First Timothy 4 15 meditate upon
these things Give that self holy to them That that profiting may
appear to all now these things Are the words of faith and good
doctrine as it's expressed in verse 6 words to be believed
Words that must be believed words a faithful saying and worthy
of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners words of faith words to accept faith That Christ is all and what he
did is our salvation That's how it says it in verse 6 words of
faith and of good doctrine good teaching gospel teaching These
things include the truth that salvation is not had by you doing
or not doing anything. That's at the beginning of this
chapter. You abstaining from marriage or abstaining from certain
meats or other things will not make you holy before God. That's
why religious people do those things, to recommend themselves
to God. Supposedly please God that doesn't
please God Christ pleases God He said this is my beloved son
in whom I'm well pleased Christ is the sinners only righteousness
before God. That's what these things is talking
about These things are the mystery of godliness described in chapter
3 verse 16 how that God was manifest in the flesh and and justified
in the spirit. God is a man. God was manifest
a man. A man perfect and holy and sinless,
justified in the spirit. The spirit doesn't miss anything.
Justified in God, in the sight of God as a man, the only one. And that's who gave himself at
Calvary. That's who died for our sins
according to the scriptures. God in flesh justified. And it says meditate upon these
things. You know, the world talks about
meditation. And as I understand it, meditating
to this world is clearing your mind of everything. We're already
empty-headed enough. We don't need to make that any
worse. This is to meditate upon the things of God. It's not clearing
your mind, it's filling your mind with that which matters,
that which is real, that which is of eternal consequence. To
fill your mind with the things of God. Think on these things. There be anything holy and pure
and right And he said, think on things above where Christ
is seated at the right hand of God. Meditate upon who God is. If this book tells us who God
is, and it does, then we need to read it, we need to know it,
we need to hear it, we need to believe it. How he deals with
sinners. He reveals so much to us of who
He is and how He deals with sinners, how He deals with sin. God tells
us what we are, what a sinner is, our desperate case, our helplessness,
our hopelessness, our total depravity before Him.
God tells us of Christ the Lord, from the very beginning, the
Lord Jesus whom he gave a people from the foundation of the world
and how that Christ became surety for those people. We meditate on these things,
how that he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,
but was yet without sin. The only man, what the law couldn't
do because of our flesh, God sent his son to do it. To be
it to be the righteousness human righteousness The only righteousness
there is In which a sinner can stand before God How he became
our righteousness in all that he did All that he did and how
that he died for our sins and according to the scriptures.
Meditate on these things, the mystery of godliness. The fact
that salvation is not what you do or don't do. God tells us that he, the Father,
nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit have ever tried to do anything.
You look at the context of this. This is the sovereign God. He
says, meditate on these things, on this godliness, godlikeness. You remember when we talked about
that? Godliness is godlikeness. It's not godlike to try and fail. It's not godlike to die for everybody
and most people go to hell. That's not godlike. It's not
godlike to love people with an everlasting love and yet let
them go because you don't want to violate their almighty will.
That's not godlike. God-likeness, meditate on that. Meditate on what it is to be
God. My God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. God-likeness, I will have mercy
on whom I will have mercy. That's God-like. That just rings
God-like. I don't care who you are. You're
deliberately denying the Godhood of God. When they knew God, they
refused to glorify him as God, Romans chapter one. That's what
we're talking about. His God-likeness. Meditate on
that. Be that. Act like that. Because that's in this too. We're
gonna see that. This book tells us who he is
in that aspect. The father has mercy on whom
he will have mercy. The son laid down his life for
his sheep and they shall never perish. That's success. That's
victory. That's a champion of salvation.
The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows where he pleases and gives
life to whom he will. That's God-like. Gives spiritual birth to sinners
from above. John chapter three. Meditate
upon how that it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching.
Meditate on what this is that we do here. Meditate on that,
think on that. Think of what God is doing for
us now. What he did for us is paramount. But think about what he's doing
now, where he is now, and how that we're privileged to worship
him. for all that he is and all that
he's done. It pleased God to save them that
believe by these means. Meditate upon rightly dividing
the word of truth with scripture shedding light on scripture,
not my opinion shedding light on anything. And being faithful and steadfast
in the ministry. Meditate on that. Meditate on when you speak you're
speaking for God not So that so that when the when
the gospel goes forth it's God that speaks and not me not you
When you're witnessing for him Colossians 3 1 think about this
if you then be risen with Christ Seek those things which are above
I Quoted this a minute ago, but I want us to turn over there
with me look at this Colossians chapter three. This is key to
our text. Meditate on these things. What things? That's what we're
talking about. Colossians 3.1, if ye then be risen with Christ,
if Christ did what he did for you, if you were In him, when
he died for the sins of his people and rose again for their justification,
if you then be risen with Christ to newness of life, seek those
things which are above. That's what our text is talking
about. Meditate on those things. Seek doesn't mean look around
or try to find some secret code in the scripture. It means strive
for that. Think on that, meditate on that.
