1 Timothy 6:10-21 Flee from greed, pursue Christ

1 Timothy 6:10-21

This morning’s message will probably be painful for most of you to hear. It will be uncomfortable. Some of you will be angry with me after this message. How do I know this? Because that is how I have felt in preparing this message. I have felt angry as the Holy Spirit has poked me right in the idol of love of money.

Because it is a trap. And we have all fallen into it. We long to be rich! Our society shouts at us “Get all you can get all you can, spend all you can, spend all you can”. All too often we willingly put our foot into the trap. Smile as we hear the click, and keep on smiling as the trap slams shut. Love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And we willingly give ourselves over to it.

Just one note of warning. You may be thinking “oh, here we go! Christians again going on about money”. You may have seen white suited frauds, false teachers, on so-called Christian TV talking about seed giving, and releasing blessing, and how we’re royalty and royal live in the best houses and so on. Really, where was Jesus born? Where did he live?

That kind of “Christianity” is called the prosperity gospel or the name it and claim it. It’s based on New Age ideas and is completely unChristian. It is a lie. A lie based on the love of money. Because those “preachers” promising material wealth – you’ll be rich. You’ll be successful – are focussing us on the idol of money instead of God. Our eyes are on the gifts instead of the Giver. What we need to do this morning is put our eyes on the Giver, not on the gifts.

We need to stand before God and say search my heart O God. Make me clean. Take away this idol.
God is shaping us to be a church to reach Notodden, to reach Norway. That will not come without a cost, without throwing off every selfish thing that weighs us down, greed and pride and selfishness – but oh what joy to see what he will do with us – a shining light of hope and gospel glory, a church that loves each other genuinely cares for each other and for the lost, generous with money and time. That’s what we are to become.

1. Love of money destroys us and takes our eyes off Christ.

9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

The longing to be rich is such a trap. Why? What’s wrong with wanting to be rich? Being rich is cool!

However, why do we actually want to be rich? What lies beneath that desire? Is it not selfishness? Is it not the desire to have the world bend to your whim – to have the car you want, the house you want, to have people do things for you, say “Good evening Mr Garratt” and meet your needs? Is it not the desire to be God in your life? Not satisfied to be dependant, to be in need, to have to pray, to ask God. Oh, you may throw out a bit to the church, give a bit to gospel work – but probably a lot less than you imagined you would.
Surveys continually show that the richer people get, the less they give!

Do we really, truly, want to be rich so that we can share our wealth with others and glorify God? You know, the “I’d love to win the lotto so I could share it with everyone” fantasy.
The reality is that if that was really our desire we would already be doing it. We would already be sharing it! Why do we imagine that we would suddenly be more generous if we had more money? Does money have the power to change your heart?

Jesus says “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10

When faced with this trap of love of money, what should we do? God’s word, spoken through Paul to Timothy, and indeed to all of us who want to be a man of God, is clear: 11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things.

Run! Run from love of money. Oh, the “evil things” are more than just money – 1 Timothy has warned us about many more traps that we can fall into – but I think there’s a reason that Paul has placed love of money right next to the command to run from these things. It is the one we overlook so easily and therefore the most dangerous.

There’s an old Christian word which is mortification. Mortification – putting to death the sinful desires of the body. We need to put to death the love of money in our hearts.

John Wesley, a preacher and teacher in the 1700’s, and passionate about obeying Christ said this: "Money never stays with me, it would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it finds a way into my heart."

Jesus illustrates this in Luke 12:16–21 “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Impossible application: flee to money. Keep all you’ve got. Gather it for yourselves, for your children, for your legacy. Save more and more against a rainy day. Build bigger barns!

But most of us live like that!

Application: Kill the love of money in our hearts. How? By having our eyes fixed on the Lored Jesus. By storing up treasures in heaven. We invest in eternity every time we give generously, every time we share our things, every time we borrow instead of buy so we have more to give away. Be generous and trust God.

Love of money destroys us and takes our eyes of Christ. Kill it before it kills you.

2. Love of money is idolatry

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

What is the temptation for rich people like us? Oh you didn’t think you were rich? Sorry, but we are. We have access to clean water, sufficient food, decent clothes, live in a house or apartment, and have reliable transport which puts us all among the top 15% of the world’s wealthy. Plus we have free medical care, free unemployment insurance, free schooling, natural beauty to enjoy, and much more. We have no worry about starvation or being homeless. We are rich beyond many people’s wildest dreams. When was the last time we sat down and thanked God for that?! Thank you for the water in my tap. We don’t see it. It is a gift from the Lord. Thank you Father for your gracious provision.

So these verses about the rich – in fact, wherever you read in the Bible about words to the “rich” think that’s me, I need to listen.

So, what is the temptation for rich people like us?

V17 To be proud and to trust our money. You know, my friend McDonald has very little, yet without hesitation opened his ONE-BEDROOMED home to another family. That’s 5 of them PLUS now a lady and her two children. Me? I would have calculated that it isn’t possible to do that. I don’t have the money. And I would have prayed a prayer like that: Sorry Lord, I wish I had the money, or Please Lord bless me with lots of money and a big house so that I can take people in.
You know what? That prayer is just greed dressed up in Christian language. If I really wanted to bless, I would.

See, what does McDonald understand? No.1 that money is unreliable (v17). You cannot trust in money. The stock market could crash. The oil price could suddenly drop… Tinfos and Hydro could close down and you lose your job. Many here in Notodden know about the unreliability of money.
Instead, McDonald v17 trusts in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

And so he is free to share all that he has with others. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
And his reward? He is 19 storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Why is he able to do this? Is he more godly than us? Well, maybe! But he is poor. And being poor is to be vulnerable, to be dependant. And so all of MCDonald’s life is lived in dependence on God. So when the call comes to be a little bit more dependent he says sure.
But for us who are rich it is easy for us to live as if we are indepedent from God. And that is to believe a lie. And if God is gracious to us, he will take away whatever we are trusting in, in order to show us that we have placed our trust in it – that it has become an idol.

How do you know if love of money, greed, has found a place in your heart? How do you know if it has become an idol? How do you know if you place your trust in money instead of God? Try giving it away.
And see how you react. If immediately you get angry – but what about this thing I was going to buy – or worried – but what if things go wrong and I need that money – then that shows you where your trust lies. You’re trusting in money, and not in God. And that is a very dangerous place to be. V10 And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Do we really believe that? We don’t, do we. We think that money = happiness. And that God is a killjoy.
You know what – that’s the lie of the devil. Right back in Gen 3. Did God really say. This fruit is good… God just wants to keep from you what is good. He doesn’t want you to be happy.
And we all know how that turned out.

When Christian and I were in London now we saw a beautiful Aston Martin. Ooh, it was gorgeous. And the engine. What a sound- And the man inside was beaming with the sheer joy of owning such a fantastic car…. Actually, he wasn’t. He looked utterly miserable. And the lines on his face were all down. Amazingly wealthy, fantastically unhappy.

The Beatles were right when they said “I don't care too much for money, and money can't buy me love”

If money really could make us happy the richest people in the world would be the happiest. Movie stars would be full of joy – not falling into drink and drugs and often dying broken and alone.

And yet we still believe the lie.

Only Christ can fulfil us. Only in him do we find true contentment, deep joy. Aim at happiness, pursue fulfilment, and you will fall short; give yourself to Christ, pursue Him – and you will find happiness and true contentment thrown in.
is that not true? Those of you who have been Christians for a while, is that not your experience?

Love of money is idolatry. Love God. Use money for his glory

3. We love not money, but Christ, the eternal, immortal, almighty King

This is a duty and a privilege only for Christians. Oh, giving your money away will have some benefit – the Lord has designed the universe like that and so following his moral laws has moral benefits. You may feel better about yourself. You are doing good. And maybe your good deeds will come up before the Father and he will send someone to you to tell you the gospel. Because your good deeds will not save you. Instead, they will condemn you to hell because your actions are done to glorify and satisfy...YOU, and not God. You need the perfect obedience of Christ. You need him to swap places with you, take on your sin, your idolatry, your greed – and he will give you his righteousness, his perfect love for the Father, his generosity.

To give your money and receive the many blessings of provision, contentment, and joy, you must know the Lord. Because it is an action of throwing ourselves deep into the mercy of God, saying “Father I trust you”

This is joy and privilege for us. It is a blessing for us. God doesn’t need our money. It’s not like he’s waiting thinking oh I need more money, oh I wish they’d be generous come on please.

Like prayer, like evangelism, like obedience, giving money is not to bless God to bless ourselves. Because as we give, we declare “I trust God”. It is a deep act of faith. We tear down the idols of greed, self-trust or trust in the state – and say I trust you and you alone, Father.

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith.

