1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:06,240 We are going to continue in our study of first Timothy and now 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,080 only a couple weeks left in the study in a series that we've 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:17,440 been calling Trustworthy Church. And as we begin to close this 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,880 study of the letter from Paul to Timothy, it's worth pointing out 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:27,520 maybe the the answer to that that one word series title, what 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,159 makes a trustworthy church And if you had to to do a survey of 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:33,760 everything that we've been studying. 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:40,680 It's clear that so much of what makes a church a trustworthy 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,880 place for God's people to seek him and make him known. 10 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,520 It is a product of trustworthy people. 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,000 So, so much of what we have studied is to, from the words 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,120 design, how to honour worthy leaders and servants and those 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,040 within the church that are giving God glory and living 14 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,160 their lives according to how God has designed. 15 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:10,560 And it's also a trustworthy church is not just honouring the 16 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:15,680 worthy, it is also exposing and separating from the 17 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,000 troublemakers. And as we begin to close the 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,680 book, we will come back to where we started, where the, the the 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,320 kick off to the sermon series was Paul explaining to Timothy 20 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,400 that there were people within the church then. 21 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,720 And there are people within the church age we live in that are 22 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:43,040 not necessarily trustworthy. And that is something that we've 23 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,880 studied. And today we will take another 24 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,600 look at that. And specifically today we will 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,880 look at one of the realities of the church age from now until 26 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,520 the return of the Lord that makes someone untrustworthy. 27 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,320 And it will come right out of the scripture that we read. 28 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:09,320 And that is some pursue God and have a form of godliness as a 29 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,720 means to gain. So breaking news this morning, 30 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:22,000 not everyone who is following Jesus actually loves Jesus or 31 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,560 pursuing a church community is actually pursuing Jesus. 32 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:31,840 And not everyone who is teaching from the Word is actually 33 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,520 pointing people to the living word, Jesus. 34 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:42,920 There are some that consider the whole operation of godliness and 35 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:48,880 the label of Christianity as some other end to the means, a 36 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:50,920 means to some other end than Jesus. 37 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:54,920 And so as we get into it today, the word is going to give a 38 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:59,040 profile or a resume of people to watch out for within a church 39 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:04,600 that claim Jesus but do not actually live for Jesus. 40 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,800 And so to get us started, let me see if you can relate to a 41 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,080 couple of the categories that that I think are are true of our 42 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,760 church day. There are some who consider 43 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:21,200 godliness as a means of great gain in the form of political 44 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,640 gain. So we'll start with the big 45 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:25,160 picture. How many of you have listened to 46 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,960 a speech by a politician as he's campaigning and he ends his 47 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,880 speech with God bless you and God bless these Great American 48 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,360 or great United States of America? 49 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:38,800 Of course you've heard it because they all say it. 50 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,320 Every politician from the beginning of stump speeches to 51 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,640 now at the very end are going to say, you can trust me because 52 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,800 I'm blessing you with God. And what they're actually doing 53 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:53,680 is they're showing an appearance of godliness. 54 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,120 But to get the end, which is actually a vote. 55 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,600 So let's get maybe more specific. 56 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:06,000 I, I have not been in the dating world for over a decade now. 57 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,240 Thank you to my wife for allowing God to pluck me from 58 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,840 that world. But rumor has it there are some 59 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,760 in the world of Christian mingling that claim to be 60 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,079 Christian, and they have a form of godliness that they're 61 00:04:21,079 --> 00:04:25,920 actually using as a means to an end that is not Jesus, namely A 62 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,480 fleeting moment of pleasure. So breaking news, not everyone 63 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,280 who has Christian in their online dating profile is 64 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:34,480 actually picking up their cross and following Jesus. 65 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,720 They might just be looking to gain some initial trust. 