A Pillar & Buttress Of The Truth Series

“A PILLAR & BUTTRESS OF THE TRUTH”

1 Tim. 3:14-15

FBCF – 6/6/21

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Hymn #380 in my 1956 edition Baptist Hymnal that I regularly use in my quiet time is “The Church’s One Foundation.” First verse:

“The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;

She is His new creation by Spirit & the Word:

From heav’n He came & sought her to be His holy Bride,

And w/ His own blood He bought her, & for her life He died.”

The Church – For many of us, it’s been a vital part of our lives for as long as we can remember.

- Some of us have the testimony that we’ve been in church since 9 months before we were born.

- Some of us had a drug problem when we were kids – Our parents drug us to church every time the doors were open!

We have sweet memories of pastors & staff members & SS teachers & others who impacted our lives w/ the Gospel & the love of Christ in so many ways. Our lives were deeply imprinted in the Church w/ many of the major spiritual markers in our lives happening in the church.

Some of you started off in the church, but then something happened & you drifted away. Like the 3 pastors who got together for coffee one day & found that all their churches had a bat-infestation problem. "I got so mad," said one, "I took a shotgun & shot at them. All it did was make holes in the ceiling, but the bats were still there." Next pastor, "I tried trapping them alive. Drove 50 miles away & released them, but they beat me back to the church." Last pastor, "I haven't had any more problems," "What did you do?" asked the others, amazed. "I simply baptized & added them to church rolls & I haven't seen them since."

Seriously:

- Maybe you graduated from high school, went off to college, & got out of the habit.

- Someone in the church disappointed you or hurt you. Could have been a pastor or staff member. Or a friend. But the pain drove you away from the church.

- You went through a divorce or other family struggle & felt out of place.

- You got involved in some sinful activities & felt uncomfortable when you came to church, so you just stopped coming. Felt like folks were judging you. Right or wrong, you pulled away.

It happens. And if that’s you, I just want to say that we’re glad you’re here today. This is a good place. It’s a hospital for wounded people, not a country club for well people.

Others of you didn’t grow up in the church. It’s still a new experience for you. You’re still trying to figure out why we do what we do. You still have questions about different aspects of the church.

- Why do we do some of the things we do?

- What’s a deacon? What’s a deacon supposed to do?

- Why should I give my money to the church? What’s it used for?

- Why do we sing the songs we sing?

- Do I have to dress up to come to church?

- Why isn’t the membership of the church more diverse?

- What’s the big deal about baptism?

- What’s the Lord’s Supper all about?

- What’s the invitation at the end of the sermon? Why do that?

These are some of the questions that we are going to try to answer as we start this news series, “How to Do Church.” Whether you’ve been in church your whole life, or you’re still trying to decide if you want to be a part of the church, this series from the NT book of 1 Timothy is for you.

EXPLANATION – 1 Timothy 3:14-15

Quick background on 1 Timothy:

- Written by Apostle Paul to Timothy. Paul was a mentor to Timothy, but more than that, like a spiritual father to him.

o 1 Timothy 1:2

- This letter, along w/ 2 Tim & Titus – pastoral epistles that deal w/ issues related to the church.

- Timothy was a young pastor in Ephesus, & Paul wrote this letter to instruct him & counsel him in the work of the church – basically teaching him how to do church.

o Church organization

o Worship & prayer

o Leadership needs & qualifications

o Doctrinal purity & theology

o Dealing w/ false teachers

o Godliness – Words “godly” & “godliness” are used 8 X in the 3 pastoral epistles. Paul wanted Timothy to know & teach that the true Gospel will always lead to life change & godliness as opposed to worldly false teachings.

Timothy needed to understand the importance of the Church & its place in the lives of Christ-followers. And we need to understand its importance, too.