Oh and it’s a fight. And if you’ve tried to be faithful in giving, you know it is a fight that has to be fought again and again. But fight the good fight. Battle yourself. And you can win. Why? Because you already have the new life, the eternal life
v12 continues: Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

We have been saved brothers and sisters. We are declared righteous in Christ, perfect, faultless. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Follow Christ. And here is our motivation. Because we do not live for now, or tomorrow – but the future. Chapter 1 of the Great Story that goes on forever. This is just the introduction.
15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and power to him forever! Amen.

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” ― C.S. Lewis

So let’s put some flesh now on these bones. How do we do it? How do we stop this love of money grasping at our hearts?

“Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord, by applying it to any other purpose?” ― John Wesley

Four implications from today’s passage

1. Give thanks. Look around at all your blessings and give thanks. It is much easier to give when you realise how blessed you are. Both physical blessings and spiritual blessings.

2. Remind yourself of where you are going. Our home is not this world. We are made for the new creation. Let us store up treasures there. And the only way we can invest in the new creation is to give away our money here to gospel work. He is coming. Amen. Come Lord Jesus come.

3. Ok. I want to give. But how much should I give? Well, as much as possible. A good place to start is with the minimum under Jewish Law: Decide to give at least 10% of your income. 10%???? Yes, 10% of what God has given us, we give back to Him as a symbol that all we have comes from him.
I’ve recently been challenged by this, as I’ve always seen it as guideline, rather than minimum. But reading Malachi 3:8–10 “8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
For the Jewish believer, to refuse to pay the full tithe was robbing God. As believers in Christ, with so much more blessing and understanding, should we give less? Is it not robbing God to give less than 10%?

If 10% seems like a lot, then think to yourself: would I die if I had to live on 90% of my income?
It may be hard to start with 10%. Why not commit to giving 1% more every month? Build up to it.
How do we do this? Take 10% of whatever income you get in, and give it away immediately. Don’t wait until the end of the month – do it first. Set it aside, and bring it in.

And trust God. He will not abandon you.

4. Check your motivation for doing this. Thankfulness. Future focus. Obedience. But if you’re doing this in the hope that God will give you more… it will be wasted. The Lord loves you

Impossible application: Be stingy. Give nothing, or very little. Give less than 10%.

Application: Give. And as you give, rejoice. What a privilege to have money to give. How we have been blessed! Think carefully how much of God’s money we are going to keep for ourselves, and how much to give away.

All we NEED is found in v7 and 8.

7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Let us end by focussing not on money, but on the Greatest Treasure, the Desire of the Ages, the Beautiful One of Heaven by reading v15-16 together.
15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and power to him forever! Amen.

May God’s grace be with us all.

1 Timothy 6:1-10 The secret of contentment

1 Timothy 6:1-10

Who or what masters you?
What dominates your thinking?
What determines how you run your life?

Could it be money?

Do you find yourself running after money and what it promises? Holidays, nice house, big car, boat, cabin? Is that what drives you?
Because money is a cruel master, promising what it cannot deliver – satisfaction, contentment – and delivering headaches, stress, and an ever-moving target.
Repairs, worry I might lose it, and Oh, you’ve got a new car… well you should have got THIS one, it’s even better, and just kr60 000 more. And you sit and look at your new car which you were so excited about.. and now it doesn’t seem so great.

10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

What masters us?
1. Are we a slave to slavery, or a slave to God?
2. If we’re a slave to God, do we obey him and so experience a godly life, or not?
3. Is money our master?

1. Am I a slave to slavery, or a slave to God?

All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching. 2 If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.

Slavery is brutal. But it was (and still is) a fact of life. In the first century up to half the population worked as slaves. In many places in the world today, people live and work as slaves. We might joke that we are “slaves” to our bosses, or we “slave away” at home. But the reality is that we are extremely free!

Slavery was handing yourself over to total control by someone else. They could decide what you wore, what you ate, when you slept, who you slept with, even whether your family would live with you or if they would be sent off or sold off to someone else. Every detail of your life was subject to your masters whim. A slave had no rights.

So you were very dependent on your master. A good master would look after you. A bad master would abuse you.

So, as Christians, how should slaves of their earthly masters now act? They are free men and women in Christ – and if their master is a Christian, then brothers and sisters! Party!!

No. We are to respect our masters, says the Lord through Paul. What? And If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved!

Why? So that v1 they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching. What message would it send about Christianity if the slaves who became Christians became lazy, avoiding work, complaining about everything, and mouthing off to their master? Would that make people sit up and say “Oh, I’d like to become a Christian”. No!

Like Jesus, our focus is on the good of others, and on the life to come. What joy to serve, even suffer, in this life if through our suffering we can win one to Christ. How brief this life is – gone in an instant – compared to all eternity with our Lord!

And if your master is a Christian – well, then you should be motivated to work harder, not less! This is your brother in Christ. You should long to please him, to serve him with joy. It is a loving submission – I know we are equal, but I choose to serve you. It is the same joyful submission with which the wife submits to the husband – we are equal but I submit to you; the husband joyfully serves the wife – I will lay myself aside to do what is best for you; and how the Son of God submits to the Father – though equal, He chooses to obey.

See, who is the slave actually a slave of? Is he just a slave of his master? Or is he a slave of Christ, joyfully choosing to love God in the way that he serves his earthly master.
Are we ruled by circumstances – what is happening around us – or do we choose to serve Christ, to allow him to be our master in this situation?
To be a first century slave was not a great situation to be in. But instead of moaning and complaining about your work, your life, you could choose to serve Christ in the way you work, in the way you view your master. No longer is he your master, but a person who needs the gospel of Christ – or if already a Christian, a brother in Christ.

It is something that changes within us. I will not serve that thing, that circumstance. But I will serve Christ in this difficult time, at this job, with this thing. Maybe your child is sick – how can I glorify God in my suffering? Maybe your children have been taken away by Barnevernet? How can I cling to God? What difference does it make that I belong to Christ?
It is an attitude of the mind. I choose to see this through the eyes of Christ, not through my eyes. And as we turn to him, as we obey him, that produces godliness – we experience the wonder of the Spirit at work in us in that situation.
You know, when I became a Christian it was like the sun rose in my life. I woke up the next day, and everything was bright and full of life. Nothing had changed – except me. Gone was the shadow, the moaning, the complaining – because, no matter what happened, the Lord was with me – and nothing could change that. I belonged to Him, and that is a deep joy that has never left me.

We are not slaves to the world, but slaves to Christ.

2. As slaves to Christ, let us obey him: Obedience produces godliness

Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3 Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life.

Teach these things Timothy, for these teachings promote a godly life. What things? The gospel. Everything we’ve been learning in 1 Timothy! It’s hard to give yourself over fully to someone. Can I really trust God? That old selifishness and pride rise up within us. I don’t want to obey God.

So we need the gospel. What have we learned so far in Timothy. Let’s remind ourselves of that, and be encouraged to follow our loving master – the only master who will not lead us on the path to death. For every other master will.

Chapter 1 we saw the power of the gospel to transform sinners – even the greatest of sinners like Paul. Following the law does not work – keeping rules, being good. You can’t be good enough, it doesn’t work! The law is like a thermometer which measures if we have a fever. It diagnoses the problem. The law reveals our unrighteousness, our sin. But the thermometer is not the cure. Imagine if the doctor said, oh yes, you have a fever – now go home and every day take your temperature with the thermometer. You’d think what an idiot! That can’t help me. I need medicine! The gospel is the medicine. The gospel, that Jesus has swapped places with us, that he takes our sin, and he gives us his perfection… that’s the medicine. In Christ, we are declared righteous, perfect. So, let’s live like what we are.

Remember the key verses in 1 Timothy? Turn back to 3:14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

How we behave matters! We need to know the truth – hear it preached, get to Bible study, read the Bible, know the real truth, so false teachers cannot turn your head. You need to see the truth lived out in the lives of your church members. So often we see how someone deals with a situation and we think “ah, that’s how it’s done”. We see how they deal with sickness, or tragedy, or how they use their money or their possessions. We see how they parent. How they use their time. See the truth. And we ourselves need to live the truth. Chapter 2 showed how we as men and women should behave in church – learning quietly and in joyful, willing submission. Chapter 3 our leaders, who we are to submit to. Those following the Lord, obeying Christ, and who can teach the Bible – they should lead. Men need to take responsibility in leading the church as in leading the family. As chapter 4 says train yourself to be godly. We work hard at obeying Christ. Not to earn salvation – that would be trying to use the law – the thermometer – as our salvation. No, we work hard at obeying Christ because we are already saved. We are children of God. Chapter 5 went through how we deal with each other and particularly the problem the church at Ephesus had with the widows, and, indeed, church leaders.
Basically what Paul is writing to Timothy and his churches, inspired by the Holy Spirit is this: in Christ live like Christ.
We are not our own. We belong to Him. He is our new master, and we follow him.