66 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,640 And more specific to what we'll look at today, not everyone who 67 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:49,880 has a pulpit or platform in the world of Christianity is 68 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,720 actually pursuing Jesus and pointing people to Jesus as the 69 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,400 ultimate end. Unfortunately, we live in a 70 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,560 church age that is adjacent to something called the Christian 71 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,760 industry. There are an annual revenue 72 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,040 stream of billions of dollars that are passed from one 73 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,600 Christian to the next in the form of buying music and buying 74 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:20,320 books and supporting influencers and platforms that allow some 75 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:26,360 people to view that as a means not to Jesus, but to platform 76 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,320 and to financial gain And the world that we live in. 77 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,760 Breaking news, do not be surprised when some people claim 78 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,160 Jesus and have an alternative end in mind. 79 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,240 This is what we're looking at today, so that the point of the 80 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,280 Scripture from Paul to Timothy is twofold. 81 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:49,200 One, that we would be able to see the resume of a treasure 82 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:54,320 seeker and we would also be able to be cleansed from things 83 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,840 inside of our own hearts. But by the grace of God go all 84 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:02,320 of us, that we would pursue Christianity and not Christ. 85 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,320 So with that in mind, read with me chapter 6 starting in verse 86 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,680 three. He says if anyone teaches 87 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,240 otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the 88 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,800 words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which 89 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:22,680 accords with godliness. He is proud, knowing nothing, 90 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,240 but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from 91 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,160 which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 92 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,560 useless wranglings of men, of corrupt minds, and destitute of 93 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:40,160 the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain 94 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:47,320 from such Withdraw yourself. So he gives Timothy a profile 95 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,000 and then he gives Timothy a protocol on what to do when 96 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,960 these people make their themselves known within a 97 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,480 church. It's a serious problem in the 98 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,040 Church of Ephesus 2000 years ago. 99 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:03,600 And it's a serious problem that we need to be aware of that 100 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,160 exists for our church age as well. 101 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,960 So he goes all the way back to where we started in chapter 1, 102 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:15,680 Be mindful of heretics, of those who twist doctrine for personal 103 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,080 gain. And in verse three, he gives us 104 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,320 a profile of what to look out for. 105 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,120 He says if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent 106 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:30,120 with wholesome words, even the words of Christ, Wholesome and 107 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:35,320 sound and healthy doctrine is what Paul is continually trying 108 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,720 to get Timothy to protect within his church. 109 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,120 And and one of the things that we can look as a profile to 110 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,320 watch out for is when people do not consent to wholesome 111 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,080 doctrine. It's not just what people 112 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,240 promote, it's also what people reject. 113 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,320 And what we are doing in a journey through Scripture is 114 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,320 we're looking for sound or wholesome or healthy doctrine. 115 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,360 Early in our series we defined sound or healthy doctrine as the 116 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,720 truth of God's Word that benefits your life. 117 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,040 When you study the Word and it is wholesome and it is sound, it 118 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,240 brings you to a place in that particular area of your life 119 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,480 that promotes the abundant life. It should not be a burden. 120 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,720 It should not distance you from people or from God, but it is 121 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,720 good for you and healthy. And there are some who reject 122 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,640 the wholesome understanding of God's Word and then he says that 123 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,560 they don't even consent with the words of Jesus. 124 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:34,000 Again, I say there are some that claim Jesus and don't agree with 125 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,080 what he says. One commentator said it's like a 126 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:39,799 vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables. 127 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,120 Christians who reject the teachings of Christ, and they're 128 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,840 simple and they're wholesome teachings of Christ that those 129 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,200 who are seeking something other than God will find a way to 130 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,240 reject. I love where we were at in our 131 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,240 study in our midweek service, Leviticus 19. 132 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,280 It says love your neighbor as yourself. 133 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,400 What a wholesome and practical and simple teaching of Jesus. 134 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,440 And yet from the very beginning of Jesus teaching that there was 135 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,880 some who would say, yeah, but who's my neighbor? 