Here’s a Trustworthy Saying, part 4

Posted by Chris on March 7, 2010 under Sermons

further studies in I Timothy

Trustworthy Sayings

1. Christ came into the world to save sinners (1:15)
2. Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (3:1)
3. Our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers (4:10)

Teach These Things

1. All ages (5:1-2)
2. Widows (5:3-16)
3. Elders (5:17-25)
4. Slaves (6:1-2)
5. Wealthy (6:17-21)

Promoting Godliness

• The Tragedy of the Trouble-making Mind (6:3-10)
• Flee From All This Man of God (6:11-16)
  – Don’t dance to their tune
  – Pursue godly life
  – Hold on to eternal life
  – Don’t waver

Truisms

• Some people just need to be mad. They want their pain.
• Angry people don’t speak “reason.”
• Some people need to be “right,” regardless of the cost.
• Anxiety spawns triangles–even over distances.
• Upset people lose the capacity to practice grace and will believe the worst of others in an instant.
• Just one willful angry person can stir up a group if the healthier ones do not respond with godliness.
• Anxiety spreads like a virus in a group that lacks immunity provided by godly leadership.
• During times of acute anxiety emotionality trumps rationality, even in a church full of “smart” people.
• Trust is a gossamer thread; once severed it’s almost impossible to regain.
• Information reduces anxiety (but for anxious people, so will misinformation).
• When people lack data, they’ll fill in the blanks.

Teach These Things

1. All ages (5:1-2)
   • Older men, women; younger men, women [Not elders]
     – This is not “diplomatic immunity” for elders
   • Teach gently; be an example
   • Contrast to 5:20 (applied to elders)
2. Widows (5:3-16)
   • Widows in ancient society
   • Help those who have no one else
   • Encourage others to follow God’s ways (care for family, marriage)
   • What principles could guide the way we help others?
3. Elders (5:17-25)
   • Honor those who serve well
   • Beware of frivolous accusations (see Deuteronomy 19:15)
   • Do not be hasty to appoint or accuse; let the evidence surface
   • Bring everything into the open
4. Slaves (6:1-2)
   • The statement accepts slavery without endorsing it
   • There is neither slave nor free in Christ (Galatians 3:28)
   • Show due respect and do not shame the way of God
5. Wealthy (6:17-21)
   • Do not trust in riches
   • Trust in God
   • Use wealth for doing good and sharing (Luke 16)
   • Focus on the future

Elder Ordination Service

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Order of the Service:

704 – Bind Us Together
Coins for Christ – (No Children’s Worship)

Scripture Reading – 1 Peter 5:2-7 [Race Burns]

Reaffirming Our Shepherds

• Introduction of Mat Griffin and thanks to the Reaffirmation Team (Mat, Helen, Jack)
• Mat will thank the congregation for their feedback and report the result of the reaffirmation
• Prayer – Mat

705 – A Common Love
[The five new elders and the seven current will come to the front pews during this song.]

Commitment of New Elders- A Pledge of Servant Leadership
[Benjamin will ask the new elders to move onto the stage]

God has spoken graciously through his church calling you to tend his sheep. You are being asked to assume the responsibilities of shepherd, overseer, and elder.

• Will you serve Jesus Christ as your Lord?
• Will you teach and model the gospel of Christ?
• Will you ensure the healthy teaching that strengthens the Lord’s people?
• Will you guide us patiently and prayerfully?
• Will you lean on the Spirit of God as you equip the church for acts of faithfulness?
• Will you mentor and shepherd the other leaders God gives to the church?
• Will you lead us rather than appease us, resolving to keep us focused on God’s purposes?
• Will you pray for us when we are sick, minister to us when we are hurting, and rejoice with us when we are blessed?
• Will you work in harmony with your fellow shepherds and with the church?
• Will you be great among us by serving as Christ did?

Response: “With God’s help we will.”

Read John 13:1-17 – [The current elders will now join the new five and present them with the “servant towels.”]

As a reminder of the Lord’s example of servant leadership, we offer you this small symbolic token of this day for your encouragement. This is a towel embroidered with the words of Jesus. We hope it serves as a reminder of Christ’s grace to you, your commitment before God and our support of your oversight.

Russ McConnell will lead a Prayer of Blessing.
During Russ’ prayer, the “current elders” will be laying their hands on the “new five” – a gesture that demonstrates the sharing of God’s spirit and their affirmation as elders.
[After this prayer, all assembled on the lower stage may return to the pews.]

