I Timothy 4:1-15

we begin reading from the very first verse Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils;

2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.

11 These things command and teach.

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in converstaion, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

15 Meditate upon these things; give theyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

I'd like to preach on what is the doctrine of Christ.

Now I want you to get the context that Paul was writing to a young preacher, apparently Paul knew this family well, he knew his grandmother, he knew his mother and then he knew young Timothy and apparently the Lord had called Timothy to preach. I want you to see in the very first verse, if you've studied your King James Bible very much there is no verse one, they are not numbered and then they start being numbered after that. In the very first verse it says that the Spirit speaketh expressly or very clearly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Now I want you to see from the very first verse that Timothy is being warned that there is a doctrine or a teaching, and don't let that word mess you up it don't mean anything more than teaching, and there are some of those teachings that belong to devils.

We live in a day and age today where there is a global belief that everybody is right. According to this book and we will see that through the help of God tonight that can't be so, not everyone that teaches from this book can be right when they are so far apart from each other. I Had a man tell me today that there is a church in Clarksville, Montgomery County, that has a church for Sodomites, they go in and pretend that filthy lifestyle could be pleasing to God, now that can't be right, I don't think anybody would be contrary to say that's with us tonight, so that can't be right so there has to be a doctrine that's not right Paul told Timothy that there is doctrines of devils and I want you to see that it is doctrines plural there's more than one doctrine and more than one devil and so we see there must be numerous falsehoods that are out there. He tells us why in verse two because their conscience have been seared with a hot iron. I don't know if you know much about scar tissue but burned tissue does not have nerves anymore, it can not feel, it is no longer sensitive and that's what he is saying they are no longer receptive to the true word of God. Then he gives us clues in verse three forbidding to marry that is your Catholic church their priest do not marry they forbid them to, and another one commanding to abstain from meats, ever heard of fish friday? That's why he give us good clues where part of that doctrine would originate and he gives us very good clues to who they are. He went on to say everything is clean if you pray over it, I fully believe this that the Jewish dietary law is in effect if you don't, you would have to believe that because he goes on to say if it is sanctified by prayer, if it wasn't you would have to think that it couldn't be, praying over our food is a custom in this country and it is very much Bible based.

Verse six if thou put the brethren, again redeemed people writing to a church, in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine again don't let that word throw you doctrine is not a bad word it just means teaching that's all it means and he says that true doctrine can be nourishing just like food, you know this fleshly body has to be nourished you have to take in food and if you don't you will die in the same way the spirit man or the inner man has to take in good doctrine. Have you ever had a bad meal? Ever had to be polite and the meal not be that good and you sit there and say oh this is great and just kind of choke it down, it is not nourishing to you but he says good doctrine would be nourishing to your soul and that's exactly what we stand in need of today.

Then he says in verse 7 but refuse profane and old wives' fables so there is a doctrine to refuse and that's where you get into problems with many people today they don't want to take the commands and they don't want to take the position that there has to be wrong doctrine, he says you refuse certain things. If I got up here and had a big rattle snake sandwich and I came by and said ok let's eat up I bet there would be some that would refuse because it is profane, gross, who would want to eat that in the same way we are to refuse certain things. If somebody came up to me and said "Brother Larry don't you believe in baptismal regeneration" I would say certainly not, I would refuse it that's what we are to do we are to refuse those things in that way.

Then he says in verse eight: For bodily exercise profiteth little I base my life on that. Having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come we are to only take in that which is nourishing.

Now go to verse thirteen Till I come, Paul planned a second trip to see Timothy, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Now you as Baptist people do you know what you believe? We are to give attendance or attention to doctrine, what the Bible really teaches we are to give attention to it. You remember when that Ethiopian Eunuch was down there and he had the scriptures he was reading and Phillip came up to him and said understandeth what thou readest and the eunuch said how can I except some man guide me. Now in your study of the word of God you are going to need a guide you are going to need somebody to teach you but we are to know what we believe and give attention to those teachings you know why because if you don't they will be gone pretty soon. The doctrine of predestination and election have almost gone out of existence because people don't give attention to it and don't study it carefully so we see that is our responsibility.