136 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,360 Why don't we get a little bit more serious about how to define 137 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,280 the teachings of Christ so that we can get more serious about 138 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:22,040 how to not consent? And it's very interesting to me 139 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,880 that those who are legalistic and heavy-handed with the word 140 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,560 are always so serious about the 10 commandments, and they're 141 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:35,320 always so repulsed by the Beatitudes, humility, poor in 142 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,120 spirit. Peacemakers and others are more 143 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:44,080 concerned with what day does the Sabbath fall on and what feasts 144 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,840 and what laws and what things have to be, have to be something 145 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,480 that's part of your healthy Christian life. 146 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,120 The teachings of Jesus are wholesome and they're sound and 147 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,600 they're simple. He says love God and love your 148 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,520 neighbor as yourself. Be weary of people who are 149 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,520 continually crying that the teachings of Jesus are too much 150 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,920 milk and not enough meat, He goes on to say. 151 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:15,840 They're also going to be people first for proud but knowing 152 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:20,560 nothing, obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from 153 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:24,000 which come envy, strife, reviling and evil suspicions. 154 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,800 In that one verse we have in this profile 3 words that 155 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,720 describe those who have godliness but not God. 156 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,640 They have delusion, they have disputes, and they cause 157 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,080 division. So we start with delusion. 158 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,320 It says they're proud, but they know nothing. 159 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,200 The people that have a form of godliness and they're very 160 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,720 excited to tell you everything that they know, but under the 161 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,200 surface of their pride, there's actually no substance that 162 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,160 represents Christ. There's an easy way to see this 163 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:03,160 in the outside Orthodox version of proud but know nothing. 164 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,200 And there's the door to door missionaries. 165 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,640 I see them in my neighborhood, see them set up outside of, you 166 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,640 know, the the library or Boise State Mormons who will knock on 167 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,600 your door. And they with so much pride or 168 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,560 confidence will tell you all about the lost revelation that 169 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:22,440 they've come to restore. And they can argue with you over 170 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:25,960 what is truly grace and what the importance of a work and why you 171 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,920 still need a temple sacrifice. They have so much confidence, 172 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,960 but under the substance of their knowledge lacks the actual 173 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,960 picture of who Jesus is. You can see the same thing with 174 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,440 the Jehovah's Witness. They have confidence to stand on 175 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,400 the corner and invite you into a conversation. 176 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:49,080 And some of us don't have enough confidence with the truth to 177 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,320 engage with them. It's like I can't talk to them. 178 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,720 They are very, very confident in what they know and they will 179 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,360 tell you all about why Jesus is not actually God, He's actually 180 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,280 just the Archangel Michael. And they will show you their 181 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,880 proof texts and they will be unconvinced by anything that you 182 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,960 share with him. They have so much confidence and 183 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:11,400 underneath it all is a a substance that lacks a true 184 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:15,280 knowledge of God. So it's easy to see it in the 185 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:21,160 confidence to knock on a door, but it's also a reality in each 186 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:25,680 one of our own lives. We live in an age where every 187 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:30,240 single one of you have in your pocket the library of all 188 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,880 Christian thought and commentary of all time. 189 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,120 We should be the most confident generation of the Church of all 190 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,440 time. You have every scroll, you have 191 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,200 all of the writings of the church fathers, you have every 192 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,920 letter and sermons to go with them in your pocket. 193 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,240 And while it is a blessing, it can also be a danger because 194 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:57,880 with your confidence, is there actually a substance Or as Paul 195 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,160 warns, the church in Corinth, does the knowledge puff up? 196 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:06,360 Are we so busy about learning that we're actually not living 197 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,920 the gospel? And so Christians can be just as 198 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,200 proud as door to door missionaries. 199 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,320 People can be proud in their special knowledge. 