Part 3 – A Pledge of Support: The Commitment of the Congregation

Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:17 [Tanner Robbins]

Church, our worship today confesses our belief that God has called these men to shepherd our congregation. Our actions from this point forward ought to reflect that belief and it requires commitment on our part.

Brothers and sisters …

• Will you follow these men in service for the sake of Christ?
• Will you be respectful of their leadership and imitate their faith?
• Will you support them in prayer and serve them in peace?
• Will you “lift up their arms” even as they care for our souls?
• Will you do all of this knowing that it pleases the Lord and shows the world the perfection of his ways?

If you so agree and pledge, then I ask you to affirm by saying: “With God’s help we will!”

Prayer of blessing for the church:
[Kevin Hesslen will ask God to help us live up to this commitment.]

Invitation for Responses

• Larry Todd will offer the invitation.
• The five new elders will assemble down front (spread out) to receive responses. This indicates that these new shepherds are ready to engage in the ministry of prayer for the sake of the congregation and for the glory of God.

Song for Responses
448 – Greatest Commands
Sending Out Prayer – Bill Dickey
[Bill will thank the congregation for participating in the reaffirmation and charge us to go out in service to Christ.]

Choices

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

The context of this statement: It is part of a discussion Paul had with the Corinthian congregation of Christians about their internal division. Basically, Paul affirmed that if they understood God’s work in Jesus Christ they would not sanction their internal division, but they would eliminate their internal division.

Note three things. (1) God spent much effort and “time” preparing the foundation (Jesus Christ) for His building. (2) God prepared one foundation (Jesus Christ, not the church-though it should be built on God’s foundation). (3) God’s foundation work is done. (That is not to imply that all God’s involvement/efforts were limited to foundation work.)

Note this. Just as the Corinthians, we face choices. Will we build on God’s foundation or not? Will we build what God wishes to build in the manner He wishes to build? Before you quickly answer that is what we are about, do some serious thinking.

It is easy to think weak human beings are doing precisely what God wants when, basically, we are doing what we want. It is easy to base what we build on our thinking rather than on God’s purposes revealed in Jesus’ teachings. It is easy to conclude we have found the whole foundation when we have uncovered only part of the foundation. It is easy to make our biggest investments in that which God said little or nothing about and neglect that which God said much about.

Consider two things. (1) Will I encourage the congregation to be focused on God’s foundation? If so, how? Will my efforts be constructive or destructive to God’s purposes? (2) Will I build my life on God’s foundation? Will I promote God’s purposes in how I live and who I am? Will the congregation be blessed because I am part of it?

Paul told the Corinthian Christians what was built would be tried by God’s fire. God is serious about what is built on His foundation. May we be serious builders! Do you think about what you are building and assisting to build? How serious are you about your life?

Here’s a Trustworthy Saying, part 3

Posted by Chris on February 28, 2010 under Sermons

further studies in I Timothy

Blameless Leaders

• Trustworthy Saying 2 – Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (3:1)
• Family and Character
• Deacons: Worthy of Respect
• Deaconess or Wives (I Timothy 3:11)?
• Romans 16:1

Deaconess or Wife?

• We know that Phoebe was a deacon (Romans 16:1)
• The word in I Timothy 3:11 is “wife” or “woman”
• Ordination is not the issue – faithfulness is the issue
• Verse 12 continues profile of deacons

Why Leaders Like This?

• “… you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household” – 3:14-15
• “… in the last times some will turn away from the true faith …” – 4:1

Hypocrites

• Hypocrisy is alluring because it carries the title of God and gets applause from others
• It does not produce godliness
  – Why bother?
  – Can’t be perfect
  – Focus on outward discipline

  

Godliness

• Trustworthy Saying 3 – 4:8 or 4:10
• 4:8 – Godliness
• 4:10 – Hope and Salvation
• Our trust (faith) is in the living God who saves us all

Charges

1. Reject silly myths – don’t encourage senseless prattle
2. Train for godliness – current and eternal benefits
3. Teach and be an example
4. Do not neglect spiritual gifts

Now and Then

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Right now, many of us are thinking about what we want to be doing an hour from now. Here we are in the now – but we are focused on then.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN I will be in live at the restaurant.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN I will be heading to the golf course.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN I will be settling into my recliner and looking for something on TV that will make me take a nap.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN I have a meeting to attend and some shopping to finish before ministry tonight.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN I will be driving the van back after taking others home.
Right now, the sermon is starting, but THEN we will still be chatting with friends.

