The Purpose of the Commandment

With that, would you stand with me and let's open our Bibles to the book of 1st Timothy? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. 1st Timothy is near the end of your Bible, right after 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and right before 2nd Timothy. So, if you turn to the last book and just turn to the left, you will find 1st Timothy.

We're in chapter 1, and we'll pick it up at verse 1. Again, 1st Timothy chapter 1, verse 1. There we read: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, to Timothy, a true son in the faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord."

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith.

Now, the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, which some, having strayed from, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law was not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless, the insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there

And convicting, Lord, that's not a bad thing; it's a good thing. Because in that conviction, we're drawn to the place of confession. When we bring our sin to You, confessing it, You are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. As we saw in that passage of Scripture, there is a list of things that are contrary to Your nature and to Your law. There are some here today, maybe many, who can identify themselves with their past lives in some of those things.

God, thank You for Your great, glorious gospel. Thank You for Your forgiving grace. Lord, we are so grateful that You have made us Your people by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We praise You, Jesus. Speak to us today; teach us, we ask this in Jesus' name. And all those who agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Many of you know that my wife is a nurse in the intensive care unit of a local hospital. Recently, she showed me a video of something that has now become quite a national news story. Many of you have probably seen it: a nurse in Utah being arrested by a police officer because she was upholding the hospital's policy and really upholding the law. The police department in Salt Lake has come under a lot of scrutiny, specifically that officer and this nurse.

Her name is Alex Wubbels, and she has been lifted up as a champion of people's rights. She was falsely arrested and, for a very short time, falsely imprisoned in the cop car. It came out that she was really a defender of that individual patient's rights when the police officer was trying to take blood from an unconscious individual and he was not following the law, but she was.

Those who have seen that video—probably many of you, because it's been on the nightly news a number of times—feel infuriated and really bothered by it. Each of us has a sense of morality, of right and wrong, and a deep sense of justice. When we see someone using the justice system in an unjust way or using their position in an unjust way, it makes us angry. Because that's true, all of us can find some agreement with the word of the Apostle Paul here in verse 8, where he says, "We know that the law is good if one uses it."

Lawfully, the law is good if one uses it lawfully. In watching the footage from the incident in Utah, most instantly felt that the law was not being used properly; it was not being used in the right way. We say that is wrong and unjust.

As an aside to this, the whole discussion of something being right or wrong, being just or unjust, is a topic that evolutionary theory cannot answer. There is a deep sense within every single human being of right and wrong. If you're interested in that whole topic, I highly recommend C.S. Lewis's great book, Mere Christianity. It is a really good read on this topic, discussing the internal moral law that we possess. Evolutionary science cannot explain where this moral sense comes from.

There have been recent studies and books attempting to argue that every animal has a moral organ, if you will. However, a recent article in Psychology Today stated that this is simply not true. The behaviors we observe in animals do not align with what we see in humans regarding morality. Every single human being, from birth, has the capacity for moral judgment—a strong capacity for moral judgment. It does not take long for that capacity to begin making moral judgments and assessments.

I have four children, and I am observing this ongoing experiment of parenting every single day. They range in age from eight down to four, and hardly a day goes by in my house without hearing the words "it's not fair" from one of them, even from the four-year-old. It starts so quickly that we begin to make moral assessments about what is right and what is wrong.

There are things happening in society that lead us to say the law is good if one uses it lawfully and in the right way. In the opening words of First Timothy, which we will explore this week and next, Paul is advocating for a right application of the law. He is pushing for a proper use of the law. Why is he doing that? Well, because during his time in Rome, Paul the Apostle had been arrested for preaching the gospel, and there were people who had a hard time with what he had to say. As a result, he had been extradited to Rome to stand trial.

Paul was awaiting trial before the highest court in the land because he had appealed as a Roman citizen to the Supreme Court. He was under house arrest in Rome, and at some point, he was released. After being released, he returned to the areas where he had previously planted churches. He went back to what we know as modern-day Turkey, specifically to a city called Ephesus.