200 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,280 How many of you have met someone who is going to tell you 201 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,560 something you never knew about Jesus because they know the 202 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:23,520 original Greek or the original Hebrew? 203 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,160 Here's the reality. You can know Greek and you can 204 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,640 be fluent in Hebrew and you can still be wrong. 205 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,160 See the Pharisees. Some people have amazing 206 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:38,680 spiritual resumes. Some people, maybe even here, 207 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:40,520 got saved in a Billy Graham crusade. 208 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,120 What a powerful time to come to the Lord. 209 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,560 Some people have been baptized by famous church leaders and 210 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:53,920 studied under famous pastors, and yet your spiritual resume 211 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,760 does not give you authority in and of itself to speak to other 212 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:05,320 people about who Jesus is. The only thing that is actually 213 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,280 valuable is how we can point people to Jesus, not special 214 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,400 knowledge and not spiritual resumes. 215 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:16,360 That's why in Romans we can relate to a culture, but also to 216 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,920 a church culture that professes to be wise but can actually be 217 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,200 fools. I love what Jesus says in 218 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,840 Matthew Chapter 11. He prays and says, Thank you 219 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,920 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden 220 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,400 these things from the wise and prudent and you have revealed 221 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:39,200 them to babes. There are times when I get just 222 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,040 as much encouragement and revelation from the Lord, 223 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:46,680 listening to my children pray as I do listening to theologians 224 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,160 debate. The Lord is no respecter of 225 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,360 people. We do not live in a Kingdom 226 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,880 where God is waiting for people to climb the ascent of academia 227 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,480 so He can finally give them the special revelation of His good 228 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,280 plans for salvation and the church age we live in. 229 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,960 God loves the humble. God loves those who have hearts 230 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:13,920 like rich soil that just receive the truth, listen and obey. 231 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,000 So we have people who are delusional. 232 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,640 They think they know more than they do. 233 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,760 And we also have people that are obsessed with disputes. 234 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,120 Read it again. Obsessed with disputes and 235 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,200 arguments over words. I love what the ESV says. 236 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,320 It says an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels 237 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:38,120 about words. Once again we see a a 238 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,080 description of the church culture that looks very similar 239 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,480 to just human culture and unhealthy craving for 240 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,440 controversy. And one of the reasons this is 241 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,160 probably a symptom of an unhealthy or untrustworthy 242 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:57,080 church for all the ages is because it is a human condition. 243 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,600 There is clearly a supply and demand when it comes to the 244 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,600 craving for controversy that just lives within the human 245 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,960 heart. How many of you have noticed 246 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:12,640 that every news feed and breaking headline is now 247 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,520 breaking news? You know these people know our 248 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,200 psychology. We know that if it's breaking 249 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,760 news, we can't turn away. We got to find out what it is. 250 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,800 Hopefully you've noticed that breaking news is now normal 251 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,160 news. You don't have to click on that 252 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,440 if you don't want to. How many of you noticed our 253 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,480 obsession with courtroom drama? We see people go through the 254 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,840 trial of the century and we TuneIn and we wait for results. 255 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,040 We have an unhealthy obsession with controversy. 256 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,240 It's why celebrity gossip and all of the tabloids can make 257 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:44,640 millions and millions of dollars. 258 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,080 Because there's something inside of the human heart that wants to 259 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:52,680 know, and it exists in the human heart and it gets sanctified in 260 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,120 the born again heart. But we have a temptation to go 261 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,200 the other way. There's a supply and a demand. 262 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,560 And not only is the demand there, but the supply is 263 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:04,280 something that people enjoy giving. 264 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,960 This is why this is a message that is often and mainly named 265 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,839 at teachers because it feels good to be the teacher or the 266 00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:17,240 person in the circle that can come with the special knowledge 267 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:21,960 in the revelation can be obsessed over being right and 268 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:27,119 winning the argument and saying I told you actually had a real 269 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,120 time reminder of the obsession that lives in all of our hearts 270 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:32,920 to be right and win the argument. 