This may seem like a ploy to get your attention. It is. But the message isn’t that good Christians don’t let their minds wander. No. In fact I want to encourage you to use the ability to think about NOW and THEN – just like Jesus does in his parables.

Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Make up two words: Now-ness and Then-ness. Now-ness is everything about the present reality of the kingdom. Then-ness is everything we know about the future reality of the kingdom.

We need to live in and think about the NOW-ness of the Kingdom of Heaven and the THEN-ness of it.
We need to live in and think about how the THEN of the kingdom has to do with the NOW.

We are conditioned to think about how the NOW shapes THEN. The future is today. The choices you make today determine the sort of person you will be. But this parable says that the THEN determines the NOW. The treasure is found and then the man buys the field. The pearl is discovered and then the man sells all that he has.

Unfortunately, the Kingdom is usually a THEN subject and we have not always related it to NOW. We know the treasure is buried in the field and one day we hope to own it, but we aren’t making the connection with how the THEN needs to shape NOW.

Unfortunately, we don’t always connect church to the Kingdom of Heaven as we should. And this is going to sound strange, but one of the problems is that we focus too much on “getting to heaven.” (Afterlife thinking – It’s all about THEN, with no thought for NOW.)

Go for the Gold – There is Doubt about victory. 2/100 of a second may keep one from winning gold [at the Winter Olympics]. But what if we went into a sport knowing that we would win? Would we still play? Would we play to win? Would we play like we already were winners? (The concentration camp prisoners knew that they were liberated even before they were freed.)

The good news is that you have been given the treasure. You have found the pearl.

Getting to Heaven

• This is how some of you became a Christian: You wanted to get to heaven and didn’t want to go to hell.
• If this is where you are at today, then I have good news: It is simple. Jesus has secured your entry into heaven. “But you don’t know what I have done.” Maybe I don’t but God does and the blood of Christ and the Love of God has covered over that sin and brokenness. All we have to do is accept it. When you are baptized into Christ you are united with Christ in his death (and dead to the power of sin) and you will be united with him in his resurrection. Why complicate this? It’s that simple.
• For the rest of us who have been baptized because we wanted to get to heaven – why is it that we still fret and wonder if we are going to get to heaven THEN? Why do we still talk about it as if there is something else we are supposed to do NOW to get to heaven THEN other than trust God? Why do we still depend on ourselves? Why do we think that there is some work we have to do NOW if we want to get to heaven THEN?
• And what is the point of all the energy and effort we expend on managing the church and laboring in God’s service is getting to heaven THEN isn’t dependent on what we do NOW other than trust Jesus? Sometimes we don’t seem to be able to understand how receiving the Kingdom in full THEN has anything at all to do with NOW – other than stay out of trouble.

I think this is because we have NOW and THEN unbalanced.

We want to get to heaven THEN, but we don’t know how to talk about the kingdom of heaven NOW.

Bad Ideas from Imbalance:

1. Faith and religion is something like fire insurance – Don’t we sometimes make our faith into something we take care of now so that when this is over then we are okay. Beyond this obligation we can do whatever else we want with our life as long as we don’t upset God. Simplistic and visionless view. A bad investment in a NOW that has no connection to God’s THEN.
2. This life and this world is just a waiting room. We are supposed to get the word out because God isn’t doing anything about it. (This is an exaggeration, I understand but do we notice that?) NOW is unimportant. THEN is all that matters.
3. NOW and THEN are disconnected. Church is a project or product that God has given to us to keep us busy. It is something we have to maintain or build.
   • (But scripture never says that we are responsible for building the kingdom of heaven. We can build up each other but God is building the Kingdom. We can purify ourselves, but God purifies the church).
   • We give kids things to keep them busy to pass the time. Meaningless diversion. If the THEN is all that matters, then church (which is NOW) is not very important. How does it fit?

Better Idea:

• Church is much more than a project or something we have to maintain.
• There is a THEN of the Kingdom that breaks into the NOW – (Little green signs outside – those little green signs indicate to us that the NOW of the field is not its THEN. It’s NOW is effected by its THEN)
• God has a building project. He has put little green signs all over our world. The rightful owner of this world is going to do much more with the world around us then we might imagine.
• Our salvation is going on right now. God is turning over the soil and filing the papers to renovate this world. “The present form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31)
• The church is not a meanwhile project, it is the first sign of the reconstruction project. We are the field with the buried treasure. We are the man reinvesting his property in hidden treasure.
• We are about more than “Getting to Heaven,” the Kingdom of Heaven is breaking into our NOW and we are living in it and living up to it.
• We are a people who treat the NOW based on the THEN that we trust is coming our way.

