The Truth will set you Free
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Intro and tension
Intro and tension
Catan | Playing diff rules | Thought I was right = Defended | was wrong - What happened?
Nature looks to defend before looks to search | Truth = Become Subjuctive.
Problem not access to information | More access to “Truth” then any generation in history - yet more anxious, divided and drifting than ever - Why?
“My Truth” - Become something to defend rather than THE TRUTH being person to follow. Paul warned us:
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, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
We often look for teachers who agree with our ‘house rules’ rather than creators rules.
This happening at Ephesus in 1st century = Distracted by Myths | They smart, puffed up, but unhealthy
Paul comes in = Empowered by HS - Warns timothy of allowing wrong truth in. Why?
Paul knew Something - Truth much more than information to be obtained…Truth = Doorway out of prison and bridge to life.
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Paul gives church 3 things for healthy heart - and how to have discernment for false teachers.
Title: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help us God.
**pray**
Where we? Paul writing to young Timothy = About to Pastor Church | Church = Mess | False Teachers running wild, false doctorine, idol worship.
Paul gives instructions to Timothy on how to keep heart right in midst of false info | Let’s see
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.
Paul gives some ways to spot False teachers:
Emphasised fables and genealogies (Judiasm at the time) (1 Tim 1:4-7, 4:7)
Emphasised rigid asceticism, renouncing marriage, certain foods (1 Tim 4:3, 8)
Professed special knowledge of God (1 Tim 6:20)
They want to be teachers (1 Tim 1:7)
desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
They have Desire + Confidence = No truth | Pauls concern:
By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,
How can we tell?
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Pure Heart
Heart = Control centre = thoughts, motives, entire being = needs to be Cleansed from Sin | Love comes from this heart is sacrificial.
Jesus = Sermon on Mount = Talking to Sinners:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed = If you SEEK after ME.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
Monopoly - Wheeling and Dealing - Teaching kids - Emma: God knows your heart - Yes, my heart is to win, Emma: Maybe your heart should be to love.
A Pure Heart = Sifted by Holy Spirit | Undivided | Doesn’t mean you don’t Sin - Stopped lying to yourself about Sin
2. A Good Conscience
(Zoom in here)| Nothing gets us in trouble MORE than unsanctified conscience.
Concience = Moral Compass
Greek word = Syneidesis = Internal Witness of their own Behaviour, guilt over wrongdoing and satisfaction of choosing right over wrong.
Let’s unpack this:
Your internal witness:
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
it functions before God
So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
Remember K. David = Sinned, Slept with Bethsheba - Concience Heavy = Needed Clearing.
Compasses are great - Unless they stand next to a Magnet
Issue = Our Concience can be weak, defiled, seared and mis-calibrated.
Paul talks about weak - unbelievers are defiled - and says this;
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
They can also lie to us | Paul in front of Religious leaders:
And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
Hang on - He persecuted Christians | Yes - at time = Truly believed right thing = He was pharisee serving God = However he was wrong.
Good news = Concience can be cleansed:
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Your Concience is not voice of your head | Inner Witness = MUST be trained by God’s word + Submitted to HS | HS Conviction trumps your Concience.
Good conscience: A conscience aligned with God’s truth, sanctified by the Spirit and kept clear through repentance and Obedience.
Smoke Alarm - Kept smoking when cooking - Took batteries out. (Noise = Annoying)
Here’s the thing; Your concience is like Smoke alarm = Keep taking batteries out because noise (truth) annoys you = Eventually sleep through the fire | Truth is what keeps the batteries Fresh.
A good conscience isn’t produced by Willpower or your feelings - It’s formed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
3. A Sincere Faith
Sincere = Anypokritos = Without Mask, Non-Hypocritical
Greek Masks Picture
Someone that is genuine = Not just acting = Actions match their belief.
Faith = Pistis = Trust, Faithfulness
Produces hebrew concept = Emunah = Stability, Reliability over time, Steadfastness | Emunah shows up when chips down, life hurting, Jesus still king.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Pistis = Trusting Jesus. Emunah = Hebrew Concept of Trust, Steady for the long haul.
Pistis spark of trust | Emunah = steady flame that keeps burning
What is sincere faith = How “Known” you are to Jesus = Taking off Mask - Saying I trust you with my whole life. Mountain, Valley, I’m not leaving.
Might be like = Great on paper - What does it look like when we encounter Truth | Let’s go quick story.
OT = Kings = Boy King Josiah - 8yrs old when took over, 20’s in story | Long line of evil kings | Judah = Mess = Idols everywhere, baby sacrifices to molech, alters to other God’s, Word of God lost…
Priest finds it - Reads it - Passes it on, King gets hold of it
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.
This is his conscience being awakened by Truth | Batteries being put in smoke alarm = Realises a fire is burning around him.
Why? He had a Pure Heart.
because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
And a sincere Faith - Walks out | Destroys Idols, Fals Altars - Leads boldly and declares - No more religion or idol - We want Relationship with Yahweh.
At one point - King goes out - Opens book (Bible) reads it…
And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
Why Did Josiah do all that?
Because his Concsiounce was cleansed by the Truth | had pure heart | Sincere faith what not only wanted to obey GOD, but had Emunah - Walked it out because He knew GOD:
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
This is what Paul said to Timothy:
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Charge is LOVE - God is LOVE - Agape Love - Sacrificial Love - Love that sent Jesus to Cross to pay our Penalty | If you take away conviction & Repentance = Take away the Love of God.
What do we do - IF found yourself caught up with all sorts of truths?
Purify our Hearts = Father, I want you.
Clear our Concience = Father, cleanse my Mind
Have a sincere Faith = Let me know and walk it out.
We can ask God for help;
“Lord, Give me a heart that is undivided for you, A concioence that is sanctified by your Truth and your Spirit and help me to trust you when it doesn’t make sense.”
Peter - Walking out - Eyes on Jesus, fell - Jesus is there to pick you up.
He can pick you up right now as well. The truth will set you free.