271 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,920 Last Sunday especially. This is probably especially 272 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,360 wrong of me to do on Mother's Day because it has to do with 273 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:42,600 something I had to be right about with my wife. 274 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:47,280 But after church got out, the one thing that she wanted was to 275 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,200 go on a family hike. So we went, I saw some of you on 276 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:51,640 the hike. It was good to see you had the 277 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,200 same idea. And we're all hiking. 278 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,400 The kids run ahead and it's just me and my wife walking side by 279 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,480 side with my parents and, and she just noticed them running 280 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,320 ahead. And she asked my parents, who do 281 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,240 you think the fastest person in our family is? 282 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:11,160 And I was like, well, that's a silly question, you know? 283 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,760 And then she goes on, not to promote me, but to remind them 284 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:17,360 that she ran track in high school. 285 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,800 And so my wife looked at me and she says, do you think it's you? 286 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,640 To which I said on Mother's Day, I don't think it's me. 287 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:36,160 I know it's me, you know? So my dad, Sage, the wise 288 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,880 patriot of our family that he is, he sees me obsessing over 289 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,840 the controversy, the need to be right back and forth, pacing my 290 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,760 eyes. And he says, son, let it go. 291 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,760 In a sense, that is what Paul is telling Timothy. 292 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,160 You've got to learn to let things go. 293 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,120 And of course, I couldn't. So before I knew it, I was 294 00:18:57,120 --> 00:18:59,360 emptying my pockets and she was emptying hers. 295 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,240 And we picked a tree off in the distance. 296 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,480 And my parents are here. They can attest to my moment of 297 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,240 great pride when I challenged my wife on Mother's Day to a foot 298 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:14,200 race. And in my pride, I will say, and 299 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:15,520 then we'll get right back to the sermon. 300 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,080 I was so confident that I let her have a two or three second 301 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,040 head start. And of course I passed her, you 302 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,840 know, like Forrest Gump breaking the, the, the, the braces off 303 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:28,800 his legs. And I get to the tree 1st and I 304 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,560 look at her and I was like, well, that settles in. 305 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,200 She goes, well, I'm faster in the beginning. 306 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:42,160 It's obsession to be right. And it it lives in the hearts of 307 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,520 all of us. There's something that will come 308 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,680 into your life and you will say, I can't let this one go. 309 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:52,920 I have to be right. And there, this is not just a 310 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,320 one to one problem. This is something that happens 311 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,800 all the time with theology and doctrine and Jesus and church. 312 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:03,520 And some come in and they obsess over singular issues and they 313 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:08,080 make that the platform by which they will supply and demand the 314 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:12,400 need to give and receive controversy. 315 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,600 You've guys have probably all been around a small Bible study 316 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,360 setting, or a church fellowship time, or just two believers at 317 00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:24,040 the workplace. And it goes from believers 318 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:28,560 enjoying the the common grace to be in the family of God to 319 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,200 believers arguing about something that seems so little 320 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,280 in the grand scheme of things. Matters of soteriology. 321 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:42,840 How many people have turned off 2 Christians debating over how 322 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:48,040 God in His Amazing Grace and mystery activates the heart to 323 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,320 respond to the free gift of salvation? 324 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,080 How many people have debated over the functions and the 325 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,720 timing and the the age of baptism? 326 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,880 How many people have come and and desired to see more altar 327 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,120 calls or less? And all of these little debates 328 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:08,480 about how the functions of everything should work can cause 329 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,280 some to not even be able to continue with us. 330 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:19,320 The question of the end times, the question of the culture wars 331 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,000 and woke and anti woke. As the pastor, I can tell you I 332 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,480 receive all of the complaints of people who have a singular focus 333 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,240 that just doesn't make it to the sermon quite enough. 334 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,400 And they exist for all of time. And this is the profile. 335 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,200 And the question isn't whether or not we can have healthy 336 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,080 debates. The question is, what is the 337 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:43,920 fruit of all of these conversations? 