Things above, what does that mean? You know, pearly gates
and streets of gold? No, where Christ is sitting on
the right hand of God. Meditate on how that Christ lives
and ever intercedes for his people. By what? On what basis? the precious
blood that he shed for our sins. Meditate on the fact that we
have a high priest in the very heavenlies, in the holy of holies,
not made with hands, who had somewhat to offer to God for
us, where Christ sits on the throne. Well, I love to meditate on that,
don't you? Our Savior sits on the throne The one that gave
himself for us the one that we are one with Paul said we're
seated in the heavenlies in Christ right now We haven't really experienced
that yet dude by faith we we get a glimpse of that Don't be distracted by what's
not real Christ sits on the right hand
of God. Set your affection on things above those things, the
things of Christ, who he is, what he did, why he did it, what
he accomplished, and where he is right now, sitting on the
right hand of God, not on things on the earth. We're involved in things of this
earth. We work jobs and we're involved
in the economy of this world. We have to associate with people
of this world, but our affection is not on the things of this
world. Our mind is not always full of
the things of this world. It cannot be as a believer. We don't care so much about what's
going on in this world. What's God doing? What does God say? What does he say is important?
What does he say is vital? Listen to Philippians 4.8. Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true. Whatsoever things are honest.
There's so much dishonesty in this world. You can't believe
anybody or anything. Believe God. Whatsoever things are just Not
a whole lot of that in this world either. Is there as far as what
men are dishing out? Whatsoever things are pure Whatsoever
things are lovely Whatsoever things are of good report If
there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these
things that That's impossible. I started to say that's so hard
for me to do. I can't do that without grace.
My mind gets bowed up with the foolishness of this world. There's
no peace there. There's no comfort there. Think on these things. Think
on the things of Christ. Think on who he is. Think on
what he did for you. Try to see this world in light of the fact that he
does sit on the throne. Try to see this world in light
of the fact that everything is worked by him for your good,
believer. Everything. You can't do that
now. As sure as I'm sitting here telling
you to do that, you can't do that. unless God is gracious
to you. Those things which you have both
learned and received and heard and seen in me, do. Do them. Live them. Live the
grace of God. Live the gospel. And the God of peace shall be
with you. We're not ever alone. It would be good all by itself
just to know that God's in control of everything. But to know that he's right here
with us, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I
am. And he says to every believer, wherever we go, I will never
leave you. I will never forsake you. Oh,
this world will. The people of this world may.
Some certainly will. But not me, he said. Can a mother abandon her child
that needs her, that feeds from her? The Lord said she might,
but I won't abandon you. She just might. She's that messed
up. We are too. Every one of us,
we're that messed up. He said I'll never forsake you God of peace shall be with you
and see that word do now Those things which you have learned
and received and heard and seen in me do do That word is key
to our text also Don't forget that part of our text in 1 Timothy
4. The word meditate in our text
means to care for, to attend to carefully, to practice, to
practice. You know what the difference
is in being a doer of the word and
not a hearer only? And just being a hearer of the
word, agreeing with it, But not a doer of the word. You don't
live it. You know what the difference
is? Love. Absolutely love. You see it all
through the scripture. Do you know doctrine or do you
love the Lord Jesus Christ? What's tricky about that now
is that you have to know sound doctrine in order to love Christ.
You can't fall in love with somebody you don't know anything about. You can't love somebody you don't
know, but you can sure know somebody you don't love. Knowledge puffeth up. Love buildeth
up. And love does. Love always does. Give yourself, he said also,
to these things so that your profiting may appear to all.
Your progress, that's what it is, progress. Your progress,
your growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ may be apparent, evident, made obvious, made known
to all. You can't fake it and you can't
hide it. Not for long. You can talk a
good game for a while. You can be a hypocrite and some
may fall for it. Maybe for a good while, but you're
gonna be found out. God's not fooled for a second.
