Can we turn please in the scriptures to 1 Timothy chapter four. I want to pick up and look at the verses that from verse seven to the end there where I read verse 11. I suppose the broad description, meaning, if you like, from those verses seven to 11, is the need, the great need for self-discipline in the public ministry. But of course, that would apply to every one of us. We may not, as I say, be preachers, may not be elders, may not be deacons, may not be leaders in the church, But by virtue of being believers, we are witnesses. We are witnesses to all those that we come across in our day-to-day lives. And so therefore, the need for self-discipline is there for each and every one of us. Because people watch. People watch and they notice things. And so it's beholden upon us to be as close to the Lord as is possible, self-discipline, mainly, of course, through studying the word and asking the grace of God in our lives to help us. And Paul, of course, he's writing here to Timothy, and he says there, refused profane and old wives' fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. And he's talking about their old wise fables. There's a reference also back to chapter one in verse four where he says, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith, so do. There's lots and lots in there, old wise fables. People like them, they make good subject for books and for films. And there are many, many, many films that you can watch who are also based on fables. Some perhaps have got a germ of truth in them, like Robin Hood and things like that. But most of it, it's just that, fables. And they can be quite good stories. Aesop's fables are quite good. There's a message in there. But that's all they are. They're fables. And so we have to remember that. Figments of the imagination. Oh, it's so easy, isn't it, to get carried away with our imagination. All sorts of things, like mythology. Apparently it's a tremendous interest. Because there's this whole gap which is left by the gospel not being preached. There's a whole spiritual vacuum. And people are looking to fill it in all sorts of weird and wonderful places. And mythology being one of them. And of course, once it gets into the church, and it does, I can assure you, it can lead to all sorts of weird and wonderful practices. that have precious, precious little biblical substance. He uses the word there profane in verse seven. Another meaning you could use to the word profane is blasphemous or irreligious. And it shows by the use of, or rather Paul is showing by the use of that word profane, the utter blasphemy of false religion. However it comes, however it may be dressed up in its best suit of clothes, it is blasphemous, it is profane. Because it provokes neither faith nor holiness. And if any religion, whatever it is, and it can go under the name of Christian, if it doesn't promote faith, if it doesn't promote holiness, then it's worthless, absolutely worthless. And basically what Paul was saying to Timothy, and he would say to you and I this evening, That all these discourses, all this talk about fables and who you're descended from and all that, doesn't mean a thing. Doesn't mean a thing. Because it's got no basis in the word of God. No foundation in the word of God. You may have read this, I don't know. There's a book called The Autobiography of William Jay. And he was a pastor in Bath for many, many years. And someone asked him about his ancestry. And he said, oh, I don't know about that, he said, but I got three brothers originally that were on the Ark, which we all did, didn't we, I think? You know, it's meaningless, isn't it? I know some people like to do this sort of thing, and of course, there's nothing wrong, careful if it becomes religious in that way. And in other words, these things, these profane things, you don't use the pulpit to push these things across. And we too must be very wary of people who come with strange variations an unusual interpretation of the scriptures. And it can seem so very, very plausible. And some are very, very difficult to spot. When I was in London, we had an organisation called Central London Church of Christ. You could not wish to meet a more evangelistic group of people. They forever outlawed visiting, open air, everything. But they believed that not only you had to be baptised, not so much you had to be baptised to be saved, but you had to be baptised by them to be saved. I remember having a long chat with one and he said, so, I said, what do I got to do then? He said, well, you've got to come to our church and be baptised again. It's nonsense, isn't it? And yet this church attracted many, many young people. How is it that Jehovah's Witnesses attract people? Well, they're there, aren't they? They're nice people, generally speaking. The old days of the old aggressive bit is over, eh? But they attract people, don't they? People are trapped and led into all sorts of falsehoods and everything. And the reason being so many is because they do not know the word of God. Consistent study of the word of God is what will greatly aid in the promotion of the knowledge of God and godliness and holiness. And Timothy's task, and to some extent ours is the same, is to impart them to people and encourage, implore them to live by them. We read, do we not, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 Corinthians chapter 9 in verse 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Nay, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." There are all sorts, aren't there, if you read church