Who Guards the Truth and How? | 1 Timothy 3:14-16
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Who Guards the Truth and How? | 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Series: Guard the Treasure
Title: Who Guards the Truth & How?
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16 NIV
Bottom Line: We guard the treasure by showing up living the truth, sharing the truth and exalting the Truth the rest of our lives.
INTRODUCTION
CONTEXT
SERMON OUTLINE
CONCLUSION
NOTES
OUTLINES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
MAIN REFERENCES USED
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes my wife Anita sends me to the store to pick up something she needs to prepare dinner. If she just needs one or two things, I don’t usually write it down. If it gets longer than three things, or if branding and size become an issue, I will write it down. My chance of getting back home with the correct thing is exponentially more likely if I write it down than if I don’t. But being a man, I tend to want to not write it down.
It’s ironic, I think, that Paul wrote down instructions for Timothy to follow and actually believed that Timothy would follow his instructions. Especially considering that we men don’t love to follow instructions. And, yet, we have the letter 1 Timothy, because a man wrote down the instructions for another man to follow. Isn’t God good?
CONTEXT
And that’s the context for this letter. There are issues in the church at Ephesus and Paul can’t be there to straighten things out. So he sent Timothy in his place to straighten things out until he can get there. This letter represents his instructions to Timothy to help him do just that.
“If I were preaching a sermon specifically on 1 Timothy 3:14-16, the main topic would likely revolve around the significance of the church as the guardian of truth and the mystery of godliness centered on Jesus Christ. I would focus on how these verses highlight the importance of understanding and upholding the core beliefs of Christianity while recognizing the profound nature of Christ's life, message, and exaltation.” -ChatGPT 3.5
We guard the treasure of the gospel (truth and godliness) by:
SERMON OUTLINE
I. We are the church who guards the treasure
The household of God
The church of the living God
The pillar and
Foundation of truth (the treasure)
II. We guard the treasure/truth by
Showing up and living the truth
Proclaiming the truth
Exalting the truth
CONCLUSION
Bottom Line: We guard the treasure by showing up living the truth, sharing the truth and exalting the Truth the rest of our lives.
In conclusion, let’s ask some summary questions:
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. Who guards the truth in these last days?
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because it’s us—we are guardians of the truth.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. 1. Guard the truth by
Showing up and living the truth
Proclaiming the truth
Exalting the truth
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because that’s our job as guardians of the truth.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. 1. Show up #incarnation
Share #proclamation
Worship/live 24/7 #glorification/exaltation
Pray
NOTES
None
OUTLINES
BKC Outline
I. The Salutation (1:1–2)
II. Instructions concerning False Teachers (1:3–20)
III. Instructions concerning Conduct in the Church (2:1–3:13)
IV. Instructions concerning Guarding the Truth in the Church (3:14–4:16)
A. The church and its truth (3:14–16)
B. Predictions of apostasy (4:1–5)
C. Responsibilities of a good minister of Christ (4:6–16)
V. Instructions concerning Various Groups in the Church (5:1–6:10)
A. Concerning various age-groups (5:1–2)
B. Concerning widows (5:3–16)
C. Concerning elders (5:17–25)
D. Concerning slaves and masters (6:1–2)
E. Concerning the heretical and greedy (6:3–10)
VI. Final Charge to Timothy (6:11–21)
A. Exhortation to godliness (6:11–16)
B. Instructions for the rich (6:17–19)
C. Exhortations to remain faithful (6:20–21)
W Wiersbe sermon outline
Key theme: How to manage the ministry of the local church
Key verse: 1 Timothy 3:15
I. The Church and Its Message (1)
II. The Church and Its Members (2–3)
A. Praying men (2:1–8)
1. For rulers (2:1–3)
2. For sinners (2:4–8)
B. Modest women (2:9–15)
1. In dress (2:9–10)
2. In behavior (2:11–15)
C. Dedicated officers (3:1–13)
1. Pastors (3:1–7)
2. Deacons (3:8–13)
D. Behaving believers (3:14–16)
III. The Church and Its Minister (4)
A. A good minister (4:1–6)
B. A godly minister (4:7–12)
C. A growing minister (4:13–16)
IV. The Church and Its Ministry (5–6)
A. To older saints (5:1–2)
B. To widows (5:3–16)
C. To church leaders (5:17–25)
D. To servants (slaves) (6:1–2)
E. To trouble-makers (6:3–5)
F. To the rich (6:6–19)
G. To the “educated” (6:20–21)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discovery Bible Study process:
Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life?
Who am I going to tell about this?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Alternate Discussion Questions: Based on this passage:
Who is God?
What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?
Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)
What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)
Final Questions (index cards optional)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“1 - 2 Timothy,” by David Helm, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent Hughes
“1 & 2 Timothy” by John Stott
Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus, David Platt, Daniel Akin, Tony Merida
“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)
“The Visual Word,” Patrick Schreiner (VW)
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)
Willmington’s Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt