Christ is Sufficient

Good afternoon. As I said last week, it's good to be back.

A big thank you to fellow elders for filling in while I was on sabbatical.

For the church's grace to me, kindness in letting me take this time off. It was a wonderful time.

We return to 1 Timothy. So would you turn your Bibles to 1 Timothy in chapter 4.

We're in 1 Timothy chapter 4. We're going to read the first five verses of that chapter.

1 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1.

This is the word of God.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith

by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.

Through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving

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 thanksgiving.

Amen.

For it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Well, it's been more than three months.

So as we get back into our study of 1 Timothy today,

it's probably a good idea to remind ourselves of a few things here in Timothy.

1 Timothy, as you know, is the first of the three pastoral epistles as they have been called.

The two letters to Timothy, who is in Ephesus at the time,

and we picked it up in chapter 1 and 2 Titus.

And you may remember Paul had asked Timothy to remain at Ephesus

so that he could teach the church and the elders of the church

to combat false teaching in the early church

by holding on to sound doctrine,

to guard the deposit of the true teaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles.

And we've referenced 1 Timothy 6 and verse 20,

where he says this,

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.

Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.

And if you go to 2 Timothy, as these letters were written one after the other,

we read in chapter 1 and verse 14,

by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us,

he repeats that,

Guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

And these were not,

only doctrinal errors in the church that were coming in,

but that which is almost always the case.

False doctrine leads to false practice.

Man-made regulations and restrictions placed on the church by false teachers.

And this passage is quite shocking when you read it,

when Paul is referring to teachers in the church.

Today we get some more specifics as we start chapter 4,

of some of the false doctrine and practices that were evident at this time in the church of Ephesus.

And Pastor Hayden is preaching through Colossians,

and he's going to come to a section where similar things come up.

So it was not only confined to the church in Ephesus.

But Timothy, under the careful direction of Paul,

had to address these in the strongest terms,

as his sub-apostle until Timothy could get there and speak face-to-face.

Well, our last study, for those of you who have a good memory,

was about three months ago.

At the end of chapter 3,

Paul gives us there an overall purpose of this letter.

And in fact, that overall purpose kind of fits with the whole,

all three pastoral epistles.

1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 14 and 15,

which we looked at last time.

It reads,

I hope to come to you soon,

but I am writing these things to you so that,

if I delay,

you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God,

in the church,

which is the church of the living God,

a pillar and a buttress of the truth.

These pastoral epistles, and in fact,

the whole New Testament,

are deeply concerned to teach us not only clarity on justification,

and holiness in the gospel of Jesus Christ,

and there's not a book in the New Testament that doesn't tackle this important subject,

but here in the pastoral epistles also, in fact,

to teach us that God has a plan for the church.

God has a pattern for its life and its ministry.

And as we've already observed in Timothy,

and we see in Titus, if you read that book,

these contain important instruction,

regarding all matters of faith and practice in the church,

including the biblical qualifications for elders and deacons,

which we've looked at,

and Titus deals with those too.

So the term pastoral epistle is therefore good description.

These are letters of doctrine.

They're letters of polity for the church and practice in the church,

that you may know how you ought to behave.

In the household of God,

in the family of God,

the church is a family,

which is the church of the living God,

a pillar and a buttress of the truth.

And our church has benefited greatly,

I think if you ask all the men and women in our church,

from the model given us in Titus,

for younger men and older men and women in the church.

The point being that the pastoral epistles

are invaluable for guiding the conduct

in the church.

Here's the doctrine,

here's what we ought to believe,

and this is how we ought to behave.

So that when there is false teaching

that leads to wrong practice,

it can be addressed like here,

in the strongest of terms.

So let's get to our study today.

It's a simple study,

fairly simple,

not much to be said.

I'm going to try and keep it brief here.

And I've called this sermon,

Christ is sufficient.

We have four main headings today.

Number one,

a reminder of the prophecy of Christ.

A reminder of the prophecy of Christ.

