The Truth Matters

Intro: What happens when you get the wrong instructions for medicine? You get bad results. You might get sicker or even worse you could die. When it comes to the word of God, we need to see it the same way. God’s word is truth, it is healing for the sick. If it isn’t given correctly, you could spend eternity in an eternal state of death!

The truth matters! The truth convicts! The truth calls for repentance! The truth offers grace and forgiveness to all who believes!

Background

1 Timothy 1:3–7 KJV 1900

3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Background on this passage:

Paul urges Timothy to stay put- remain, abide, don’t leave!

It’s easy to stay and continue to work when everything is going great and you are on top of the world, but what about when it isn’t going your way?

it’s easy to say I quit, I’m leaving,

it’s hard to stay when things seem bad

Things weren’t great at the church in Ephesus.

These were “members” inside the church.

He was having to deal with heresy, false doctrine, hard headed and hard hearted people.

they were causing disruptions in the church. There was friction between members.

Lies were being told and people were leaving, not just the church but leaving the true meaning of the gospel!

As we see in verse 5, KJV calls it “commandment”, others call it “instruction”, Paul was doing more than urging Timothy to stay, but almost in a sense telling him that he must stay put!

This type of verbage is used 7x in the NT each time with the sense of a superior handing down an order or a charge to get something done

God had a big work for Timothy to do and even though he was young, God knew that Timothy could handle it and He used Paul to encourage Timothy.

God had a big work for Timothy to do and even though he was young, God knew that Timothy could handle it and He used Paul to encourage Timothy.

God had a big work for Timothy to do and even though he was young, God knew that Timothy could handle it and He used Paul to encourage Timothy.

We all need that type of encouragement in our ministry.

Someone to tell us to hang in there, not to quit, never give up because it’s not going exactly how we want it to go.

God has big plans for each one of us.

If God has called you he will equip you and sustain you to continue to run the race!

Transition: So why is the truth of God’s Word so important to churches today?

Identify the problem

Paul was not in Ephesus at the time but he had heard that there was a problem going on and wanted to make sure that Timothy knew about it.

Address the problem

Timothy was charged to teach others that they in turn can teach the truth

We have a high need for good, grounded mature Christians to step up and teach not only our youth, but our adults too

Avoid things that lead to confusion and fighting, stick to the word

let scripture interpret scripture

Remember the end goal- agape love! endless love! sacrificial love that only comes from being in tune with the Holy Spirit and walking with God! Where doe this love comes from?

You can’t do that if you are continuing to sin and

pure heart- One that is been restored, made whole, pure not defiled

good conscience- repent. let go of the sin in your life, confess it to God.

This is like a person who buys a new truck. They try to keep it clean and then they see their friends out in the pasture mudding. They go out and get the truck all muddy and instantly regret what they are doing to their new truck. They take it to the car wash and give it a good scrubbing but they they only get the outside, the parts that others can see. They ignore the mud that is caked up underneath because no one is going to be looking under there. the problem is that the dirt begins to get into the cracks and crevaces where dirt wasn’t meant to get and eventually tears up the truck because it wasn’t cleaned.

Unconfessed sin your life is like the mud on the underside of the truck. Eventually it is going to tear up your life, and possibly the lives of those who are with you when it finally comes apart.

c. faith unfeigned- sincere faith,

not hypocritical- not drinking in a club on saturday night and praising in a pew on sunday morning. Not gossiping about someone in one breath and hugging their neck in the next! not judging someone for their sin but ignoring yours! That’s not faith, that’s fake!

not waivering- not agreeing with everything that everyone else says because you are not sure!

but true faith, commiting faith, a faith that believes the gospel of Jesus Christ and the commandment to love your God and to love your neighbor

True faith that you will learn to walk in His path, a commitment to learn what His word says about what He expects.

A true faith that will be able to defend His word against those who would twist and manipulate the gospel for their own selfish interests and beliefs.

When you have that kind of faith you will start to truly experience the end goal of what the gospel teaches and that is the love of God for His children that is to be shared with the world!