The Minister's Duty: Stay True and Pure

First Timothy chapter 1. Looking at verses 18 through 20.

Let's read that together first Timothy chapter 1 beginning in verse 18 this command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be tall not to blaspheme this whole expositional preaching seriously.

First Timothy were calling beautify the bride her fashion and her function, the church, the local church for us is the bride of Christ, and were supposed to fashion this church and function as a church in a way that honors his wisdom, that is his word in a way that shows forth his beauty and his power. The church can't be of us. It can't be according to our wisdom or our cleverness or our ingenuity. It must be of God's wisdom and according to the word of God.

So we want to fashion her and function as God has ordained in these pastoral epistles, beginning with first Timothy give as much practical guidance on how the church is to be designed set up function and serve the Lord now in this section of Scripture. We're talking were looking at a section where Paul is giving the young pastor Timothy some final instructions on his role here and I call this statement true are the ministers duty stay true and stay pure is what Paul's been telling the Timothy stayed true to your calling. Keep the faith.

These will say and keep a good conscience stay true and stay pure now while this is addressed to a Pastore. There are powerful parallels for all of us. So don't think you can tune out and say well he's just talking about preachers this morning others to point to that number one.

These true supplied all of us were all to strive to state true to be to be anchored in truth to to stay grounded in sound doctrine about what we believe about salvation, about Christ and about the church that your job takes my job delete unit with your job to and we are all called to maintain a clear conscience's as we strive forward in our service to our Lord in our communities and certainly through our local churches. Now the second thing is you're called of God to stand with your Pastore as he's trying to be true. And as he's trying to lead us with the sound are a clear conscience. So it's for all of us and we must stand together in this pursuit. Now let's look at it together by unpacking it this way.

Number one he tells Timothy here stay true to your calling. Stay true to your calling recess in verse 18. Fight the good fight interesting phraseology. There fight the good fight, that's what he says clearly in verse 18. I got to verse three in your seat. He's already heating on this and I'm confident in most scholars agree that yet to really reflect back on verse three as to what specifically Timothy was to be fighting about. If you will, at the church at Ephesus.

He says in verse three. Chapter 1 as I urge upon my departure for Macedonia remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct our charge, certainly, and not to teach strange doctrine again. There was some false teaching that was arising in the church. I mean it every time Paul went to the city. It seems like it will study the New Testament about the time his heels are walking out the door. Some contrary on sound doctrine sneaks in and Paul spends his energy sending Timothy are the like of Timothy are going back himself and trying to straighten it out. Often he would send letters like you did the Corinthians are our to the Galatians, etc. clear up there drifting back into unsound doctrine. It is a never ending war to guard and defend the church against unsound teaching and unsound practice. That's what is pointing out the Timothy now assist fight the good fight. Then he continues on the next verse, keeping faith fight. You can say fight the good fight of faith another word faith here doesn't mean that thing that arose in your heart when you believed on Jesus.

In this context, the word faith means that body of doctrine we hold to that teaching the biblical teaching are truth or doctrine dark doctrine just means truth that that we hold cohesive fight to keep silent in your doctrine. Nephew want to amplify that out and get the whole context of what it means when God tells the minister to fight the good fight. Here's what he say hold to and preach the truth and found and build true churches. Those two things hold to the truth preach the truth and stranger intercedes energies to build and found true are biblically healthy churches. That is what it means when a minister is called to fight the good fight.

Now this doesn't mean be successful.

This doesn't mean grow. The biggest crowd. Hopefully God blesses you with a lot of numbers of your pastor what it means to be true to doctrine and true to building the church, God's way for God's glory. Now Paul is telling Timothy to do what he had modeled before Timothy and was modeling before Timothy already second Timothy four, six and seven, he replies to Timothy as he's thinking about the end of his life and ended his ministry. He says I'm already being poured out as a drink offering of metaphorically.

He's saying I'm poured out. I'm at the end of my life. The time of my departure has come, but he says here's what I've done. I've thought the good fight.