Now verse sixteen Take heed or be very cautious when you take heed it like a mother with a baby that takes heed in caring for that baby she protects it well being, that's the responsibility of a mother, and in the same way he says take heed unto thyself, that tells me that people will come by and say listen I've got something new for you to read, he says you take heed unto yourself you be cautious about yourself remember he started out the chapter by saying there's going to be people out there speaking lies in hypocrisy, there's people out there that will be slipping you a counterfeit, you take heed or be cautious about yourself and then read on with me and he says and on to doctrine so you are to be cautious about yourself and you are to be very cautious of doctrine you are to protect it like a mother would her baby. If I asked tonight and we went around the room I wonder how many people could stand up and tell one doctrine that is exclusively true? What does the Bible teach about Baptism? What does the Bible teach about the new birth? What does the Bible teach about eternity? He says for us to be very careful and you know why because God has left us everything we need and he says you be very careful and you protect those things because there is going to be people who is going to take them away.

Go with me to I Corinthians 14 we are going to notice a couple of things about doctrine and this is doctrine in general not specific doctrine just yet, I Corinthians 14 verse 6 Now brethren, again redeemed people he is writing to the church at Corinth, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying (which is preaching), or by doctrine.

He is saying that tongues is fine in this whole chapter he teaches how that speaking in tongues is an apostolic gift and it was fine but it was far better to teach by doctrine, he gives four separate things that were better and doctrine was one of them, you teach by doctrine you do it line by line, you know if we are not careful sometimes it gets a little boring but we are to know those things, we are responsible for them, in fact we will see in a minute where he charged us with them . We are to take care of those things they are precious, there are very very few people that are teaching out of this book correctly. There's a lot speaking those lies and hypocrisy but very very little sticking to the stuff and so we see that he gives us the warning that we can teach by doctrine and certainly should it is very useful for that.

Go to Titus chapter 2 verse 10 No purloining, (procrastinating) but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. You might say Brother Larry I don't know a lot of doctrine, the Bible says here that you can adorn it that you can put it on in other words it must be something if you are genuinely redeemed that people can see that people can perceive that they can look at you and look at your life and look at you home and know something is different now that's critical for a believer a lot of people don't want to be different today and they want to be a part of the crowd and they want to blend right in with everyone else the scriptures teach that we are to be a peculiar people that means very different and so we see here that the doctrine is to be very visible, how visible is it in your life one doctrine that the bible clearly teaches Hebrew chapter 10 verse 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, that's one that is very visible because people you meet week after week see you pull into this little building and park your car here and come inside, that is a display of a doctrine and say they do that all the time, they get up at the same time and they leave at the same time and they do something over in that little tiny building every Sunday morning, something is going on that is displaying the doctrine, and so we see that is exactly what we are to do our doctrines can be very very visible.

Now I want you to look with me and see what the Bible teaches about doctrine being singular, again today there is a global effort out there that says that every one is right now could that be true? Jehovah Witness people teach that baptism is redemption and that there is no literal hell and that is not to be worried about. Methodist people teach that salvation is of the Lord but you had better keep it, you better be faithful to it, could that be true? Baptist people teach that salvation is completely of God and that it is out of his goodness and mercy he speaks to the heart of some according to his goodness and grace and that the new birth is just that that you have no more to do with it than you did your natural birth none zero, could that be true? The Bible teaches that doctrine is singular it can't be global if it was there be no reason to study this book because everybody's right.

Let me show you what I am talking about in Romans chapter 6 verse 17 Paul writing to the church at Rome said But God be thanked, that ye were (redeemed people) the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Now I want you to see two things form singularly and doctrine singularly he didn't send them three or four different ways to be redeemed. Have you ever heard the old wagon wheel theory that all these groups out here are pretty much right and each doctrine, the church of Christ, the Methodist, and the Nazarene they are all just spokes in that big old godly wagon wheel and we are all going to make it, could that be true? The Bible says that he gave them one form of doctrine, he give the church at Rome one thing he didn't give them the wagon wheel, he didn't say forms, he didn't say doctrines, he said form and doctrine singular.

In verse 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

In Romans 16:17 it says Now I beseech you, brethren ( again talking to redeemed people) mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Now I want you to see two things, number one there was one doctrine that Paul delivered and when you have people that come up and say I know that Paul said it was all of grace but after that grace comes in you have got to live it, he said you mark them, he didn't say be ugly to them he didn't say ostracize them but he said mark them and avoid them, in other words you don't need them in your home. You know as embarrassing as it should be for a Bible based church the zeal at one time in this community that the Jehovah Witness had was matchless, it was countless not even close but the Bible says when they come your way you are not to even bid them godspeed, that means have a good day, you are not to do that. Because when they come with things contrary to truth we are to mark them and so again I want you to see the doctrine was singular there was only one doctrine that was delivered and then the job becomes to find out what that truth is.