In Ephesus, a young man named Timothy, who was in his early thirties at the time, was with Paul. When they arrived in Ephesus, Timothy observed that the church Paul had pastored, planted, and served at for several years was facing numerous problems, issues, and conflicts. This is not unusual; if you have been around church for any length of time, you know that there are often problems and conflicts. In fact, you may have come to this church because you were leaving another church that had its own set of issues. You might have thought you finally found a perfect church, but that is not the case. There are always problems and conflicts because there are people involved. People make up churches, and people have their own problems and issues.

Paul recognized the problems and conflicts at the church in Ephesus, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay there long. He was on his way to visit another church across the Aegean Sea in modern-day Europe, called Macedonia. He probably intended to return to the church at Philippi. As he was preparing to leave, he told Timothy, "I want you to stay here in this place because I want you to help set things in order in this church."

In 1 Timothy 1:3, Paul says, "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia." While Paul was in Ephesus with Timothy, he urged, begged, and pleaded with him to remain in Ephesus. He wanted Timothy to charge some individuals not to teach any other doctrine or give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith. This is a role, if not the primary role, of a pastor. Paul was encouraging Timothy to take on the responsibility of being the pastor of that church and to ensure that sound doctrine was taught.

On your outline, pastors lead and teach in right doctrine and defend against wrong doctrine. I feel I can say this after having done this now, by God's grace, for almost 19 years. I have had the privilege of being a pastor, leading and teaching in right doctrine, and trying to defend against wrong doctrine. I can say that this is not always easy work.

The issue of leading and teaching in right doctrine involves instructing people in what is right and what is wrong, and saying, "Walk in this which is right." Since none of us like to receive instruction very well, it can be very difficult. You can find that you're in conflict. As you read through First Timothy and Second Timothy, both letters written by Paul to Timothy, you can read between the lines and see that Timothy was not excited about that conflict. There was a little bit of fear and a little bit of timidity as Paul was pleading with him. Paul said, "I want you to stay here in Ephesus, and I want you to charge them that they teach no other doctrine." I can almost hear Timothy saying, "Yeah, I think I want to do that, Paul."

God was calling him to it, and Paul was affirming that call. Timothy was a little concerned about that call, and rightly so, because he knew it was going to be a difficult thing. When Paul says, "I want you to charge some that they teach no other doctrine," the word "charge" is a military term, commanding someone and giving strict orders to do or not do something. Here was Timothy, in his early 30s, and in that culture, it was especially the case that the younger would have a much harder time telling an older person what they could or could not do.

Timothy was a little concerned about that, and Paul was saying, "Listen, you're going to be the commanding officer." There is a clear hierarchy in the church, even in this verse, where you are to charge some that they teach no other doctrine. We will see this more when we get to First Timothy chapter 3 and talk about churches, elders, deacons, and the body of Christ. In this hierarchy, Timothy is left as the commanding officer, and he is being told to charge them, to strictly tell them, and to give strict orders.

Paul is urging Timothy to stick it out and stay in Ephesus. This section of Scripture, which includes First and Second Timothy and Titus, is referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. "Epistles" is just an old word for "letters," and this section is often simply called the Pastoral because it was written to two individuals who were pastoring churches—one in a city called Ephesus and another on an island called Crete.

In these letters, there are instructions for pastors and leaders within churches, which is why they are called the Pastoral Epistles. The idea of doctrine comes up more in First and Second Timothy and Titus than in any other place in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. In the New Testament, the word translated as "doctrine" is found 19 times, and 15 of those occurrences are in the Pastoral Epistles. Eight of those are found right here in First Timothy, making this entire letter about sound doctrine.

Paul urged Timothy, when he was on his way to Macedonia, to stay in Ephesus and charge some individuals not to teach any other doctrine. This instruction is in response to the conflict that Paul and Timothy observed in the city of Ephesus around 64 AD. They returned to the church they had planted and pastored, only to find numerous issues and problems within it. Paul tells Timothy that he is going to stay there and ensure that things are set in order, specifically that they teach no other doctrine. The term "other doctrine" refers to heterodox doctrine, which is anything that goes against orthodoxy.

