WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.740 Brilliant. Thanks so much. I've met lots of you, but if I haven't met you, my name's Archie. I'm the pastor down at Peebles Evangelical Church. 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:14.300 And the reason I've met lots of you, as you know, I was the pastor in training here. So lots of familiar faces. 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:21.000 There are also lots of new faces in the room. And quite a lot of them are really small, which is great. It's lovely to be back. 00:00:21.700 --> 00:00:27.200 And when Graham asked me to come and preach for you this morning, I just I thought immediately of that passage in First Timothy, 00:00:27.340 --> 00:00:34.160 because the whole letter of First Timothy really is about something that matters for every church. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:41.919 So I knew that this would apply to you just as it applies to us in Peebles. And that is remaining faithful to the central truth of the gospel, 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:49.699 avoiding and pointing out distractions and distortions of it. So that's what we're going to be aiming at together this morning. 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:53.000 Let me just pray for us again, if that's OK, before we do that. Let me pray. 00:00:55.599 --> 00:01:03.699 Heavenly Father, I pray so much that your Holy Spirit would be at work amongst us this morning, taking your word and convicting us of the truth. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:10.719 Lord, I pray that you would give us clarity and that you would give us unity on what is important this morning. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:13.700 In Jesus name. Amen. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:25.819 And a couple of years ago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, did this study where they found that false news, fake news, 00:01:25.819 --> 00:01:34.159 travels online significantly faster, further and deeper and more broadly than the truth does. 00:01:35.479 --> 00:01:41.939 If a piece of false news is posted on social media, it is much more likely to be shared and reposted than the truth. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:47.280 What is it about us that we're so attracted to lies? 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.200 Why do we find the truth so distasteful? 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:58.240 I wonder if you've come across the Just So stories, Richard Kipling's classic children's stories. 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:01.400 When I was a kid, we always used to listen to them in the car on a long journey. 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:05.079 And they tell these silly stories about how things came to be. 00:02:05.980 --> 00:02:10.719 Titles like How the Camel Got Its Hump, How the Elephant Got Its Trunk, that sort of thing. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:15.659 Well, here's a Just So story about how we came to believe a lie. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:22.639 One day, a man named Truth and a man named Lai stood by a river just outside town. 00:02:23.419 --> 00:02:25.960 And Lai challenged Truth to a swimming race. 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:31.539 So they took off their clothes and on the count of three, Truth jumped into the river and began to swim. 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:34.180 But Lai didn't follow him. 00:02:35.020 --> 00:02:40.139 Instead, he stole Truth's clothes, put them on and walked back into town. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.020 And he proudly paraded around, pretending to be Truth. 00:02:45.180 --> 00:02:50.659 When Truth got back to the shore and realized what had happened, he was left completely naked. 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:54.180 The only clothes were Lai's clothes, and he wasn't going to wear those. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:56.819 So he walked back into town completely naked. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.360 People stared and glared at the Truth as he tried to explain what had happened. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:02.840 I am Truth, he said. 00:03:03.819 --> 00:03:05.740 Lai's just stolen my clothes. 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:12.560 But the people became suspicious of the naked Truth because he made them feel uncomfortable and awkward. 00:03:13.700 --> 00:03:17.120 And instead, they believed Lai because he had clothes on. 00:03:17.180 --> 00:03:18.360 He didn't make them feel like that. 00:03:18.420 --> 00:03:19.340 He was dressed properly. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:20.960 He was easier to look at. 00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:23.280 And just so. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:30.800 From that day until this, people have come to believe a lie rather than believe the naked Truth. 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:33.520 That's a silly story. 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:39.180 But of course, it is true, isn't it, that we very often believe a lie when it's dressed up as Truth. 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:43.020 And very often, we ignore the naked Truth because of how it makes us feel. 00:03:43.020 --> 00:03:50.800 You know, I'd much rather that you told me that my hair was looking great than hear the naked Truth about my rapidly receded hairline. 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:56.740 And I think that that is essentially true of the core teaching of the Christian faith. 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:01.900 Because the naked Truth of Christianity is pretty simple. 00:04:02.480 --> 00:04:03.840 It's as old as time. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.879 And it's really good news. 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:14.000 But it is only really good news if we believe the uncomfortable, naked Truth about ourselves first. 00:04:14.780 --> 00:04:16.639 And that is that we need good news. 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:21.019 That we are all sinners in desperate need of grace. 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:26.180 And so often, distortions lies about the Christian faith. 00:04:26.779 --> 00:04:30.879 They might be presented to us as something fresh and new and exciting. 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:32.939 And so they spread like wildfire. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:41.279 But at their heart, they undermine that simple, basic and naked Truth about what we're all like as human beings. 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:44.240 Now, of course, that isn't a new problem. 