Mistakes and God

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Christians make mistakes-even when they try hard, even when they try harder, even when they keep on trying harder! Hopefully, maturity in Christ produces fewer mistakes, but mistakes still exist. We do not live in Christ because we have no mistakes, but because we are forgiven of all mistakes. Our perfection does not save us, but God’s mercy demonstrated in forgiveness saves us. We are not one because we all agree -our mistakes always “get in the way”-we are one because we all stand in God’s forgiveness in Christ. The church is composed of appreciative forgiven people, not perfect people.

Often our personal problems as Christians arise from (1) our inability to be honest with ourselves about ourselves and (2) our inability to forgive self of known mistakes. Often our problems as Christ’s church arise from (1) our inability to be honest with ourselves about ourselves and (2) our inability to forgive others in Christ as God has forgiven us.

Commonly, I find that the most committed Christians are composed of those who “have been there and done that.” Why? In such people there is a blend of humility, appreciation, and gratitude that often is missing in Christians who are convinced that they always have “had it together” and “do favors for God.” Simply, those who know how they were forgiven are more likely to know how to forgive.

Jesus said that He came to call sinners (Mark 2:17). Paul said the foundation of all Jesus’ efforts was saving sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). No matter what Christ’s church does, no matter how “correct” Christians aspire to be, if the gospel message is not based on the practice of forgiveness, those in sin will never hear God’s call in Christ.

Can a movement based on God’s forgiveness in Christ advance on the conviction that “I committed the unpardonable sin,” “God could never forgive me,” or “Christ’s church is only for good people”? A movement that is God-based is forgiveness-based.

Here’s a Trustworthy Saying, part 2

Posted by Chris on February 21, 2010 under Sermons

further studies in I Timothy

Salvation

• Trustworthy Saying 1 – Christ came into the world to save sinners
• But some have shipwrecked their faith
• Exclusive, sectarian, legalist
  • Anti-Gentile
  • Anti-grace

The “Certain Ones”

• putting value on controversy: myths and endless genealogies which amount to speculation (1:4);
• engaging in empty discussion (1:6);
• responding to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (4:1);
• guided by the hypocrisy of liars (4:2);
• forbidding marriage and promoting abstinence from foods (4:3);
• emphasis on godless and silly myths (4:7);
• desire for controversy and disputes about words (6:4);
• believing godliness is a means for gain (6:5)

Conduct of the Saved

• Pray for everyone without exclusion (2:1)
• Peaceful lives, quiet, godly, holy (2:2)
  1. It pleases God who wants all to be saved
  2. The work of the one mediator (Christ) gave himself as a ransom for all
  3. Paul’s mission was to proclaim this to all, not a select few

Conduct in God’s Household

• I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household – I Timothy 3:14-15

Problems

• Disputes, controversies
• Hatred, gossip
• Immodesty, trouble-making
• Disruption of households
• Shame in families and community

Men, Women, Salvation

• Men: Lift hands in prayer, not anger
• Women: Dress modestly, not gaudy and extravagant
• Let women learn in quiet and submission [See I Timothy 2:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 1 Peter 3:4, Titus 2:2, 2 Thessalonians 3:12]
• Order of creation argument

Genesis and 1 Timothy

• Genesis 4 – Anger and violence
• Genesis 3 – Deception and shame
• Saved through (the) child-bearing
• Poetic Statement: Eve brought Adam down, but through Eve, Adam is ultimately saved

What’s Wrong With the Women?

• Artemis Cult
• Women influenced by disruptive teachers
• Self-indulgent (5:6)
• Gossiping (5:13)
• Some follow Satan (5:16)

Blameless Leaders

• Trustworthy Saying 2 – Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (3:1)
• Family and Character
• Deacons: Worthy of Respect
• Deaconess or Wives?

Prayer

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

In his book, Pray Always, Tony Ash tells of his experience as a young man when he was a something of a legalist. To get back at him, some friends asked him if public prayers were a part of his congregation’s practice. When he said that they were, his friends asked how he and his people could claim to adhere strictly to the Bible when Jesus taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:6). Tony says that he was caught out and desperate and fled to his minister for an answer.

I have to admit that I have wondered that myself. Are we violating Jesus’ teaching each time we lead a public prayer? When we encourage one another to flock to their shepherds for prayer, is Jesus displeased? Have you ever wondered about this? Are you wondering now that I have brought it up?

