1 Timothy 4:1-9

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.

Sermon Series - the Five-Fold Vision Statements of Dr. Barry - 4

"Remain Faithful"

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The modern cry in the church today is "Deeds, not creeds." It is the chant of the ecumenical movement, and the theme song of many who call themselves Christian today. By this simple credo they mean to say that how you live is more important than nit-picking doctrinal minutiae and esoteric denominational distinctives. How you live is the focus of the Christian faith. This is, in essence, the platform of the Promise Keepers movement.

But they are wrong! What they mean for you to understand, and what they teach actually means are two different things entirely. Their doctrine is not found in Scripture nor is it "of Christ" at all. What it really means is that what you do is more important than what you believe, and that you and your behavior are more important than God and His Word. Deeds, not creeds sounds good, but it is false and poisonous.

The vision statement of Dr. Barry for this week is the proper remedy for the spiritual illness brought on by this Deeds, not creeds mentality. Dr. Barry envisioned the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as a church which would remain faithful. Our text is the exhortation of Paul to Timothy, a young pastor. Let us consider what it takes to remain faithful.

The days in which we live are clearly and explicitly prophesied in Scripture. Our text speaks about the day when some will fall away from the faith due to false doctrine - paying attention to deceitful spirits and the doctrines of demons. Specific doctrines are mentioned - forbidding marriage and advocating abstaining from foods. Now, those doctrines can be specifically identified with certain Roman practices - but the text is not limited to that application. These words speak of a spirit of legalism and works righteousness - the idea that behavior is the central thing, and if we deny ourselves certain common things, like marriage or certain foods, that we are now more godly and pleasing to the Lord.

Our text calls these false doctrines - and they abound in our world today. Many people don't care what you believe about Jesus, but you need to walk the Christian walk, you need to keep promises, you need to refrain from make-up, and avoid alcohol and tobacco, and such things. Notice how our text refers to these false teachings - doctrines of demons, and the hypocrisy of liars. Paul says that those who teach them are deceitful spirits, seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. Those who teach such doctrines are ungodly and demonic, regardless of how godly and pious and pleasing they may seem, or how reasonable and Christian and moral they may feel to us.

And God explicitly reveals that those who follow such false teachers and false doctrines are fallen away from the faith. Such people will also have the appearance of religion and piety and great holiness, but they are not in the faith any longer. They have fallen away - apostasy - because they have believed the lie of the demons.

The first and central and most frequent and deadly false doctrine - the one Paul refers to in our text - is that doctrine which confuses the Law and the Gospel, placing the Law as a requirement of being a Christian or of receiving all that Christ has won. It is the teaching of works over faith. It is when we take part of the credit for our holiness and salvation.

Some false teachers make it clear and claim everything for our works - behavior is everything, doctrine is nothing. Some teachers are more subtle - you must believe, but then you must also have a certain holiness of life to get to heaven. You know the kind, they say that all you need to do is believe, but, they add, if you really believe, then you will obey - and this changed life is the clear sign that you are truly Christian. A few say that all you need to do is make a decision, or say a prayer of commitment, or give yourself to Christ, or ask Christ to be Lord of your life, or some such thing.

They are all fallen away. They are all deceived by the lie that we make the difference, or that we even can make the difference. This moral-seeming thing is the doctrine of demons, the hypocrisy of liars, and the teaching of deceitful spirits. If you follow it, you are on the road to hell.

Truth is found in God's Word. God has created everything for our use - to be gratefully shared. Everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude. Everything has its proper and blessed use - although many things are more readily used for evil. But if we receive and use things as given by God, and with thanksgiving, the Word of God and prayer sanctifies anything.

The Word of God is the truth - and it alone offers us the true spiritual nourishment. But to derive that nourishment, we must believe WHAT THE WORD TEACHES, and not some pious sounding double-talk. In other words, we need sound doctrine! We need to study and learn and know what it is that the Word of God actually says so that we are not open to the deception of liars, hypocrites, or those who just never bothered to learn the truth themselves.

Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. They had old wives' tales even back then. But the people of God are not to listen, and not to believe them. Have nothing to do with them, Paul writes. And what are these worldly fables? He isn't talking about myths, or Mother Goose. He is talking about the kinds of fables that you are likely to take seriously - like what you do is more important than what you believe.