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:52.159 When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy nearly 2,000 years ago, the problem was exactly the same. 00:04:53.159 --> 00:05:00.060 And so we'll see that the task that Paul gives Timothy is to uphold what is true and to expose what is false. 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:03.780 So we're going to spend most of our time this morning in 1 Timothy chapter 1. 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:07.280 And that's on page 1191 of the Church Bibles. 00:05:07.379 --> 00:05:09.180 It would be good to have that open in front of you. 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:15.019 But before we dive into that passage in particular, let's just get our heads around 1 Timothy as a whole. 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:16.779 Because you might know nothing about the book at all. 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:23.279 And if you look at verses 1 and 2 of chapter 1, we get a pretty standard opening to one of Paul's letters. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:24.560 We see it's from Paul. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:25.800 It's addressed to Timothy. 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:30.520 You can read about the relationship between Paul and Timothy in Acts chapter 16. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.840 Paul kind of appoints Timothy as kind of like his apprentice. 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:41.220 And then between Acts chapter 16 and this letter being written, these two guys, they've traveled many miles together. 00:05:41.400 --> 00:05:42.759 They've planted several churches. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.800 They've co-authored several letters. 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:47.600 They've been through some serious suffering together. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:53.420 Which is why, if you notice in verse 2, Paul describes Timothy as his true son in the faith. 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:57.379 He's not his biological son, but he's his spiritual son. 00:05:57.500 --> 00:06:00.420 He's loved him and cared for him and trained him. 00:06:00.500 --> 00:06:01.640 They've been through a lot together. 00:06:02.760 --> 00:06:05.480 So this letter is written by Paul to Timothy. 00:06:05.620 --> 00:06:07.220 But it's not just for Timothy. 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:08.860 It is addressed to him. 00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:16.160 But if you flick to the very end of the letter, Paul closes with this lovely little line, grace be with you all. 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:19.620 And your translation might just say grace be with you. 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:21.500 But that really is plural. 00:06:22.340 --> 00:06:24.439 And you all is grammatical nonsense. 00:06:24.660 --> 00:06:26.220 I'm sorry if you're an American in the room. 00:06:26.379 --> 00:06:27.300 It was our language first. 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:28.360 You all makes no sense. 00:06:29.020 --> 00:06:30.040 But this is plural. 00:06:30.740 --> 00:06:31.939 It is you all. 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:34.540 And this letter is written to Timothy. 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:37.120 But it was intended for the whole church in Ephesus. 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:39.899 And it was intended for us. 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:45.779 You know, it isn't always obvious when we take just a few verses like we're doing this morning. 00:06:45.779 --> 00:06:49.019 But this letter was intended to be read in one go. 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.680 And it has one big purpose that drives it. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:54.680 So why is Paul writing this letter? 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:57.560 Well, if you look at chapter 3, verse 14, he tells us. 00:06:58.420 --> 00:06:58.699 He says, 00:06:58.699 --> 00:07:19.000 So Paul's whole purpose in writing, do you see it? 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:23.419 He wants to instruct Timothy and the church in Ephesus on how to conduct themselves. 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:23.959 Why? 00:07:24.539 --> 00:07:28.419 So that they, like a pillar or a foundation, can uphold the truth. 00:07:28.699 --> 00:07:33.539 Notice that is not our preferences. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.219 It's not our traditions. 00:07:37.259 --> 00:07:38.639 But it is the truth. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:43.139 And so what is the truth that Paul wants Timothy to uphold? 00:07:43.939 --> 00:07:46.680 Well, that little purpose statement continues. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:49.639 It says this, verse 16. 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:54.879 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great. 00:07:55.579 --> 00:08:09.399 He, that is Jesus, appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and was taken up in glory. 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:39.379 That is just a summary of the truth. 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:46.340 What has been made known in the gospel in the gospel in those verses is that godliness comes from Jesus. 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:51.480 That godliness isn't something we can achieve on our own. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:09:01.039 Godliness comes from the one who appeared in the flesh, who died and rose again, who has been preached to the nations, who now reigns in glory. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:04.059 That is the truth made known. 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:13.480 You might summarize it like this, that god wants to save sinners from judgment for eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.899 That's the naked truth, all the way through this letter. 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:18.580 Chapter 1, verse 15. 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:21.720 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.860 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 00:09:25.420 --> 00:09:27.200 Paul says, of whom I am the worst. 00:09:28.060 --> 00:09:30.000 Or chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:38.100 This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.019 Or chapter 4, verse 10. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:42.240 That is why we labor and strive. 