I could point out to you that Jesus is making three statements to his disciples about righteousness that have the same point – don’t strive to be righteous just to gain favor with others. Don’t pray like hypocrites who draw attention to themselves. Likewise don’t give gifts or fast just to draw attention to ourselves. Jesus doesn’t exclude prayer, giving, or fasting. And to make his instruction to be secret literal to the point that secrecy and privacy become the goal is just as much a distraction from God.

I could also point out that if Jesus literally wanted us to all pray in secret, then his followers would seem to have ignored him. For there are important examples of community prayer in the New Testament. No, I don’t think they ignored Jesus. Rather I think they understood his point in the Sermon quite well and they also listened when he taught them to pray by saying “Our Father …”

• So we see Jesus himself encouraging the people to bring him their children so that he might pray for them (Matthew 19:13)
• We hear Jesus teaching us that when two or three of us agree, he is in our midst (Matthew 18)
• We notice that Jesus was upset because greedy people had turned the temple into a den of thieves instead of letting it be the house of prayer that it was supposed to be (Mark 11:17)
• We see Jesus inviting Peter, James, and John to join him in prayer (Luke 9:28)
• After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples gathered in homes to pray, and they prayed together to ask God to choose one to take Judas’ place (Acts 1)
• Those early disciples often did what Jesus did, they went to the temple to pray (Acts 3)
• They also gathered together to pray and give thanks (Acts 4)
• And the apostles wouldn’t wait on tables because they didn’t want to be distracted from the ministry of prayer (Act 6) and when they found seven others to lead, they put their hands on them and prayed over them (Acts 6)
• Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans so that they would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8)
• God himself sent Ananias to lay hands on Paul so that he might be restored (Acts 9)
• When Peter was in prison, the church gather at Mary’s house to pray for him (Acts 12)
• When Paul and Barnabas were sent out to preach the gospel, the church in Antioch prayed over them (Acts 13)
• Paul himself envisioned churches devoted to prayers – prayers of all kinds. Men and women praying for one another.
• James urges those who are in trouble to pray. He urges the sick to call upon the elders so that they might pray and anoint the sick person with oil. He urges us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5)

I believe that Jesus’ followers understood what he was teaching about prayer. And I think they understood from Jesus that pray includes our private petitions to God, but that it also involves our communal and public behavior and the way we express unity and our trust in God’s power. I think they understood that prayer is ministry and that healing and encouragement and forgiveness of sins come through prayer. What else can God’s people do other than speak to their father? I think they knew that prayer was the way that they asked for God’s spirit. They did not presume to command God’s spirit like magicians, but they could ask like servants.

So if Jesus’ early followers knew this, can we? I believe that we can. I believe that we should. I believe that we must.

So let’s overcome the unnecessary reduction of prayer to a secret mental exercise. Prayer is just as embodied as the Lord’s Supper, we don’t reduce it to a picture of a cracker and juice. Prayer can be meaningful when it takes place in time, space, and with others. I am sure that when we are sick we want people to pray for us and we are cheered up to know that they are, but when they come visit and hold our hand or lay a hand on our shoulder or even anoint us with oil, we experience prayer in our body, mind, heart and soul.

• Prayer is more than just mental – it is an embodied and spiritual practice. Kneeling, bowing, raising hands – whatever is done is a way that we participate in God’s life.
• We are not Gnostics. Such focus on the internal that the external is denied. The Gnostics were the first virtual community. Why don’t we all just agree to get online – read a prayer, listen to a sermon, think about the right things and that’s it?

And let’s also know that prayer is about God’s power and his spirit. Prayer is not something to add a little religion to our life. It isn’t just invocation. It isn’t the greeting card, preamble, email instruction, wish list that it is often reduced to:

• I admit that I struggle with this when I am asked to “carve out” prayers for special occasions. Why am I asked to do this? Probably because there is some sense that people have that we ought to have a little show of religion, or an invoking of the divine before congress does its work or before people graduate or before two sports teams knock each other around for no real reason. I don’t mind bringing a word of blessing to people who always seem to appreciate and eager for more … but where is the more?
• Let’s be the more church. We, the church, cannot settle for little carved out blessing prayers. We need to let our shepherds and ministers lead us in prayer – I mean more than just saying the words. Let them lead us in the ministry of prayer.
• For prayer is appealing to God that he will work among us …

And that being the case, let’s overcome this proud notion that we don’t need prayers. Let’s do away with the idea that prayers are reserved for those who identify as sick or sinners. We have important work to do, we have a mission. The first work of that mission is prayer in everything. How dare we send out missionaries and ministers without praying over them? How dare we let shepherds and ministers do their work without being prayed for!