Paul continues by instructing Timothy not only to prevent the teaching of other doctrine but also to avoid giving heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith. I appreciate how some other English translations amplify this. The New International Version states that they should not devote themselves to myths or endless genealogies, as such things promote controversial speculation rather than advancing God's work, which is by faith. The New Living Translation puts it this way: "Don't let them waste their time in endless discussions of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God."

So, Paul says to Timothy, "I don't want the..."

The church in Ephesus was wrapped up in fables, myths, endless genealogies, and spiritual pedigrees. There is little agreement among Bible teachers and commentators regarding the exact nature of the problem in the city of Ephesus. We can use our imaginations and speculate about what the problem was, and we would probably arrive at some accurate conclusions. Most of the time, the problems that churches face are very similar in nature. They might occur in different places and at different times, but the issues are often alike. Therefore, I would not be surprised if the issues that the church at Ephesus faced were similar to those that the church at Corinth encountered.

If you want to see what those issues were, you can read through 1st and 2nd Corinthians in the Bible, where you will find some of the problems that arose. The specific nature of the problem is not really the issue; rather, the outcome of the problem is what matters. The outcome is very clear. The text states that such things promote controversial speculations and lead to meaningless disputes.

Of course, such things aren't happening today, right? We have done away with all those sorts of problems in the church, haven't we? Unfortunately, that is not the case. So, what would a myth or speculation that causes disputes look like in our day? One example that you may have heard recently is the claim that next Saturday, September 23rd, is a significant date prophetically. Some are saying that this date is really important.

Certain YouTube videos are claiming that next Saturday, in the constellation Virgo, the Sun will be in Virgo, and the Moon will be at Virgo's feet. There will be a series of planets and stars in alignment at her head, most specifically Venus, Mars, and Mercury, along with the star Regulus. This alignment is being touted as prophetically significant, suggesting that something very big is going to happen next week, specifically on Saturday, September 23rd. This claim is based on Revelation chapter 12, verse 1, which states, "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars."

Stars and then being with child, she cried out in labor pain and gave birth. This must mean that because this is happening, there’s a really big prophetic event happening next Saturday. Probably the rapture of the church is going to happen next Saturday; that’s what the YouTube videos are saying. Now, just so you know, I plan on being here next Sunday, so I’ll see you there, hopefully.

These are the kind of things that can get into the church and become the focus of the church, causing controversial speculations and disputes. They stop the work of the church and hinder the purpose and plan that God has for His church. They break down godly edification, do not advance the kingdom of God, and do not accord with sound biblical interpretive methods.

So, point number two on your outline: don’t be jammed up by junk doctrine. It’s really simple and really important. This is not new to the church. In fact, Jesus’s first disciples, just moments before He ascended into heaven, asked a significant question. It’s recorded in Acts chapter 1. Jesus’s core disciples—Peter, James, John, Bartholomew, Thomas—were there with Jesus on the Mount of Olives. As Jesus was about to rise up off the ground and ascend into heaven, the number one question they wanted to know was, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom? Will you establish your kingdom?”

Jesus said to them, “Listen, guys, it’s not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.”

The church, throughout the ages, from the very earliest days until now, has had to be reminded on a regular basis by Jesus what our purpose is. He said, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” That’s our purpose: to go and preach the gospel to every creature, to make followers of Jesus. Yet, we so easily get distracted by meaningless disputes and controversial speculations.

Things that do not produce godly edification can lead us to be careful not to be jammed up by junk doctrine. This brings up a really important question: how do we know? How do we discern if it's junk or not?

First, notice what the point of sound doctrinal teaching is. Paul says it right there: "I urged you when I went into Macedonia to remain in Ephesus, that you charge some that they teach no other doctrine nor give heed to fables or endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith." Proper teaching of proper doctrine brings faith and the building up of the church. Godly edification is the end goal; that we would be established in the faith, as Colossians chapter 2, verses 6 and 7 say.