Or the idea that bodily discipline is salvific. Some people believe that denying themselves alcohol on moral grounds (not because they have trouble controlling their drinking, but just because it is holier not to drink) is God pleasing and makes them holier. Or the same with cigarettes. Some people think physical fitness is a moral issue. There are even those who equate overweight with sin and thin with self-control and decency and morality.

God tells us that bodily discipline is only of little profit. That means that it is only marginally useful. It can serve you, but it cannot save you. What we do is not the central issue. What you do can make a difference in you, but it is not the central question when we consider salvation. Who we trust and what we believe is. Paul calls this true faith "godliness."

And what we trust in is Jesus - in His death in our place on the cross, and in His resurrection, which is God's proclamation to us that our sins are forgiven. We believe that Jesus did all that we need done. The worldly fables and myths have no place in us, the deceptions of the devil that we are who and what counts denies God and robs Him of His glory, and we will have none of that. Faith in Christ and the promises of God founded on the cross and the resurrection is true godliness!

True Godliness is discipline in the faith. It is knowing the truth and sticking with it. It is remaining faithful. Paul wrote in our text, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. In 2 Timothy 1:13, Paul exhorted, Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me. True Godliness is found in faithfully holding to the truth in the face of the temptations to look more holy or feel more pious. True godliness is when we trust God and believe what He teaches instead of following teachings that appeal to us and seem so very religious.

True Godliness is remaining faithful to God's Word and to what that Word teaches, which is sound doctrine. Paul said it again in 1 Timothy 6, where he wrote, If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.

Remain faithful - grounded in those sound words, and filled with faith - not filled with fear, and not a striving after a holiness based merely in our behavior. It is true that the godly man or woman will live out that godliness also in their behavior, but those actions are fruits of the godliness inside, not the source of it - nor really even the measure of it. That is remaining faithful, true godliness grounded in the Word and consisting in knowing and trusting God. Many have fallen away, and there are many "out there" who would deceive us.

As a congregation, we need to remain faithful. We need to stay where we are - unchanging. We can repaint. We can use a modern translation of Scriptures. We can add new hymns to our old favorites. But we need to teach and practice the same things, the same faith and the same love. Our new hymns must say the same things as the old hymns. Our new traditions and church practices must say and signify the same truths and be grounded in the same doctrine. God has not changed - that is one of the things He reveals to us about Himself in Scripture, He never changes. The Bible hasn't changed either. It has been the same, except for the languages in which you may read it, for almost two thousand years. If they have not changed, we ought to be very cautious and very careful about any changes we accept.

We also need to continue faithful in practice. By "Practice" I mean the things that we do - sacraments and liturgy and the like. We need to remain faithful. The liturgy we use does a great deal of teaching and reaffirming of our faith, and comforting. We ought to be very reluctant to change - and cautious when we do, that we lose nothing. Closed Communion is another example of a church practice - a practice which dates back to the first generation of Christians after the death of the Apostles - for there were already false teachers, as St. Paul tells us in our text. We want to remain faithful.

We also want to continue faithful in doctrine. Of course, that means that we need to know doctrine. I know I sound like a broken record on this, but you need to be in Bible Study, and faithfully in worship, and doing your own study on your own. This is eternal life and resurrection from the dead that we are dealing with. It is worth your time and attention. You cannot trust it to pastors. Most of them are faithful, I think. But you must know the truth so that if you face a deceiving spirit, and hypocritical liar, you can tell! You need to know the truth.

And you need to confess it! We need to be eager to be godly! That translates in our age to holding fast to the teachings of the Lutheran Confessions. We need and should want a zeal for the truth and for faithfulness to that truth. The Old Missouri Synod had a reputation for being stubborn and narrow minded and old-fashioned. It was high praise! And we should be eager to deserve the same sort of reputation - an insult from the lips of the world that rings as high praise in the ears of our God!

Deeds, not creeds. Deeds? Yes! But godly people have those deeds, good and godly and faithful actions of God's holy people. They flow out of our faith as fruits, much like apples grow on certain trees because they are apple trees. Creeds - doctrine - comes first - and last. Creeds, properly understood, are the substance of our faith - the stuff we do the believing about. And it is what we believe that leads us to do the good and loving things we do as God's faithful people.

With Dr. Barry, let us pray God that we each and all remain faithful until He shall bring us all to Himself in heaven!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

(Let the people say "Amen".)

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