Discipleship: Theology

Intro

Discipleship: Theology

Main Idea: Theology matters

Often, the word theology is tied with academics. Like you have to be a scholar to study theology. Not true. You are a theologian wherever you sit right now. Theology is the way you view God and his creation. It’s very simple, but truly how you view everything determines how you live.

“Christians do not merely learn theology; they do theology.” - J.T. English

Theology is not a concept, it’s how you live everyday. Handle finances. Live in marriage. Parent your kids. Engage or not engage at church. Relationship with bf or gf. How you sing or play on stage. How you interact in classroom. How you pray. How you walk through suffering. How you engage in politics. How you view God, people, and creation determines every area of your life. You have a theological stance on all of it even if you’ve never thought about it.

Ultimately, discipleship is the process that guides you into good theology. Not academics. Until Christ is formed in you through the avenue of correcting how you see God and his creation.

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 1:12-20 together.

Truth #1: Theology must be centered on the Gospel (12-16)

Exp. Paul is instructing Timothy on how to lead and shepherd the church in Ephesus. Paul begins this section by reminding Timothy of the gospel and his changed life. Verse 12-14. Paul thanks Jesus for judging him faithful and giving him purpose to serve the kingdom. He reminds Timothy of his past. Acted ignorantly in unbelief. Ignorance in unbelief doesn’t make you less guilty as he affirms. Then, he shows the purpose of what Jesus did. Verse 15. Christ came into the world to save sinners.

Christ - The gospel of Jesus is at the center of theology. The pinnacle of human history is the cross of Christ. God, for his own glory, sent Jesus to save sinners and be brought close. You were bought with the blood of Jesus. It brings us from death to life and gives us a purpose.

Exp. Verse 16. Paul views what Jesus did as a step to do the same for others! His theology is centered on the gospel, but not just about him, but what Jesus would do for others! The gospel is about Jesus, not Paul.

Ill. What Paul went through served a greater purpose: the gospel of Jesus going to others. Several men in our church who had a struggle with pornography and overcame it through Christ. Now, they use their history to walk alongside others to overcome their struggles. That’s the gospel being used for the advancement of the kingdom!

App. What do we do? Our theology should be centered on the gospel.

Is your life centered on the gospel of Jesus?

Do you view your life through what Jesus has done for you?

Do you view your life through what Jesus is doing in you?

Truth #2: Theology must result in glorifying God (17)

Exp. Notice what Paul does so well. He concludes the part about the gospel by giving praise to God. All of this is for his glory. Verse 17. Honestly, this might be the most academic part of this text. Let’s break it down:

King of the ages - Traditional Jewish phrase. Two ages has one king.

Immortal - Borrowed term from Greeks, but describes a quality only for God.

Invisible - Why the second commandment is no images. Colossians 1:15, Jesus is the image.

Only God - Shema. Polytheistic culture where “one God” would stand out.

Honor and glory forever and ever - all worship is excluded for God for all eternity.

Exp. Paul already had a high view of God as he was a Pharisee. But now, because of Christ, his worship is greater and truer because he sees everything that God is doing through Christ.

Ill. Heard a pastor say that seminary is bad because all you learn is to put God in a box. You learn these things about him, and you got him all figured out. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The more I have studied about the attributes of God, the more I am in awe of who he is!

Arg. If growing in theology only puffs you up with head knowledge, then you aren’t worshiping God, you’re worshiping yourself.

Christ - Theology should lead us to glorify God because he is the one who sent Christ for us. We only know what love, grace, mercy, joy, wrath, righteousness is because of God the Father who sent Jesus to atone for us and appease his wrath. We have been rescued because he sent Jesus to save us from what we would never be able to save ourselves from.

App. What do we do? Our theology must lead to glorifying God.

What do you worship? God, yourself, children, job?

Does your pursuit of the things of God lead you to worship him?

Truth #3: Theology must be convictional (18-20)

Exp. Paul is going to get to the charge to Timothy. Verse 18-19. Prophecies likely referring to the elders laying hands on him in 1 Timothy 4:14. Wage good warfare = fight the good fight. Stand strong in sound doctrine. Holding faith and good conscience = trust God and decide on what you will believe in. More and more we are pushed towards having an open mind.

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” G.K. Chesterton

Ill. My best man challenged me in college to have an open mind. I would be fuming from class. He always had an open mind, and he still does. He was once someone who believed what we believe, but he does not anymore. He has strayed from sound doctrine.

Exp. Verse 19-20. By rejecting, they shipwrecked their faith = To deny essential truths leads to shipwrecking of the faith. Hymenaeus denied resurrection. Shipwreck is not just himself, but all in his influence. Result: handed over to Satan. Seems severe because it is. Church discipline. If you choose to deny the truths of God, then you are choosing the lies of Satan, therefore, God gives you over to what you want. Church does the same. For the sake of renewal. This is what fighting the good fight looks like. Protecting the sheep as to not shipwreck them all.

Christ - We do this because Jesus did. Jesus didn’t waiver in the face of false doctrine. He stood strong and rebuked it. He fought the good fight and it led to his crucifixion.

App. What do we do? Stand strong in theological convictions.

Build convictions from Scripture. Not just what I teach. Look at God’s Word and prayerfully decide.

Beliefs. Non-negotiables.

Convictions. Theological doctrines that aren’t fellowship breaking.

Preferences. Non-theological issues that aren’t fellowship breaking.