These teachings produce a godly life – that is, a life in line with God. What a joy!
You want to grow as a Christian? Listen. Listen to the Word of God. And then obey it (or at least try to!) Jesus says the same thing over and over again in Luke. Listen. Be careful how you listen. Those who hear my words and put them into practice are the wise. Luke 8:18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Lk 8:21 (NLT) Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

Pay attention indeed. Because if you listen to the wrong people, to false teachers…what is the result? 4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.

A church not full of loving submission, joyful service, looking out for the interests of others and pointing each other to Christ – but arguments, jealousy.

Is it going too far to suggest that the reason many of our churches are marked by arguments, jealousy, division and so on is because they have stopped teaching the gospel? That they have stopped proclaiming the sinfulness of man and the glory of forgiveness in Christ. So that it becomes a competition in piety – who can follow the rules the best and get one up over everyone else.

Listening to the gospel produces godliness. Listening to lies produces ungodliness.

What you listen to, matters. Who you listen to, matters.

Hear the truth and obey it.

3. Is money our master? Beware the siren song of greed

5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. 6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Why would these teachers become false? Why would they, as 1:19 say “deliberately violate their conscience”? Why are they 1:4 wasting their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. And v4 stir up arguments. Why would you do that?

v5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

Day after day we read or hear stories of corruption, nepotism, favouritism – people using their power, their leadership positions, not for the good of the people but for their own selfish gain, and their family members. And the church is not immune! We are a club for sinners, not a holy huddle.... J

In the old days of seafaring, sailors used to talk of the sirens. Those were mythical creatures who sang such beautiful bewitching songs that the sailors would steer the ship towards them – and then be smashed to bits on the rocks, and die either from starvation or from the sirens feasting upon them, depending on which myths you read! In Greek mythology there were only two who avoided the sirens: one was Odysseus, who stopped his ears (and the whole crew) with wax so that he could not hear the siren song.
The other who avoided the sirens was Jason (Jason and the Argonauts) who hired Orpheus to play a more beautiful song and drown out the siren song.

Brothers and sisters, let us cling to Christ. Be so filled with the gospel that these lies do not lead you astray. Only by knowing the genuine, the real, can we be kept safe from the false. There’s an old song which goes “Keep your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face; and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

Our society shouts at us: happiness is through buying things. Accumulate things. Have this experience, that experience – there is true happiness, true contentment. But what does God say? And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

How many do we know who have done this? How many of us are in danger of this? And as for Christian ministers.... just turn on a “Christian” TV channel and all too often you’ll find false teacher peddling their wares – send me money and I’ll send you blessing. It is a wicked corruption of the gospel.

Who you listen to, matters. Beware of the wealthy or those who are always going on about money. 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

Beware of “Christian” ministers who have become exceedingly wealthy through the ministry. Be especially wary of those who tumpet their wealth as a sign that they are blessed by God. Because I think 1 Timothy 6 would see it as a sign that they are false teachers? And what about the constant theme in Luke of care for the poor, of selling your possessions, of not serving two masters God and Money?

Many Christians have shipwrecked their faith on the rock s of greed. It’s easy for us to be lured in by greed because our society is immensely greedy. You may find that siren song in your heart as you are dissatisfied with what you have now. Always looking to buy the next new thing. Never content.
Do you thank God for your daily bread – the food you have, the job you have, the home you have – or do you think “of course, that’s what I deserve” or “but I work for this” not realising everything we have is a gift from our Heavenly Father? In the next Bible study we’re going to look at the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11, where we ask God for his daily provision. It comes from him!
Do you find it difficult to be generous, gripping on to what you have, unwilling to share, to give?

The antidote to this poison of money-love is found in v17-18 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

Giving money to gospel work kills the greed in our heart. We show ourselves that we trust God to provide for us. We don’t have to store up wealth – trust God. We show that we serve Him, not Money, not the World.
Hospitality (having people in your home, for meals, etc) is another great way to counteract that call of greed. Sharing what you have – food, cars, tools, whatever.

Thanksgiving and praise for all that we have is essential. If we do not recognise that all we have comes from the Lord’s generosity, we will be angry and disobedient when He asks us to share it! So go through what you have and thank God for it. Thank him for his many blessings. And then be generous and bless others as you have been blessed. And, since we all live in Norway, we have all been MASSIVELY blessed! And the result of all this. Ironically, as we share, as we give away, as we set our sights not on things, but on Christ, we will finally be content with what we have. V6

Take a moment now to ask the Lord to examine your heart for that call of greed. And let us fix our eyes on Jesus, and be filled with him instead of filled with greed. Let us give ourselves to him as willing slaves, joyfully submitting, and let us see the fruits of godliness he will produce in our lives!

1 Timothy 5:16-25 Leading the church

1 Timothy 5:16-25

Today’s passage is all about church leaders.
Who should lead the church?
How should we respond to our leaders?
What do we do when a leader does wrong?
Let’s get straight into it in v17

1. Good church leaders should be respected and paid well

17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”

First question is: what’s an “elder”? An elder is the Bible’s word for the church leader – the one responsible for teaching the church the Bible, for praying for the church, and for leading the church by example (that means the elder should be a picture (an example) of how to live as a Christian). In this church we have three elders: myself, Jack, and Christian. We are responsible for leading the church.

And a good elder – that is, one who teaches the Bible, prays, and leads by following Christ – should be listened to, respected, supported – paid well. It is the church’s responsibility to look after their elders.

Let’s spend a bit of time reminding ourselves of what an elder, or church leader is, and what they should be. How should they lead? Where should they lead us? What’s the elder’s job that we should be supporting them to do? Let’s turn back to chapter 3 :

1 Ti 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honourable position.” 2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? 6 An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

An elder has authority to shepherd God’s people, through teaching the Word (the Bible) and obeying the Word himself, so that he leads by example. Did you notice that all the requirements of church leadership was “character”. Who you are. And also that nothing in that list is anything more than expected of every Christian? An elder or church leader is someone with a track record of following Christ. They’re a Christian.
An elder is not some kind of super-Christian with “heavenly anointing” or any such nonsense. God does not say that here, does he? He does not say “v2 An elder must be a man who has been filled with Holy Ghost fire” or “who sees visions” or “has a special anointing”. Equally it does not say “v2 An elder must be a man who has completed his Bachelor in Theology”. Because a man who has a degree or a man who appears to have a direct link to the Holy Spirit may not have the character to lead. I’ve met plenty of people who “prophesy” who I wouldn’t have anywhere near the leadership of the church – and I’ve met many with degrees who are so arrogant and full of themselves because they have a degree that they disqualify themselves from leadership!

Let us not be fooled by outward appearances when considering our leaders. Even who we listen to online – because you are putting them in authority over you. What’s their character like? That’s why God, through Paul, commands Timothy (and all of us after Timothy) to 5:22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Why? Because v24 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

Basically, eventually character will out. Over time you will see what type of man that potential leader is. That’s why if you want to be a church leader - well that’s a good thing 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honourable position. But you will be tested, over time. Your character will be evaluated. We will have to know you – or at least talk with the people who do know you. We’ll chat to your wife – what are you really like at home, in everyday life? Because character will out. And a godly character is the most important requirement of a church leader. Because as you go, the church goes.

People follow what you DO rather than what you say. So you may be a genius in the pulpit, you may be eloquent in speech and able to dazzle people with your charm, you may be up there with Augustine, Calvin and Luther in your theological expertise – but if it’s all up here and not in your heart. If it’s external not internal. If you don’t truly know Christ – your church will be full of bitterness and arrogance and fakery.

By the way, that’s why you’ve got to be really careful with listening to people online. Because you don’t know them. There’s a reason we have a local church. We know each other! We carry each other. We see each others’ struggles. We rub each other up the wrong way and annoy each other – which is a great opportunity to grow more like Jesus and forgive each other. No-one grows in a church of one! You’re never challenged – your sinful, selfish heart is never exposed. But come to church for a bit, and oh yes, you’re challenged!
And loved. And forgiven. And taught. And prodded. And have the joy of serving. And encouraging. Church is fantastic! God’s a genius for creating church.

Pity the elders who have to steer this ship! However, we are not alone. We have the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. The Word teaches us, the Spirit through His Word, drives it home and changes us from the inside out.

If you look at our organisational chart here of our church leadership structure, you can see how it works:

God the Father

Gives all authority in heaven and earth to his Son 

Our Lord Jesus Christ

Who is also head of the Church 

And leads through his 

Holy Spirit

Who speaks powerfully through his Word, the Bible. 

The elders (trainer of ministers)

Teach the Bible faithfully and prayerfully to 

the ministers (congregation)

Who will witness to and serve all people, and the elect will respond. 