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:50.100 Because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe. 00:09:50.100 --> 00:10:02.080 Just all the way through this letter, Paul is instructing Timothy and the church there on how to live as God's people, rooted in the naked truth of the gospel, 00:10:02.560 --> 00:10:10.139 that God wants to save sinners from judgment for eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:11.120 That is God's plan. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:16.200 He's chosen to reveal and execute that plan through his people, through the church. 00:10:16.419 --> 00:10:21.759 Which means how we conduct ourselves really matters. 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:25.019 So that's what 1 Timothy is all about. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.600 That's kind of the big purpose of the letter. 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.700 We are now going to park in chapter 1 for the rest of the time together. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.360 Turn there if you aren't there already. 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:34.299 Chapter 1. 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.799 And let me take you back to that town. 00:10:37.060 --> 00:10:38.039 Truth is naked. 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:43.439 I wasn't going to give you a full naked cartoon, but truth is naked. 00:10:44.099 --> 00:10:46.259 And lies is walking around in truth's clothes. 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:51.980 Which means lies has become plausible and attractive and convincing. 00:10:53.219 --> 00:10:58.039 And Paul gives Timothy two jobs to expose lies and to uphold truth. 00:10:58.419 --> 00:11:02.079 So first, expose the lies in verses 3 to 6. 00:11:02.459 --> 00:11:02.959 Verse 3. 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:06.659 See why Paul told Timothy to stay in Ephesus in the first place? 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:07.719 He says, 00:11:07.719 --> 00:11:15.319 Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer. 00:11:16.539 --> 00:11:20.480 Paul has left Timothy in Ephesus to stop people teaching lies. 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:25.179 People teaching stuff that is different to what Paul has taught. 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:32.480 Teaching stuff that contradicts God's plan to save sinners from judgment for eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:37.279 Paul isn't actually super specific about exactly what it is that they're teaching. 00:11:37.420 --> 00:11:39.340 We'll think about it a little bit more. 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:40.440 But he's not that specific. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:44.039 He says they're devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.940 Verse 7 tells us that they're doing that based on a kind of misuse of the law. 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:53.759 These are people who pride themselves on their knowledge of the Bible. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:57.939 But again, Paul isn't super specific about it. 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:00.399 It could be a number of ways that they're distorting the truth. 00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:02.759 And I think he's not specific on purpose. 00:12:03.059 --> 00:12:03.980 I think it's intentional. 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:08.419 Because if Paul had really put his finger on the precise lies that they were telling, 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:11.240 we could easily say, couldn't we, well, that's not us. 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:13.679 This doesn't apply to us. 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:20.699 In fact, I think quite a lot of the misuse of the New Testament today finds ways to do exactly that. 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:25.419 Paul doesn't tell us exactly, specifically what he is addressing. 00:12:26.079 --> 00:12:31.179 And a misuse of the New Testament might spend lots of time and lots of its energy 00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:34.319 not studying what Paul and the other apostles actually wrote, 00:12:34.459 --> 00:12:36.839 but studying the culture into which they wrote. 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:39.979 The culture in Ephesus or in Corinth or wherever else. 00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:45.259 To try and be as specific as they can about what Paul has been addressing here or there. 00:12:45.920 --> 00:12:49.539 And they do that in order to be able to say, well, that's not really us. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:52.159 Their culture was different to ours. 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.180 It doesn't apply to our culture today. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:56.740 But that's not how Paul writes. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:02.680 Instead, this is a intentionally broad and intentionally timeless reminder 00:13:02.680 --> 00:13:06.539 that you can stand in a pulpit and you can teach. 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:10.500 But if your teaching doesn't conform to the central and glorious truth of the gospel, 00:13:10.579 --> 00:13:13.480 if you miss or distort that in any way, then you are false. 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:17.980 There's a particular warning, I think, in churches like ours, 00:13:18.099 --> 00:13:21.620 because we can think, you know, this is what I've always been taught. 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:23.120 This is what I've always believed. 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:27.079 And therefore, it must be wrapped up in that truth. 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:33.860 But the truth of the gospel and our traditions are not the same thing. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.220 Now, some of our traditions are very good things. 00:13:37.900 --> 00:13:42.980 Some of them have been shaped by the truth and are shaped intentionally to point to the truth. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.520 And I'm not here to say that we should rip up all the ways that we've been doing things, 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:51.920 but traditions must serve the truth and not the other way around. 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:57.860 And I think, quite sadly, traditions can actually end up distracting from the truth 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:00.339 rather than lending weight to it. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.539 Remember the heartbeat, the big storyline of the Bible, 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:10.599 that God wants to save sinners from judgment for eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:16.120 Let's just think for a moment about what you get when you lose that central truth. 