You're gonna be found out eventually. And notice the words, so that.
So that your profiting may appear to all. That's what we want.
That's the goal there. So that it, has practical effect,
so that there's an accomplishment, not by you, but by God working
in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure in you,
with you, through you, so that your profiting may be evident.
Faith without works is dead. It's dead. It's not the faith
that God gives. It's not faith that saves. And
faith does save if God says it saves. If he says your faith
saved you, whatever faith he's talking about saves the faith
that he gives. But this is what we want. So
that your profiting, your growth, your progress may appear at all. Not so that everybody will look
at you and say, look how spiritual they are. That's not what it's
talking about. but so that others may profit
too, so that others may grow. That's how we all grow. It behooves
all of you to pray for me that the Lord would profit me because
by that means you will also profit in the things of the Lord. And
that's true now of each of us. I profit from your profiting.
You see what I'm saying? That's the way the Lord does
it. Sow that. Don't miss those words. Sow that
in that verse. And then look at verse 16. Take
heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Now you think about,
that's what he's been saying. Those first two phrases in that
verse right there, 16, take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. That is a summary of everything
we've seen in the book of 1 Timothy so far. Hadn't everything he
said had something to do with, how did he put it? How you ought
to behave yourself in the house of God and the mystery of godliness.
Words of faith and good doctrine. You see what I'm saying? It's
take heed to yourself now and under the doctrine. Everything
that he said so far is that, thyself and the doctrine. Look
how these two verses also sum that up. I want us to look at
a couple of verses that are also in 1 Timothy here. Look at 1
Timothy 3.14. This is all of it right here. Bible doesn't say a lot of things,
it says the same thing, a lot of ways. Look at it, 1 Timothy
3.14. These things write I unto you,
hoping to come unto you shortly, but if I tarry long, that thou
mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house
of God. Take heed to yourself. It's not
about pleasing God. It's not about your righteousness
before God. Christ is all of our righteousness
before God. It's about honoring the one that
saved you by his grace. It's about worshiping him. That's
what this is. Take heed to yourselves. If you be in the faith, whether
you be in the faith, not whether you measure up to God's standard
of righteousness, we already know we don't. Whether you be
in the faith, Paul said in another place. Examine yourselves whether you
believe on Christ or not. All of this is vain unless you
believe on him. Which is the church of the living
God and the pillar and ground of the truth. It's about how you behave yourself
in the house of God. But of course, if we're hypocrites,
we're hypocrites. We don't know God at all if we
behave ourself in the house of God one way and in the world
another way. But the reason it says house
of God is because this is the pillar and ground of truth. It's
not about us and our righteousness. It's about the gospel of Christ.
It's about him. It's about his message going
forth in the right way. It matters how we behave ourselves
in the house of God, because it's the house of God. It's the
gospel of life. Seeing that we have such hope,
we behave ourselves a certain way by God's grace. We pray for
it constantly. And then the next verse, okay? Take heed of thyself into what?
And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, and received up into glory. Take heed to yourself and what's
next? Christ, God manifest in the flesh. God justified in the
spirit as a man. God seen of angels. God preached
under the Gentiles. God believed on, received up
into glory. And then he says this, continue
in them. Continue in them. Take heed unto
thyself and unto the doctrine and continue in them. This is
usually where the hypocrites and the true servants of God
are separated and discovered in the continuing. Paul said,
they went from us, that it might be made manifest that they were
not of us. And that manifests itself in
a lot of ways. It's not just about somebody,
you know, doesn't come to church anymore here. It's not just about
that. It's not about leaving this church,
but leaving God, leaving Christ, continuing them, truly serving
the Lord and not self. We progress in grace and knowledge. That's what we mean by take heed
to yourself. Progression in grace and in the
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his grace that happens. But what and who we know, that doesn't change. Does not
progress We don't progress in the doctrine We continue in the doctrine I Believe that the tragedy of
my lifetime in God's true church Is this right here Instead of
just continuing in sound doctrine People love to figure out something
new, don't they? Something new. They studied so
much they got smarter than God. Or just being lazy and not really
studying the word of God at all may have given birth to this.
