WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 I'd like us this morning to turn back to the chapter that Neil read for us in 1 Timothy chapter 4 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.000 and in particular we're going to focus on the words of verses 6, 7 and 8. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.000 If you put these things before the brothers you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:20.000 being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:26.000 have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths, rather train yourself for godliness 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:32.000 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:39.000 as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:45.000 Contained in these verses is a topic that lies at the very heart of the Christian life 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:50.000 it's mentioned in verse 6, in verse 7 and verse 8 and it's a topic that we're going to focus on today 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:53.000 which of course is training. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:01:00.000 I want you to start by just thinking about everything that you have done in the past week. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.000 So what were you doing? Maybe you were at school, maybe you were at work, 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:11.000 maybe you were participating in a sport, maybe you were spending time on a hobby 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:15.000 like a music or a craft or something artistic, maybe you cooked something, 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:19.000 maybe you used a computer, maybe you drove a car, maybe you played a game. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:27.000 Think of all of these things and ask the question, how many of these things required training? 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:30.000 And the answer of course is all of them. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:38.000 And it's actually very, very hard to think of any part of life that doesn't require some sort of training. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:43.000 You take your phone out of your pocket and you want to use it, that relies on some sort of training. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:48.000 You buy a newspaper and you want to read it, you need to be trained in order to do that. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:51.000 You want to travel somewhere, that requires training. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:59.000 Even being able to make sense of the noises that are coming out of my mouth requires some kind of training. 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.000 Maybe you sometimes think it requires a lot of training. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:07.000 But in every part of life we need training. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:11.000 It's a crucial part of every day. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:14.000 Training is essential to help us engage in activities, 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:21.000 but there's a deeper level to it in the sense that training is also required if we want to fulfill our potential. 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:26.000 So whether that's at work or in sport or in music or whatever it may be, 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:29.000 in order to fulfill our potential we need to train. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:36.000 And in many ways there's a direct connection between how much we train and how much we can achieve in a particular area. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.000 So a brilliant example of this is sport. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:43.000 Many of us might train at a sport in order to participate or to enjoy it, 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:48.000 but there are some people who train incredibly hard. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:55.000 And these are the people who are able to fully maximize the potential that they have. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:01.000 So when you look at great sports stars like Andy Murray or Laura Muir or Chris Froome, 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:07.000 these people aren't just able to do all that they do by accident. 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:13.000 They train incredibly hard in order to be as good as they are. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:18.000 Same with a musician. If you want to be good at a musical instrument, it takes hours and hours of practice. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 Same in any profession. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:25.000 If we want to fulfill our potential we need to train. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:32.000 And that's reminding us that training doesn't just enable us to participate in an activity. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:37.000 It also enables us to be the best that we can be. 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:43.000 So whether it's sport or music or art or medicine or engineering or whatever it may be, 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:51.000 training will help you be the best that you can be in that particular area. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:59.000 And I want to pause there for a moment because that's raising a very, very interesting question that we need to ask ourselves. 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:03.000 If we're thinking about fulfilling potential, it raises the question, 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:10.000 what is the very best that a person can aim to be? 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:15.000 What's the very best that a human can achieve? 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:19.000 So some people might be the best at a particular sport or the best at a musical instrument 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:23.000 or the best in terms of their political leadership. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:31.000 But overall of that, what is the pinnacle of human potential? 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.000 And different people will maybe answer that in different ways and things might come to mind. 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:37.000 I've put four examples up on the screen. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.000 What's the best we could be? We could win the World Cup. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:44.000 Or we could have a number one song. We could be Prime Minister. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:49.000 We could win a Nobel Prize. Different people might answer that in different ways. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.000 The answer, of course, is win the World Cup. That's the best, definitely. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:58.000 Only if you're Scottish though. But that would be the pinnacle, wouldn't it, surely? 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.000 Well, what is the very best that humanity can be? 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:12.000 Well, the fascinating thing is that the human race always sets the bar too low. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:16.000 Yes, all of these things are great achievements. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.000 But really they're all temporary. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:25.000 So being Prime Minister is temporary. Having a number one song is temporary. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.000 These things are limited. So you might win a Nobel Prize, 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.000 but that's going to be just in a very particular area. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.000 And ultimately some of these things are not that important, 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:45.000 because winning the World Cup is perhaps not really that important, is it? 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:51.000 And the crucial point is that all of these things, and everything else that humanity regards at the very best, 00:05:51.000 --> 00:06:00.000 is actually far, far less than what the Bible tells us is the best that humanity can be. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:09.000 Because the Bible tells us that the pinnacle of human destiny is to bear the image of God himself. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.000 Now that's maybe a familiar phrase, and you only have to read a few verses into the Bible 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:17.000 to hear that phrase coming up that humanity has made in the image of God. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:23.000 It's easy to say, and yet we can so easily miss just the significance of what is being said. 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:29.000 If you think of the great storyline of the Bible, at the beginning humanity is made in the image of God. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:32.000 But our sinfulness has spoiled that. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:35.000 The question we read from the New City Catechism emphasized that. 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:40.000 Who in the human race since the fall can keep God's law the answer to nobody? 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:44.000 Because God's image in us has been broken. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:54.000 But the great destiny that the Bible presents to us through Jesus Christ is that once again we can be conformed to His image. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.000 Again, that's the goal of the Gospel. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.000 So we start off in the image of God. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.000 We're broken now because of sin. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:07.000 But through faith in Jesus Christ, our destiny is to be restored so that we can conform to His image again. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:14.000 So that means that we need to think about God if we're going to understand what the maximum potential for humanity is. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:18.000 So just think about God for a moment. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.000 What is God like? 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:22.000 Well, God is glorious. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:27.000 So that means that absolutely everything about Him is bursting with splendour. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:33.000 He's absolutely full of weight and substance and splendour and real worth. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.000 God is true, so He's never ever false. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.000 He's always dependable, always wise, always accurate. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.000 God is just. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:44.000 That means He is never, ever, ever unfair. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.000 He's always reliable, always consistent. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:49.000 God is gracious. 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:55.000 That means He's always kind, always patient, always generous, always merciful. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:58.000 And greatest of all, God is loving. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:04.000 Everything that God is and does is grounded on His core attribute of love. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:15.000 He's a God of relationship, a God of abundant provision, a God of eternal faithfulness, a God of extraordinary, extraordinary goodness. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:31.000 And according to the Bible, the best that humanity can be is to live in such a way so that when people look at you, they see that. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:37.000 And just imagine how brilliant human life would be if that was the case. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:43.000 You could pick up a newspaper and know that everything in it was true, accurate and fair. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:50.000 You could have politicians who were nothing but honest, servant-hearted men and women of utter integrity. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:55.000 You could have employers who were consistently patient, encouraging and generous. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:09:01.000 You could have a judicial system and an economy that was never, ever unjust. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:10.000 And you could have families that were always gentle, always joyful, always dependable and always loving. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:17.000 And that, of course, is one of the brilliant things about the destiny that the Bible promises for all who trust in Jesus. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:24.000 That's described in Scripture as a new creation when the whole universe is going to be renewed and transformed. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:35.000 And when we think about that new creation, often people just talk about it as heaven, but it's not just a kind of cloudy space in the sky. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.000 It's a new creation where the whole universe will be renewed. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.000 There's going to be lots of brilliant things about that. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:52.000 One of the amazing things about it is that we will be able to see God's glory in a way that we've never done before. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:10:00.000 And you might think to yourself, well, yes, that's because we'll be able to see Jesus face to face, and in him we'll see his glory. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:09.000 And that's absolutely true, but that's not the only place where you will see the glory and splendor and wonder and goodness of God. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:16.000 Because in the new creation, we will be able to look at each other. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:27.000 And as we look at each other, we will see an amazing reflection of the glory, beauty and goodness of God. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:31.000 And that's the best that a human can be. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:34.000 Now, the ultimate fulfillment of that is in the future. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:40.000 New Testament speaks about how in Christ we're predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.000 It's our destiny. It's something that waits in the future. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:49.000 Right now, we are not there yet, but there's a work of transformation going on. 