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:23.240 When you lose that, you lose the good news and you end up with empty religion. 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:25.919 There's a friend of mine down in our church in Peebles. 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:27.940 He's been in church his entire life. 00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:31.659 I remember sitting down with him and him just saying, 00:14:31.779 --> 00:14:34.019 you know, church has always made me miserable. 00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:40.759 And this is why, because he had always been swinging backwards and forwards from legalism, 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:44.179 which always leads to endless guilt and despair, 00:14:45.179 --> 00:14:46.919 and then swinging to license, 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:51.600 that is persistent sin and confusion and no transformation of life. 00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:55.799 But notice, and this has completely changed this guy's life, 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.159 the answer to legalism isn't license. 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:02.399 And the answer to license isn't legalism. 00:15:03.299 --> 00:15:05.860 If you're struggling with sin, the gospel doesn't say, 00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:08.039 try harder and you'll be able to save yourself. 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:12.279 But it also doesn't say your sin doesn't matter. 00:15:12.599 --> 00:15:14.360 And so there's nothing to be saved from. 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:18.860 No, the gospel says you are a sinner who cannot save yourself. 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:21.299 And so would you look again to Jesus, 00:15:22.219 --> 00:15:24.819 in whom God has done everything necessary to save you? 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:30.439 Legalism and license are just two sides of the same coin. 00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:32.779 And we've got to discard it. 00:15:33.819 --> 00:15:37.860 Paul is telling Timothy that it is his job to expose anything 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:40.820 that undermines or distracts from that central truth. 00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:45.000 To do that is going to be helpful to see where the lies actually come from. 00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:46.980 So read verse six with me. 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:52.039 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:53.340 What have they departed from? 00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.759 Well, they've departed from the content of the gospel in their teaching. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:58.019 We've thought about that a bit already. 00:15:58.139 --> 00:16:00.680 But more than that, back in verse five, 00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:03.879 he says the goal of this command is love, 00:16:04.599 --> 00:16:09.000 which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 00:16:09.959 --> 00:16:12.239 And not only departed from the content of the gospel, 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:18.319 but its fruit, love, a pure heart, a good conscience, sincere faith. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:21.260 Which means, and maybe this is obvious, 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:24.140 but people don't normally wake up one morning and decide, 00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:25.820 I'm going to believe a lie today. 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:28.000 I'm going to abandon the gospel. 00:16:29.140 --> 00:16:31.200 It happens much more subtly than that. 00:16:31.260 --> 00:16:33.500 And I think it usually goes like this. 00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:38.160 There's something in my life that I don't want to call sin. 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:42.279 Something I love or something I want. 00:16:43.059 --> 00:16:44.179 Or perhaps it isn't me. 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:45.959 Maybe it's someone that I love. 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:48.899 And I don't want to tell them that what they're doing is sin. 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:51.199 I don't want to tell them that they need to repent. 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:54.719 Suddenly the truth becomes uncomfortable. 00:16:55.439 --> 00:16:59.100 Because the truth says that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 00:16:59.219 --> 00:17:00.519 And that is wonderful good news. 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:02.759 But only if I'm prepared to admit that I am one. 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:06.500 And prepared to tell you that you are one too. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:09.680 And so there's another option. 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:13.200 Instead of bringing my life and your life under the gospel, 00:17:13.779 --> 00:17:17.000 well, I'll just change the gospel to fit my life. 00:17:18.019 --> 00:17:20.240 I'll redefine what God calls sin. 00:17:21.259 --> 00:17:24.480 Then I can decide that something the Bible says I need to be saved from 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:26.180 is actually not a problem at all. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.759 And if it isn't sin, then I don't need forgiveness for it. 00:17:28.800 --> 00:17:30.180 I don't need to repent of it. 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:31.940 My life doesn't need to change. 00:17:32.040 --> 00:17:34.040 I don't need Jesus to save me. 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:37.060 See what has happened there. 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:43.559 I've found a way to justify myself or to justify you apart from the truth. 00:17:45.460 --> 00:17:48.179 Because the gospel doesn't justify sin. 00:17:49.460 --> 00:17:52.539 The gospel justifies sinners like you and me. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.059 It doesn't just tell us that our sin is fine. 00:17:56.159 --> 00:17:59.940 It tells us that our sin is so serious that Christ had to die for it. 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:05.279 And that his grace is so great that he willingly did exactly that. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.360 So when we redefine sin in order to make ourselves more comfortable, 00:18:10.360 --> 00:18:12.279 we aren't making the gospel kinder. 