Sunday’s Sermons

Text: 1^st Timothy 4:1-5                                                     2/27/08 PM

Thesis: Christianity is not about rules but right belief and all encompassing thankfulness.

 

Intro: Donald Guthrie said, “Those who cannot thank God have no real knowledge of Him” (TNTC, 104).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes the argument that we Christians have lost our impact on our communities because we are as hopeless, lifeless, and depressed as the rest of the world.

People don’t want to become Christians because we live as bummed out as they do except we don’t get drunk and sleep around which is really the world’s only sources of fun.

Now I am not arguing that we indulge in those things in order to reach the world. What I am arguing for is living Christianity.

I long for you to be known as the most joy-filled and gracious person in your neighborhood.

Pay attention here because I’m not telling you that if you want to be a Christian or a member of Mambrino Baptist Church you have to smile more than everyone else at your job or on your block.

For me to demand that you put on a smile would be as ridiculous as these teachers in Ephesus demanding that those church members not get married and not eat meat; surface stuff.

If we don’t change the heart, and by heart I mean right belief and encompassing thankfulness, we’re only putting shackles on the dog.

If you put a rabid dog in a cage you can keep him from hurting other people but he’s still a rabid dog.

Rabid dogs don’t need cages they need a fundamental change in who they are and what they are about.

All of us apart from Christ are dead in our trespasses and sins.

Dead people don’t need more rules they need to be given new life.

And this new life is a new life of right belief and all encompassing thankfulness

Read 1^st Timothy 4:1-5

I) Now it is sad but true that there are people even in the church who will try to steal your joy and freedom in Christ

a)      The Holy Spirit has made this clear

i)        The Holy Spirit does not stutter when it comes to people coming in and messing up the church.

ii)      Now the Holy Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith.

iii)    It should break our hearts and cause us to plead with God for grace and with man for repentance when people leave the faith, but it should not surprise us.

iv)    In Acts 20:29 we learn that the Apostle Paul gathered the elders of this Ephesian church and warned them that after his “departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

v)      In Acts 20 Paul warned them about what would happen. In 1^st Timothy 4 we learn that what He had warned them about was in fact happening.

vi)    Jesus warned in Matthew 13 that the kingdom of Heaven is like a field where a man plants only good seed but one night his enemy comes and plants weeds among the good soil and they grow up together.

vii)  The Holy Spirit has made it clear that we must be on our guard against false teachers and destructive teaching because

b)      Some will leave the faith and try to take you with them

i)        These “later times” are not over. We are still living in these “later times”. The church is still in danger.

ii)      The lambs of Christ as still in danger of the wolves. Weeds are still being sown next to the good seed.

iii)    The grace of God is displayed in the fact that God the Father through the Spirit has told us how people make shipwreck of the faith.

iv)    Let’s be clear: leaving the faith means if they die in that state that die and go to hell.

v)      But somebody filling the pew week in and week out doesn’t just wake up and go from happy clappy the night before to Jesus stinks in the morning.

vi)    The frightening thing is in 1^st Timothy 4 we’re not talking about people who have left the church.

vii)  We’re talking about people who can still be in the church physically but have left the faith spiritually.

viii)            Here’s one of the steps these people take when leaving the faith: they devote themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.

ix)    The poison that ruins the apple is Satan’s deceptive teaching. When we start talking about Satan most people are worried about demon possession.

x)      The demonic is real; I believe that. But our weakness as American Christians is we are more concerned with being possessed by a demon than we are concerned about being taught demon principles.

xi)    The danger is not that you going to be possessed by a demon. The danger is that you will listen to and believe the false wisdom of the demonic.

xii)  What happens is Satan finds a person whose conscience is seared.  Remember, what’s the aim of Timothy’s charge? What are we working for as a church?

xiii)            The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith; 1 Tim 1:5.

xiv)            When certain people leave these things behind they wander into vain useless unprofitable discussions.

xv)  Remember, the conscience is our moral center that when made new by the Spirit and guided by Scripture leads us to what is right and away from what is wrong.

xvi)            Well there are people out there whose consciences don’t work. Since they aren’t captive to Christ they’re captive to Satan.

xvii)          Because they aren’t real concerned about what’s right and what is wrong they don’t have any problem being hypocritical lairs.

xviii)        A hypocrite is someone who sees his sin, his lack of joy in Christ, and his struggle against sin and lives like there is no sin, there is complete joy in Christ, and there is no struggle at all.

xix)            That’s what was happening in Ephesus.

xx)  A hypocrite is not someone who sees his sin and is frustrated by his lack of repentance or his struggle against sin.

xxi)            A Christian is someone who is honest about their sins, struggles, and lack of affection for Christ.

xxii)          A hypocrite is the type of person that Satan uses. There’s no need to possess him; Satan already has him because this hypocrite has bought Satan’s way of doing things.

xxiii)        So like a demon, this hypocrite begins to deceive and win his way into the minds and hearts of others.

xxiv)        He does not teach the gospel. He does not hold forth the truth of Christ’s incarnation, atoning death, victorious resurrection, and glorious ascension.

xxv)          The teachings of demons are characterized by a refusal to talk about sin, hell, and repentance.

xxvi)        Teach anything you want as long as it has nothing to do with true religion.

xxvii)      In fact, if you can make up a list of good things and a list of bad things and make people follow that list and think that they are okay with God that’s even better.

c)      Demonic teaching always has a positive spin

i)        If satanic teaching was all stringing up cats and drinking the blood of goats very few would buy it.

ii)      But since it’s deceitful, meaning it looks good, tons of people are buying it.

iii)    This teaching takes different forms throughout the ages but in Ephesus it took the form of this:

iv)    If you want to be spiritual just like Jesus then you can’t get married and you can’t eat meat.

v)      In 2^nd Timothy 2:18 we learn that there were teachers in Ephesus saying that the resurrection had already occurred.

vi)    And remember what Jesus said about marriage after the resurrection?

vii)  Jesus said, Matthew 22:30, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” So they thought, don’t get married.

viii)            Some people have argued that it wasn’t until after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin that people ate meat.

ix)    So, if we’re headed back to Garden of Eden perfection then we shouldn’t be eating meat.

x)      Boy am I glad they got this stuff wrong. If that’s the poison here’s the antidote.

