Video to come.
Morning Message Text: 1Timothy 4: 1-11
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.
10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things.
Morning Message:
How are all of those new year’s resolutions going? Surveys tell us that most resolutions have a shelf life of about two weeks,14 days. Today being January 11th, most of us are probably getting close to giving in and giving up. My resolution is the same most years which lets you know that I have failed miserably repeatedly. I always vow to lose weight, and I do, but I always gain it back. I lose it but it never loses me.
You might think that losing weight would be our top New Year’s resolution. But according to a 2024 survey, saving money topped the list, followed by improving physical health, being happy, exercising more, eating healthier, and in sixth place, losing weight. Now for me, with the exception of saving more money, these all fall under the category of losing weight. If you eat healthier and exercise more you will improve your physical health, lose weight, and be happier. The survey listed 23 top New Year’s resolutions, but one item wasn’t mentioned at all—exercising toward godliness. It was at the top of Paul’s list. 1Tomothy 4: 7-8 says, “Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Have you ever thought about growing in godliness as a form of exercise?
Exactly how do we exercise toward godliness? Let’s try increasing the repetitions of lifting our Bibles. This Bible doesn’t weigh very much, so you would not get much of a physical work-out by lifting it, but if you take it down from the shelf, you know that very high shelf that you might need a ladder to reach, that place where you put things that you only plan on using in an emergency, blow the dust off of it, and read it daily your godliness will increase. This is the compass of truth. This is not just a book, it is God’s Word, it is the only real truth that we will find in this world, and as followers of Jesus we should not accept any other truth. This nation was created and founded on the principles of God’s Holy Word. And let me say this, anyone who is sworn into office in this country on anything other than the Holy Bible is an illegitimate leader. Friends, you need this truth in order to exercise your faith.
What else can we do? Flex our faith muscles. This is not easy, but we need to practice having faith instead of reacting in fear. It takes small steps at first, simple things like trusting God instead of trying to make everything happen in your own power. Praying about your needs and your problems and allowing God to show you that faith works. This will help us condition our souls to run the race before us with perseverance. This is good advice and it’s all right here in this book. It’s a new year, a time for new beginnings so let me help you get started. Don’t be ashamed to start over. It doesn’t make you any less Christian to confess that you need a new beginning. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what God expects of us. Perhaps the first step is finding a place for your daily time of personal Bible study. A small table or desk in a quiet corner, a workplace by the window, or a chair with a lap tray. When you have a dedicated place for your quiet time, you can leave your Bible open there all day. That’s a good first step toward exercising yourself in godliness. I know that this works because this is how God prepared me for ministry.
In our scripture reading today, Paul warns us that false teachers will come. How do we know when teaching departs from the faith of the Bible? First, you need to be familiar with what God’s word says. Use these truths as a compass:
1. Sovereignty of God: Any teaching that gives authority to anyone or anything other than God is false teaching. There is one God and Father of all. You find Him in the pages of holy scripture; there is no other God, and He is the only authority.
2. Lordship of Christ, evidenced in his death and resurrection: I warn you about this all the time. There are a lot of sweet-talking ministers out there, and some sweet-talking politicians that will claim to be Christian, but out of the other side of their mouths they deny that Jesus died and rose again. As Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “You lack one thing.” In this case they lack true belief that Jesus is God.
3. Necessity of repentance: There is no salvation without repentance of sins. You can claim to follow Jesus, you can do good deeds in his name, you can be an Elder or a Deacon, or a Pastor in a church, you can live the best life a person has ever lived, but without confession of your sins and repentance from them you are lost. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t need to repent. I hate to keep pointing them out, but so many politicians claim to be followers of Jesus, but they refuse to ever confess their shortcomings. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
4. Certainty, availability, and reality of grace: God’s amazing grace should never be in question. It is available to everyone who claims it, and it is real. Made available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, He died in our place. Anyone who denies this has missed the point and is teaching falsely.
5. Preeminence of love – for both God and others: Love is not a choice for those who have been shown the ultimate love of forgiveness from God who so loved the world that He sacrificed His only Son. God died in our place because He loved us and we can’t be His children without reflecting that love.
6. Authority of Scripture: If we hear or read anything that undermines any of these core truths, we can be sure that that teaching departs from the true faith. This brings us back full circle to the importance of God’s Word. Our priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face-to-face with God. (Oswald Chambers)
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
Views: 0