An elder’s job is to lead the church, and the primary way he does that is through the Word of God, the Bible. That’s why we emphasise so heavily teaching the Bible in this church. And not teaching you “this is what it says” but actually getting you to read it and unpack it for yourselves. We are not interpreters, standing between you and the Bible, saying “this is what it really means” – and then giving you OUR thoughts. We’re like tour guides, making sure you don’t get lost or miss anything important, saying “keep your eyes on what is in front of you”.

As my friend Justin Mote says “The key to understanding the Bible is reading”. He introduces the two-year church apprenticeship program in the North-west of England with these words “Over these two years we are going to teach you to read”.
Because simply reading the Bible – reading what is there rather than what we think is written or what we want to be written – that takes discipline and hard work.

And that’s why the elder needs to be paid well so that he has time to read the Bible. Because it is so easy for us to twist Scripture to what we want. As I struggle with the text to preach on or teach a Bible study – my struggle is not with the commentaries or with understanding the words. My struggle is with myself. Can I move myself, my prejudices, my framework, my sins, my excuses for my sins, my desire to be popular – whatever it is – can I move that to the side and let God speak. That’s the struggle. And that takes time. Because it’s not just understanding the text and packaging it into a 20 minute talk…40 minute talk. That’s easy. It’s letting the Spirit loose on your heart and mind, turning yourself inside out. Being brutally honest with your own heart so that the Word can be sharp and real and you the congregation can hear the very word of God every Sunday. That’s the real work of the elder. It is unseen, but vital. Without the word, we die. And that’s why we support the elder. That’s why he is worthy of respect and should be paid well. Because it takes time. If he’s preaching regularly he does not have time to work a full-time job and prepare to preach as he should.

And it’s hard work. It is labour. And as v18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”

The ox quote is from Deuteronomy 25:4 and is the picture of the ox walking back and forth, working hard treading grain – which was separating the grain from the stalk and the chaff. So the ox would walk back and forth, back and forth, and would get hungry... and so would probably start to munch on the grain. Let the ox eat, says God, don’t muzzle it. It deserves payment (food) for the work it does. It deserves to be looked after.
Likewise the human labourer – the worker deserves his pay. Paul is quoting Jesus here, when Jesus sends out the 72 which we’ve just read on Wednesday in the Bible study. It’s in Luke 10:7.

So the elder deserves to be paid. 17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching Especially those or perhaps a better translation would be namely or that is. Elders should be respected and paid, that is those who work hard at preaching and teaching (since that is what an elder does).

How much do you pay? Enough! He should not be distracted by worry about providing for his family. But equally not too much that eldership becomes a pathway to riches – because someone who loves money should not be an elder.

So, elders, church leaders, respect them and pay them well. Honour their God-given authority over you. Give generously to support them.

But what happens when an elder goes bad? What happens when they abuse their power? Good church leaders should be respected and paid well, and

2. Bad church leaders should be disciplined

19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. 21 I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favouritism to anyone.

When I first read those verses I wasn’t sure whether v20 meant the whole church or not. You know – one of you sins so I call you up here... come up here and confess your sins... CONFESS!

In fact this whole section from v17-25 has church leaders, specifically elders, as its focus. And v19-21 is about elders gone bad. See, the Bible is pretty realistic about us, about people. It recognises that elders will sin. It recognises that people might have less than pure motives for accusing elders, and it recognises what effect the elder’s sin can have on the whole church.

Firstly 19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. This again is an Old Testament principle, it’s from the Jewish law courts, and where we in our courts today get a lot of our thinking about evidence and evaluating witnesses. It comes from Dt 19:15–21 “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 16 “If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, 17 then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. 18 The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, 19 you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. 20 Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing.

A case with only one witness is a weak case. Because we recognise that a single witness can be a liar. We’ve been through a case just recently where the court has taken the evidence of just one witness. Now that’s a bad court! Especially when the rest of the evidence doesn’t match her statements. Not good. So that’s why accusations should not even be heard unless there are further witnesses or confirming evidence - and especially accusations against elders. You don’t have to have been in ministry long before someone accuses you of something, I can tell you!

Why? Because being a church leader means that you will offend people – particularly if you’re a good church leader. Because the gospel is offensive. It is good news, fantastic news – but also offensive news! We are sinners – how dare you! Saved by grace. We cannot save ourselves, only Christ can save us. How dare you! It nails our pride, hits right at the heart of sin.
The heart of sin is selfishness, that desire to do away with God, to be God in my own life. If I believe that I am God – well, I’m certainly not sinner, I haven’t broken God’s laws, my laws, and He’s not angry with me. And if he is, well then I can just bargain with him because I’m also a God, and so I’ll do a few good things and be a nice man and he’ll be ok with that!
No, we are sinners. We have ignored God. We disobey him. We rebel against him. And that can make us angry and so we lash out at the messenger – the man in leadership. Start spreading rumour, saying false things or just being nitpicky and critical.

And you can imagine in Ephesus, Timothy’s church, how some of the false teachers who are told to be quiet or asked to step down as elders; and indeed some of the widows who were removed from the widows list and told to get married and have babies instead of being idle and meddling and making nuisances of themselves in the church – you can imagine some of them wanting revenge. So there must be confirming witnesses, and the whole matter must be judged impartially. Listen to the strong language in v21 I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favouritism to anyone.

So just because you may dislike someone you cannot condemn them – but equally just because you like someone and know them well does not mean that they’re not guilty. Weigh the evidence, make a decision – and if they have sinned, they must be v20 reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.
An elder who sins is serious because his life affects the church. Character matters – as he goes the church goes. So an elder who is habitually sinning and covering up that sin is going to affect the church badly. Scriptures will be twisted or the volume turned down to cover over his sins. People will do what he does – so they will need to be told that the way he was living was false and not to be copied.

Eldership, church leadership, is a public matter – and so the sin needs to be dealt with publically, as it affects all of us. It’s like getting married. One of the worst things I found about getting married is that my sin now affects my wife as well. It’s heartbreaking. And then you have kids. And you see you impatience, your short-temper, your jealously – reflected back in them. Oh no! So too with the church leader.
So because his leadership is public and connected with his character, any serious sin must be dealt with publically as well. It is not for everyone who sins in the church to be hauled up to the front to confess - otherwise we’d be here all day!

Good church leaders should be respected and paid well. Bad church leaders should be disciplined. So…

3. Be careful who you appoint as church leaders

22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

Because character is what matters in church leadership, more than skills or gifting, well, that takes time to evaluate. How do you know what type of man a man is unless you spend time with him: see him in different situations and in different relationships. See how he is with his wife, his children, his friends, at his workplace. Is this a man who follows Christ? There is no rush to appoint a leader. Take the time that is necessary. Because, Paul says, you may end up sharing in their sins. It seems v22 is talking about appointing a bad leader too quickly, and you either get associated with them or you then have to deal with the mess they’ve made! It may also be referring to reappointing the elders who have sinned and been disciplined. They will need to go through a reasonable time of proving themselves. So keep yourself pure.

V23 Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often. seems pretty random – although many think that Paul, thinking about Timothy’s purity, remembers that Timothy’s stopped drinking wine, probably to be different to the false teachers who were often drunkards – or maybe there had been some accusation against him. So for whatever reason, to maintain his purity, he’d stopped drinking alcohol. Unfortunately this was in the days before purified water and so water without alcohol would often make you sick. And being sick all the time makes it difficult to lead a church! So Paul says to Timothy - be pure, yes, but in this case I think you’ve taken it a bit far.

And then he rounds off this whole discussion on elders, church leaders with these words:

24 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

You know, some people can fool you for some time, but eventually the real person will come out. I remember a well-respected lady at a previous church who seemed to be godly- but one day she was put under pressure and this vicious snake appeared, such venom and bile and anger – suddenly her façade of godliness was revealed to be just that: a façade, a fake front covering the sinfulness within.

Others I have known who I have heard terrible things said about them – which as time has gone on have been shown to be completely false. Character will out.

That’s why we can’t as Christians, fake it til we make it. There is only one way to follow Christ: fall before him, cry out “help me Lord, I am a sinner” and allow Him to change you from the inside out.

And your new character will start to shine through in all sorts of surprising ways.

One of the guys in this church said to me “I’m the same, but I just can’t do the bad things I used to do any more. I don’t know why, really”. Ha! There’s the Holy Spirit at work.

Good church leaders should be respected and paid well. Because a good church leader will be spending a great deal of time reading and reading and reading the Word, battling with himself to bring you God’s life-giving word.
Bad church leaders must be disciplined. Elders are sinners like everyone else – and sometimes that sin is serious, and needs to be dealt with publically. Publically, because an elder, a church leader, leads by example.
So be careful who you appoint as leaders! Take time to get to know them, because character matters.

