Doctrine Is Important Series

DOCTRINE IS IMPORTANT

1 Timothy 1:3-5

INTRODUCTION:

A. We live in troublesome times: not just as a nation but as the church

1. People are asking all kinds of questions:

a. Is Jesus the only way to heaven?

b. Are tongues still operable?

c. Are heaven and Hell real places?

d. Is the Church worship meeting necessary?

e. Do I have to tithe?

f. Baptism necessary to salvation? Or Does it matter how one is baptized?

g. Is Jesus coming again?

2. The problem is not the question, but rather the answer which is often given: It doesn’t really matter, just love God and everything else is negotiable.

3. It is as if they think teaching or doctrine is not important.

4. Well, it is.

B. A few years ago, I was at a graduation party for one of our seniors and met up with a former pastor from our association who I had not seen for a while.

1. I asked him where he was, and was surprise to hear where he had gone.

2. I asked him why the change and he said that he had gotten tired of all the issues surrounding doctrine, when it really did not matter any way.

3. And where he was now did not really care about your doctrine, only about loving one another.

4. It surprised me when he pitted one against the other because as we will see, today they are mutually agreeable.

5. Doctrine, the teaching on particular subjects, IS important!

C. One of the reasons Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus was to deal with doctrinal problems – it was also one of the ministerial reasons for his writing this letter to Timothy.

1. Listen to our passage for this morning: 1 Tim. 1:3-5 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, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

2. Our goal for this morning is not to delve into some actual doctrinal issues – we will do that over the course of the next few weeks – but rather to show you and hopefully convince you that what you believe (the doctrines you hold to) are important

3. Whether you can admit it or not, doctrine (what you believe about a subject) permeates every aspect of your life and that includes, most certainly, your spiritual life as well.

4. This morning In an attempt to meet this goal I want to do two things

a. First, I hope to show The Importance of Doctrine

b. Second, we will look at The Charge Concerning Doctrine

5. May God grant us a desire to learn of his teachings and abide by His doctrine.

PRAY

We will begin by trying to establish

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCTRINE

A. Let’s first define the term “doctrine”

1. It has fallen on hard times lately and seems to have become a nasty word.

2. But it is not a bad word at all – the word is translated from the Greek word didaskalia (did-as-kal-ee-ah) and it simply means “teaching” (Of the 21 times this word is used in the N.T. 14 of them are found in 1 & 2 timothy & Titus

3. So when we talk about biblical doctrines was are talking about biblical teachings

4. We (meaning men) have broken down the doctrines (teachings) of the Bible into a number of different areas such as

a. The teachings about God – Theology

b. The teachings about Christ – Christology

c. The teachings about man – Anthropology

d. The teachings about salvation - Soteriology

e. The teachings regarding the church - Ecclesiology

f. The teachings about the future – Eschatology

5. And these teaching are important

a. What you believe about God impacts your whole world view

1) If we believe God is all knowing, all seeing and all powerful then we look at the circumstances of life differently than if we believe He is limited in some way

2) If we believe in a God who is intimately involved in our lives we act differently than if we believe He simply put things in motion and stepped back.

b. What we believe about Christ is important: was he just a man, just God or both?

1) How you answer this question not only impacts your understanding about Christ, but also how you view salvation (the doctrine of Soteriology).

2) And these have eternal implications

c. What you believe about man (anthropology) effects how you think about salvation (Soteriology) and your relationship to God (Theology)