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:52.000 In many ways, we're like an injured athlete. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.000 You think of somebody like Andy Murray who, well, right now is injured. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.000 So he's not able to fulfill his potential. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:04.000 And for us, that's what we're like in terms of our destiny to bear the image of God. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:09.000 Sin has left us injured, broken, and a long, long way from where we want to be. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:17.000 And so if you think about an athlete, if he wants to return to his potential or her potential, what do they need to do? 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:20.000 They need to train. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:24.000 And exactly the same as true in the Christian life. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:35.000 And that's why Paul says to Timothy right in the middle of that passage, he says, train yourself for godliness. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:40.000 All of this is reminding us that training is a key part of the Christian life. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:44.000 And for that reason, it's a key part of what we want to do as a congregation. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:46.000 It's one of the things that we prioritize. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.000 And it's immensely important. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:53.000 I want to highlight a crucial point, though, before we go any further with this. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:56.000 And that is as follows. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:02.000 Christian training is not for the elite. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:09.000 Now, that's one of the crucial differences between gospel training and the training that you see in the sports world. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:15.000 So you look at athletes, you often see that they're part of an elite program. 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:21.000 A good example of that was the Nike Oregon project, which has been in the news for good reasons and bad reasons. 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:28.000 But the idea that certain people are selected because they're elite and they get to train in a way that nobody else does. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:32.000 There is no such thing in Christianity. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:35.000 Christian training is not for the elite. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.000 And that means two very important things. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:43.000 First, in Christianity, you do not train in order to get in. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:50.000 So when we talk about training, we are absolutely not saying that you have to reach a certain level before you become a Christian. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:53.000 That's a huge mistake that so many people make. 00:12:53.000 --> 00:13:01.000 They think, if I want to become a Christian, I need to improve myself, get fitter, better, stronger, smarter, wiser, or whatever it is in order to become a Christian. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:04.000 That is absolutely not true. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.000 The only qualification, the only requirement for being a Christian is faith in Jesus Christ. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:15.000 So in Christianity, you do not train in order to get in. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:22.000 But secondly, and equally important, in Christianity, everyone gets a chance. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:32.000 How many of you were hoping to get into the football team or the basketball team or whatever team it was in school? 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:38.000 And everyone else got picked and you got left behind. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.000 That does not happen in the Gospel. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.000 Everyone is on this training program. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:46.000 Everyone who is a follower of Jesus has a place on the team. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.000 And that's one of the brilliant things about the Gospel. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:54.000 The standards are the highest, but the qualifications are the lowest. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:02.000 It's a great reminder that God is the greatest trainer of all. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:08.000 In this chapter, Paul gives us three important lessons about Christian training. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.000 And I want to just focus on these for the next few minutes together. 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Number one, training involves effort. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:22.000 That's emphasized by two words that Paul uses in verse 10. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:27.000 He says, for this end, we toil and strive. 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:33.000 So when Paul talks about training and godliness, he emphasizes that it's something that we need to work at. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.000 That means actively taking steps to grow in our faith. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:42.000 And it also means enduring the bruises and challenges and hardships that life will bring. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.000 And in every area of life, training has its ups and downs. 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.000 And training for the Christian life is exactly the same. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.000 But we're being reminded that as Christians, we mustn't just sit back. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.000 We mustn't just think, oh, well, I'm sorted. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.000 I'm fine. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.000 And I can just do what I like. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.000 We do not want to be lazy as Christians. 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:10.000 We want to put effort in so that every day of our lives can be lived in a way that's working towards loving God more and loving one another more. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:14.000 We want to put effort into what we call the spiritual disciplines. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:22.000 Things like Bible reading, prayer, time together as a church family, acts of kindness and mercy and love towards other people. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:29.000 These are things that we want to work at and put effort into in our daily lives. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:38.000 And it's important to put effort in because like any other training area of life, it's always easier to not do it. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:44.000 So it's always easier to not go for a run or for a walk or for a cycle. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.000 It's always easier to not practice piano. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.000 It's easier to not learn a new language or a new computer program. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:56.000 It's easier to not do it, but it's easier better. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:01.000 And exactly the same as to as a Christian, it's far easier to not pray. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.000 It's far easier to not read the Bible. 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:07.000 It's far easier to not forgive people who hurt us. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.000 It's far easier to not have our neighbors around for dinner. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.000 And it's far easier to not come to church. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:19.000 But easier is not better. 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.000 Training involves effort. 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:27.000 And the interesting thing is that the word in verse seven for training basically means to go to the gym. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000 That's where we get the word gym from. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:33.000 And going to the gym involves effort. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:38.000 And I guess behind all of this lies a key question. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:45.000 Are we serious about what we're doing in our Christian lives? 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.000 Are we serious Christians? 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.000 Now, when I say that, I don't mean are we grumpy. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:54.000 Grumpiness is utterly banned for Christians. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:59.000 I mean serious in terms of commitment and dedication. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:04.000 Because we're all serious about many things in life. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:08.000 So some people are serious about golf, some people are serious about football, 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:14.000 some people are serious about Brexit, some people are serious about not having Brexit, 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:19.000 some people are serious about Sticklycome dancing, some people are serious about Harry Potter. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:27.000 Some people have real serious dedication and commitment to a certain activity or interest. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:31.000 This is an incredibly important question to ask ourselves. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:34.000 What are we serious about? 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:41.000 And I remember being hugely challenged by this by a comment I heard in a sermon by Eric Alexander. 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.000 As I always say, everyone else will give you Tim Keller. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.000 I will give you Eric Alexander. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:51.000 And here is a great quote. 00:17:51.000 --> 00:18:00.000 Many of us will wake up on the day of judgment to discover that we have spent our lives being serious about trivial things 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:07.000 and trivial about serious things. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:11.000 We want to make sure that we take our Christianity seriously. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:17.000 And for that reason, we want to train. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:22.000 Number two, training aims at knowledge and action. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:30.000 When you think of training for a particular sport, it's very important to recognise that that involves both the mind and the body. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:36.000 And in many ways, one of the fascinating things is that when you hear sportsmen talk about the activities that they're involved in, 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:41.000 you can see that they're incredibly capable physically and yet more often than not, 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:45.000 they will say that the most important thing is their mental approach. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:50.000 And so training involves both the mind and the body. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:54.000 There's a key balance between knowledge and action. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:00.000 And that's been presented before us here by Paul, and it's something that's emphasised across the whole of scripture, 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.000 the fact that knowledge and action belong together. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:13.000 If you read through 1 Timothy more widely, you'll see that Paul repeatedly makes mention of the need to think in terms of what we know. 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:19.000 So in verse six, he talks about maintaining the words of faith and the good doctrine or teaching that you have followed. 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.000 That's all talking about knowledge. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.000 The same emphasis appears in other verses. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:26.000 He says, watch yourself and the teaching. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.000 He warns against people who teach a different doctrine. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:35.000 The teaching that accords with Godliness is to be preserved. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.000 And we have to watch that we don't depart from that. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.000 The person who does that understands nothing. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.000 We need to keep away from things that are falsely called knowledge. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Paul is hugely concerned about what we know. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:56.000 And that's reminding us that a key part of our training in the Christian life is in terms of growing in knowledge. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:03.000 And that actually makes perfect sense in terms of the recovery of humanity. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:08.000 Because as we were saying at the start, you had created humanity in the image of God. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.000 And sin has left us broken. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:18.000 And a huge part of that injury that we've suffered is in terms of what we know. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.000 Because sin has blinded us. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.000 It's distorted our understanding of reality. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.000 It's made us ignorant of crucial information. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:31.000 And it's made us believe a lot of foolish things. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.000 In Romans chapter one, Paul summarizes the human condition. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:42.000 And he emphasizes again and again and again that one of the key problems is the effect that it's had on our minds. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:48.000 I'm going to read from verse 18, but you'll be able to pick it up when I reach verse 21 on the screen. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:21:13.000 Paul says, 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:20.000 For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but became futile in their thinking. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.000 Their foolish hearts were darkened, claiming to be wise. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:35.000 They became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and keeping things. 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:41.000 A huge part of our problem is a problem with what we know and what we think. 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:51.000 So if you think back to Adam, he exchanged paradise for embarrassment, shame, isolation and toil. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:54.000 And yet he thought he was being wise. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:59.000 And today people exchange personal purity for pornography. 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:04.000 People go into debt in order to have a bigger TV. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:10.000 People choose shallow relationships over the intimacy and security of marriage. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:18.000 People ground their identity in a football team or a political party or an ideology. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:23.000 And they think that they're being wise. 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:29.000 And in all of that brokenness, what we really need is true, accurate knowledge. 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:37.000 And that's why Paul says, have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:45.000 In other words, Paul is saying, don't believe stuff that's just made up nonsense. 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:50.000 And we may read that, I think, well, yeah, absolutely, I don't believe silly myths. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:23:00.000 But in Scotland today and in the Western world today, a lot of people believe a whole lot of made up nonsense. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:10.000 I remember being at a wedding and it was a great wedding and at the service, the best man gave a short speech. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:15.000 And in it he made reference to loved ones who were no longer with us. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:23.000 And he said that these loved ones will be guardian angels over the married couple. 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:30.000 And that sounds really nice, it was just made up. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.000 And we see this in lots of ways. Sometimes it can be a bit more subtle. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:41.000 I recently saw a really interesting discussion between a minister and a transgender individual. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:44.000 And it was a very interesting debate. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:50.000 And I have to say both participants were very courteous and came across very well. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:55.000 And the transgender person who spoke very, very well with sincerity and clarity, 00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:03.000 at one point in the conversation said, no one can make a choice for someone else. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:08.000 And that in many ways is a kind of foundational premise of that whole ideology. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.000 No one can make a choice for someone else. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.000 Now that sounds good, doesn't it? 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:19.000 But it's a complete myth. 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:24.000 Imagine your child was in a car crash and they were rushed to hospital 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:30.000 and the surgeon stands over this unconscious child urgently needing surgery and says, 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:36.000 I can't operate, I can't make that choice for this person. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:43.000 In the same way, the whole of Western democracy is based on the fact that a huge chunk of the population 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:48.000 is to be governed by someone else's choice. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:50.000 Other people's choices are everywhere. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:55.000 The curriculum at school, the voltage of electricity, the speed limit, the level of tax we pay, 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:58.000 the location you were born, the rules of football, these are all things, 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:02.000 all choices that other people have made for us. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:06.000 And yet I'm pretty sure that if you went out into the Royal Mile and asked people, 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.000 do you agree that no one can make a choice for someone else, 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:17.000 most people would probably say yes, because people believe irreverent, silly myths. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:20.000 And that's because human knowledge is broken. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:26.000 And a key part of God's restoration work is to fix our minds and to give us knowledge that is true. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:29.000 That's why we need to train in terms of what we know. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:35.000 That's why Paul says, command and teach these things as he instructs Timothy in verse 11. 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:38.000 Now, you see these two words, command and teach, you automatically think, 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:42.000 that sounds a bit heavy and it sounds a bit bossy. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.000 But if you think in terms of training, it makes perfect sense. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.000 What does a good coach do? 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:51.000 He tells you what to do. 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:53.000 He commands and teaches. 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:58.000 So Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just been appointed the permanent manager of Manchester United. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:01.000 He's done a fantastic job. The team has been transformed. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:06.000 He doesn't kick a ball when Manchester United play. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:11.000 He stands at the side and he commands and teaches. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:15.000 And when he does his job well, the team thrives. 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:21.000 That's why as Christians, a key part of our training is to be taught and instructed by other Christians. 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:23.000 That's a key part of an elder's role. 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:29.000 You can just go back one chapter to 1 Timothy 3 to see that elders need to be able to teach others. 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:37.000 In the same way, the New Testament speaks about the importance of mature Christian women teaching the younger women and guiding them. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:42.000 Together, we are to learn from one another and grow in knowledge together. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:49.000 So alongside whatever fitness regime you may have, please think about how you can train in terms of your knowledge. 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:56.000 Read books, talk to friends, go to Bible studies, listen to podcasts or sermons online, 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:01.000 and above all else, keep coming to church. 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:05.000 Knowledge is really important. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:10.000 But alongside that knowledge, there's also this emphasis on action. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:15.000 In the Bible, knowledge can never ever be separated from the way that you live your life. 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.000 And Paul makes that clear in the next version, verse 12. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:27.000 He says to Timothy, set the believer an example in speech, in love, in faith, and in purity. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:29.000 Example is a crucial part of training. 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:31.000 So we learn by seeing the example of others. 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:38.000 We then need to follow that example ourselves, and by doing that, we can then set an example to other people. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.000 And look at the areas that Paul highlights. 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.000 He highlights speech. 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:50.000 So how many of us are training in terms of the way we speak? 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:57.000 How many of us have gotten into trouble because of things we've said? 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.000 Such an important thing to think about. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.000 He talks about conduct, your daily life, the way you go about yourself. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:08.000 It's a great reminder that Christian training is not just for when the crowd is watching. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:15.000 Usain Bolt needed to be at his best for 9.8 seconds or so when the world was watching. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.000 But as Christians, we need to be at our best 24-7. 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:23.000 So when you're rushing to get the kids ready for school in the morning, 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:27.000 when your computer locks up at work, when your colleagues let you down, 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:31.000 when your plane is delayed, in all of these situations, 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:36.000 we want to be trained in such a way that we are always a brilliant example. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:39.000 And then thirdly, love, faith, purity, we'll just take these together. 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:42.000 Aren't those brilliant things to attain too? 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:45.000 So I look back over my sporting career. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.000 I was never that brilliant at football. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:51.000 I would love to have been, and I would love it if people said, 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:53.000 Thomas Davis is an outstanding footballer. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:56.000 It would be so cool if people had been able to say that. 00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:02.000 But if I stop and think about it, I would be far, far, far more satisfied with my life 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:06.000 if people could look at me and say, there's a man who loved well. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.000 There's a man who is an example of faith. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:17.000 There's a man who was a model of purity. 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:22.000 I won't be any of those things if I don't train. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:28.000 And the key point in it all is that we need to know the gospel and we need to live the gospel. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:33.000 So training involves effort. Training aims at knowledge and at action. 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:37.000 And finally, training is of value. 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:39.000 Paul makes that wonderful point in verses seven and eight. 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:41.000 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:45.000 Rather, train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:51.000 godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the present life 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:54.000 and also for the life to come. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:58.000 Paul makes this comparison between physical bodily training and training in godliness. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:05.000 The first is of some value that's absolutely true, but godliness is worth far more. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.000 So training in godliness is of personal value to each of us. 00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:12.000 It'll do us good. It's not wasted effort. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:17.000 It's going to help us grow more and more into what God has made us to be. 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:21.000 It's also of collective value. 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:30.000 Paul makes it clear later in this letter in chapter six that godliness is not to be pursued as a means of personal gain. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:35.000 So yes, it is personal training, but it's training for the benefit of others. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:39.000 That's different from the kind of personal training that we might do at the gym. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:42.000 It's just to make us fitter and stronger and better looking. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:47.000 As a Christian, we are training personally, but not for our own benefit. 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:49.000 It's for the benefit of others. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:58.000 A great reminder that we are not competing against each other in Christianity. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:03.000 It's not a competition about who knows the most or who's involved in the most or who's done this or who's done that. 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:10.000 We are not training for godliness as a means of gain, either in terms of finance or reputation or status or anything like that. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.000 We do it for the good of one another. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:19.000 And that's why training is something that we want to invest in as a congregation. 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:24.000 Those of you who've read the update will see that we're hoping to implement, 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:29.000 well indeed we're going to implement an apprenticeship training program after the summer. 