He said I didn't just fight off all the good fight, I finish the course that he did mean all findings over. He said my part of the battle is coming to an end. I finish the course of The thing Zona back over to our text, as Paul tells now, Timothy. You now fight the good fight. The word good.

There has the idea of inherently or intrinsically good. It's the one thing worth fighting over a hearing the church. We have a decorator lady here Miss Amanda does our decorating and she does such a good job for us and that there may be some of you that think I wish the carpet been this this tone. I think the carpet been pretty that don't and that's okay.

We've all got opinions, but we don't fight over that. I'm not saying that because somebody's been ugly Betty because nobody has under say we don't fight over that stuff you we just not going it. That's not the good fight that silly fleshly fighting the good fight is what Paul's talk about that which is inherently worthy and worth the battle and the sweat and the bloodshed. There is nothing more important than the God called pastor staying at his post and faithfully upholding the faith the doctrines once for all delivered to the saints and defending that faith until he receives orders from own half of his dismissal. Some people asked me sometime if you think you'll ever retire mantras.

No, I don't plan on it. I may change some things about what I do and how I do it is God may at my fit health may be affected positively or negatively.

Who knows, I don't know you don't know nobody knows that and I don't plan on leaving the fight until I'm dismissive the sometimes older warriors are better for the team, instructing and guiding and not out there in hand-to-hand combat, that's for sure. We would want Gen. Schwarzkopf during operation Everett Desert Shield and operation Desert Storm to been out there in the trenches fighting the Republican guard know we needed him back, guiding the true, the fight may change but you don't leave the fight. Now this is the pastor's brothers and sisters cannot charge you. Yes there are times when God brings us into good seasons they meant we don't have the strife in the division and the that the contentiousness in the up opposition that we may have felt at one time but were always ready, and were always commanded whether we feel like it are not only I'll be in on the fight if it's the good side if it's over the things that really matter because that's one of things we have to mature a Ian as pastors is to learn what things are worthy fighting over and what things are not many years ago and finances were tight here. I remember we had stopped having our church picnic. We spend little money on that. It's a great thing by the way, we've had some folks join our church to their first Sunday back are visiting with us was that the patent now you don't join a church for the picnic is better than not on this one. You'll be better this morning because it is not a picnic often but hey, we week it were not here to have fun.

We have fun while here get that. Anyway, we had stopped having the picnic in Amanda came to me in and I will actually came to the elders is that I think will do some things like this. Let's have our picnic again.

He did get out of his mouth. I said okay will have it not worth fighting over. Just a matter we had little money that yes, it will have look I thing about me getting my way, but you came anyone to change something about small groups or how we approach conversion things like that either have a boatload of Scripture and church history behind fight you there. The things worth fighting over with the things that are not refined way when he tells Timothy fight the good fight is the minister's duty to stay in the fight all the way to the end. Again, if you're talking about fighting the fight of faith that God is a God called minister. Keep these two things in mind, preaching the truth building true churches preaching the truth building for churches. There are those who would preach the truth with a very weak on building for churches that insulates much easier to yell about the truth it is to actually implement a local church body. That's where a lot of the fighting happens shortly. Be honest about it as we we mentor pastors and anchored in truth ministries we find these dear brothers trying to implement things that you guys embrace decades ago and they said man I a priest about anybody said amen and then I start we started doing it.

Not everything is coming unglued around. That's the good fight, you know some ministers don't fight the good fight because they don't even know there is a fight to them. It's just as the generations have unfolded our denominations tend to become a bureaucratic bureaucratic system or a big machine. I know what I'm talking about here, and it's very easy to learn. How does this work. Let me find out how I can fit into this big machine weathers the Methodist denomination of the Presbyterians while the southern Baptist convicted limit figure out how this works and and I'm pretty sure I'll get it on this and I can be success, but only know there is a fight and far from upholding and defending the faith they outright sometimes will tell you nowhere. Not that concerned about doctrine. Doctrine can be divisive will be successful offerings to the Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, which means the doctrines we hold to not there doctrines that we can that are secondary things the Bible to nip the size and have a link that we can all disagree on with her some foundational things like what is the gospel. What constitutes true conversion who's a real candidate for baptism, except of those things are essential.we can get weak and wobbly. There and most of our churches are very weak and wobbly on those points so far from upholding and defending the faith are actually deemphasizing the need to defend and stand for sound doctrine. I've heard him sometimes say to me, will the only thing that's really important misquote. Getting people say "not in today's culture. You have to stop civil timeout what you mean by getting sick people say how do you define that or like Dr. St. say sometimes getting saved from what what they really mean is, is punching a ticket into heaven and missing hail. That's wonderful and a part of our overall conversion, but that's not all you're getting saved from hell is not all you're getting saved from are you getting saved from yourself, your own self will. Are you getting safe from the world that is following the precepts and ideals in the values the world embraces.