II John verse 9, Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. Now that's a pretty bold statement if they are involved in this and Paul says that there were many that were, if they are involved in presenting this untruth it says they don't have God, I have seen and talked to people in other groups that I thought were redeemed but he says here that you had better be careful of them. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, and I believe that means a salvation that is Christ based whoever puts the merit in the salvation of Christ, whoever abides there, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Verse 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine (singularly), receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: so the doctrine is singular and the church is singular his truth is singular, there is not a million different ways to be redeemed, he told Nicodemus that you must be born again that's salvation that's the new birth, if we are redeemed that's the method that it has to come and so the doctrine can not be numerous.

Now let's go to I Timothy chapter 1 verse 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, now when he left Timothy in charge of the Ephesian church he said Timothy you take this and don't let them teach anything else, he charged them with it, a charge is really and older word that we don't use a great deal anymore but often a Knight in the Kings army would have a charge and they would be given the protection of a certain town or a certain province and that would be their responsibility and if there was a break up in that or if the enemy crept in and took that province and took that town then you know who he came looking for and in the same way Timothy says now Ephesus I want you to take care of it. You don't let them teach anything else and they will that's why there is so many things being taught today as the word of Christ and truth.

Verse 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, the Mormon church that is their religion this is literally how they do it if you can have two paper proofs such as a census and a bible record, like I have a bible record proving who my grandmother was and they would baptize me in her place and she would be redeemed too, even though she has been dead for twenty-five years. He gives us these clues he says you watch these things, and endless genealogies is one of them and I know that sounds bizarre but that is literally what they teach, ......and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 14. the Bible says That we henceforth be no more children, ( immature that's what children are) tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Now I want you to notice a number of things that he gives the Ephesus Church a little bit of warning that number one they would be more mature than they had been he says don't be children you be mature about this thing you be educated about this thing, you be alert to some things, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine so when someone comes up and says you know you have to be baptized to be save you agree and say yes I need to be baptized and then someone else comes along says no what you need to do is to take the Lord's Supper and you will be saved, and you will agree and say yes your right I am going to take the Lord's supper and back and forth and back and forth and that's exactly what was happening to the Ephesus church he says it because you are not mature, how do you get mature, how do you grow, he has already says you are nourished by doctrine you are nourished or developed by Bible teaching you will never do it by sitting in front of the TV, you will never be nourished and developed as a Christian person when all you ever do is spend your time sitting it has to be active sitting, then notice what he says and he gives them a little bit farther warning that this doctrine would come by sleight of men. Now some men do it ignorantly I have no doubt but there is some men that teach erroneous doctrine very very deliberately, there is no way they could have been in that book as long as they say they have and not seen Bible truth, we talked about this Sunday how that men died to get this book printed and you know why, the very ones that wanted to protect their lives is the one that killed those men they didn't want true doctrine to be taught, they didn't want the word of God to be free to anyone and so we see then that that is a very deliberate act, and cunning craftiness means very smart whereby they lay in wait to deceive.

Hebrews 6 and verse 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, he wanted to develop them, he wanted them to be beyond that, the doctrine of Christ is just this that he died for sinners he died to redeem a people to himself the doctrine of Christ is that he is the center of salvation not church membership, not baptism not any of those things but a true experience with Christ that is the doctrine of Christ and if we die and leave this world without a true experience with Christ we will go to hell, that is the doctrine of Christ that he alone is the means of salvation, he said let us go on unto perfection that's not sinless perfection that's maturity, just like he told the Ephesus Church you don't need to be children you need to be mature let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Now what the Jerusalem Church was doing they were adding the law back in and he says don't you relay that foundation Christ is sent you need an experience with Christ you don't need to do the ten do's and don'ts you need an experience with Christ and so he says don't you relay that foundation of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Now he gives four doctrines there that are worthy of study he begins with the doctrine of baptism do you know that doctrine, now the Bible says that when we are born again we are dead to sins and dead works you can't bury somebody until they are dead when they take people at the funeral home they don't bury live people, they are dead and in the same way the people that are dead to sin are the ones that are buried, that is the doctrine of baptism you baptize redeemed people .And then notice he says the laying on of hands now there's two things of the laying on of hands one of them is that is when a presbytery forms to ordain a man into the ministry they lay hands on him and they pray that his life would be blessed and his ministry would go forth, also there is the laying on of hands for praying for somebody, both of those are very true doctrines and he was just saying these are more mature things and you need to get to them. And of the resurrection of the dead, he is talking about the final resurrection of the dead, he was talking about when we would come forth with a glorified body he was talking about the resurrection of the dead of the end times, he is saying you need to know that doctrine, you need to know that there is two separate resurrections, there is a resurrection of the redeemed and there is a resurrection at the end, and of the lost he says you need to know those things. And then lastly he tells of eternal judgment, it goes in line of thought, resurrection of the dead, and then the eternal judgment comes just after he says you need to know those doctrines and this will we do he means get to them if God permit.

