Sermon in Rockford 10.08.2014

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and always. Let us join our hearts together in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning I would come before you with many hearts. Some of us perhaps have come with grieving hearts. Some of us have come with fearful hearts. Some with doubting hearts. Dear Father, we all this morning wish to approach you and ask you for strength for our endeavor of faith. Dear Father, we find how our faith is weak and little. And our only plea is this, that you would increase our faith.

Dear Father, we also pray for our country. We see the raging winds of life swirling around us. And perhaps even this can cause doubt and fear. Dear Father, we know that even governments are in your hands. And we humbly ask for your guidance, your protection. So that we can, as free children of God, still worship you freely.

But above all, dear Father, this morning we pray that you could guide each of our hearts, all of us here in this world, to this understanding that we have before us but two ways, a narrow way and a broad way. Give each of us strength to travel the narrow way which leads to life. For at the end of that journey there is a reward waiting, an incorruptible crown.

We pray as your Son has taught us, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.

The text for this Sunday speaks to us about truth and falsehood. I didn't select one of those texts that were set aside for this day, but there is a text that I've thought about often in the last weeks and months, and it seems as if it fits this theme. So with that prayer that God would open His Word, we will read from the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, from the sixth chapter, the last two verses. And we read these words in Jesus' name.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely so-called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

We live in a battling congregation. A congregation in which there is warfare. Warfare between truth and falsehood. In some ways, dear brothers and sisters, I would like for you to understand how, as servants of the Word who come before you, we come with many doubts and fears. Sometimes it seems that because the enemy has surrounded me through the night, it feels I've stepped into the middle of the battle and wonder, and I hear the gospel.

Go ahead.

With a lot of fear and doubt, I took this text wondering how it would be received, but also feeling my own lack of wisdom and understanding the battle and the battles which we, the people of God of this day face nevertheless, are no different than the battles of the people of the New Testament days after Jesus was resurrected and even before Jesus died on the cross, some of the same battles which we have around us in our time were the same battles which they had and it comforts me.

And in some ways, dear brothers and sisters, it makes it easier to come before you with this type of text with the full assurance that God's word will give the wisdom.

One of the battles which we face today and I'm sure you've had your discussions in your own homes and talked about them in discussions with your friends and families is about the borders of God's kingdom. I know that's a battle. There's no need for me to tell you the enemy has been successful. There's not very many families that can say that the enemy hasn't been able to reach them and drawn one or more to the ways of the world.

The gospel text for today speaks about those borders. In the gospel according to Matthew in the seventh chapter Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount says it in this way: enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat; because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth on to life and few there be that find it.

How many of us have had those kinds of discussions about the numbers of believers but also about where those borders are? Where are they? The enemy has been able to confuse some as to where they are. Jesus in that place in Matthew nevertheless wants to tell us that there's nothing of ourselves that we can take to enter that way. It's a straight gate. It's a narrow gate. There's no room for our own righteousness. There's no room for us to take with us along this way the ways of the world or the ways of the ungodly.

Nevertheless, the enemy is successful and causes many to stray.

This part of God's word which we have before us is a letter, the last part of a letter from one servant of the word to another. When I was a youth I thought of this part of God's word or these letters as being a letter of an elder to a younger believer and that is what it is. But it also places it into further context when we think of this as a letter from one servant to another. It makes me think or understand more clearly how great those battles were in their day and how they needed to speak about things very openly and clearly.

They did. They spoke about these things in such a clear way. In the very first chapter of this same letter Paul writes to Timothy and he says that first of all I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine.

So what was happening in Ephesus were that there were those who began to teach different things amongst the congregation. What did he speak to them that they would not teach another doctrine? And what kind of doctrines were they teaching? Then he continues, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith, so do.

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, from which some, having swerved, have turned aside onto vain jangling, and desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

So some of them wanted to teach the law. They thought it was good for the believer to hear about the law. The apostle had to tell Timothy, though, that the law was good if it's used lawfully.

So this is one of those things which the believers in Ephesus struggled with, was the use of the law. But Paul very openly tells them that, knowing this, that the law is not made for righteous men, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.

It's a difficult subject to speak about. With such little wisdom, as I often find myself. But in other parts of Christianity in that time, were other things. In the Romans, in the first chapter, it seems like in these letters of Paul, you can always find out what is the most troubling question of that day, or that congregation, by what he speaks about in that first chapter.

To the Romans, Paul writes this: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them.

What a remarkable statement that is. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them.

Some of these questions are so, they seem to be so simple. But yet, man's wisdom and reason has twisted them, and made them questionable.

One of those questionable things which the Romans had to, or were arguing about or discussing, was, as Paul here continues, he says that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.

And then he explains the fruits of those who followed such lies, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Again, a remarkable statement by Paul that those who did those things not only do them, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Paul here, in our text, wrote to Timothy that knowing those kinds of battles are raging.