Are you getting saved from loving the world and you're beginning to love the gospel and love Christ and love is church more. Are you saved in those ways is my friend listen to me.

If you are not being saved in the process of being saved from loving self and loving the world and tracing the world's values on to loving Christ and loving the church looking for if you're not being saved in that flow in that direction, then you're not one of the one who once it is going to be saved from hell in the eternal state.

So what they mean is basically as we've learned how works we get our children mostly to say that prayer we all stand for Ms. say we run into the baptismal waters with the end up doing is packing the church role full of people who are not really born again and I can't really have a spiritual ministry because they don't care for spiritual minister because they've never been really saved.

We keep dumbing things down and dumbing things down willing to go on some pastors don't fight the good fight because they don't know there is a fight.

Some pastors don't fight the good fight because they quit in the fight there like Job's wife. They started out and they look back. They put their hands to the plow and then look back instead of staying focused ahead on the goal and on being obedient to God's command to fight the good fight, they begin to hear and they begin to observe that there are new ways to quote do church" new clever easier ways to be successful in church work so they step away from the fight they get loose on doctrine but begin to pay attention to the world and what people in the world are excited about.

They begin to bring some of those things into the church and I really leave the fight. Some just play fight ever seen one of those Civil War reenactments. Pretty impressive, like a myself a mean those guys are in authentic uniforms. They have the authentic black powder rifles except the many balls that shoot those things. It sounds just like it would've back in the Civil War.

Sometimes they have cannons their bayonets on the rifles they go to those old battlefields and as far as history can reveal to us. They reenact those battles. Everything about it is great to watch except it's a rehearsal it's not real I mean the night before.

They have one of those reenactments. Those soldiers do not wait. I lie awake in bed full of horror and fear of what might be their fate. The next day.

The reason they don't lay in bed worried is because the next thing is not a real battle it just a rehearsal is just a reenactment media pastor flies the banner of charging forward with the cross sounding forth the faith of sound doctrine building the church to be a true church when really they're just screaming and yelling in the pulpit but the people are not move because the people know there's not going to be any real follow-through in church life. That's not fighting the good fight. If a commanding officer gives many stirring expectations to his troops but the troops are never called to going to battle. Soon the expectations fall on deaf ears. Too many pastors and therefore too many churches reclaimed there in the good fight, but in reality it's just like a reenactment. It's just play fighting. I never really enter the fight. Some pastors leave the fight to become fight coaches for the frustrating things to me as I see guys who haven't pastored wall or they haven't pastored well but they're very gifted writers and communicators and they leave their local churches and going to conference speaking and blogging and book writing help. All the rest of us learn how to be good pastors when they haven't done much of it themselves. They didn't fight long and they didn't fight hard and they didn't fight well, but their super good writers about it. I've use illustration, often with passive lobster abused it with you if you going to have a surgery in US. The doctor said not Having the surgeries. Have you perform a civil I've never done one never done one I've never done one man I went to school I studied all about it and I've written some of the best books on the server you'll ever read about never actually done it because they will just keep up your speaking and book writing program but do not operate know me. Why do we allow that in the in the myths in the spiritual world. If I'm going to sit under somebody I will have you pastored well and have you pastored long not to start your great communicator great doctrine is a difference between writing about the fight and fighting the good fight party until Timothy nativity right some great books about the about the way that's a good thing to do if you done it. I'm glad Paul wrote a lot about what he did in fighting the good fight except me and I've read many wonderful pastors who were faithful fighting the good fight in this greatly helped me and I've had people pounding on the pastor try to take some time and put down in writing the things you guys have learned a great life it will help others.

I just hadn't found the time to do that on saying it's okay to write to make sure you got something to write about. Some people leave the fight to become fight coaches and then some, like Paul, and as was proven on in time Timothy they enter the fray and they fight to the finish. Paul was not talk. Paul was not rhetoric. He believed sound doctrine. He defended sound doctrine, and he worked tirelessly to shape in the local churches to live out that doctrine in church polity in church life is a Satan is just not very concerned if you just preach about the faith and don't act on it. But if you build a church on it. If you expect church members to live like they believe it. If you expect the church to strive in sanctification to be biblically sounded to be what I call a true church, never perfect, but at least true LT sent me know if that is that's a fight Satan hates it. The world hates it, built the pastor's own flanks is against it. Your church members are against it usually it's a fight to get there. No wonder Paul told Timothy, Paul leaves and also the church at Ephesus is got false doctrine being taught, and I imagine Paul sitting there in prison writing this letter says, oh my goodness Timothy just started. He's gonna go out there and the bloods going to fly is got to go out there and straighten up some messes that already start in Ephesus, but he tells Timothy twice now same chapter 10 the fight.

Good fight. Well, couple quick subpoints here and of this.

First of all, this is Timothy's mentor's mandate.

The mentor's mandate. He saying here.

This I command you as we talked about last week and Paul says that in verse 18. He sent a Timothy, this is not an option for a man of God.

This is not a suggestion, I had many pastors talk to me when I was a young minister they'd say, I'd suggest you do this, I'd suggest you do that will pause not saying I'm suggesting anything he Paulson Timothy, what about tell you about fighting the good fight is a non-option. It's a command it's a charge given to you by your mentor, it should matter what men before us or for you ladies, ladies. Before you, who have proven and godly lives. It should matter to you what they think might affect ladies or you listen to me you should look to older ladies and do what they tell you to do, young man. If you think your beacon quality are small group leader quality gods called you in the ministry to those syndrome before you who are mentors and listen to what they say.

Paul is saying to Timothy, I'm charging you, not your mentor you. What's my life and ministry.

You know who I am. Listen to what I'm telling and I'm so grateful that I was taught very early in ministry to honor the authority of those over me in ministry and by purchasing to honor those over and over me. I did mediate a menial task. I did many a project.

A ministry event or exercise that didn't fit me. I was uncomfortable.

I didn't enjoy it.

But guess what my mentor told me to do it.

I was committed I had to do it. I remember when I was nearing graduation from the University here in in in Florence and Bob and brother Noel here, who worked to my mentor said you're going to graduate school. You're going to study theology and I said yes sir, that's it.

And you not going to this one and this when this when you going to this when you going to liberal when you go to this and I benefit.

I didn't question message.

Amen.

Here we go. I went to Memphis and I enrolled in the graduate school of theology there, and I begin looking for a church to serve in there and I spoke it two different churches, a whole bunch people claim they got say sing like God blessed me, and none of them would call me to minister.

I guess brother Bob felt sorry for me. He said well just stay here and drive back and forth to see how that works well.

It's been 38 years.

I guess it worked above horny incident didn't matter about the finances didn't matter about the difficult and mad about the drive.

My mentor said you're going to graduate school. You're gonna learn some more about theology.

Listen to your mentors, Paulson Timothy, listen to what I'm saying when my mentors used to say all the time, it rings in my mind that a study by the stuff stayed by the stuff you know what he meant what he meant.

There are some core doctrines that you build your life and ministry on and you don't get caught up in the sideline gimmicks and junk that goes around. Listen to your mentors if you're starting a business, you're young Mr. Smith go to some of the businessmen in this this church been at it for decades have honor the Lord given either businesses for the Lord's work been generous. Look at those men and listen to them listen on and on and on we could go context here of course this is ministry and have been mentors in ministry. Let me say this to you again young miniature ministers rather who are independent, spirited, and tend to go rogue usually clack crash and burn.