Paul continues in verse 5: "Now the purpose of the commandment," or another way to read it is "the purpose of the preaching of the Scriptures," is love. Would you underline that simple word? The purpose of the commandment is love. There is a certain quality to this love; there is a qualitative statement here. It is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. Some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

The purpose of the commandment is love. The point of what we do when we gather here and give forth the Scriptures from this pulpit is that we would grow—chiefly in our love for one another and for those who are outside. We would grow in our demonstration of love, which makes sense. It is fitting because love is the fruit of the Spirit.

What is the fruit of the Spirit? In Galatians, another book written by Paul, chapter 5 states that the fruit of the Spirit is love. Singularly, the fruit is love, and from that follow joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and so forth. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence that God's Spirit is in you. If you are a Christian today, the Spirit of God dwells in you; we are the temple of God.

The Holy Spirit and the chief evidence that God is in you is love. Love for each other, love for those that are outside, and love for God. That is the chief evidence that God dwells in us because God is love, and His love should be manifested in us. This should be something that is growing in us. If we do not have love, then Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, which has been called the love chapter, that if we have not loved, we are nothing.

We can understand all mysteries, we can speak with tongues, we can be all into spiritual gifts, we can understand prophecy, and we can be a really giving group of people. We can even give our lives, our bodies, to be burned, and yet if we have not loved, it profits us nothing. He ends that section in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 13, saying, "Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." This means that the doctrine of Christ, the commandment of the Scriptures properly taught, should produce a growing quality of love within the believer and within the church.

Point number three: love is the product of proper doctrine. This should be obvious to us because love is the summation of the Scriptures; love is the summation of the law. Jesus, in a section of Scripture called the Sermon on the Mount, speaks on this in Matthew chapter 22, verse 35. It says there, "Then a lawyer came and said to Him, testing Him, 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?'"

Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The law and the prophets is what we generally refer to as the Old Testament, the first two-thirds of the Bible. On these two commandments—love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself—all of that hangs upon love.

In the New Testament, Paul writes in Galatians chapter 5 that "for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." In his letter to the Romans, Paul reiterates this in Romans chapter 13, stating that "he who loves another has fulfilled the law." He quotes the same passage that Jesus did, emphasizing the command to love your neighbor as yourself. In verse 10 of Romans chapter 13, he adds, "Love does no harm to his neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law."

As good as it sounds that the product of proper doctrine is love, there is a misunderstanding among many people in our culture today about what love truly is. What exactly is love? There are many different ideas and definitions, and people often have varying thoughts on what love reveals. To provide more understanding, Paul gives us some qualifiers about what this love should look like within the church. The product of proper doctrine is this kind of love, and the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart.

The first thing Paul mentions is love from a pure heart. If we explore the concept of a pure heart through the Scriptures, we find that a pure heart is only that which comes by faith in Jesus Christ. By faith, our hearts are purified. We read in Acts chapter 15 that it is God's grace and our trust in Him that brings about a purified heart. This means that those who do not know Christ do not have a pure heart, and those without a pure heart cannot love in the way that God has called us to love, which is the most perfect form of God's love.

It is important to note that a person who is not a Christian, who has not been transformed by the grace of God and has not been given a new heart, cannot love in the way that God has designed. They cannot love with the most perfect form of love. This does not mean that non-Christians cannot experience and display forms of love; they certainly can. However, they cannot do so in its most perfect form, nor in the way that God desires. Only when one becomes a Christian can they truly experience and express this perfect love.

Love in a proper way is rooted in the doctrine and teaching that leads us to the fullest expression of that love. Just as sex apart from marriage can be experienced by people but not in its most perfect form, love outside of Christ is not the perfect expression of it. God designed sex to be experienced only within the confines of marriage, which is the context in which it is most perfect.

