Trustworthy Saying - Part 1

The Saying Is Trustworthy

(1 Tim 4:7-10)

Intro:

A. It was a temptation, not the only and not the greatest. It was a temptation to see how he would do. I am going to tempt you because I don’t believe that in your current situation you will be able to live up to what is professed about you. Here’s the situation:

B. Jesus had lived under the radar of Satan for 30 years. Why, I don’t know. What I know from scripture is that when Jesus was about 30 years old he went to John the Immerser and had him immerse him. At that baptism of Jesus the heavens opened, a dove (the HS) descended upon up Jesus and the Father’s spoke, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” That is what we call the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus. But it was right after that great triune action, that the Spirit of God led Jesus in the flesh, into the wilderness for the purpose of being tested.

C. I assume there was temptation all during those 40 days, but what we have recorded appears at the end of the 40 days. This becomes the best Satan thinks he can do. Knowing that Jesus, who took on flesh so that he could be tempted in all ways like us; know that Jesus was hungry, the tempter pushes Jesus to do something would make sense to most of us. The devil says, “If you are the Son of God, (that’s a part of the temptation is about proof), command these stones to become bread.” Not only would that have been easy for Jesus to do, but it would have met his hunger need. But we are told how Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

D. I want you to hear Jesus. Everything that God has said or had people write down through the guidance of the HS; every single word, will sustain me better than food will sustain the human body. Every word. I need to take hold of scripture so that I have strength when facing temptations.

I. Trustworthy Worthy Saying #1

A. I want to examine two of the five statements that Paul makes to Timothy and Titus. These statements are wrapped in the phrase, “This is a trustworthy saying.” These statements that Paul writes do not indicate that other scriptures are not trustworthy, but he wants to make sure they understand and grasp the importance of what he wrote.

B. I want to highlight these phrases as something for you to take home, chew on, meditate on, study and pray over. I want this sermon to be a beginning of your week in God’s sustaining words, not simply a teaching sermon.

C. Statement #1 – READ 1 Tim. 1:12-17. I absolutely need to hold this statement in my heart. Paul is not writing to tell Timothy that he was a bad person or lived a terrible life. Paul wants Timothy to take hold the truth, the purpose, for which Jesus took on flesh, lived perfectly, went to the cross, rose for grave and ascended to heaven. The truth Paul wants Timothy to hold on to is Jesus came to save sinners. That saying is trustworthy and needs FULL acceptance. Everyone needs to accept this saying from God, Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.

D. Paul accepted this statement so deeply that it caused him to see himself as the worst of all sinners. Not because he carried guilt and self-loathing, but because he wanted Timothy to understand and others to see, that if Jesus can take a sinner like Saul of Tarsus, and create the apostle Paul, think what Jesus can do with you.

E. I know that I need to own my own sinfulness, but I also need to accept and talk hold of grace. I glory in the cross because it was there my sins were dealt with. Jesus Christ came into the world, not to condemn it, but to save sinners. Never loose sight that Jesus wants you to have eternal life.

II. Trustworthy Statement #2

A. Statement #2 – READ 1 Tim. 4:7-8. Paul tells Timothy a few contrasting points and then drives home what Timothy needed to remember as a trustworthy statement.

B. In verse 7, the contrast is what you fill your mind with. Don’t fill your mind with irreverent silly myths, or as some translations put it, “godless myths and old wives tales.” The idea is really one, the myths are ungodly, foolish, just like some old tale that you know is not true.

C. I watch just a enough politics to know that every news outlet has to have fact checkers go over every political speech. What both sides say is that the other side blatantly lies and people are so taken by the person, they believe the lie. Paul tells Timothy, you got to watch what you hear because you will start believing it. Instead of filling your mind with myths, train yourself to be godly. That idea of training brings up the second statement.