338 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,720 It can come down to arguing over words. 339 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:51,600 Paul will say. So then he will say, you've got 340 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,600 people who have a delusion thinking they're right when 341 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,120 they're wrong. They're disputing over 342 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,680 everything. And here is how you know that 343 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:06,680 God is not the aim, that there is some alternative means to an 344 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:11,400 end. The fruit is division, delusion 345 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:16,280 and disputing, and what flows from it is division, not the 346 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,280 fruit of the Holy Spirit and the unity of the body of Christ. 347 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:24,600 It says that end comes from it, envy and strife and reviling and 348 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:29,360 evil suspicions. For this list, we could 349 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,720 summarize the teaching of Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. 350 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,880 You will know them by their fruit. 351 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,520 What comes and flows from the conversations and the teachings 352 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,240 and the obsessions of your life and the people that you're 353 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,160 listening to? Very quickly, he says, envy. 354 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:51,760 The resentment towards others for their success or position 355 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,000 within the Kingdom of God. An unhealthy obsession with 356 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,560 someone else in their role. The pastor's church is growing. 357 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,040 They must be doing something that is not quite biblical. 358 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:07,320 Or they're soft on sin or they're seeker friendly and 359 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:11,800 overflow from their suspicions is just a heart of envy, he 360 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:12,600 says. Strife. 361 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,920 Other translations will say quarreling. 362 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,560 Just constant arguing and fighting. 363 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,400 Argue over everything. Arguments driven by pride and 364 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,640 promoting rivalry, he says. Reviling, watching out for 365 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:28,800 people who have nothing nice to say. 366 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,240 These are just violent and abusive words for every other 367 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,880 ministry or every other believer or every other denomination or 368 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,840 every other position of the the debates of doctrine. 369 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,800 And there are those who cannot say anything uplifting and 370 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,440 edifying about someone else. And then there's evil 371 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,160 suspicions. Everything is motivated with a 372 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:57,040 suspicion that there is some underlying motive in someone 373 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:01,840 else. And it will come up in the the 374 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,320 way that they critique every sermon and every Bible study and 375 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,400 every mission of the church. Everything has got some 376 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:14,680 underlying thing to it. To teach on compassion has made 377 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,360 me a communist. To teach on the roles of men and 378 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:22,800 women has made me a misogynist. To teach on honoring authority 379 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,040 makes me a cult leader. To teach on loving your neighbor 380 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,680 makes me soft on sin. And these are just, you know, 381 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,880 from my position sharing the word of God in all of the ways 382 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,760 that people have a singular obsessive focus that can not 383 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,440 move forward in the Kingdom of God, but finds everything as a 384 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,000 reason to to continually splinter and separate. 385 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,800 And then he goes on in the next verse to say, which is the point 386 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,000 of all of this useless wranglings. 387 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,720 Pointless. No one wins. 388 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,480 Your endless argument is not actually saving souls. 389 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,320 Your debates over how God saved has lost opportunity to actually 390 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:14,960 see God save. The old saying you can win an 391 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:22,080 argument and lose the soul, you can win the Bible study and lose 392 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,200 the student. And there's all sorts of ways 393 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:31,440 that this message has been made a loud and clear to those who 394 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,440 are no longer with us. So often throughout the 395 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,920 Trustworthy Church series, we've thought of of ways that this is 396 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,480 appropriate and good for us to learn because there have been 397 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:46,280 times that others have been failed by our lack of of doing 398 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,560 these things well. And no doubt there are some on 399 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,040 the outside looking in and just consider the modern day version 400 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:57,160 of Christianity and endless debate about doctrinal issues 401 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,240 that are that are so tribal that people who just say, I would 402 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:07,440 rather not go at all. And so this is the profile that 403 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,640 Paul is painting Timothy to watch out for. 404 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:14,560 Watch out for those who are delusional, divisive, and that 405 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:19,680 caused the vision. This is a danger for all of us. 406 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,160 And now the point of it is, Timothy, what do you do with 407 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,200 these people? Calvary Boise? 