Given enough time, it catches up sooner or later what's the point. It's a lack of character is not a lack of ability is not a lack of skill is not a lack of of speaking skill at some lack of character because they didn't submit to their authority. I had a lot of growing to do.

When I became your senior pastor, but all how much I would have had to learn. Had I not submitted for eight years to my pastor before that US you thought you'd contact Dr. Bob Pittman and asking we be down here. He had his office upstairs. He's pretty big.

I've never him pretty big man. He sadly my cold. I run upstairs and got his coat. You know why because my mentor needed to scope and I'm not distressed about some of the young people not not not initially our folks. We have some fine young people. I mean generally, this arrogance this disdain. This these M basalts who parade themselves. Like they know everything they don't know nothing had learned anything you need.

The character building of submitting to a mentor. That's what Paul is Timothy I'm your mentor. I'm charging to this. Secondly, he tells Timothy fight this good fight of faith because the church commissioned you to do it, your church, your local church commission.

Look at verse 18.

In accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that you fight the good fight. Paulson I your mentor and charging you to keep fighting the good fight but also your local church publicly set your side and something of an ordination meeting your local church had identified that you had God's hand on your life that you had God's calling in your life and they then something of an ordination ceremony set you apart that we don't know exactly how this look we do know that they laid hands on him when we do know they prayed over him and we don't know because this is the New Testament era, and there were prophets functioning in the church in those days that they prophesied about Timothy and I'm sure was about this very point that Timothy was going to be a faithful valiant warrior fighting the good fight for sound doctrine centered. That's why says it this way, we know in acts chapter 13. This is basically the same thing happened with Paul and Barnabas and the church set aside Paul and Barnabas and they prayed over them and commended. It is the idea and we do the same thing today. It's where we discern that God is calling this man in the gospel ministry and we are agreeing with God saying were not starting anything God had Artie started were just agreeing with what God's Artie started in at the church were publicly affirming that and by the way you got no business going into the ministry are going anywhere in the ministry of your elders in your church do not do what Timothy's did formerly set you apart and give you their blessing. This was a vital and important step. Paul esteem apostle Paul went out after his local church at Antioch commissioned him to the task. He's telling Tim if your local church is already done this in first Timothy 414. He reflects on this very thing where he says do not neglect the spiritual gift with in you which was bestowed on you through the prophet utterance with the laying of the hands of the Presbytery. The leaders who laid hands on you and prayed over you and I sent you out to this – so Timothy's local church probably enlists draw. We don't know for exact sure but probably so had affirmed and commissioned him to this ministry to fight the good fight, so Timothy. He says stay true to your calling. Stay true to your calling fight the good fight, holding a proclaiming sound doctrine building true churches go the hard times only if I stay I don't quit, don't quit, I'm your mentor until you do it. Your church is set you apart for this purpose.

No II he tells them to stay pure in faith and incontinence stay pure in faith and incontinence.

You know what your conscience is different got this I read this years ago Christian missionary was speaking and teaching at a Native American about the biblical concept that God's for the conscience and all men and in the Native American. He never even seen a verse of Scripture set all know what that is in the Mr. said what you mean. You notice he said I know the consciences he said is that triangle thing in my chest and it's got sharp edges on each part of the triangle and when I do something wrong or even think something wrong, it begins to turn and it cuts in southern it hurts me that's that's a good understanding that's a God ordained ministry within us.

And the point that Paul is telling Timothy here if you get into stuff in pure things and you begin to embrace them and walk in them without repentance. What you do is you start to dull the points on that triangle. Pretty soon it can just spin around and they're not calls hardly any trouble at all.

That's one of the most dangerous things that can ever happen to anyone is to learn how to not listen to or defile the country's is Timothy listen to that some of you say here this morning God given the God blessed ministry about the content in you is is bothering you. Right now he's telling Timothy in your work in the church. Be faithful to keep a clear conscience and I challenge you church member. Do you have a clear conscience about your service to your church. You can have a clear conscience about your attendance in God's church, you have a clear conscience about your financial support of God's church, you have a clear conscience about your service to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and the small group in your church pulses. I command you to keep faith stay true in your faith and have a clear conscience.