A couple of weeks ago we read 4:16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

So dear friends, pray for you elders. Support your elders. Give generously so we as a church can pay our elders as they need it – and appoint new ones! If we’re going to grow enough to reach only 10% of Notodden – that’s 1200 people, 1200 baby Christians who are going to need a lot of shepherding! Being a church leader is an awesome responsibility! The days are short. The work is vast! See, the fields ripe for the harvest. See, how many need to hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus – and to see that gospel lived out.

1 Timothy 3:16-4:5 True Truth

1 Timothy 3:16-4:5

What we believe affects us deeply. It affects how we see and evaluate ourselves, how we see and evaluate others, and how we see and evaluate all that happens in the world. If we believe this is a dog eat dog world where only the cruel survive – that will lead to a certain kind of lifestyle. If we believe that there is a God in heaven to who we are accountable, if we believe that all people are valuable, created in God’s image, if we believe that we are utterly sinful – but amazingly forgiven and loved – that will lead to a certain kind of lifestyle.

That’s why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write v14 and 15 “14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth”.

We looked at this two weeks ago, the key verses of this letter to Timothy, and saw how we need to know the truth, see the truth, and live the truth. But what is the truth?

1. Jesus is the Truth

What is the truth? The truth is the gospel of Christ Jesus as explained in chapter 1: the truth that we are sinners, we have broken God’s good law - but equally that we are forgiven “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners” (1:11). That is, indeed, a trustworthy saying!
Those are the two dimensions of the gospel: sin, and forgiveness – and we need both to see in 3D, to see the full picture.
If we only have one: forgiveness but not sin, or sin but not forgiveness – it’s like watching a 3D movie with only one eye. You’re not getting the full picture! Forgiveness but not sin is no gospel – people hear “Jesus loves you”, and they think of course he does, why wouldn’t he? There is no repentance, no acceptance of Jesus as Lord, and that leads to many who say “Lord lord”, and Jesus will respond “I do not know you”.
Sin without forgiveness leads to harsh religion – the wagging finger, the great burden you’ve got to carry to earn your salvation. And either leads to Pharisee who think they’re right with God, but aren’t, or depression, because you can’t do it.
You need both eyes – see in 3D: sin PLUS forgiveness. Then we will see that the gospel is not about us oooh I’nm so loveable or I can do it – but about Jesus, the Christ. 16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ. (Christ means anointed one – he is the promised rescuer, the redeemer).

Verse 16 seems to be a quote from a hymn that was sung in the early church, and its focus is simply Jesus. He is the mystery of our faith. Not words, not ideas, but him.

The false teachers come with empty words – in chapter 1 we saw power through genealogies, being linked with powerful ancestors. And here we see strict rules to follow to make you acceptable to God. Do not marry. Do not eat. Then you will be acceptable to God. That is teachings from demons says 4:1. False philosophies and empty ideas from the pit of hell.
But the true Gospel is not empty ideas, not power through genealogies, not mere words, it’s not following rules – but a Person, the Living God revealed in the flesh, seen in both heaven and earth.

16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

16 Christ was revealed in a human body is the miracle of the incarnation, that is, God becoming man. To look at Jesus was to see God himself. As Jesus said to Philip the apostle: if you have seen me, Philip, you have seen the Father. (John 14:9).
Do not be fooled by teachings from demons like that peddled by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Iglesia ni Christo, who claim that Jesus is not God and that he must not be worshipped. That is not what the Bible says.
Jesus was seen by angels, not the “other” angels, but angels – and therefore he’s not an angel. But he’s not just a man – because he was “revealed” in a human body… greater than man but not an angel – there is only God.
And when we see that Jesus is now in heaven in glory, something that is never spoken of of angels, and when we see that the mystery of our faith is not that Christ reveals “Jehovah” the God behind Jesus, but that he himself is the mystery of our faith, and when the hymn calls us to believe not in Jehovah or the Father or God but in Jesus – I think we can safely say that the apostles, the early church, tell us that Jesus was God revealed in the flesh. That is a mystery indeed! Hallelujah! What a God we serve!

The Apostle John writes in 1 John 4:3 (ESV) ...[E]very spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.
Our faith is focussed on Jesus. He is our good confession. He is the centre of our faith. Jesus is not a conduit (a pipe through which we flow to the real God). He is not a messenger. He IS the message. Jesus did not just bring the gospel, or just tell us about the gospel – he IS the gospel. Our confession is Jesus, not Jesus said, or even Jesus did. Our confession is Jesus. That’s why this hymn, this confession of faith, is solely focussed on him. He is the mystery of faith.

16 Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. The word vindicated means “to be shown to be right”.
When was Jesus shown to be right? When was all his words and actions vindicated? When was the seeming failure of the Cross revealed to be a great victory over death and salvation for all? That’s right, when he rose from the dead.
His resurrection was his vindication. When suddenly all saw that here was indeed the son of God, the King, the Holy One of Israel. He was indeed the promised Messiah (Christ).

His resurrection changed everything.
It certainly changed the apostles! They were all depressed, huddled in a room in Jerusalem. Other followers were walking home to Emmaus, faces sad, their hopes dashed. “We thought he was the Messiah”, they said in Luke 24. And the women, well, they went to the tomb with burial spices to anoint his body. All of them thought he was dead. None of them expected him to rise from the dead.

But he did. And showed himself to them. And that was the explosive truth that spread so rapidly around the world that within a few years it had reached Rome and within around 25 years was so large, so well-known, and so hated that in 64AD the Emperor himself, Nero, burned parts of Rome to the ground and blamed it on the Christians. It was a world-wide religion, reaching even to the Emperor of Rome, within about 20 years! That is the power of the resurrection life!

Not surprising that the hymn continues that Jesus was announced to the nations and ... believed in throughout the world. It is amazing to think that when 1 Timothy was written, in about 62AD, the gospel had already spread across the whole world. So much so, that singing about Jesus being announced to the nations and believed in throughout the world was a perfectly normal part of church. That is the power of Jesus. As he said in Acts 1:8 (Mia?) “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus is the gospel. Jesus empowers the gospel. And finally, Jesus is seated now in glory, overseeing the gospel.

V16 ends, having taken us through the incarnation, the resurrection, and the spread of the gospel, to lift up our eyes to heaven where Jesus now sits enthroned in glory. He was taken to heaven in glory.

That’s what we’ve just celebrated: Ascension Day (Kristi Himmelfart). After saying “you will be my witnesses” the next verse in Acts continues: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

This is the glorious saviour we love and serve. Jesus is the gospel. He who knew no sin became sin for us. What love is this when God himself comes to bear our sins, pay the price we deserve, break the power of sin and death over us and set us free. Praise Him! And now to give us His Spirit so that we can share His joy, his forgiveness, this great Gospel with everyone around us.

Now, when you have such a glorious truth to share – why would you settle for anything less?

2. Satanic lies (anything other than Jesus is not the truth)

4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

What does the Apostle Paul mean by writing that the Holy Spirit tells us that people will turn away? How does He tell us?

Well maybe it is a direct revelation from the Holy Spirit, but it’s probably because Paul knows his Bible! That’s where the Spirit’s voice is heard clearly, authoritatively, objectively.
The Holy Spirit reveals quite clearly what the leaders of God’s people are like in the history of Israel. You don’t really have to know the Old Testament that well to be able to say “the Holy Spirit warns us that people will turn away from the true faith”.

As the prophet Jeremiah warns us in Jer 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.
And so because of greed, lust for power, a desire to be God, these men have been lured away from the truth by Satanic lies, and now they peddle those same lies. And their method is always the same: appear to be godly, be impressive, have lots of pomp and ceremony around you – maybe flashy clothes and white suits, or big religious hats, collars, cloaks, and a large silver cross – all things that say “I am a representative of God”. And then speak words that seem true, but aren’t.
“Brothers and sisters, we must obey God. He has wiped our past sins away, but now we must earn his trust by obeying his law.” To some of you that will be very familiar – you’ve heard your teachers saying those very same words – words from Satan. We were saved, but now we have to earn our salvation. They are evil words, for they deny the sovereignty of God in salvation, and make our salvation dependant not on the finished work of Christ – but on our own efforts.
It is evil because it’s close to the truth, but it is not true truth. We are called to obey, but our salvation is not dependant on our obedience. It is dependant on Christ’s obedience. We do not obey to be saved – we obey because we are saved,

Satan always wants to tear down Christ from his position of honour. Beware of any teaching which puts man at the centre, and shifts Jesus away to the side. Because that is not the Gospel. Jesus is the gospel – not you, not me, not our efforts, not the church, not even the good of mankind – Jesus. To him be the glory, and no other!

But these men are not satisfied with just taking the focus off Jesus – oh no, they need the focus on them. So then they start making up silly, unbiblical rules – not only saying “you need to follow the law”, but, just like the Pharisees, adding to the law. Do not marry, they say. Do not eat certain foods, they say. That is how you impress God.
Ugh.