Go to II Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1

I charge thee therefore , Paul giving his final signing off to Timothy, I charge thee therefore, again that word charge giving him the responsibility , I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Two separate judgments, two separate sets of people, the quick or the living are judged at the appearing and the dead are judged at the time of the kingdom.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Now I want you to see three uses of doctrine it was to reprove or encourage people, listen time is not going to be long and we are soon going to be in glory with the father, it's to exhort them it's to encourage them and it's to rebuke them when there is sin among the group we are to say: the Bible says we are to be a peculiar people holy and acceptable it's to rebuke, those doctrines are there for those purposes, doctrine should not be a scary word anytime you have a question about a doctrine come to me I will be glad to teach on it.

Lastly he says in verse 3 Now the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; Now Brother Larry why do we have so many different churches today, that time has come, it came very quickly read the first chapter of the book of Romans there was a problem with that group even then and it apostatized and became the Catholic Church and Paul for saw it, he said they are already worshipping images he saw it then he warned them about it he said you've got a problem here, he said there will be a day when they won't endure sound doctrine. Now it is a very wonderful thing to sit back and say I can get saved when I want to, I believe I will be saved tomorrow night but that is not sound doctrine it is a very humbling thing when somebody says you will be saved if God speaks to you, that is sound doctrine, very humbling because it takes the flesh out of it but that is true doctrine and the Bible says there will come a day.,,

I love history and Donna got me three copies of this really good Baptist history book of Tennessee and there was a definite time from 1833 to 1836 that the Tennessee Baptist Association said we will not teach it any more and there was a split right down the middle, you know why because they could not endure it anymore they wanted a salvation that was easy, they wanted a salvation that they could control, they wanted a salvation that they could prompt and do what they pleased but it was not sound doctrine he said there will be a day when they won't endure it they won't listen to it, they won't hear it. Then notice what he says but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. You know one big fable that came from this, ever heard of purgatory, that's a fable, I challenge you look through the Bible and see if you can find it, you won't it is not there it is a fable.

When Jonah was in the Whale's belly he finally realized that Salvation if of the Lord. Jonah 2;9 he knew he was helpless separate and apart from the help of God, that's where we need to be, that's good sound doctrine, that's a salvation that when you get it you will know about, somebody else won't have to tell you that you got it.

One more place and we will see where these things lead in the book of Revelation chapter 2 verse 14--what does God think of false doctrine- The Lord speaking to the church at Pergamos But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, now we could go into a whole long story on the doctrine of Balaam but time won't permit tonight but from my understanding of this you need to get rid of them. The doctrine of Balaam is in this county I'll guarantee you that they have their own temple and there is usually one in just about every community and so he says But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them

that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. He says you have that element there. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which things I hate. So there is a doctrine that the Lord hates, this is the Lord Jesus speaking here he says you have that bunch in your church Pergamos and you won't do a thing about it and plus you have another element that teaching Nicolaitians doctrine he says why won't you do something about it. See that's where it becomes very difficult when it comes down to people we love and say sister I love you but that's not true, becomes a very bitter dose sometimes, people that you care about dearly. I love my mama to death but I have to say Mama you are wrong that is not what the Bible teaches but I believe according to the Bible we are suppose to do that he charged us to do that, he said you take care of that doctrine it's precious it's right it is the thing I have left with my church you take care of it you defend it. We've had people to die for this book and we should be able to stand up for it too, we ought to be able to praise the Lord for it, I'm not ashamed to admit it I am a Baptist to the top of my head to the bottom of my foot. If you can't see it from any other level the Bible says there was a man who was sent from God and he came to prepare a way before the Lord and collect a people to be ready for him and the Bible says his name was John, the Bible says John the Baptist, and Baptist was not his last name he was a Levite, his last name was probably Levi but he was a Baptist because of what he did and what he taught that made him a Baptist. It is a very, very wonderful truth. If there is any doctrine you have ever been questioned about or ever wondered about just ask me, it may take me a little while but I will try to study it out to the best of my ability and we will teach on it, because he said there was a group of doctrines that was correct and a group of doctrines that were not and we need to know what the Bible teaches. Amen!