II) It is joyful and true that God is the good Creator of all things

a)      Christians won’t be tricked by people who create rules because Christians believe and know the truth

i)        Look at verse 3 again. We’re talking about people, “who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

ii)      The resurrection hasn’t occurred. How do we know? Jesus hasn’t come back.

iii)    1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

iv)    Unless by some weird turn of events I missed that day in High School, College, and Seminary when this day was discussed under the heading of world history I don’t think it’s happened yet.

v)      Christians believe the gospel and that means we believe in the bodily return of Jesus Christ when he will take full and personal rule of his kingdom.

vi)    Guys, you’ve got to know the truth. You’ve got to love the truth or you are an easy target for deceit.

vii)  The end of verse 3 and on into verses 4 & 5 deal almost exclusively with the subject of food.

b)      For everything created by God is good

i)        Where is the Apostle Paul getting this stuff from? He’s getting it from the Bible. That’s crazy.

ii)      Genesis 1:31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

iii)    Genesis 9:1, God tells Noah, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.”

iv)    Mark 7:19 tells us that Jesus declared all foods clean.

v)      In Peter’s vision on the roof top God tells him, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10.15).

vi)    God doesn’t make junk. What God creates is clean and He has declared it to be so.

vii)  Now here is the deal

c)      Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving

i)        Does this mean that if we’re thankful for it we can do whatever we want and take into our bodies whatever we want?

ii)      That is ridiculous to believe. Just because a cannibal is thankful it doesn’t make it right for him to eat you.

iii)    Let me put this in the context of Romans 14:23 another chapter in the bible dealing with food, “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

iv)    If you do not eat it out of faith in Christ Jesus thanking Him for his complete redemption then it is sin.

v)      1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

vi)    Being a Christian is not about saying one prayer one time and then doing whatever you want.

vii)  That’s the doctrine of demons.

viii)            Being a Christian is living a thankful life of faith in Christ. 

ix)    It’s life lived knowing that what I’ve done wrong has been made right through Christ.

x)      Every sin has been forgiven and we are headed toward a day when all things will be united, that means brought together, in Christ.

xi)    That’s Ephesians 1:10 if you’re keeping score.

xii)  Do you think about the fact that even now creation is groaning for redemption? (Romans 8:19-23)

d)     God’s creation can be enjoyed because it is made holy by the word of God and prayer

i)        God has done the work of redemption. His will is sure and the end is sure. Christ will be exalted as Lord of creation and all things will be made new.

ii)      There will be a glorious new earth and there will be a hideous hell.

iii)    The days that play out between now and the fullness of time are days where the good seed and the weeds are being revealed.

iv)    The good seed are those who receive God’s creation with thanksgiving trusting in the word of God and exercising our work of prayer.

v)      So, it is God’s word that sanctifies or makes holy. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

vi)    The truth is that redemption is all encompassing.  The gospel is a mega-gospel.

vii)  Do you live your life according to rules like do not taste and do not touch or do you live the life God has given you believing and knowing the truth?

viii)            Here’s how you know you are living life believing and knowing the gospel: you pray with thanksgiving.

ix)    “The function of prayer is to acknowledge consciously God’s provision” (Towner, 299).

x)      Prayer is not a formality it’s an expression of faith. We pray because we believe there is a creating and redeeming God.

xi)    God, this food is clean because I believe that you are the good Creator and through Christ you are the perfect Savior.

xii)  Our prayer before a meal is an expression of belief in the gospel.  It’s a blessing that 3 times a day we get to affirm God’s good creation and Christ’s work of sanctification.

xiii)            3 times a day you get to preach the gospel to your hungry belly that wants to rule over you.

xiv)            I’m not saying you have to pray before every meal either; that would just make a different list.

xv)  What I am saying is hopefully what the bible is saying in our passage today.

xvi)            Christianity is not about empty rules. Christianity is about right belief in the God who saves through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

xvii)          We love and uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, the word of God, because Jesus Christ is our hope for today and our promise for all eternity.

xviii)        Because we have Jesus, because He’s in control, and because He’s glorious we are a thankful people.

xix)            We aren’t a griping about the food people. We aren’t a complaining about what he said or she said people.

xx)  We are a thankful people.

xxi)            Let me close with Ephesians 1:3&4

xxii)          Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

xxiii)        Every spiritual blessing is yours in Christ. Do not let deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons rob you of your joy.

xxiv)        Pursue Christ through the living word of Christ.

xxv)          Seek Him and you will find joy. Practice being thankful.

xxvi)        Every day, three times a day, pray for a thankful heart.  It is not a requirement. It is a blessing that we, God’s redeemed people get to pray.

xxvii)      Take advantage of that blessing.  Cling to Christ’s redemption and live a life of faith.

xxviii)    It’s safe to assume all of us are going to leave this place and go sit down for a meal.

xxix)        I want to encourage you to receive what God has created with thanksgiving.

xxx)          Praise Christ and then pass the potatoes.