A continual embracing of CN without repentance eventually wears those ages dull and then you have what the Bible calls a seared conscience and it's about the worst thing a person can do themselves break. I don't think that's wrong. I don't think that's bad. No scoresheet don't you seared your conscience, God's not speaking to you because he stopped. He tried to Going on and now God silent. Know your left to your own devices. If you think you're on that road you know what you most do, you must humble yourself until God. I repent you speak to me again please convict me at this trouble me again. First Timothy four verse two Paul talking about these false teachers, and others who would mislead the church how far they'd gone in in in in in searing their own conscious by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. You put a branding iron to flesh it just toughens it to keep the dead. It kills the nerve endings you can't feel anything Paul says, some have done this. Look at your to look at our text in first Timothy chapter 1 a look at verse 19 keeping faith and a good conscience. Those always go hand in hand, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith literally. It's the faith they no longer hold to the doctrine they used to hold to really believe the things about Christ and the things about taught in Scripture like they used to, while it's kinda loose to me that firm about those things anymore and here's the problem. Dr. Knighton changed what's good and right in Scripture hasn't change what happens is something inside of them has changed holding the true doctrine and having a clear conscience always goes hand-in-hand.

Many a person starts off embracing the doctrines of the faith holding to the things that matter and then as time goes on we find some of them even denying the faith. My question is what happened and sometimes I've had people actually say this to me the claim. Well we used to hold the things the way you hold to it the way I hold to it didn't matter how did Jesus hold to what does this say the Scriptures. What did our forefathers in the faith hold to.

That's what matters. The say well he used to believe it that way, but we are all now we've matured beyond that exit with the saying is we've entered an elitist category. We don't have to follow that stuff you'll believe anymore we found us what the really say we found us a way to be fully worldly and just check off the box and going to heaven. And just like the world.

You see, listen when you CN and CN and embrace it without humbling yourself and striving and repentance then you begin to see your your conscience and you begin to embrace immorality most pivotal. Don't miss this statement a man's morality always dictates his theology. A man's morality always dictates his theology and pretty soon you need to find so-and-so's book out there. He's written and find out how he twist things around so that it leaves you comfortable in the CNG begun to embrace is not a matter CN are not sin. All of us see and it's a matter of embracing CN rolling comfortable with it and and and and and Codling if you will that CN in your life and you'll lose in your foot crystal pulses to me Timothy or listen to me if you let yourself go and sin you'll end up denying the very faith you're supposed be fighting to defend because we get into CN and we want to Christianity that matches our sin that makes us comfortable in that sin. The look we all unfortunately commit CN. The Bible says you so you don't see in your your calling God a liar. We all commit sin, but we must never, never, never, never, never embrace sin. There's a difference I've talked to you about this for decades.

I told you decades ago were on the downgrade in Baptist life were on the downgrade and evangelical life in general. We begin turning our heads the other way and basically just not paying any attention when people lived in Walton outward adultery in Walton outward fornication. Well, they did advise going to the well is just the way it is where we just we want to love them with all this nonsense and now today out today. Now today, leaders leaders among badness are starting to say well know homosexuality probably didn't quite see and we thought it was when I pretty sure God's really all that upset with it.

What's next writing killing our babies born our RR bar pre-born would all this come from. It came from not fighting for the faith and maintaining a clear conscience I've been telling you for decades everything I told you scum the past what they were going to Graceland church. We don't keep repenting.

Amen we don't keep fighting that crap we find in our own lives and were not going let one another. Embrace the end where we go shipwreck in regards to the faith were not going there willing to fight for each other and fight for the church and fight for the glory of God in this church. Amen. And I'm just a gnat's hair away from publicly proclaiming.

