Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. The Apostle Paul told Timothy
to preach the Word. And we as preachers are commanded
to tell people what this word says and then have everyone turn
there and read it for themselves. See it with their own two eyes.
This morning, I want to preach the word. I want us to look at
many scriptures throughout this message. So I encourage you,
if you have a Bible handy, Open it with me to John 17 and let's
look at these things together. John chapter 17 verse three says,
and this is life eternal that they might know correct doctrine. Now, if you
have your Bible open, you'll see with your own two eyes that
I didn't read that correctly. That's not what it says. And
this is life eternal, that they might know how to live correctly. That's not what it says. Here's
what it says. This is life eternal. that they might know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. That is
life eternal. Paul said that I may know Him. You know, a person can know a
lot of things. A lot of things, a lot of religious things, a
lot of moral things. But Paul said that I may know
him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.
What does it mean to truly know him? You know, I know the president. I know who he is. I've seen him
on TV. I know what he looks like. I've
heard what he said. I can quote him and I acknowledge
that he is my president. But if I walk up to the front
doors of the white house, are they going to let me in? Now, if the first lady walks
up to the front doors, are they going to let her in? I know him. She knows him. What's the difference? She has a personal relationship
with Him. Paul said, Oh, that I may know
Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Now listen to this question.
Can a person know how God saves sinners? and not be a saved center. Can a person know how God saves
centers and not be a saved center? My mother had cancer years ago
and the Lord chose to take her through that cancer. My mother
was a nurse. And she fully understood the
method and the procedures that needed to be undertaken for her
to be healed of her cancer. She understood every bit of that.
Was she healed? No. What's my point? Doctrine cannot save anybody. Jesus Christ is our salvation. Doctrine cannot save anybody. Jesus Christ is our salvation. Somebody's going to say, well,
you can't separate the two. And I agree. We're going to see
that in the word, but it is Christ. who leads men and women to correct
doctrine. And it is not correct doctrine
that leads men and women to Christ. All right, now let's look at
this. What is doctrine? What do the scriptures say about
doctrine? Well, the definition of the word
doctrine is something received. It's something heard. It's an
announcement, instruction, and learning. That's what the word
means. Something received, something heard, an announcement, instruction,
learning. Now knowing that, let's see what
the word has to say about doctrine. If you have your Bible open,
turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 32. We're going to look at the
first two verses together. Deuteronomy 32 verse 1 says,
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak. And hear, O earth, the
words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the
rain. My speech shall distill as the
dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers
upon the grass. His words. Correct doctrine is
the words of Christ himself. Not what I think about the words
of Christ himself. It's not man's doctrine. It's
the doctrine of Christ. The words of the savior himself
as he speaks them into your ear and into my ear is correct doctrine. It's a correct hearing. It's
the correct announcement. Now let's turn over to Proverbs
chapter four. Proverbs chapter 4, and again
we're going to look at the first two verses. It says, Hear ye
children the instruction of a father, and attend to no understanding. For I give you good doctrine,
forsake ye not my law. Hear ye children the instruction
of a father, You know, a person says, well, I got my doctrine,
right? Or he's got his doctrine, right? He's got his thinking
straight. Well, if it's my doctrine, then it's all wrong. If it's
my doctrine, it's all wrong because the Lord God said, my thoughts
are not your thoughts. The all important question for
me is this. Have I heard the voice of Jesus
Christ? Let me ask you this. How much theology did that thief
on the cross really know? How much theology did the thief
on the cross really know? Turn with me over to Matthew
chapter 7, and let's read verses 24 to 29. Matthew 7, 24 says, Therefore, whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a
wise man which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And
every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,
not shall be likened unto a foolish man which build his house upon
the sand. And the rain descended, and the
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and
it fell, and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when
Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at
his doctrine. For he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes. What that means is they heard
the voice of experience and they didn't just hear about the experience. They heard Christ. They didn't just hear about Christ.
Now these scriptures, they were written by men who were moved
by the Holy Spirit. They were moved. With personal
conviction, when Isaiah said, woe is me, he felt that he meant
that. And the scribes were men who
just copied the scriptures over so that we would still have them
today. They just copied over secondhand
information. And it says here that he taught
them as one having authority, not as the scribes. Our Lord
illustrated that fact in Matthew 16. If you're turning with me,
turn over to Matthew 16 and let's look at verses 5 to 12. It says,
When his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten
to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves,
saying, It's because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus
perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason
ye among yourselves, because you brought no bread? Do you
not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand,
and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves
of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How
is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning
bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how He bade
them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine
of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." What he's saying is, anytime
a man says, Well, this is what I think Christ means. This is
what I think he's saying rather than just announcing what the
Lord Jesus Christ said, beware, beware a little Levin Levin. What is Levin? Levin is man. Leaven is the flesh. Leaven is
pride, self. It may sound like the doctrine
of Christ. It may sound like the words of
Christ, but is it? Is it? The words of Jesus Christ
are our true doctrine. He is our doctrine. All right, now turn with me to
Matthew chapter 22. We're going to look at verses
23 to 30. Matthew 22, 23 to 30 says this,
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there
is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said,
If a man die having no children, his brother shall marry his wife
and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven
brethren, and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased,
and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. Likewise
the second also, and the third unto the seventh, and last of
all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection,
whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto
them, you do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power
of God. For in the resurrection they
neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels
of God in heaven." What he's saying is, you're getting hung
up on something that is not the issue. It's not the issue. But I'll tell you what the issue
is. He goes on to say in verse 31, as touching the resurrection
of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you
by God saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living. And when the multitude heard
this, they were astonished at his doctrine. What the scripture
is proving to us is correct doctrine is only the words of Jesus Christ. That's it. Now let's turn over
to Mark 11 and we're going to read verses 15 to 18. It says
this, And they come to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple
and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple.
and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of
them that sold doves, and would not suffer that any man should
carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying
unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all
nations the house of prayer? But you have made it a den of
thieves. And the scribes and chief priests
heard it and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared
him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine."