00:18:13.080 --> 00:18:15.220 We're actually just taking away the good news. 00:18:16.100 --> 00:18:18.400 Saying that we don't really need to be saved. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:26.320 So if you want to expose lies, first, you've got to watch your own heart. 00:18:27.060 --> 00:18:31.300 Please be really suspicious of the things that you really want to be true 00:18:31.300 --> 00:18:33.880 because they make your sin easier to live with. 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:38.400 And when someone begins to distort the gospel, 00:18:38.560 --> 00:18:42.040 no matter how attractive that teaching might sound, 00:18:44.040 --> 00:18:49.420 remember that there is often more going on than just a mistake in their thinking or their theology, 00:18:49.580 --> 00:18:51.240 but there is a heart behind it. 00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:56.980 A heart behind the lie that is captive to the sin that it loves. 00:18:56.980 --> 00:19:02.759 So if you think again of my just so story, that's the challenge that Paul begins with. 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:06.880 To recognize the lie, even when he's dressed up as truth. 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:12.579 And to recognize the naked truth, even when he makes you uncomfortable. 00:19:13.740 --> 00:19:16.039 Verse 7 gives us a really good example of that. 00:19:16.620 --> 00:19:16.960 It says, 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.000 They, the false teachers, want to be teachers of the law, 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:26.039 but they do not know what they're talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:28.539 Do you see the irony in this? 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:30.779 They think they know the Bible, they're teaching the Bible, 00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:33.720 but they completely misunderstand what the Bible is saying. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.819 That's how they end up lying. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:41.880 But verse 7 also gives Paul his kind of way into the truth that Timothy needs to uphold. 00:19:42.339 --> 00:19:45.180 Because although these teachers have the law badly wrong, 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:50.059 Paul tells us in verse 8 that the law is good if one uses it properly. 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:53.339 And that leads us into our second point. 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:56.200 It isn't enough for Timothy to expose the lies. 00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:59.319 He also needs to uphold the naked truth. 00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.700 So what is the truth then? 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:06.059 What is the truth about the law in particular in this passage? 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:08.700 What are we supposed to do with the Old Testament law? 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:14.240 There's lots of stuff in the Old Testament law that is obviously good and applicable today. 00:20:14.340 --> 00:20:15.880 We all agree it's good not to murder. 00:20:16.700 --> 00:20:19.120 But there's some quite random stuff too, isn't there? 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:23.899 Like eating shellfish and wearing particular materials together. 00:20:24.899 --> 00:20:28.539 And there's the really detailed and frankly quite gruesome sacrifices. 00:20:28.859 --> 00:20:33.119 There's some super specific stuff about where the Israelites were supposed to pitch their tents. 00:20:33.459 --> 00:20:35.179 What are we supposed to do with all of that? 00:20:35.180 --> 00:20:41.060 Well clearly the false teachers have got it really wrong in what they're doing with it. 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:47.359 But we can't just ignore the law because verse 8 tells us that it's good. 00:20:48.179 --> 00:20:50.119 So the question is how is it good? 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:56.440 Well I think our passage this morning, Paul is telling us that it's good because it reveals sin. 00:20:57.099 --> 00:20:58.940 It's not the only purpose of the law. 00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:03.380 But Paul takes one important use of the Old Testament law to reveal sin. 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:07.500 And I guess that is the key use that the false teachers have ignored. 00:21:08.380 --> 00:21:09.940 So see what Paul says in verse 9. 00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:15.080 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous, but for the lawbreakers and rebels, 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.700 the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:21.920 for those who kill their fathers or mothers or murderers, 00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:25.400 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:28.400 for slave traders and liars and perjurers. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:31.500 I think Paul's point there is simple. 00:21:31.980 --> 00:21:33.840 And that is that the law isn't for good people. 00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:35.240 It's for bad people. 00:21:36.059 --> 00:21:38.960 And you might assume, well sure it's for bad people, 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:42.019 but it's for bad people because it's going to help them become good people. 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:45.759 Surely its purpose is to show them how to live. 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:48.759 But that's not precisely true. 00:21:49.320 --> 00:21:51.660 In fact I suspect that's exactly the kind of emphasis 00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:54.340 that the false teachers would have used when they talked about the law. 00:21:55.220 --> 00:21:58.259 Instead the purpose of the law that Paul is driving at here 00:21:58.259 --> 00:22:01.619 is that it reveals sin and it reveals it in all of us. 00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:04.700 We read the Ten Commandments. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:06.680 Julia read the Ten Commandments for us just now. 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:08.819 And in some ways that's like the Old Testament law 00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:12.059 condensed into these ten famous commands. 00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:15.599 Actually if you read the list in 1 Timothy, 00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:17.200 it kind of maps onto those. 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:20.920 And Paul is using here what would have been strong 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:23.400 and shocking examples and extremes 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:25.340 of the Ten Commandments at the time. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.720 And some of them we obviously still consider extreme. 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:29.880 If you notice that, killing your father or mother 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.140 would be an extreme way to dishonor them. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:36.360 Slave trading would be an extreme form of theft. 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:40.220 And as we read the Ten Commandments, 00:22:40.280 --> 00:22:42.320 and I think as we read the list here too, 00:22:42.580 --> 00:22:44.480 we're supposed to get to the end of it 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.200 and feel quite uneasy about ourselves. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.840 To think, is this me? 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:52.460 Am I included in this list? 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:54.779 Maybe am I a sinner? 00:22:56.100 --> 00:22:58.360 If you look at the way Paul concludes his list, 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.279 he says, 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:04.039 and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine. 00:23:05.080 --> 00:23:07.440 And so I hope as he concludes in that short statement, 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:10.220 I hope we realise that we are all included. 00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:14.220 I was at Cairngorm Coffee this morning, 00:23:14.860 --> 00:23:16.160 just before coming to church. 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:17.620 And when I was there, I popped to the loo 00:23:17.620 --> 00:23:19.240 and there was this little picture of an elephant 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:20.799 with the familiar words, 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:22.480 an elephant never forgets. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:25.039 But then underneath it said, 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.339 but sometimes it wishes it could. 00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:31.680 And there are things, aren't there, for all of us. 00:23:32.600 --> 00:23:33.680 Things that we've done. 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:36.900 Things that we're not proud of. 00:23:38.180 --> 00:23:39.779 Things that we wish we could forget. 00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:44.720 Because none of us conforms to that perfect standard 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:46.180 that we've just been reading off. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:48.720 Paul knows that about himself. 00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:51.759 See what he says in verse 15 about himself? 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:52.900 I am the worst. 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:55.420 I am the worst of sinners. 00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:59.380 It's easy to fall into thinking 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:01.700 that the system of salvation in the Old Testament 00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:02.740 went like this. 00:24:03.140 --> 00:24:06.059 If you follow the law, you'll be saved. 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:09.640 That the way to be right with God 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:11.100 is to live up to God's standard. 00:24:12.340 --> 00:24:14.040 But that wasn't how it worked. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.200 The principle of the law was always, 00:24:16.320 --> 00:24:18.340 if you want to get right with God by the law, 00:24:18.580 --> 00:24:20.340 then yes, you would have to keep all of it. 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:21.820 But you can't do that. 00:24:22.540 --> 00:24:24.240 You're not capable of that. 00:24:24.800 --> 00:24:26.560 It's why the Old Testament system 00:24:26.560 --> 00:24:28.280 had sacrifices built into it. 00:24:28.280 --> 00:24:30.160 Because God wasn't giving his people 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:31.720 a set of rules that they were going to be able 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:32.640 to keep perfectly. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.000 He was giving them a set of rules 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.320 that would reveal their sin 00:24:35.320 --> 00:24:38.800 and point to the fact that they needed a saviour. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.500 And so those built-in sacrifices themselves 00:24:42.500 --> 00:24:45.140 point to the climax of the whole thing, 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:46.700 which is Jesus. 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:50.700 The once and for all time sacrifice. 00:24:51.320 --> 00:24:53.020 If the principle of the law is that 00:24:53.020 --> 00:24:53.980 to be right with God, 00:24:54.040 --> 00:24:55.600 you have to follow the whole law, 00:24:56.040 --> 00:24:58.080 well, the good news of the gospel says 00:24:58.080 --> 00:24:59.440 Christ has done it for you. 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:01.880 He's kept it all for you. 00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:04.660 And the way to being right with God 00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:05.660 is by faith in him. 00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:08.120 And that has actually always been so. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:10.000 In the Old Testament, 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.140 it was true that trusting that God 00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:13.440 would do for you 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:14.940 what you could not do for yourself, 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.000 that the sacrifices were a picture of that. 00:25:18.820 --> 00:25:20.580 That was finally satisfied in Jesus, 00:25:20.900 --> 00:25:22.320 who kept the law for you, 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:24.640 died as the sacrifice to bring you to God, 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:26.000 that the law was fulfilled. 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:29.340 And so Paul says the law is good. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:32.120 Not for the just, 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:33.660 but for the lawless, 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:34.799 for you and for me, 00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:37.080 for sinners in need of a saviour. 