We no longer in any way affiliated with the Southern Baptist convention, just a nap's hair and only reason we can work well were only about Annette here connected now so you move the one that hairs over and were barely barely barely barely connected now and my primarily because they lead blackballed me, they separated from us, you want to why they separate for us were too much of a conviction is just the truth and God help us as weak as we are disputed as we are as faulting as we are the work conviction anybody yell with me this morning. I just can't tolerate this nonsense worn wish we had this in his commentary concerning pastors and pastors maintaining a clear conscience and he's talking about and pastor living in outward life.

That's obviously compromising. He said one man said of his pastor quote. He's such a good preacher. He should never get out of the pulpit because he such a poor Christian and that meeting he should never get in the pulpit where the conscience is a wonderful gift from God, let me say this about that your conscience could not. I'm way behind the conscience. Is this wonderful gift from God and I get this about the conscience, the conscience must be informed by sound doctrine. It must be informed by the Scriptures. If not, your conscience to speak things to you that are not real clear it condemn you when you should be condemned, it'll confirm you when you should be confirm you got to go to the book and make sure enough of this book is going to member. Last week I told you one of my jobs is to be of a brain transplant on your you keep transplanting the old thinking what's good and bad right wrong out of your brain to begin planning and hear what is right, so that that God-given capacity and you starts working you inform your conscience with the word of God and then when something happens, your mind has the word of God to inform the conscience of the country has it feel and when it goes boom and cuts you and hurts youth is God your helping me Lord, are you with me church. Thank God for your conscience has to be informed by the Scriptures. The truth of Scripture and then your emotions must honor the conscience.

The when your motion should shave your emotions is guilt your messages you receive your 50 Moses that's wrong. Your dirty note. You do then you follow-up your but you should say that's exactly how should fail that some you moms and dads.

I bought some you moms and dads when your child disobeys, and they feel bad. Good. You should feel bad, don't jinx. Why don't you babies conscience teach them to honor their country. You might have to help them inform the conscience with the truth. Don't teach them to violate their conscience wailed there just feel nothing with her just little devils is what they are, that we love them unconditionally. Amen we give our last forum. We love them too much to let them learn that CN is not sin and evil is not evil and wicked is not wicked – so when your conscience is hard for.

Here's what that means, you informed your conscience with the word of God, your emotions honored with the constant sin, then your wheel kicks in and honors the conscience to your will see is what I call it what you call it duty of sin. It is wicked if every man in the world is doing it and thinks nothing about this man will not I will call it what it is and I repent because I'm going to be a fighter and a repent of sin. I'm not going to embrace well the church the local church is of supreme importance to the apostle Paul. So he's telling this young preacher and a preacher stay the course fight the good fight of faith, hold onto those sound doctrines, embrace them, preach them and build sound church assess the fight with you. Gotta be in. You gotta realize if you go forward you going to keep a clear conscience that it be that that to be that the one thing Satan will try duty because of eating at you to keep violating your conscience and not reacting or not responding biblically repenting like you to and he will slowly chisel away at the foundation of sound teaching in your heart and mind then you'll start preaching in your church. 30 3540 years ago Bill Hibel started Willow Creek Church in Chicago got like 20 25,000 people in attendance and all everybody was gone stark raving mad over Bill Hobbs, Bill. I'm not saying he's an all evil and not seeing the beauty thing right. One of his primary foundation stones. Was this make the church comfortable to the world around it and stop talking about sin.

All he said he got people saying he got her pregnant prayer make the church feel like the world around you and don't hardly say anything about sin that a runoff Bill Hobbs has resigned the church after least eight different women have accused him of sexual immoralities. He didn't end well church or unit, you sit up straight. You lesson this morning. When you start seeing and hearing pastors go soft on the great doctrines of Scripture with all our forefathers died up. Cannot say that your forefathers died over them died over them we start getting to's slick and too clever to preach it straight and preach it right, don't be surprised, given time. Sin comes out realize they went ship Rick according to the faith because they violated their country's, you know, this sermon would get me fired for most that Mr. it would. I'm not done not just unnoticeable and smoke it would literally get me fired for most that Mr. churches of supreme importance to Paul because the local church is the center of God's purposes and God's glory for both time and eternity.