In the same way, preaching and teaching the Scriptures should bring forth love, and it must come from a pure heart. However, it is not only from a pure heart; it is also love from a good conscience. The fullest and most perfect form of love is one that is given and received from a good conscience.

What is a good conscience? It is a conscience that has been cleared from guilt, fear, and shame. The only way to achieve this is by receiving the grace and forgiveness of God. All sin is ultimately against God, and since every person in this world is under sin, we all experience a sense of guilt, shame, and fear. We feel guilt and shame because we have transgressed the internal moral law that God has given us, and we fear the potential judgment that may follow.

When you become a Christian and receive the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, that guilt, fear, and shame dissipate. With their removal, you can love in the most perfect form. First John chapter 4, verse 18 states, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." You cannot perfectly love someone while still harboring guilt, fear, and shame, which can only be dealt with through the cross of Christ.

The proper preaching of good doctrine brings an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which offers forgiveness and release from guilt, shame, and fear.

The preaching of Christ brings us into a love that is from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. The King James Version refers to this as "faith unfeigned," meaning faith without hypocrisy. Genuine faith, which is not hypocritical, is only found in Christ. It brings an uncritical love, and doctrine that is properly taught and preached should lead to an uncritical faith that flows from a pure, good, and sincere heart and mind.

If the end goal of good, solid doctrinal preaching is to produce this kind of love—love from a pure heart, love from a good conscience, and love from sincere faith—then we have a barometer, an indicator of whether or not what is being taught is sound. If a church is preaching, or I might even say if they are peddling fables, myths, endless genealogies, and spiritual pedigrees, then it will produce and promote controversial speculations and meaningless disputes.

We have a gauge to assess the situation. We can observe the people attending a church and ask, "What is the product of what is taking place in that church?" If the product is meaningless disputes, endless speculations, and all kinds of arguments, then we can challenge whether there is good, solid teaching coming from that place. However, if a church is preaching and teaching sound doctrine, it will result in the growth of pure, sincere, and good love from a heart and from a conscience that have been transformed by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Point number four: sound doctrine promotes genuine faith, cleanses the conscience, and purifies the heart, producing love. Sound doctrine promotes genuine faith and cleanses the conscience.

And purifies the heart, producing love. King David had it right when he wrote thousands of years ago, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:7-11).

Why do we, week after week, gather together and open the Scriptures, preaching and teaching from the Scriptures verse by verse and chapter by chapter? Because we believe that the law of the Lord converts the soul. It makes wise the simple, opens blinded eyes, and transforms us into a people that love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. We believe that God's Word transforms us, and so did Paul. That's why he would write to Timothy in the book of First Timothy, chapter 4, verse 13, saying, "Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."

This is also why he would write to Timothy in his second letter, Second Timothy, chapter 4, saying, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Immediately after he gives him that exhortation in Second Timothy 4:2 to preach the word and to continue giving forth doctrine, he says, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because of their itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. They will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables."

So then Paul says this back to our text in First Timothy, chapter 1, verse 6: "From which, from sound doctrine, some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk." The "some" in verse 6 is the same "some" in verse 3 that Timothy was told to tell them to preach no other doctrine.

Some have turned aside, desiring to be teachers. In verse 7 of the law, it states that they understand neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. They haven't left the church; they're still there. They have a desire to be teachers of the Scriptures, which is a really good desire. In fact, when we get later on in chapter 3 of 1st Timothy, we see that there are some who desire the office of an elder. They desire a good thing.

These people who desire to be teachers have the right desire and are in the right place, but they are not there in the right way. The New Living Translation says they want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they do not know what they're talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

If you ever take New Testament Greek, the first thing you will learn on the first day of Greek class is the alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and the whole thing. Not only will you learn the alphabet, but you will also learn all the sounds associated with each of those consonants and vowels. You will learn what's called diphthongs, where you take two different vowels and put them together, along with the different sounds that they make. By the end of the first day of class, if you've got the alphabet, the vowels, and the diphthongs, you can read Greek. You can amaze all your friends by opening a Greek New Testament and reading the words on the page. However, you won't understand a word you're saying.