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:40.640 So it's as if Paul is saying to Timothy, 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:43.180 not only do I want you to expose lies, 00:25:44.120 --> 00:25:46.860 but I want you to point to the naked truth. 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:50.080 Even though that might be more uncomfortable, 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:52.640 you have got to remind people 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.299 that it is the truth that they need to listen to. 00:25:55.299 --> 00:25:58.599 And just as we begin to finish, 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:00.940 I want to observe three things about truth, 00:26:01.059 --> 00:26:02.539 things that I hope will encourage us 00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:05.220 and give us confidence in what we uphold. 00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:07.759 The first is that truth is constant. 00:26:09.259 --> 00:26:11.519 What was true 2,000 years ago 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:13.039 remains true today. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:16.159 Our sinful nature has not changed. 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:18.579 The promise of eternal life in the gospel 00:26:18.579 --> 00:26:19.539 has not changed. 00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:21.759 Jesus Christ was the same yesterday, 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:22.940 today and forever. 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:25.099 Truth is constant. 00:26:26.379 --> 00:26:26.779 Secondly, 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:28.240 truth is exclusive. 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:30.099 That is to say, 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:31.639 two things can't be true 00:26:31.639 --> 00:26:33.599 if they contradict each other. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.799 Very fashionable today 00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:36.599 to say things like, 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:37.599 that might be true for you, 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:38.639 you've got your truth. 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:39.079 But of course, 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:40.139 that is nonsense. 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:41.500 I hope we know that's nonsense. 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:43.879 What is true is true. 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:45.440 And especially of the gospel, 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:47.659 Jesus is either the saviour of the world 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:48.800 or he isn't. 00:26:50.040 --> 00:26:50.960 Truth is exclusive. 00:26:52.180 --> 00:26:52.779 And thirdly, 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:53.779 truth is objective. 00:26:55.120 --> 00:26:57.100 It doesn't care about your feelings. 00:26:57.600 --> 00:26:58.700 Now that sounds rather brutal. 00:26:59.840 --> 00:27:01.120 But what I mean is that 00:27:01.120 --> 00:27:02.900 we can't always trust our feelings. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:07.700 What we feel is right and good for us 00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:10.960 isn't always going to be right and good for us. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.700 That isn't always going to be easy, 00:27:13.800 --> 00:27:15.840 but we cannot just define what is true 00:27:15.840 --> 00:27:17.019 based on how we feel. 00:27:17.660 --> 00:27:20.560 Because God has already told us what is true 00:27:20.560 --> 00:27:23.560 and it is both constant and exclusive. 00:27:25.080 --> 00:27:26.680 So Paul's charge to Timothy 00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:28.340 is to uphold the truth. 00:27:28.660 --> 00:27:30.080 And for us as Christians today, 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:31.860 that has got to remain our priority. 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:34.180 To constantly point one another 00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:35.300 to the truth of the gospel 00:27:35.300 --> 00:27:37.460 to ensure that what is taught here 00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:39.920 never distracts from or undermines 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:41.779 the fact that it is God's plan 00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:43.259 to save sinners from judgment 00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:45.000 for eternal life 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:46.940 through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:49.799 That's true as we share that good news 00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:51.180 with people who don't know Jesus. 00:27:52.360 --> 00:27:53.700 We had an evangelism weekend 00:27:53.700 --> 00:27:55.240 down in Peebles a couple of weeks ago. 00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:55.799 It was brilliant. 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:57.799 And over the course of four events, 00:27:57.900 --> 00:27:59.740 we had well over 100 non-Christians 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:01.120 hearing exactly this gospel. 00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:03.259 But one of those events 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:04.519 was a pre-game breakfast 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:06.240 with my teammates at the rugby club. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:08.019 And if I'm honest, 00:28:08.080 --> 00:28:10.299 as I rub shoulders with those guys week to week 00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:12.240 and as I seek to share the gospel with them, 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:15.319 it is so tempting to soften it. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.000 It is so tempting to make it more universal 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.799 and easier to fail to point out their sin 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:23.380 or to teach judgment for sin. 00:28:23.819 --> 00:28:26.099 And of course, all of that is with the best of intentions. 00:28:26.620 --> 00:28:28.519 I want them to be able to hear what I say. 00:28:29.859 --> 00:28:30.880 But if I do that, 00:28:31.079 --> 00:28:33.279 what I'm doing is just dressing up lies 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:35.859 and removing the good news of its goodness 00:28:35.859 --> 00:28:37.900 and leading people away 00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:39.920 from the naked and uncomfortable truth. 