408 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,520 How do you become people who have a culture of honor and 409 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,320 love, receiving wholesome doctrine and not going down all 410 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,320 of the different rabbit rabbit trails that cause division? 411 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,360 And this is where we come to in verse 5, useless wranglings of 412 00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:42,480 men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who 413 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:47,680 suppose that godliness is a means of gain from such withdraw 414 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,280 yourselves. So he gives a little bit of a 415 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:54,320 symptom that's causing the the the problem. 416 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:59,640 And he says that these are men of corrupt minds, destitute of 417 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,800 the truth. And I've heard some comment on 418 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,640 this verse and say, yeah, what you're dealing with here are 419 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,400 mentally crazy people, destitute in the mind, depraved of truth. 420 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,520 These are those who will say, if Paul had a word for it, he would 421 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,360 have called them narcissists. He would have called them, you 422 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:21,000 know, the the the names that we diagnosed for people who go 423 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,000 obsessive over anything. But I think what is actually 424 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,160 happening is it's not so much a mental illness as it's Paul 425 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,480 describing everyone's mind who doesn't have a renewed mind in 426 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,360 Christ. What he's actually describing is 427 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,280 minds that are depraved of truth and destitute of truth are how 428 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,000 everyone normally thinks. These are actually very normal 429 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,160 minds. This is how the whole world 430 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:48,760 actually thinks. The world is happy to turn 431 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:50,920 everything into a means of an end. 432 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:56,240 The world has no problem using all of your interest in a 433 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,800 certain topic to turn it into revenue. 434 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,120 The world has no problem building an audience to make 435 00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:05,680 disciples unto themselves. The world loves those who are 436 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,960 obsessed with controversy. So what Paul is actually getting 437 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,600 at is we have found ourselves looking into those who say that 438 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,920 they're believers and Christians and teachers, but they're 439 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,000 actually people who are just like everybody else. 440 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,000 They obsess over things just like everybody else. 441 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,640 What we're actually the only thing that can actually make 442 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,520 trustworthy church with trustworthy leaders and a church 443 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,240 that is built up of trustworthy believers is to be holy and set 444 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:38,360 apart, to have minds that aren't obsessing over controversy, to 445 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:42,160 have minds that are renewed, to now see the world as Jesus has 446 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:48,600 taught us to through the lens of the Beatitudes says they suppose 447 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:52,440 that godliness is a means of gain. 448 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,080 I was blessed by this quote from Tim Keller. 449 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,400 He says if you want Jesus just to get your health, wealth, or 450 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,360 happiness, then he's just a means to an end. 451 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:12,720 And if he's a means to an end, then he's not your God. 452 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:18,880 Whatever you want more than Jesus is your real God. 453 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:24,400 If Jesus is just a means to an end, the thing that you're 454 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,880 actually pursuing him to get is what you really worship. 455 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,760 And this is where a sermon can not only warn, but it can also 456 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:36,080 cleanse all of our hearts. But by the grace of God, we all 457 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,880 struggle with this. And so I'll start with my own 458 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:44,920 reflection, my own need to be cleansed of making Jesus a means 459 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:51,800 to some alternative ends. One of my temptations is to turn 460 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,000 the Bible into a book of sermons, and that every time I 461 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,240 read it and every time I study and every time I pray, I'm not 462 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,680 pursuing Jesus, I'm actually pursuing a sermon. 463 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,040 I have the same issue. And so does anyone who works in 464 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,200 ministry. That evangelism, inviting 465 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:17,040 someone to be part of our church could actually be just a means 466 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:21,080 to another end. Evangelism could be twisted and 467 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,920 warped in my heart to to not be a soul winner so that I see more 468 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,800 people in the Kingdom of God for the day of eternity, but to just 469 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,240 see more people in the sanctuary of Calvary Boise. 