They did not care about the gospel. They did not see the church as the pillar and foundation of the truth. They did not care about the lost. All they cared about was themselves, their own power, their prestige. How many leaders in the church today are like that? Twisting the Scriptures to enhance their own popularity...
For example. Have you heard this “Brothers and sisters, the law of God is love. Same sex marriage is an expression of love. Love is not a sin. Same sex marriage is not a sin.” Hooray. I’m sure the fact that homosexuality now so accepted in our society has nothing to do with their change of heart. In fact, I’m sure all the bishops were championing this form of “God’s love” 20 years ago.
What, they weren’t. Oh. How strange.

If I replace the word with adultery we’ll see how deceptive it is. “Brothers and sisters, the law of God is love. Adultery is an expression of love. Love is not a sin. Adultery is not a sin.”
Both adultery (sex with someone other than your spouse) and homosexual sex (sex with someone of the same sex) are sin, just like lying, murder, gossip, and all the other things we do which God would not do!
May I just point out that being attracted to members of the same sex is not sinful. That’s often not something we can control. I’m deeply attracted to my wife – but I can’t stop myself finding certain other women attractive as well – because they are - just like a homosexual man will find certain men attractive – because they are. It becomes a sin when I act on that attraction – either in my head or by actually doing it. When I give in to the attraction.
There are many godly men and women with same-sex attraction serving the Lord. If you need help thinking through this issue, have a chat with me after the service. A website www.livingout.org is a great resource. However, the real problem in the church today is not homosexuality – it is our attitude to God and to his Word.

We are saying yes to things God said no to, and saying no to things God says yes to. And it matters because we are sending people to hell. The church is the pillar of the truth – not a hotbed of lies.

3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

Where do we say that “in order to be a real Christian you need to accept Christ and... stop smoking, wear the right clothes, not eat meat with blood in it, not get a tattoo, not dance on Sundays, not read Harry Potter, not close your curtains.” The list goes on and on of stupid rules we can make up. And we need to repent.

There is freedom in Christ. Eat your food with thanksgiving. Enjoy life with praise. Ascetism (denying yourself things to impress God) is ungodly. Only Christ impresses God. Trying to impress God without Christ or outside of Christ is trying to impress God with sins!

Dear friends, Jesus is all that matters. Do we proclaim Jesus in the way that we live, eat, entertain, do church? Or do we proclaim Satanic lies? Where have we been guilty of saying to people “you need to do this and that and then Jesus will accept you” – perhaps not with our words but just with our actions. Is our church open to everyone?
Where do we put ourselves in the centre – our own efforts - instead of Jesus? It’s easy to slip into a DIY Christianity, where we’re judging our salvation by our performance, and comparing ourselves to others.

This is the mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

1 Timothy 3:14-15 The guide to Christian living

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Imagine that you’ve just become a Christian. For some of you, that’s pretty easy – it wasn’t so long ago! Praise the Lord! What now? What do I do? How do I live? How do I behave?

I remember my Dad telling the story about one lady who became a Christian and was so excited that she had to celebrate. So she did. The only way he knew how. And got completely smashed (drunk)!

We laugh, because it’s both so wrong and so very understandable!

But how do we know how to behave?
First: we need to know the truth.
Second: we need to see the truth lived out
Third: we need to live the truth

1. Know the truth

How do we know how to behave as Christians? Well, one of the things we do is to read the Bible. For example, 1 Timothy.

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

The word truth there at the end of v15 is alethias (a-lay-thi-as), which means “a message that conforms to reality” that is a true message. That truth is the Gospel.

The Bible tells us how to behave. It gives us a truthful way to live – a way to live in accordance with the truth, with reality. Reality is that God is alive – he is the living God – and rules the world. The reality is that this world is under judgement, and so in many areas we see the effects of sin in our lives and in the people, towns and countries around us. War, famine, disease, disaster, murder, theft, rape, fraud, deceit, cheating, tax evasion, sexual immorality, harsh words, violence, cutting remarks, fighting – all these things which God allows, as part of his judgement on us, in order to make us realise that we have a problem. To turn us around to face Jesus.
Oh, he limits the effect of our sin – what we see in this world today is only part of our sin unleashed. Revelation tells us that it’s about a third. The full extent of our sin would be three times worse. And, if we’re honest, when we look into our own hearts and take a good honest look at what lives within us: anger, jealousy, pride, foolishness, debauchery (being wild), violence – all there just bubbling under the surface. Imagine all of that with no restraint. No God keeping it at bay.

So that’s one part of reality.

The other part is, as it says in 1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” Reality is that we are sinners. Reality is also that God is full of mercy and came to save sinners. He did not set down a bunch of rules and say “good luck”. No, he gave us those rules, what we call the Old Testament Law (or the Law of Moses) to show us that we can’t keep them. Because as you try to keep them, you fall short, and you realise you need some way to say sorry to God. And that’s why he gave them, at the same time as the Law, the sacrificial system in the Temple. A way to say sorry for breaking His Law, a way to be made right with God. And all that came to fulfilment in Jesus Christ: who both kept the Law fully, perfectly, and then died as a sinner, a Law-breaker in our place – so that he could be our perfect sacrifice.

So we don’t have to pretend that we are good when we are not. Drop the pretence. Turn to God. Cry out for mercy. And accept his forgiveness. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. 1:16 Paul continues God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honour and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

Praise the Lord! Now friends, this is the Gospel, the truth that we have been given. This is what dominates our lives. It guides and steers us through every word, every action. I am a forgiven sinner.

Has anyone here watched a 3D movie – either the new ones with the fancy glasses or the old ones with the blue and red lenses? Have you ever shut one eye, and looked, and then shut the other eye, and looked? What happens? You see two slightly different pictures (or two different colours). Two perspectives on the same scene. That’s what it’s like to live as a Christian. We have two perspectives on reality at the same time – and seeing both gives us the full picture of reality. We are sinners. We are forgiven. We are depraved. We are perfect in Christ. We are unholy law-breakers. We are holy, with lives lived in perfect praise to our Father. That is who we are.

Know the truth.

But how do we work out that truth in practice. What does it look like to live as a sinner made perfect by Christ. Well, that’s why we have each other: the household (or family) of God.

2. See the truth (lived out)

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

You see, it is important the way we relate to each other in church. Because most of the time we don’t do what people say – but what they do. So the way we interact with each other is important. You’ve all heard my Dad tell the story of how he was drawn to Christ through Gordy and his relationship with his wife and children. Seeing how Gordy behaved said “This is Christ in action” – and my Dad wanted to know more. It matters how we behave. Imagine if Gordy’s wife had been all up in his face with “don’t you be telling me what to do and thinking you’re all that” – or if Gordy had just ignored his children, or spoken harshly to his wife.
Our behaviour matters.

Because we do what other people DO, that’s why chapter 3 is so specific on the CHARACTER of the elders and deacons – the leaders in the church. Because as your leaders go, the church goes. Did you notice last week that there was only one “skill” required: “Able to teach”. All the rest concern character.
The most important thing for a leader of a church is not dynamic up front, ability manage a team well, fantastic people skills, and so on. It is their character. Because what they do, we do. No pressure!
I feel it. If I mess up, it affects us all. I hope you are praying for the leaders in this church. Without Christ, we are lost. Pray for us.

It’s a lot like being a parent. You can say “don’t swear” or “put your shows away” as much as you want – but if YOU swear, or don’t put your shows away… what will your children do?
Your children will do what you DO not what you SAY.
By the way, if you haven’t heard last week’s sermon on chapter 3, get it from our website when you get home, sit down, and listen to it. It isn’t a boring sermon on “church leadership” but it is a great sermon on the power of the Gospel in the church – in our lives as ordinary Christians.

Because what did we see last week? Elders, deacons, and Christians. The requirements of leaders in the church is that they must be Christians and that their lives must show it. There was nothing required of church leaders that doesn’t apply to every Christian. You must be a faithful husband, self-controlled, living wisely in a respectable way (basically a good citizen), and have a good reputation. Is any of that not required of all of us? Being hospitable (having guests in our home) – our homes should be open, generous, we should always be welcoming people. Not a drunkard, or greedy or miserly (the opposite of generous with money and things). Gentle, not argumentative, not violent, with a family, children, who respect him, as well as generally a good reputation amongst non-Christians.

A whole bunch of people, living like that – now that’s attractive. That gets people asking “what is with these people”? And it helps each of us when we see our brothers and sisters acting in this way. Before I had kids I watched how Christian men brought up their kids. When I sat at the dinner table I learnt a huge amount just seeing them interact. Oh, that’s what Ephesians 6:1-2 “bring up your children. When you hear guys praying you think “wow, that’s what 1 Timothy 2 was talking about: lifting up holy hands in prayer. That’s how you do it”. You see the women in the church – the way they act, the way they dress, the way they are with their family, and you think “wow, that’s what it means to be a godly women, like in chapter 2”
We see the truth lived out.