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:43.080 It's not just true in our evangelism, 00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:44.540 but also here in church. 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:47.800 And so you must make sure 00:28:47.800 --> 00:28:49.259 that what Graham and the other elders 00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:50.700 are teaching from the pulpit here 00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:51.920 is the naked truth. 00:28:52.840 --> 00:28:53.720 And you yourself, 00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:54.840 whether it's with your family 00:28:54.840 --> 00:28:55.980 or in your home group 00:28:55.980 --> 00:28:56.980 or in kids' church 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:58.460 or over a cup of coffee 00:28:58.460 --> 00:28:59.280 and a one-to-one, 00:28:59.620 --> 00:29:00.680 you must be prepared 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.680 to expose the lies in one another 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:05.700 and to uphold the truth. 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:08.700 If you think of my Just So story again, 00:29:08.840 --> 00:29:09.759 truth is crying out, 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:11.799 God wants to save sinners from judgment 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.059 for eternal life 00:29:13.059 --> 00:29:14.960 through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:17.440 And lies dressed up as truth 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.259 will do absolutely anything, 00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:20.740 anything at all 00:29:20.740 --> 00:29:24.279 to distract and deny and distort that. 00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:27.120 So watch your hearts, 00:29:27.900 --> 00:29:29.220 especially when you find yourself 00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:30.500 wanting something to be true. 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:33.279 When the truth of God's word 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:35.019 becomes uncomfortable for you, 00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:36.059 when you're tempted 00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:37.460 to make your sins smaller 00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:40.460 or make grace less necessary, 00:29:41.559 --> 00:29:42.619 watch your heart 00:29:42.619 --> 00:29:45.099 and get to know the gospel. 00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:46.680 Know it well enough 00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:47.839 to recognize a lie 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:49.119 when it's dressed up as true. 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:50.500 Know it well enough 00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:52.019 to recognize the naked truth 00:29:52.019 --> 00:29:53.339 even when it makes you uncomfortable. 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:55.299 When someone tells you 00:29:55.299 --> 00:29:56.460 that you can save yourself, 00:29:56.639 --> 00:29:57.619 expose that lie. 00:29:58.220 --> 00:29:59.180 When someone tells you 00:29:59.180 --> 00:30:00.500 that you don't need saving, 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:01.920 expose that lie 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:03.379 and keep pointing one another 00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:03.880 to Jesus. 00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:06.800 Because God has entrusted you, 00:30:07.020 --> 00:30:07.660 this church, 00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:09.440 with something infinitely precious. 00:30:10.540 --> 00:30:11.860 The good news 00:30:11.860 --> 00:30:13.400 that Jesus Christ 00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:14.200 came into the world 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:14.960 to save sinners. 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:17.360 Keep holding out that truth 00:30:17.360 --> 00:30:18.160 to one another, 00:30:18.280 --> 00:30:18.940 to your families, 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:20.240 to this town 00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:21.920 and to a world 00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:23.340 that desperately needs 00:30:23.340 --> 00:30:24.020 to hear it. 00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:26.900 I'm going to close in prayer 00:30:26.900 --> 00:30:28.440 and then we're going to sing together 00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:30.859 before we come to the bread and the cup. 00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:31.960 So let's pray. 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:37.059 Heavenly Father, 00:30:37.139 --> 00:30:38.559 we thank you so much for Jesus. 00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:41.799 We thank you that in him 00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:43.619 you have saved us 00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:44.960 from sin 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:46.299 and from judgment, 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:48.639 that you have promised 00:30:48.639 --> 00:30:50.519 and secured eternal life. 00:30:50.519 --> 00:30:52.539 And I pray 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:53.279 that even now 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.299 by your Holy Spirit 00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:55.059 you would expose 00:30:55.059 --> 00:30:56.599 the lies in our hearts, 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:58.220 the lies that we tell ourselves. 00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:02.059 Would you expose our sin? 00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:04.000 Would you help us 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:05.019 to keep this gospel, 00:31:05.539 --> 00:31:06.039 this truth, 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:07.299 absolutely central 00:31:07.299 --> 00:31:09.119 to who we are? 00:31:10.619 --> 00:31:11.019 Lord, 00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:11.680 I pray so much 00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:12.359 for this church 00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:13.200 that you would help them 00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:14.099 to keep this truth 00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:15.779 central to all that they do, 00:31:16.779 --> 00:31:18.079 that it might all be 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:18.819 for your glory. 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:20.960 In Jesus' name. 00:31:21.679 --> 00:31:22.039 Amen.