It's something new. All of a sudden, after worshiping
the Lord for decades without even hearing about some things,
all of a sudden it's the most important thing in the Bible. So much so that brethren separate
and people are confused. I start hearing about something
I've never heard before. And now all of a sudden that's
the one thing, you know, whatever it is, it's different things
sometimes. To me, it's not. God's grace
Christ is everything But listen to me now this morning
when people start progressing beyond the clear plain undeniable
consistent word of God the result will always be That what they're
saying will be unclear It'll be confusing And it'll be a point
of contention and strife about words rather than worship and
unity in Christ. Mark it down. It's the tragedy
of our lifetimes in God's true church, as far as I know. And then he said this, you'll
save yourself. Remember when that other verse,
the scripture, save yourselves from this, Perverse and untoward
generation save yourselves and them that hear you What could possibly be more solemn
than the prospect of saving Those that hear me In the sense that the Word of
God says that it does say that but This is why we preach. This is
why we take heed to ourselves. This is why we wanna be, by God's
grace, doers of the word. This is why we want God to work
in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure, not mine. This is why, right here, because
it's life or death. It's life or death. As I stand
here before you this morning, it's eternal life or death. That's
what's impressed upon us here. The stakes are infinitely high. Any other doctrine than that
which we preach is accursed. But though we, Paul
wrote to the Galatians, or an angel from heaven preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. in taking heed to sound doctrine,
and in God not allowing you to be such a outward wretch that
nobody will listen to you, you'll save yourself and those
that hear you when the gospel is preached. We know who saves sinners who
alone save sinners God Christ saves sinners This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. I Just happen to be the worst
one They also call his name Jesus
for he shall save Not me But in this sense, think about what
this says now. Since it doesn't say that, it's
important to think about what it does say. This verse does
remind us of the means that God uses to save sinners. Think with
me, this is not complicated. You might read that and say,
us saving people? That's wrong. If God said it,
how can you say that? Find out what it says. but worrying
so much about what it doesn't say, except that we need to know
what it doesn't say. But you knew that before I ever
told you that. You knew that God is the Savior.
He's a just God and a Savior. But listen, it's by this sound
doctrine, it's by the preaching of Christ, again, by somebody
that lives it, because you're not gonna hear anybody else.
You're not gonna hear it at all. God had to do something for his
disciples so that people would hear him. That's the take heed to yourself
part. It's for the sake of him, not ourselves. But it's by this sound doctrine,
the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, the gospel of God's
free and sovereign grace in Christ, that God saves sinners. And this
is like saying, the sunshine makes the flowers grow. When
I say that, you know it's God that makes the flowers grow. But I'll tell you this, you can
argue with me, you can say what I said ain't right, You can say
God makes the flowers grow. The sunshine doesn't make the
flowers grow. And then go put your flowers
in a dark room and see what happens. That's our text. The sunshine
makes the flowers grow. It really does. God gave the
sunshine and he gave the seed and he waters it and he makes
it grow. but that's how he does it. He
shines his light like this, like this right here, like what we're
doing right now. That's how he shines his light.
That's the rain that comes down from heaven, he said. Isaiah
55, 10 and 11, you look at that later. I know this is a good
illustration of our text because God used it in Isaiah 55 verses
10 and 11. Neglect the means that God has
ordained, sunshine, water, good soil, and so on, and you'll regret
it. Romans 10, 13 through 15. How are they gonna hear without
a preacher? You know how that passage starts
out? Salvation. whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be, what? Saved. But how are they gonna
call on him whom they've never heard about? Whom they've not believed in
and how are they gonna believe on Christ without hearing about
him? And how are they gonna hear without
a preacher? And how in the world is a wretched sinner gonna come
up with this unless God sends him? Wow, you talk about a miracle. It's a miracle of God's grace
that anybody ever hears the gospel and believes on the Son of God. Timothy, unless you continue
in the doctrine of Christ and conduct yourself in such a way
that the word of God can be heard, How are the people you preach
to gonna be saved? Is that a fair question based
on what we just read in Romans chapter 10? Saved. Those who call should
be saved. God. Traces the means for that salvation
of a sinner back to God's into a preacher And that's anybody
who heralds the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Philip sat
in a chariot And that old eunuch was saved
that day Because he turned to the same passage of scripture
that that man was reading and preached unto him Jesus and Jehovah
Savior I Just want to close by saying
thank God for this Thank God for you sir nobody
from nowhere to bring the gospel in this place God has arranged it so that the
excellency is of God and not of man. Thank God for that And my prayer is that the universal
and resounding commentary upon this ministry is now and always
will be, our Savior is a mighty Savior. And all together, lovely.