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:33.000 And we are so thankful to be in the position to do this. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:36.000 But this is not just about the individuals who are going to be on that program. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:39.000 It's about our whole life as a congregation. 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:45.000 And we want to be training to be something that we can all participate in and all benefit from. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:51.000 It's something that should lie at the heart of the whole culture of our congregation. 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:53.000 But it's worth investing in. 00:31:53.000 --> 00:32:01.000 And although it's going to come at a cost for us as a congregation, we believe that that cost is worthwhile. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:05.000 And we hope that you as individuals also see it as worthwhile. 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.000 And as we think about today as our giving Sunday, 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:19.000 I would want to just ask that you would consider thinking about the fact that the development of training in our congregation 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:30.000 is a good reason to think about how you could perhaps contribute as much as you can to the work of the congregation here. 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.000 It's something that should be at the heart of what we do as a church. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:38.000 Because we're all being trained and we're all training from each other. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:43.000 It's something we can all contribute to and it's something that we can all benefit from. 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:45.000 So it's of personal value. 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:47.000 It's of collective value. 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:53.000 But most importantly of all, training is of eternal value. 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:55.000 And that's what Varsheet tells us. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:02.000 It holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:07.000 That takes us back to what we were saying about the ultimate destiny of humanity being in the new creation 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:11.000 where there we will be the best that we can be. 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:16.000 And there we will see that all the toiling and striving is so worth it. 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:20.000 And that's what makes training for God different to any other training at all. 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:25.000 What other training can you do that is valuable for eternity? 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.000 Training has immense value for us. 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:33.000 It's something that we want to invest in. 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:35.000 And I guess that raises two important questions. 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:40.000 And for anyone here who's not maybe not a Christian or not sure about where you stand, 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.000 these are two questions that you have to ask yourself. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:48.000 Where do you find value in your life? 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:52.000 And where do you place value in your life? 00:33:52.000 --> 00:34:01.000 In other words, what makes you valuable and what do you value? 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:03.000 Now, I don't know what your answers to those questions will be. 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:06.000 I don't know if you've ever even asked yourself those questions. 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:09.000 Where do you place your value in life? 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:13.000 Where do you find your value in life? 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:21.000 For the Christian, the answer to both of these questions lies in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:26.000 Because the Gospel makes you incredibly valuable. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:33.000 It makes you a crucial part of that team that is going to be the best that humanity can ever be. 00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:42.000 And it gives you something that is worth pouring your life into. 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:54.000 Because if you think about it, every other type of training is going to bring benefits that will fade. 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:57.000 Every single sports star has faded. 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:06.000 Every single political leader has had to step down or will have to step down. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:14.000 Every single achievement that worldly training brings is going to pass. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:25.000 But the Gospel is training you for a prize and a purpose that will last forever. 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:29.000 So God wants us to be trained. 00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:34.000 Every Sunday is a training day for us as Christians. 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:41.000 Every Wednesday is a training night, whether that's at city group or at engine room downstairs. 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:47.000 So I'm going to finish by asking you, what are your plans for this week? 00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:51.000 May God grant that every single one of us would answer that question by saying, 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:56.000 this week I am training for God. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:03.000 Let's pray. 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:10.000 Dear God our Father, we thank you so much for your word and for all the training and instruction that it gives us. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:18.000 And we acknowledge how much we need to be trained, how much we need to learn and how much we need to change. 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:27.000 But we also acknowledge how much we want to train and how much we want to grow in Godliness to become more and more like our Saviour Jesus Christ. 00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:36.000 We pray that in our speech and our conduct and our faith, our life, our love, our purity in all of these ways, 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:43.000 that we would be the people that you want us to be and that we would put the effort in that's needed 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:56.000 to turn away from the easy option of sin and selfishness and that we would be willing to invest and commit to following you 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.000 and living in your way. 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:02.000 Please forgive us for all the times that we've placed value in the wrong things 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:08.000 or sought value for ourselves in things that are ultimately empty. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:16.000 And help us always just to find our value and to place our value in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:27.000 We pray in His name. Amen.