470 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,520 And these are temptations that I struggle with in my role. 471 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,240 But we all have things that could become the end. 472 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,800 That is not Christ. Some of you are here at church 473 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:48,960 and can relate to a need to have Jesus fixed parts of your life. 474 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,640 And by God's goodness and His faithfulness, He is going to be 475 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,360 your great physician. But if you're only here so that 476 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,120 your marriage can be fixed and your prodigal children can 477 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:04,400 return and your finances can be taken care of, you're actually 478 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,160 worshiping the thing God will provide. 479 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,840 He will care for you, and he will do it all so that in the 480 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:15,480 end you can say, God all glory to you. 481 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:19,120 I now have another story of your faithfulness. 482 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,680 And in the end, that prodigal child returning and my marriage 483 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,840 being healed and my finances being provided for is just 484 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,280 another way for me to declare your goodness to a lost and 485 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:34,760 dying world. And this is where Paul gives us 486 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:39,240 an answer and what to do. He says for such people 487 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:49,840 withdraw. This is not a message then or 488 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:57,680 now where we present a list of YouTube influencers and corrupt 489 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:02,080 podcasts and churches down the street that you need to update 490 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,560 your do not interact with list on. 491 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:10,360 This is a spotlight into the reality of what it means to be a 492 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:15,600 believer in this world. You will have many people come 493 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,720 to you in the name of Jesus that will not bring you closer to 494 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,080 Jesus. Paul does not say to Timothy 495 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,280 kick them out. He doesn't say put them on the 496 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:30,160 the list of band teachers. He says withdraw. 497 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,520 Be so in love with the authentic Jesus that you can spot the 498 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:39,360 counterfeit. Be so in love with sound and 499 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,920 wholesome and good teaching that gives you a life and a life more 500 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:47,040 abundant and draws you closer to Jesus that you are unswayed by 501 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,880 the click bait and all of the influencers who have something 502 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,480 to sell you and the pastors who are going to take a second tithe 503 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:59,360 because they need your money. The goal is to create in all of 504 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,440 us a a vision of Jesus that is so rich that it's not clouded by 505 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:07,920 all of the fog of the church age that we live in and all 506 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,520 generations will have to navigate. 507 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:15,840 So we withdraw ourselves. And I'll end with actually the 508 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,320 end of this letter. We'll have some more sermons in 509 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:23,120 it. But I love how Paul gives 510 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,560 Timothy one last charge for this message. 511 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,200 He says in verse 20. Oh Timothy, guard what was 512 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,400 committed to your trust. Avoid the profane and idle 513 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,000 babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge 514 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,240 by professing it. Some have strayed concerning the 515 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,600 faith. Grace be with you. 516 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,920 Amen. Another message of the grace of 517 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,320 God. Another message for those of you 518 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:54,760 who need the grace to not be condemned by ways you've gone 519 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,040 astray, listening to voices that did not bring you closer to 520 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,560 Jesus. This is a message of grace be 521 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:05,960 cleansed, exalt Jesus. It's a message of grace for 522 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:09,840 those of us who have identified the alternative means to an end 523 00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:14,480 that Jesus has become someone that you're using to get 524 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,159 something else grace. And just know that when we get 525 00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:23,880 lost in the hype that is the Christian industry, the warning 526 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:28,120 is that when we stray concerning the when that happens, we stray 527 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:32,239 concerning the faith. The reason we end every single 528 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:36,719 gathering on Sunday morning by holding the the the body in the 529 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:41,040 blood, the the bread and the cup is so that we would focus once 530 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,880 again today. Our church, our worship, your 531 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:48,360 very life on the only thing that you will not have your souls 532 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:51,560 completely destroyed by if you focus on it. 533 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:58,720 The only Savior is Jesus. Receive once again the wholesome 534 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:02,720 words of Jesus. Come to him all who are burdened 535 00:35:02,720 --> 00:35:05,120 and heavy laden. Receive rest from your soul, for 536 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:08,480 your soul, and follow him in a new and fresh way today.