Sermon Tone Analysis
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We must guard the gospel
We must guard the gospel
Context:
Written by Paul to Timothy (pastor/elder in the church at Ephesus)
Non-Christian Culture
Followers of Jesus have always had to face unique sets of challenges and obstacles in ministering the gospel in their communities
Christians today face their own complex issues
Who would have thought a generation ago that we would have to think through biblically where we stand on cloning?
Or what it means to be male or female?
WE ARE NOT THE FIRST GENERATION TO FACE COMPLEX ISSUES
Like much of Europe and Canada, America is increasingly becoming a post-Christian nation
We must remember that Jesus came, not to make bad people good, but to make dead people live
The Church of Jesus Christ existed before 1776, and if the entire continent of North America were to fall to ocean’s floor, the Church would go on!
So as organized bodies of believers, our primary calling is not to fix America’s problems and return it to the “good ole days”… so what should we focus on?
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Compare to verse 4
Matthew 28
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
Verse 11 speaks of this glorious gospel which was committed to our trust
Verse 3 says that we should teach no doctrine which contradicts or dilutes this doctrine
So a church should focus on these things because an organized body of believers is important because it is the church which presents God’s witness of himself to the world.
It is the church which displays God’s glory.
In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful for saving and transforming sinners.
Clear enough, right?
But consider the context of this church in Ephesus that Timothy is leading...
Mid 60s of the 1st century (20-30 years after Christ’s resurrection)
Ephesus: large, diverse, religiously complex, & flourishing commercially (think any major metropolitan US city)
Temple of Artemis/Diana located there – the cult of Artemis was especially influential
Major commercial/economic influence
“the practice of magic, sorcery, and soothsaying”
This particular pagan cult was a fertility cult in which worship was expressed by sensual and orgiastic immorality – really indescribable in nature.
No Judeo-Christian values present in general society (Not exactly 1950s “Leave it to Beaver”/ “Andy Griffith” America)
While 1st century Ephesus and 2019 American culture would definitely have their distinct looks and feels, there is an incredible amount of relevance this 2000 year old letter has for Harvest Baptist Church today!
So that’s this church… let’s verses 3-4.
Guard the Gospel!
(1:3-11)
Notice Paul’s first instruction to this young pastor was not regarding how to...
preach, pray, witness, behave, dress, or lead a church.
Paul’s first instruction to young Timothy was not how to preach, pray, witness, behave, dress, or lead a church.
His first instruction was this: Guard the gospel!
() Why?
Because those things don’t matter?
No. It’s because if we lose the gospel, we lose everything!
His first instruction was this: Guard the gospel!
Why?
Because those things don’t matter?
No.
If we lose the gospel, we lose everything!
So Paul’s first instruction has to do with guarding against false teaching.
Now, false teachers in Christian churches usually don’t waltz in with blatant heresy that says “Jesus can’t save you” / “Jesus isn’t God” / “You can’t be saved by God’s grace alone”...
No, a Bible-believing church will spit that junk out right away!
So does this mean we don’t have to worry about false teaching because we have the Bible?
NO!
This church was a gospel-preaching, Bible-believing church.
Paul himself spent 3 years – 3 YEARS WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL – they knew the Bible.
This church was a gospel-preaching, Bible-believing church.
Paul himself spent 3 years – 3 YEARS WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL – they knew the Bible.
As vs 7 says, they were teachers of God’s law (the OT) and vs 4 speaks of genealogies – these false teachers were using the Bible and wrongfully dividing the Word of Truth.
This is why we must demand sound preaching that exposits what Scripture is actually saying and leaves out anything that isn’t directly in the text itself.
That is exactly what it means to “rightly divide the Word of Truth”
So we know they were using God’s law… If we are going to guard the gospel, we must first notice how false teachers worked back in Timothy’s church in Ephesus and how they work in 2019.
1.
How not use God’s law
Let’s notice 2 ways we should not use God’s law and then we will look at the consequences of such usage...
We must not add to the law’s demands
We must not add to the law’s demands
We must not add to the law’s demands (vs.
4)
Not legitimate, God-inspired genealogies – This isn’t your excuse to skip over the “begats” in Genesis 😜
Not legitimate, God-inspired genealogies – This isn’t your excuse to skip over the “begats” in Genesis 😜
Not legitimate, God-inspired genealogies – This isn’t your excuse to skip over the “begats” in Genesis 😜
😜
Elders in the church became side-tracked and obsessed with extrabiblical writings, stories & myths about different OT figures (ch.
4:7 – refuse profane and old wives fables, silly myths)
Paul describes the style and motivations of these false teachers within the elders in verses 6, 7: read, then paraphrase – “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”
They did not set out to abandon the gospel doctrine that salvation is by faith alone, but in fact their progressive accretions smothered the gospel.
Paul describes the style and motivations of these false teachers within the elders in verses 6, 7: “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”
They did not set out to abandon the gospel doctrine that salvation is by faith alone, but in fact their progressive accretions smothered the gospel.
One author wrote: These elders in Ephesus aspired to be Christian versions of the rabbis—authoritative interpreters of the deep things of the Old Testament.
In imitation of their rabbinic counterparts they spoke with assured confidence and dogmatism, though they did not know what they were talking about.
The modern preacher’s version of the bluster described here is the marginal note on his preaching manuscript, “Weak point here.
Look confident and pound the pulpit!”
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