But we often miss the opportunity because we don’t want to be showy. We must pray for them because we aren’t putting our faith in them, but in God. Who would want a surgeon to show up with dirt in his fingernails and liquor on his breath and have him describe how he’s going to cut us open? We would insist that he sober up and wash his hands (or we would ask for another surgeon). Who accept it if our pilot showed up and said to the passengers, “I’ve been awake for three days straight.” We would insist he get some rest and we wouldn’t buy it if he said “No, I’m good. The technology does all the work.”

You should insist that your ministers and elders have been sufficiently prayed over. Ask them, “Who has prayed for you today – and then pray for them.”

God at work among us – What’s the first work of evangelism? PRAYER (Matthew 9)

Our growth: Love one another, Support Leaders, Prayer MINISTRY

So let our prayers be like Jesus – He was man and he was God. Jesus is not the reduction of God. He is the fullness of God. The gospel is not a slogan. It is a person who came with power. When we pray in Jesus’ name we are reaching out and touching a power that cannot be limited to our mental or emotional experience. Just as Jesus was real, so is the spirit of God that we touch in prayer.

(Invite down people to be prayed for …)

Wisdom Does Not Change

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Why? How can anything so old be relevant? What possible insight from 3,000 years ago could be relevant to life now? How could a 3,000-year-old insight be applicable to life now? How could an insight declared verbally in a tiny nation that had no printing, no electricity, no sanitation department, no asphalt roads, no airplanes, no computers, and no cell phones be helpful to people who live in a shrinking world with numberless regulations and resources that can communicate worldwide instantly?

Wisdom focuses on two basic things. (1) A healthy relationship with God. (2) Healthy people-to-people relationships. Those two realties remain unchanged in every age. Material changes do not alter those realities. World War I was fought to end all wars. War continues. Penicillin would open the gates to ending disease. Germs, bacteria, viruses, and their relatives adapted. Our “War on Poverty” did not end poverty.

Greed is greed in any age. Only the goals of greed change. Deceit is deceit in any age. Only the goals of deceit change. Indulgence is indulgence in any age. Only the goals of personal pleasure change. Exploitation is exploitation in any age. Only the goals of using other people change. Manipulation is manipulation in any age. Only the goals of using deity or people change. Thus self-deception is always self-deception, and wasting life is always wasting life. It will do you no good to covet age 25 when you are 70-nothing will bring back 25!

Try telling God after you die, “You do not exist because I told You long ago You did not exist.” Try telling people you use how much you love and respect them. Considering the importance of God and people when most of your life is gone is often too late.

It is shocking to see how age changes your priorities! Suddenly what was very important and urgent when you were young becomes extremely unimportant. “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ?I have no delight in them'” is ancient! (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

Here’s a Trustworthy Saying

Posted by Chris on February 14, 2010 under Sermons

Welcome to Ephesus

• Prominent First Century church
• Acts 18 – Paul and Apollos started in synagogue
• Need for the Spirit
• Jews and Greeks
• Acts 20 – Wolves and Shepherds
• Revelation 2:1-7 – The later Ephesians had been through internal strife

Timothy’s Mission

• Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus
• I Timothy 1:3-4 – Timothy is to promote God’s work and refute “other teaching.”
• Misuse of the law
• God’s work vs pointless controversy

Paul’s Testimony

“PISTOS”

The “Certain Ones”

• putting value on controversy: myths and endless genealogies which amount to speculation (1:4);
• engaging in empty discussion (1:6);
• responding to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (4:1);
• guided by the hypocrisy of liars (4:2);
• forbidding marriage and promoting abstinence from foods (4:3);
• emphasis on godless and silly myths (4:7);
• desire for controversy and disputes about words (6:4);
• believing godliness is a means for gain (6:5)

Cling to Your Faith

• Includes more than just doctrine
• Includes conscience
• Others have shipwrecked their “faith”
• Hymenaeus and Alexander were thrown to Satan so that they would learn not to blaspheme!
• Fight the good fight = Keep this charge

Healthy Teaching

• … or who do anything else that contradicts the healthy teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. (1 Timothy 1:10-11)
• Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the healthy teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. (1 Timothy 6:3)

My thanks to Dr. Eugene Peterson (Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia) for helping me with a portion of this lesson. This good article by Dr. Peterson is useful for anyone in ministry.