Dear brothers and sisters, knowing the battles that are raging now, these words are written, keep that which is committed to thy trust.

What has been given to us? First, we need to understand what has been given to us, don't we? Have we always stopped to remember that? We have been given faith. It's a gift. It's not ours.

The faith that has been given to us is faith in God. It is faith in Jesus. It is faith in this that we can believe our sins forgiven. Preached by a dear brother or dear sister in this time, in this place, and when they're preached forgiven, they're forgiven in heaven. That's the faith we have been given.

The apostle says, keep that which is committed to thy trust. We have been entrusted that. And it is in keeping.

In another place of God's word, it also tells us what we have been entrusted with. We have been entrusted with the word of reconciliation. That's something which this world does not understand. They don't know what that is. They don't see or want to believe that God has given us the word of reconciliation.

Reconciliation. He has given us that path to preach to the sinner that their sins are forgiven. The sinner need not any longer search blindly throughout the world by their own self, wondering for peace of conscience in their own silent prayers, in their own methods, try to make their own way to heaven.

That is not what God has said. That is not what He has entrusted to us. He has not entrusted us great power to walk the endeavor of faith. He has not entrusted to us that type of great faith that we can believe by prayer or by any other method that we devise in our own minds.

What He has entrusted to us is the word of reconciliation. He knows what type of person we are. He knows that even in the midst of these types of battles that we can become confused.

Paul tells Timothy, one of the workers of that day, to keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so-called. He tells them to avoid them.

When reading this text, I wondered what the apostle could have meant by science. And when you look at the history of the people of that day and look at the original language of scriptures and what this could mean, it gives us a little picture that things were different back then as they are today. But yet, they are so meaningful for us today with these words.

The original word used for science in scriptures was a word that means knowledge, not the study of any particular field. So it's not science in the way we think of today.

Other translations of scripture explain it this way. If we read it from a different translation it says to avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. Although some claim to have it, they have abandoned the faith.

But nevertheless even though these meanings of words have changed, this is from the King James version is so perhaps even prophetical looking at it in that sense in what we see around us today about the oppositions of science.

Isn't that what it is in our day? The basic truths of God's word are being opposed by science. The study of for instance biology and physics they oppose God's word.

Simply study of science is not against God's word and dear brothers and sisters it is good that we study these things. They help our temporal lives but what we see around us today is some of those scientists are so open to expressing their opinions.

It no longer is a study of fact and following the truth but is a goal or the direction of some of them to find a way to explain their beliefs.

Paul here prophetically speaking says that we ought to avoid those profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so called which some professing have erred concerning the faith.

Some who have studied or some questions of our time seem to revolve around matters of science and some have made shipwreck in faith.

One of those topics is birth control and abortion.

Abortion. Scientists today argue over when life begins.

Do you recall what David was able to see in his day? He said, before I was formed in the belly, God knew me. He knew my name. He knew my name.

He also says in this way, that I was fearfully and wonderfully made.

Look around you, dear brothers and sisters. God's creation sits beside you. They were fearfully and wonderfully made as you were.

May we always be given humbleness of mind and faith from God to believe according to God's word.

God's fearfully sure, according to the scientists of this world, they can bring doubt and fear into our hearts. We can begin to wonder about some of these basic things.

But as Paul here in the other place that we read, wrote, he said that even they know those things. It was made manifest in them. It's impossible for them not to understand, dear brothers and sisters.

Some of those basic truths of biology. It goes beyond our common sense sometimes. Some of their claims.

But it says in that place that God gave them over to a reprobate mind, they no longer know.

Dear brothers and sisters, this morning hour, we can with Timothy, pray that we could keep that which was committed to our trust.

Faith is in keeping.

Some professing those things have erred concerning the faith.

Grace be with you.

May the grace of God be our day even this morning, dear brothers and sisters.

The grace of God is never more sure than in the middle of a gospel message.

Dear brothers and sisters, if you have come with doubts, perhaps you have come with wrong understandings, perhaps in your discussions you have become fearful and wonder where is the way.

Perhaps it seems like a cloudy and dark day.

This morning hour, the grace sun shines so brightly in the gospel.

Dear brothers and sisters, you can this morning lift up your hearts to believe all of your sins, all of your doubts, all your false understandings even forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And be a believer.

Believe upon God.

Believe upon the work of Jesus.

Avoid those pointless discussions which confuse our thoughts and minds.

Keep that which is committed to your trust.

That is our prayer even this morning.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning hour, we have paused around your holy word.

Prayer.

We pray that it would bear fruit.

We pray that you could give us understanding.

And if you do not give us understanding, that you would give us obedience of faith to continue along the narrow way which leads to heaven.

We pray the Lord bless us and keep us.

The Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious.

Grace.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.