But, if we’re not spending time together, we can’t learn from each other, influence each other, encourage each other. The church is our lifeline.

But v15 “how people must conduct themselves in the household of God” doesn’t just mean how we behave on a Sunday in this room. It’s how we are, with each other, out in the world. Because it says God’s household not God’s house. There is no such building which is the “house of the Lord” or “God’s house”. So please don’t call the church building the Lord’s house or the sanctuary – as if it is somehow holy. No. God teaches us that we are in fact the house of the Lord – since He through His Spirit, lives in us. We saw that when we read Ephesians. Here in Timothy, the picture is us as God’s household.
My household consists of myself, Debby, Kristin, Kaleb, and now Eowyn. It is those people or animals who live in my house. My family. I am the head of the house: the provider, the guardian.

It is the same with God’s household. We are his householders – those who live under his protection and his provision. We are his family. Isn’t that amazing?

Isn’t it a fantastic picture? All joined together, united, a holy family, with God as our Father. We join together for the big family meal on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s (or Monday’s if you’re a Mom with a baby!) – and the rest of the week we’re out in the world – but we’re still family, Still connected. We don’t stop being family when we walk out of the door! When my son waves goodbye and opens the gate on the way to school he doesn’t suddenly stop being my son.

We see each other, we learn from each other as we’re in each others’ homes, as we serve each other at work or at the shops, as we meet each others needs, as we pray for each other, as we meet together each week.

But this brilliant picture doesn’t work so well if we’re all half-hearted with our commitment to each other – to the church – does it? If I’m half-hearted with my commitment to church, what is the truth that others, my brothers and sisters, are seeing? Come if I feel like it. Not too important. I don’t really care about you. That’s not truth – that’s a lie.

You see, being part of a family is both a privilege and a responsibility! If I’m never at home, if I’m never spending time with my family, I would be a terrible Dad. If I didn’t care about my Mom and Dad, I would be a terrible son. Being part of God’s family comes with responsibilities.
And that can be annoying. We’ve got to love each other. We find ourselves caring about each other. Being involved in each other’s lives. We have noisy kids ruining our quiet services. We have people moaning about our noisy kids ruining our coming to church! You know, sometimes it would a lot easier just to check out. Lock ourselves away. Not care about each other.
But that’s not the Gospel is it? That’s not how God treats us so how can we treat each other like that. We have his Spirit, and He gives us the strength to bear with one another in love. To carry each others’ burdens. To rejoice with each other and go through suffering together. We are a family.

We need to see the truth – and others need to see the truth in us.

3. Live the truth.

3:15 [The household of God] is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

This letter is written to the church: the leaders and the members, to tell us how to behave in as a church. Why does it matter how we behave? Because it is not our church, but the church of the living God. And because this church, the church, the worldwide body of Christ, including the little part of it meeting here this morning: we are the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We carry this truth: the truth that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. We are a pillar standing strong. We are a secure foundation - strong and sturdy to build your life on. That’s our job as a church. So why would you preach, teach, live out, anything other than the Word of God? Jesus’ word will never fail – but everything else will. The church must be a solid strong foundation and support.

But the word there “foundation” has another meaning. The sense of a fortification – that is, a supporting wall or defensive structure. Part of our job is to defend the truth. That is by preaching the gospel, by telling those who preach a false gospel to keep quiet, by living such good lives that people see how attractive the gospel is. You know, this church is getting a reputation because of the way we care for each other. Because you guys see when people are in need, and you go and meet their needs. That’s fantastic. People genuinely care about each other. Praise the Lord.

That is defending the truth. It’s not setting up guns to shoot at people from inside our little castle. Ooh, he’s evil. Pow. We do not gather and look inward. The way to defend the truth is to live it – out there. To love each other. To share the gospel with other. Let them see the outworking of Christ in our lives.

We need to know the truth. We need to see the truth. And we need to live the truth,

That’s why we need to be involved in a church – to regularly attend the services and Bible studies so that we HEAR the gospel truth – to be reminded of the reality in which we live.
And to SEE the gospel in action in each others’ lives, at meetings and in daily life. As we are in each others’ homes and see the gospel in action.

And we need to display that, show that to others. For example Hospitality – opening your home to others: that’s a powerful witness. Let people see your lives.

Now I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not good enough. I’m a failure. I get things wrong. Yes, but you’re looking through one eye. In 2D. Open both eyes, see in 3D, and see that God is also working in and through you,. You’d be surprised at how much of Christ people see. Just look at v 15 again, and where it says “this”, put your name : Daniel is part of the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We part of it! Isn’t that exciting. And even our failures – God uses to show his grace. One final story before I close. It’s from the book “Thank God it’s Monday” and a guy was taking stationery from work – like a lot of people did. Bit of paper, few pens, and so on. One day, the Holy Spirit convicted him that it was wrong, and he felt that he had to confess to his boss. But he thought “what will that do to my witness”. He’d been trying to get his boss along to church, talk about Jesus, but got nowhere. And outing himself as a petty thief wouldn’t exactly make things better! But the Spirit, He does not let us off so easily, and so this man eventually went into his bosses office, confessed that he’d been taking office supplies, and apologised. His bosses’ response shocked him. He said “Oh I’ve known for ages you’ve been doing that – quite a few do. But no-one has ever just come in and confessed and apologised. If that’s the kind of person your Jesus can produce, I want to know more.

The power of saying sorry, of confessing your sins to non-Christians. Don’t underestimate it. We are sinners. We’re forgiven. We can do that. Most non-Christians can’t, because they’re too busy trying to cover up their sin. For us, Christ has dealt with it. We have nothing to fear.

So, know the truth: you are ridiculously sinful, and amazingly loved.

See the truth: be in church, be with your brothers and sisters, see the truth in action. And recognise that you too are showing the truth in how you live.

And live the truth. Get people in your home. Be honest at work, at the sports club, wherever it is – let people see something of the work of Christ in you. Don’t worry that you’re not perfect – Christ will shine out whether you realise it or not.

Ask others. Ask others how you’ve changed.

1 Timothy 1:18-2:7 Don’t shipwreck your faith!

1 Timothy 1:18-2:7

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

Fight! Battle! Cling! Violated! Shipwrecked! Thrown to Satan! This is normal, everyday Christian life, Christian ministry. There wasn’t something weird or super spiritual going on down in Ephesus. Some guys were going around twisting the gospel for selfish gain. For money, basically. And Paul is urging Timothy not to fall into the same trap, but stay the true course. Fight the good fight! Stay the course. Don’t be swayed. Because this is a spiritual battle. This is life and death. This is heaven and hell.
This is what we’re going to look at this morning. First, we’ll see how false teachers twist the gospel into a false gospel by corrupting the law. Then we’ll look at what the law is really there for (it’s for showing us our sin). And then we’ll see what we should be doing then, if what the false teachers are telling (follow the law to earn your salvation) is wrong.

1. False teachers twist the gospel

Why would these teachers become false? Why would they, as v19 says “deliberately violate their conscience”?

Well, we find the answer a bit later on in the letter to Timothy. 6:5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
Money and power. Nothing new under the sun, is there. The same old temptations that can cause anyone to stumble. And men are particularly prone to the temptations of money and power. And those in leadership – oh even more so. It is not surprising, therefore, that 2:1 urges us to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Day after day we read or hear stories of corruption, nepotism, favouritism – people using their power, their leadership positions, not for the good of the people but for their own selfish gain, and their family members’. And the church is not immune! We are a club for sinners, not a holy huddle.... J

We need to be wary of greed, particularly as ministers – and we need to be careful in listening to ministers whose lives seem to be dominated by money and love of money.

Because love of money leads to violating your conscience and corrupting the gospel.

Why? Because, annoyingly, the gospel is free! Christ came to save sinners, and he bore the cost. There is no way to earn money from the gospel, the true gospel. No-one ever got rich by following Christ! So you need to change the gospel, you need to corrupt the gospel so that people are not forgiven unless they come to you and pay you to dispense a blessing. You need a gospel of works, not a gospel of grace. So the first thing you need to do is bring back the law as a way of salvation. Follow the Law, and you will be saved. That has the extra advantage of putting you above everyone else, because, of course, you’re really good at keeping the law. And then, if you’re really smart, you’ll tell people that you can pray for them or bless them, for a small tax-deductible “donation” of course.

The irony is, that using the law like this, is using the law incorrectly! v8 For we know the law is good when used correctly (word there is lawfully). There is a lawful way of using the law. But these false teachers, trying so hard to keep the law to earn their salvation, well they are using the law unlawfully – using the law in a way that breaks the law! So ironic! Trying to keep the law to earn your salvation means that you automatically break the law – whoops!