It's like this: last summer, we went on a family vacation up in Oregon. My brother-in-law wanted to play golf, so we were getting ready to go. My oldest son, who is eight, wanted to go play golf too. We took him to the golf course for the first time. He had been playing a few seasons of baseball, and if you've ever played golf and baseball, you know the swings are completely different.

We got out on the course, and on hole number one, he was really excited with a golf club in his hand. He started swinging it, ready to go. I said, "Hey, listen here, batter, this ain't baseball. Can I give you a few tips?" He replied, "No, no, Dad, I got this. I got this." It was like watching him step up, swinging and missing, swinging and missing—strike two, working on strike three. For the first nine holes, I asked, "Can I help you with this?" but he insisted, "No, no, no, I got this." He had just enough knowledge about a swing to be confident, but not quite enough to actually succeed.

Dangerous, but it was all that dangerous. I mean, I know just enough about electricity and wiring things to be dangerous—like really dangerous. These guys, they knew some things; they knew about some things, but they did not understand the reality of those things. They spoke with confidence, with boldness. My son might be the most confident person I've ever met in my entire life. He is confident about everything that he does, with all the effort in the world, and he's convinced he knows exactly what he's doing. It's great to watch because he's got way more confidence than I did in third grade.

However, it's like confidence that doesn't have much yet to support it. I'm glad he's bold and confident, but it's not entirely a hundred percent. These guys are what are called in Chapter Three novices. Not bad; they just need to grow.

He says you're there to charge them, that they teach no other doctrine. Listen, never forget point number five: good talkers are not necessarily good teachers. There are a lot of people who can give a hell of a talk, and there have been a lot of people in places called churches that have given a hell of a talk, leading many people straight to hell. They might have big white smiles, and they might be on TV. I'm not talking about anybody specific, but this is important. Sorry, I couldn't help myself; this is important.

Now, turn in your Bibles to Matthew Chapter 7. I was thinking I was going to lead; I was ahead of myself. Write to about the middle of your Bible, turn right, and you'll find the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew Chapter 7 is a portion of Scripture called the Sermon on the Mount, and this is how Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount.

Look at what He says in verse 15: "Beware of false prophets, false teachers." How do we beware? How will we know if they're teaching right? They come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Oh my goodness, they look like just anybody else. How will we know? You will know them by their fruit: endless genealogies, speculations, and...

Disputes or love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, a good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them. We need to make sure that we know them.

Why? Look at these; these are some of the most striking, maybe fear-inducing verses in the whole Bible. Not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and done many wondrous works in your name?" And I will declare to them, "Depart from me, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness." This is not some little thing to be trifled with. The teaching of sound doctrine has eternal consequences.

There are people who go to places called churches, and all they're getting is endless genealogies and disputes and all these sorts of things. On the day that they stand before Christ, they are in crisis because they knew some things, but they didn't know Him. That's challenging, and that's why we take this so seriously. That's why Paul left poor Timothy in Ephesus and said, "Charge them strictly; warn them that they teach no other doctrine."

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father, we thank you for your grace. We thank you for your word and what you've given to us from the Scriptures. We pray, God, that you would enable myself and the other leaders, our elders and pastors here at this church, to always be those who are endeavoring to do the work of rightly dividing the word of truth, that we may properly give forth sound doctrine. Lord, help us to have the boldness by your Spirit to warn those, to charge those who are out of the way, who are giving forth that which may sound good and tickle ears, but does not produce life. God, help us to be those who are strong enough to warn them.

God, would You open our hearts to sound doctrine that would come into our lives and produce love—love for one another, love for a lost and dying world. That would be the evidence that we are Your followers, just as You said to Your disciples: they shall know that you are My disciples for the love that you have one for another.

God, do that work in us. Transform us by Your grace. We thank You for the work that You are doing, and we look forward to the greater things that You are going to do. Help us to stay on course. We praise You, Jesus.

And now, to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be glory and honor and praise from our lives, from this time forth.