of the charge is “Agape LOVE” which comes out from/produce from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

CONCLUSION:

How does people end up teaching false doctrine, devoting themselves to myths and worldly things?

Lets apply this to us today ….. How can we find ourselves in this situation?

Lets read on ….

1 Timothy 1:6–7 “Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”

How did these “Certain People” find themselves being CHARGED/COMMANDED” to STOP doing these things?

How did they get there?

YOU READY? (Pick up the golf club)

“BY SWERVING!”

Swerving from what?

These three Pillars!

Paul tells Timothy, 1 Timothy 1:6 “Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,”

The word “Swerving” is the Greek word [Astocheo] which means to deviate from miss the target (of truth) …… but the one that stood out to me was “MISSING THE MARK.”

That is the same premiss as SIN!

Paul reveals to Timothy that when this “SWERVING” takes place the result is ….

Wandering away

Desires become ungodly

How may we find ourselves wandering away, desiring things that are ungodly?

Let me go back to the original question I asked at the begging of this sermon….

“When it comes to our lives today, do we feel like we have been missing the mark/target or maybe it is just the sense of feeling like we have been aiming for the target but keep swerving/slicing?”

It may have all started by “swerving” away from LOVE.

Our heart may have become tainted.

Our conscience may have become seared.

moral judgement …… moral integrity

Our faith may have wained from the truth.

Maybe this morning we might just need to allow that “PRO COACH” Holy Spirit come and reveals the adjustments me might need to make so that we are back to swinging properly so that we are hitting the target again and living for Jesus the way are suppose to be.

Lets take a few minutes to come and talk with the Jesus this morning.

Pray a prayer of declaration …..

Dear Jesus, I come and declare that my purpose for all I do is found and based in LOVE. A love that exhibits a PURE Heart a conscience that glorifies your goodness and a faith that is evident for everyone to see. I will live out my Love and will boldly stand and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others may be attracted to the faith and convicted to stop missing the mark. I declare this in the powerful name Of Jesus Christ, AMEN!