So beware of the law-preachers. Beware of anyone who offers you blessing linked to money. Beware of anyone who says you need to do this or else you are cursed. Or you need to come through me or this organisation or do this ritual.

What does 2:5 say? 5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

A mediator is someone who stands between us and God. He is the one who represents us – the one who can call on God to declare us righteous. Why would you want anyone or anything other than Christ to be your mediator? Don’t fall into the trap!

The Law is not our mediator. False teachers always want to turn you off Christ, and on to anything else, particularly the law.

So, if that understanding of the law is wrong, what is the Law for?

2. The Law shows us our sin

You see, the law shows us that we are sinners. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

These false teachers were using the law wrongly – corrupting the gospel by corrupting the law. They were saying the law is for righteous people.
The translation here of v9 is a bit poor because “people who do what is right” can sound like following the law, being good – which is exactly what Paul is arguing against. He writes the law is not for the “dikaio” (righteous or just) but for the lawless, etc. It’s the same word in Romans 3:21 diakosune (the righteousness of God has been given). So v9 says the law is not for the righteous (we who have been made right by Jesus) but it is for the unrighteous.

In what way? Well, the law reveals our unrighteousness. It’s like a thermometer which measures if we have a fever. It diagnoses the problem. But the thermometer is not the cure. Imagine if the doctor said, oh yes, you have a fever – now go home and every day take your temperature with the thermometer. You’d think what an idiot! That can’t help me. I need medicine!

That is what we do when we turn to the law – the diagnostic instrument – and try to turn it into a cure.

The diagnosis is quite frighteningly broad, did you notice that? Our eyes probably fell on the sexual immorality bit – probably on the homosexuality since that’s so politically incorrect. Now it’s quite clear that homosexuality (that is, members of the same sex having sexual intercourse – a man pleasuring a man sexually or a woman pleasuring a woman sexually) that is a sin, is breaking the law, according to God, and since he made us, and He is the standard of moral goodness, we can have no argument against him. So if you disagree with that, then take it up with God, not with me – I’m just the messenger.
But notice, please, what the Word of God says. It does not say “homosexuality is wrong” and only that. It says homosexuality, slavery, lying, sexual immorality, and even breaking your promise is wrong! Oh, and anything else that is contrary to the gospel. Wow. That covers a lot.

So, let’s take sexual immorality – that covers things like watching pornography, one-night stands, bestiality, adultery, even cohabitation “samboer” – basically, God’s standard is this “Am I married to this person?” If yes, have sex with them, and have it often. If no, then don’t have sex with them – and that includes any kind of sexual intercourse!
If you’re living together, move out, propose, get married, and move back in – and while you’re living separately don’t have sex out of honour to God.
Then there are things that we need to be wary of, things like romance novels and films or sexually explicit novels or films – like 50 shades of grey, like Game of Thrones and True blood and other such programs, or even the English Patient or You’ve got mail. You need to decide what will keep your conscience clear, and where we draw the line will be different, since things affect us differently. But you must think about it, and ask God to show you.

What does it say about us and about our society that sex sells. We are sick. Actually, we’re literally sick. I read that 20 000 Norwegians each year are infected with Chlamydia (a sexually transmitted disease that if untreated can render a woman sterile!) – and of those 10 000 have a strain that is resistant to antibiotics. Sexual freedom? Sounds like sexual entrapment to me.

But sex is the big one Paul uses to get our attention. But there’s also lying. And promise-breaking. How many of us are guilty of that! The point is, we are all guilty! The liar, the practising homosexual, the adulterer, the promise-breaker. There we all stand, diagnosis: sick. Prognosis (result): fatal. We are all sinners and the sin will kill us. And guess who else stands with us? Oh yes, all those who have been KEEPING the law - those who have not lied, or broken a promise, or ever sinned sexually. If they exist, they are also condemned! Why? Because their trust is in their performance, in keeping the law – and that is to use the law wrongly, which in itself is breaking the law.

Praise God for the gospel! Praise God that the gospel isn’t “be good, really, really good” but “admit that you are bad, really, really, bad - and cry out to God for mercy”.

19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.

And as we saw last week, God is able to take the worst of sinners – Paul – and turn him completely around! 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”... 17 All honour and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

The Law shows us our sin, but is not the way to salvation. The way to salvation is Christ. 2:6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. Freedom. Not enslavement to the law – and certainly not to make us dependent on some false teacher.

3. How should we then respond?

How do we avoid the big, easy error of earning our salvation and so shipwrecking our faith? How do we stop trying to manipulate God? How do we avoid twisting the gospel to give us power over people?

First, we must accept the fact that we are forgiven! 19 Cling to your faith in Christ. We cannot earn our salvation and we do not need to. Christ came to save sinners. At the right time Christ dies. And that wasn’t reluctant, something he didn’t want to do. 2:3 This is good and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

He wants all of us to come to him. He wants us to depend on him. It pleases him when we come to Him for salvation. That should give us great confidence indeed.

(By the way, if you’re anything like me, you may at this point be going “Hey, if God wants everyone to be saved, then why isn’t everyone saved? Isn’t he sovereign? Or is everyone going to be saved?” That’s the idea of universalism – in the end, no matter what, everyone is saved.
Unfortunately it is wrong, because a whole lot of Scripture contradicts it. You need to let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Why doesn’t God do it that way?
We don’t know.
Why did God allow sin? Why does God not just whip us off to heaven when we believe? Why did he choose to come and die? Why?
Ha. He says “trust me”. Do we have faith in Him? Haven’t we seen enough of his character, his love, his mercy? We see him on the cross, and we see a God of love and mercy. A God of justice and righteousness. Yes there are things we do not understand, and solutions which seem obvious and simple to us (“just save everyone”) are probably not, and so let us let God handle that, and trust him.
I remember a fellow student in a speech at University railing against the government angrily berating them for not simply printing more money to solve the problems of poverty. A simple solution – and completely wrong… no understanding of the complex reality that if you print more money, then the money you have becomes worthless, and you’re back where you started.)

So, how should we respond? Cling to Christ, that is “I am forgiven. I am a beloved child of God, no matter what I have done. Christ is enough”. And then we need to 19 keep our consciences clear. And I think that means confession and repentance – and that’s enough.

When we sin (not if!) we need to confess our sin, repent of our sin, and then nothing more. We do not need to try to make right with God – in Christ we are already made right. That’s the whole point.

Confess our sin: that is say sorry to God for our sin – name your sin “I am sorry that I lied on my insurance form because I was greedy and didn’t trust you to provide for me” or
“I am sorry Lord that I didn’t trust your word about sex and I had sex with my girlfriend” or “had sex with another man” or “had an affair” or “watched pornography” or
“I am sorry Heavenly Father for breaking my promise to my mom that I would help her” or
“I am sorry for being proud and independent and not considering church important and thinking that I’ll be okay without hearing from your word or meeting with your people.” or
“I am sorry for not witnessing about you but keeping silent because I am afraid” or
“I am sorry for being lead by my emotions: doing what I feel is right instead of what I know is right

Confession. It’s something that we must do – but it’s not for God, to tell him something he doesn’t know (ha! He’s already seen you do it, or not do it) – it’s for us. I need to remind myself that I am a sinner. I need to remind myself that I need Christ. I need to remember that I cannot save myself. Confession is good for the soul not because it does anything spiritually but because it stops me from following the lie of “I can earn my salvation”. Paul says “I am the worst of sinners” – he will not listen to the lie.

That’s why unconfessed sin does not send you to hell. God knows it already. God’s forgiven you in Christ. Thinking that unconfessed sin sends you to hell is again thinking that you following the law (confess your sin) will earn your salvation. Our salvation is not dependant on what we do, but on what Christ has done. Praise God!

And then when we have confessed, we repent. Repent is to deliberately turn away from our sin, and turn towards God. Stop doing the evil thing and start doing what is right. Stop having sex with your girlfriend and make plans to marry her, or work out, or have a cold shower, or whatever you need to do. Stop being a coward and start witnessing about Jesus. Stop lying, and tell the truth. And so on.

Why? Because you belong to Christ.

Is this hard? Yes. That’s why we need to pray for each other.

Pray for those in authority – because the temptations are many to abuse power. Pray for Erna and Siv. Pray for those in leadership in the church – the worldwide church and our little church –that we would not corrupt the gospel with law-keeping instead of the free grace of God.
Pray for each other – we are part of the “all people” of v1 - Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Let’s get better at praying for each other, asking God to help us in our struggles against sin, and give thanks for each other. Pray for fellow Christians in the other churches. And pray for our non-Christian friends and neighbours – intercede for them – beg the Lord to save them, to rescue them. Remind him that he wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth. Oh Lord, we beg you here in Notodden and over in Bø, hear our prayer for the lost!

Let us spend some time now in prayer, and in holy confession. Before we celebrate the great grace of the gospel. 5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.