Read verse one and two with me.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times,

some will depart from the faith

by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits

and teachings of demons,

those are quite strong words

for what's happening in the church,

through the incensary of liars

whose consciences are seared.

We notice here that Paul places

all emphasis on the Spirit

as the divine author of this prediction

or prophecy that he's talking about.

And whether this was a revelation

that came to Paul directly,

we can't be certain,

but we know that this was not the first mention

of false teachers who would in the future,

in latter times,

not end times,

latter times,

which is right now in the point of the church's history,

would come to the church as Paul warns them.

There was a previous warning to the same church

and I bet you've all guessed it in Acts 20,

the farewell to the Ephesian elders.

Paul said this to them in Acts 20, 29,

I know after my departure

fierce wolves will come in among you,

not sparing the flock from among you,

and from your own selves

arise men speaking twisted things

to draw disciples after them.

Though Paul does not claim this as a revelation

that came directly to him from the Spirit,

given the Ephesians' farewell,

it's possible and even probable

that that happened.

Yet Paul carefully puts the emphasis

where it should be.

The author of all Scripture,

the Holy Spirit,

the Spirit of God and of Christ.

And whatever means this came to Paul,

it is really the prophecy of Christ.

Because this is the Word of Christ.

And Christ's Word on this earth,

reinforced by the apostles,

it is the Word of Christ and the Spirit.

Let me remind you two instances of Christ

when he was on this earth.

Matthew 24, I'll just read that.

You needn't turn to that.

Verse 9 to 11.

Then they will deliver you up for tribulation

and put you to death.

And you'll be hated by all nations

for my sake, said Jesus.

And then many will fall away

and betray one another

and hate one another.

And many false prophets will arise

and lead many astray.

That's exactly what was happening here

in Philippi and in Colossians.

And then in Mark 13,

22, similar words.

False Christ will arise

and false prophets will arise,

perform signs and wonders

to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Well, another thing to note

about these first two verses here

is that the false teaching

and practice of asceticism,

this of denying yourself

some certain things

so that you can attain

to a higher level of holiness,

described here,

Paul identifies it

as not the thoughts of man,

but originating from the devil.

It's a departure from the faith

by devoting themselves

to deceitful spirits

and teachings of demons.

While others may consider

that there's nothing wrong

with self-denial,

and we may even admit

there's no real harm in self-denial,

evil abstentions,

or turning from good things

for a season,

especially given that we live

in an age that insists

on being denied nothing.

And there is a place for self-denial,

but the truth is,

those who like ascetics

introduce a contrived holiness,

in other words,

deliberately created

or acting at the instigation

of the devil.

That's what he's actually saying here.

It is a Christ plus salvation

and sanctification,

what these false teachers

were propounding.

Brothers and sisters,

Christ is sufficient,

and only He

for our salvation

in every part.

For our salvation

and for our sanctification,

Christ is sufficient.

Kent Hughes and Brian Chappell,

the commentary on the

Pastoral Epistles,

which I can highly recommend,

they say,

God is never properly worshipped

by a denial of His gifts.

And self-denying asceticism,

especially in the external,

public display,

moves one away

from worshipping God

in spirit and in truth.

And the agents of the demons

are the human element.

This doctrine of demons

is also rooted

in wicked humanity.

It is rooted in the text

in verse 2.

Through the insincerity

of liars

whose consciences

are seared.

And John Stott calls them

double liars.

He calls hypocrisy

a deliberate pretense.

And a lie

is a deliberate falsehood.

Double liars.

They did not believe

their own teaching,

and it originates

with the devil.

And Jesus and the Holy Spirit,

through Paul,

warned us

that these teachers

will arise

in later times.

Not end times,

later times.

And such teachers,

he says of them,

have cauterized

their consciences.

They've burnt them.

They've seared their consciences.

They have no feeling

and no remorse.

But it's not a light thing

to listen to the teaching

that they were propounding

in the church.

In fact, Paul says

it's of the devil.

It's the devil's teaching

given to you by liars.

Men whose consciences

are seared.

And brothers and sisters,

one of the commentators

talks about

an evangelical asceticism,

where we do things

to be seen.

Where we do things

that people consider

more spiritual.

And we may even deny ourselves

some good things.

And so create

a sense of

higher holiness.

And this is what was going

on here.

Asceticism is a subtle falsehood.

And unbelievers,

not trusting Christ

for full sufficiency,

will deny themselves

certain food and drink.

Or practice celibacy

here as a path

to a so-called higher life

and made man pretense

of holiness.

And this is what is demonic

about this false teaching

and practice.

It says,

it's a doctrine that says

Christ is not sufficient

for my sanctification.

Christ is not sufficient

for my salvation.

It is a do this

and live doctrine.

And the Bible teaches

that Christ has done it all.

He paid the price

for our sins on the cross.

He paid for our salvation

past, present, and future.

And He is working us

and sanctifying us

by His Spirit

through the Word.

It is a grace

through faith gospel.

It is live

and then do this.

This brings us secondly

to observe number two,

the particular false teaching.

And we've read it already.

The particular false teaching

and practice

that is referred to here,

this demonic teaching.

Verse three,

have a look there.

What do they do?

What do they say?

Who forbid marriage.

It's not like

it's a good idea

not to marry.

It's more spiritual.

Not to marry.

And Paul at one point

says to specific men

that it is a gift

to be single.

But they forbid marriage.

That's not all.

They require abstinence

from foods

that God created,

just a reminder,

to be received

with thanksgiving

by those who believe

and know the truth.

So that's the false teaching,

the asceticism

here in Ephesus.

And there are many

false doctrines

and practices

highlighted in

first Timothy

and second

to guard against

and teach

in this letter.

And we've encountered a few.

In fact,

the first chapter,

verse three and four,

as I urge you

when I was going

to Macedonia,

remain at Ephesus

so that you may charge

certain persons

not to teach

a different doctrine.

So this wasn't

the only case.

And that was

devoting the self

to myths

and endless

genealogies

which promote

speculations

rather than

the steward

from God

that is by faith.

So there were

all kinds

of false teachings.

And in the charge

to Timothy

at the end

of chapter one,

there's a warning

again against

false teachers

and teaching

and teachers.

And Paul describes

the sum of them

as this.

Note that

in verse 19,

holding faith

and a good conscience,

he says,

the truth

guarding that deposit

by rejecting

this,

some have made

shipwreck

of their faith,

among whom

are those two men,

Hymenaeus

and Alexander,

whom I've handed

over to Satan

so they may learn

not to blaspheme.

What is he saying?

In other words,

anything that deviates

from the faith,

that deposit

of the Lord

Jesus Christ,

the deposit

of truth

in the scripture

given by Christ

through his apostles,

the gospel

of Jesus Christ,

the teaching

that you teach

that deviates

from this

is blasphemy.

And these two men

were put out

of the church.

And we know

from Timothy's letter,

one of the heresies

was the teaching

that the general

resurrection

had already

taken place.

False teaching

is described

there

as a swerving

from the faith,

going off

on the wrong

path.

That's 2 Timothy 2.18.

Who have swerved

from the truth

saying that

the resurrection

had already happened?

They are upsetting

the faith

of some.

Here in our text,

the false teaching

of the ascetics

is highlighted.

And two practices

seem to be common

in the church

at Ephesus

leading from

this false doctrine.

They were claiming

that to be

truly godly

was to abstain

from marriage.

Deny yourself

marriage

and you're

on a higher plane.

And then you must

abstain

from certain

foods.

And the area

in this

which we have

already talked

about is shown

to be false

because the very

things that the

false teachers

were laying

on the consciences

of the church

to abstain

from marriage

and food

created by

were things

that God

created.

And were to be

received

with thanksgiving

and those

who by faith

receive all

God's good gifts

with thanksgiving

as those

who truly

believe

the faith,

the faith.

Look again

at verse 3

who forbid

marriage

require abstinence

from foods

God has created

to be received

with thanksgiving

by those

who believe

and know

the truth.

This is

the truth

and the false

teaching

was swerving

from this truth.

It was letting

go of the

deposit

given by the

Lord Jesus Christ

that the

church's

role was

to God

because the

church is to be

a pillar

and a buttress

of the truth.

This was

the important

thing.

Hold on to

God the

deposit

as Paul

described at

the end of

chapter 3.

Cetacism

was the heresy

which led

among other

things to claim

that Christians

should abstain

from marriage

and from eating

certain

kinds of

food.

Thirdly,

thirdly,

very simply,

the Biblical

answer to

this false

teaching

and practice.

The Biblical

answer to

this false

teaching

and practice.

Read with me

verse 4.

For everything

created

by God

is good

and nothing

is to be

rejected

if it

is received

with thanksgiving

for it

is made

holy

by the

word of

God

and prayer.

Verse 3

had already

hinted at

this but

now Paul

expands it

by explaining

more fully

how to

refute this

man-made

self-denial

which really

amounts to

try and

create our

own model

of holiness

to add

to Christ's

work.

Brothers and

sisters,

this is

nothing less

than our

self-denial

of things

created by

God

somehow

make us

more acceptable

and holy

before God.

It's the heresy

of the

devil.

Brothers and

sisters,

Christ

is

sufficient.

That is the

answer

to this

false

teaching.

We sing that hymn

Nothing I've

Done Could

Merit

God's

Grace.

I have

one hope

in life

and in

death.

I have

been clothed

in Christ's

righteousness.

Christ is

sufficient.

His work

is finished.

He is

my faith's

author

and end.

Christ is

enough,

my

savior

and friend.

That is

the sum

of the

answer.

Christ

is

sufficient.

It gives

us a

biblical

answer showing

the absurdity

of the

logic used.

It doesn't

even make

sense.

Verse 4,

For everything

created by

God is

good.

So deny

yourself

the good

things

created by

God.

And marriage,

celibacy.

That is

the way.

And the

scriptures

teach

that days

and

months

and

months

and

years

are

not

good.

And the

Bible

says,

for

everything

created

by God

is

good.

This

includes

not only

what God

has

created,

but also

things which

God

instituted

at

the time

and

it was

good.

But God

also brought

them together

and instituted

marriage

and procreation

and it

was good.

And God

created

plants

and fields

and food

from the

ground

and creatures

of every

kind.

And God

instituted

work

that we

should rule

over them

and we

should be

good.

And God

instituted

rest

for man

from his

labors

to worship

God

on the

Sabbath.

And that

too

was

very

good.

That's

the first

thing.

Everything

created

by God

is good.

That's

the answer.

Secondly,

there's

nothing

to be

active.

Denying

yourself

something

pronounced

good

to somehow

add to

your holiness

insinuates

that that

thing is

not entirely

good.

Isn't

it so?

If it is

good for

you,

why would

you deny

it to

yourself?

You may

decide to

abstain

from certain

foods

because,

of course,

it's

not

sinful

or

imperfect.

It only

highlights

your

imperfection

and sin

and your

lack of

self-control.

And this

is,

of course,

the main

message

in Titus

2.

How do

you

conduct

yourself

in the

church

of God?

And there,

the instruction

to younger

men

highlights

but one

likewise

urges

younger

men

to be

self-controlled.

It's

not the

food

that's

evil.

It's

not the

drink

that's

evil.

They were

given by

God and

created

no good

and to

be

received

is to

be

rejected

but to

receive

with

thanksgiving.

And that

brings us

to the

third step

here,

for it

is made

holy

by

the

word

of

God

and

prayer.

And to

be clear

here on

this

phrase

here,

your

self,

God made

it and

therefore it

is holy

and good.

The word

of God

pronounced

it so.

And the

prayer of

thanksgiving

and the

act of

faith

receiving

God's

gifts

as holy

and pure

is the

Christian's

response

to God's

grace

and kindness

in every

good and

and thanking

the Lord

for daily

bread.

That's the

biblical answer

to these

ascetic

practices.

I quote,

we are

to celebrate

creation's

goodness

in heaven

and earth,

the stars

and the flowers

and the vegetables

and animals

and seas

and rivers

and fish

and forests

and gender

and marriage

and sex

and family

and friends

and food.

These are

God's

good gifts

to us.

We are to

receive these

with thanksgiving

and prayer

for the word

of God

has pronounced

them all

good.

And then the

quote continues,

the Christian

life is not

meant to be

lived in the

negative,

do not do

this,

do not taste,

do not touch

Colossians,

we'll talk

about that,

but in the

positive.

We are to

embrace every

minute of our

lives.

This gives

glory

to God.

That's the

Bible's

answer

to these

people

who would

enslave

your

consciences,

people in

the church

to abstain

from the

good that

God has

given.

So we come

fourthly and in

the final

place,

the lessons

and applications

for us

that really

belong here.

So go back

to your notes

when you get

home this

morning and

they fit right

in here,

two of them,

the first

one and

another one

too fits

right in

here.

But I have

four other

ones.

We have

four lessons

and applications

what Christ

is and

what God

wants to

teach us

and Jesus

through the

Word of God

and through

the Bible.

So we

have

one

lesson

we have

to teach

you.

The first

lesson

is that

we are

to be

faithful

stewards

of these

gifts.

James says

in chapter

one and

verse

17,

every

good

and perfect

gift

is from

the shadow

due to

change.

All that

God created

is good.

Number two,

Christ

is

sufficient.

Christ

is

sufficient.

What a

wonderful thing

to come and

celebrate the

Lord's

Supper

because it

reminds us

that by

his life,

his perfect

life,

by his

incarnation,

his perfect

life,

and ever

interceding

there for

us,

it is

all

finished

and it's

perfect

and our

salvation

has been

applied

to our

hearts

and our

lives

and it

is

sufficient.

Christ

is

sufficient.

There's

nothing

that you

can do

to add

to your

great

salvation.

To deny

ourselves

God's

good

gifts as

a path

to holiness

is a

perversion

of these

gifts.

It's an

attempt to

improve

ourselves

by our

own

works of

righteousness

and in

so doing

trying to

add to

Christ's

perfect

work.

Christ

is

sufficient

in

our

obedience

to Christ's

commands

and not

in self

imposed

regulations

and

restrictions.

True

righteousness

is shown

in our

obedience,

our very

specific

careful

obedience

as Pastor Sam

said this

morning.

And it's

clear

because it's

written and

written

to us

that you

may know

how to

behave

in the

household

of God

not in

self imposed

regulations

or

restrictions.

John 14

15

Jesus made

it simple

if you

love me

if you

love me

obey my

commandments.

If you

love me

obey my

commandments.

Fourthly

and finally

this is

biblical

asceticism

that sometimes

creeps into

the church.

Do not

bind

your

conscience

and especially

not your

brother's

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

Do not

bind

your

conscience

and especially

your

brother's

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

The third

thing is

to abstain

from

marriage.

Do not

bind your

conscience

and especially

not your

brother's

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

Do not

bind

your

conscience

and especially

not your

brother's

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

And to close

I'm going

to read

one passage

in Colossians

chapter 2

verse 16

to 19.

Therefore

let no one

pass judgment

on you

in questions

of food

or drink

or with regard

to festival

or new

moon

or Sabbath.

These are

a shadow

of the

things

to come

but the

word

of Christ

teaches

you

to

abstain

from

marriage

and not

bind

your

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

Do not

bind

your

conscience

to anything

but what

the word

of Christ

teaches.

Therefore

let no

one

pass judgment

on you

in this

day.

The more

in depth

of your

science

and knowledge

you use

as a

guide

to your

life

the deeper

you will

be

in the

relationship

with the

Lord.

And remember

that you

come

to the

Lord

before

you

and that Christ will sanctify us by his spirit

and he will complete that work of perfecting us

on the day of Jesus Christ.

Oh Lord, help us as a church

to be marked as those who love one another,

who love Christ and who obey his commandments.

For we pray in Christ's name. Amen.