So Paul tells Timothy Timothy. Hang in there keep fighting the good fight. You must be fit for the task of keeping the church healthy and true. You must stay true to your calling and you must stay pure is that mean you never sandal.

If it does I need to resign right now it doesn't exist you can stay in the file you can keep calling sin what it is and you can keep pretending you don't have to embrace you might fall in the mud hole. But don't be there next week four minutes 30 seconds max III naming names, bringing shame, verse 20 Paul tells Timothy is a Timothy, I just just just to drive this again just to make sure to if you're not missing anything here. Remember how Manasseh and Alexander sit there in your text first 20 how Manasseh and Alexander. He said that's exactly what these guys did I we don't know exactly which Hymenaeus and Alexander this is some guy say what is the how Manasseh mentioned over and second Timothy is a false teacher could be.

This is Alexander he's Alexander the coppersmith and second Timothy four could be, but we don't know this for sure. One thing we do know for sure.

They were obviously church leaders in the church at Ephesus and they got loose on morality they got loose on integrity in the ministry and then they begin to fail in their doctrinal convictions and Paul said I've turned them over to site lot to say here not preached about this a lot in the past we have in recent years understand that when Paul says in verse 20 upturn Hymenaeus and Alexander over Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme. That's church discipline and that's what every church is supposed to do and I'm not the apostle Paul, I can't do it like that. We have to bring things to the church and go through the steps. The New Testament gives us, but turning one over Satan means they refused to even try to repent when confronted the hell to their immoralities that held their weakening our false doctrine. They begin to hold to those always close NAF immorality and sound doctrine in railgun sound doctrine and so Paul said we we kick them out. We remove them. He said I'm turning them over to Satan know what is that me. Here's what you got instead, it's the devil is God's devil is what Martin Luther said the devil's God's devil that was not here just doing what he wants he doing what he does all to the perfect ends of divine providence to fulfill God's will, and bring glory to God. And so there's times when the church can remove someone when someone is removed like Hymenaeus and Alexander first to the chapel on 10th universe 20 you're taking them out of the covenant protection of the local church and into the dominion of Satan, that they might be broken by the devices of Satan. It's almost like Hymenaeus and Alexander wanted to run with the devil okay were going to give them to the devil and God has ordained that that by about about excuse me, excommunicating Hymenaeus and Alexander Satan might bring them down and humble them. The prodigal son at the feed trough and they might come to their senses and be taught to stop this blasphemy of false teaching of the church.

So if I can be one day with the elders back up and said were acting someone so told not to teach this anymore now are asking the church to exclude them were doing it for their good, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. Teach on sound doctrine. Now when that happens, Hymenaeus and Alexander are removed from the protective covenant of a local church in their put out under the direct devices of Satan, one of two things is going to happen there either going to be broken and repent and come back and say were wrong. It's what you say it is because it's what the Bible says it is and I will be right with God and back in the sheepfold. What we do, then we wrap our arms around him like nothing ever happened and love them and welcome them home and we had quite a few of those here yesterday did not humble themselves if they do not repent and come back and that identifies them as imposters are not generally God's and they should have been outside of the local church membership wanted to.

Here's the point.

As we conclude everything Jeff novelist Matt Fowler, all of our staff are you as laity of the church as we continue on.

You will either relax in the fat fight quit fighting. Go to the world or in the lock combination.

Alexander that's very unlikely you will be ever dismissed for the church usually functions disappear. You're either in like Hymenaeus and Alexander or in like Paul and Timothy, we get all the way to the in the same and I blew it at times.

I was weak at times. I failed the Lord times.

I certainly had to repent and change course at times by God's grace I got back up I went back again. I've come to the end and I can say I felt good fight.

I want to end. I want you to end. Not like Hymenaeus and Alexander but like Paul Jiminy and I'm producing this. What a marvelous motivation we have went to one extent or another. We have hundreds literally thousands of churches to one live another that are looking to us say we need your help.

Your example and your mentorship.

We must stay the course. We must fight the good fight