They didn't fear him for his thought process. They feared
him for his voice. He has his thinking, right? Well,
has he ever experienced the fear of the voice of God? That's the question. Now let's
look at John chapter 7 verses 14 to 17 say this. Now about
the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught
and the Jews marveled saying, how knoweth this man letters
having never learned? Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man
will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God, or whether I speak of Myself." Now, here's a question. What is the will of the Father?
He said, if any man do His will, you'll know whether the doctrine
be of God or whether I speak of myself. What is the will of
the Father? In Mark 9, verse 7, He said,
This is My beloved Son. Hear Him. Hear His voice. Hear His commandment. Hear His
instruction. All right, now turn to John 18,
verses 19 to 21 say this, The high priest then asked Jesus
of His disciples and of His doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly
to the world, I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple,
whether the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? Ask them
which heard me what I have said unto them. Behold, they know
what I said. They know correct doctrine. Their
doctrine, their teaching, their voice is merely resounding my
words. the words I gave to them. After
the Lord Jesus Christ left, left this world, ascended up into
heaven, this world started calling it the apostles doctrine, this
new doctrine, this new teaching, new instruction, new thought
process, as though there was more than one. But I want you
to turn with me to Ephesians four. Ephesians chapter 4 verse
4 says this, there is one body and one spirit even as you are
called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all who is above all and through all
and in you all. Now verse 14 says, that we henceforth
be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. There is only one doctrine. There's only one thing to receive. Doctrine means something received.
There's only one thing to hear, one thing to know, and that's
the voice. That's the word, the announcement
of Jesus Christ. We don't add anything to it,
do we? We don't take anything from it,
because a little leaven, a little bit of me mixed in, what I think,
it'll leaven the whole lump. Now I want to close by looking
at what Paul said to Timothy and to Titus concerning doctrine. Turn with me over to 1 Timothy
1. We'll look at the first four verses. 1 Timothy 1 says this,
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope, unto Timothy,
my own son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our
Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 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."
Chapter four called it old wives fables. Titus called them commandments
of men, just tradition, just made it up, just following them
for tradition. You know, if we can't find it
in the Scripture, let's not follow it. Well, it says right here,
1 Timothy 1, 4, "...neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies
which minister questions." Questions. These questions just bring about
strife. Our doctrine is the voice of
Jesus Christ. What do we believe? His words. We believe whatever He said.
If that's all we hold to, if that's all we believe in, then
what's there to argue about? Turn over with me to 1 Timothy
4, verse 13 says this, Till I come, give attendance to reading the
Word of God, to exhortation, exhorting the word of God to
doctrine, to hearing, receiving, instructing, teaching the word
of God to doctrine. Chapter four, verse 16 says,
take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine continue in them,
for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that
hear thee." Just say what the Lord Jesus Christ said and told
us to say, and in doing this thou shalt both save thyself
and them that hear thee. Chapter 6 verse 3 says, If any
man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness, He is proud, knowing nothing,
but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh
envy, strife, railings, and evil surmisings." 2 Timothy 3, verse 16 says this,
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. The Scripture is our doctrine. The Scripture is all we need. 2 Timothy 4 verse 2 says, Preach
the Word. Be instant, in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they
shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned
unto fables." Do it with long-suffering. Do it with doctrine. Preach the
Word. All right, now, Titus chapter
1 says this, A lover of hospitality, be a lover of good men, sober,
just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word as he
hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both
to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. We don't have to
get our heads wrapped around some crazy jigsaw puzzle of thinking
if our hearts are wrapped around every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God. That's the truth. That's the
truth. We don't have to get our heads
wrapped around some crazy jigsaw puzzle if our hearts are wrapped
around every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Doctrine
doesn't lead men to Christ. Christ leads men to correct doctrine. Now let me give you one more
scripture. 2 John verse 9. 2 John 9 says this, Whosoever
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. That's the title
of this message, The Doctrine of Christ. John 17.3 says, And
this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. Now let me give you
an article that was written about 30 years ago. It's called, The
Difference Between Preaching Christ and Preaching About Christ.
It says, Years ago I read the following quote by an unknown
author. I can appreciate the ability of the learned botanist
to give me the scientific name of a rose, the origin of it,
the various types of roses, how and where they grow, and the
number of petals, thorns, and leaves to expect on a genuine
rose. But too often, those who become
overly entangled in these things somehow lose the most important
things. the beauty and the fragrance
of the rose. I hope in our teaching, preaching,
and witnessing concerning the gospel of our dear Savior, we
do not become more concerned with the system more than the
sweetness, with the mechanics rather than the mercy, with the
right terminology rather than the right spirit and attitude.
You will soon weary my head if you don't warm my heart. While
I am eager to learn more of how, why, and when I came to Christ,
I would like to rejoice and enjoy my relationship with Him now.
He is my rose of Sharon, which brightens my life and sends His
sweet fragrance through my soul. One can preach about Christ and
not preach Christ. just as we can know how God saves
sinners and not be a saved sinner. Oh, the wonder of it all, just
to think that Christ loves me! Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning at 10.30
a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.