history, and I imagine it goes on today, all sorts of weird and wonderful ways of getting a bit closer to God. Asceticism, wear a hair shirt, go without food, sit on top of a pillar, and all sorts of things. Even today, people going up on their knees up those steps in Rome, just to a piece of wood at the top. What a waste of time. What a waste of time. And studying things which have no real value, You see, we as believers, we are to promote active, healthy, practical piety among the people of God. And believe me that people do notice when that is truly practiced. Basically, it's a question of shunning one and doing the other. Shun all the old wives tales and all that goes with that. Exhort and live out godliness. Now there is a great big thing today on physical exercise. And I wouldn't want to put that down in any way. People go to the gym and they do this and they do that and they go out running and they go out cycling and they do all sorts of things. But you know, It's only for a short duration, isn't it? I couldn't go out jogging now even if I wanted to. And I don't go out cycling. I might go for the odd walk. You see, it's all short duration, isn't it? You know, people strive, don't they, to be the top of their sport, whatever it may be. What's the aim? To win a gold medal at the Olympics. And everything, what you put in to get there. And you get there. And in 10 years time, all you do is a bit of commentary work. Dragged in as an expert, maybe. Because what you did then is gone. It was a short duration. Our lives in the context of history are a short duration, aren't they? But it's what we do, isn't it, for the Lord. Yes, we can do things in this life and we can gain the applause of man. We get a pat on the back, well done and all that. But godliness, godliness not only has the promise of this life, but it has the promise of the life to come. And godliness, is profitable for all things in time and eternity. And indeed from the grace of God, there is the promise of all good things here on earth and of course in the future, life after death. And what is godliness, basically? It's the life of God in the soul of his people, of you and I. And surely the object of that must be the glory of God. Everything we do, say, should be to the glory of God. And it's true to say, nay, none of us would ever say that life is straightforward, there are no bumps on the way. Of course there are, there's all sorts of things. But the person, he or she who loves and fears and serves the Lord has the Lord's blessing all through his or her life. Just because we're going through times of illness, grief, pain, loneliness, whatever, it doesn't mean the Lord loves us any less. Indeed, it is at times like that that we really prove the love of the Lord. And having that godliness, having that desire to serve the Lord, it can save us also from all manner of acts and conditions that make life for so many people such a burden. I often wonder sometimes where would I be if the Lord hadn't saved me when he did. He protected me in my unsaved days wonderfully. But where would I be today if he hadn't saved me? I certainly wouldn't be here, would I? And perhaps all of us could say that. Where would I be if the Lord hadn't saved me? Where would I be on this Sunday night, the 12th of January? You see the power and the love of God in the heart can produce a serenity and a calm which causes the light of God's love, a lamp if you like of life to burn clear and strong and permanent. And we are to be those And I have to say it gets older, sorry, it gets more difficult, in my experience anyway, as we get older. We are to continue to exercise self-denial, to train the body to control our base motives. That won't lay out merit for us, but will enable us to be free to help others. Now Paul was not saying you must abstain from certain foods. He's not saying you mustn't go to certain feasts. He's not saying you must stop getting married and things like that. What he's saying is that so many of these things are good in themselves. But some of them, some of the things that we do. And it's sometimes it's an exercise sometimes to look back on a week and think now what have I done this last week? How have I spent my time this last week? And think how much have I wasted when I could have been doing something else? I don't know, sometimes it's a good exercise to look You see, when you come across these dubious practices, doesn't improve your mind, doesn't improve your soul, whereas godliness, holiness, seeking the Lord in the scriptures, can make such a difference. You see, godliness is the essence, if you like, of true worship, true faith, and true service to the Lord. Holiness, of course, in obedience to God's commands. And we should be, or seek to be, to try to spare no effort to get rid of all that that would hinder our spiritual progress. And words that come to mind, of course, Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. Wherefore seeing we also are a compass debate with so great a cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. In other words, our aim surely should be complete self-dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. And he tells us in verse nine of chapter four there, and this is back in 1 Timothy, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. This is reliable. This is the real thing. What Paul has been saying about godliness is true. It's unworthy to be received by all. Worthy to be acted upon by all true believers. Now of course, physical training is of some benefit. But spiritual training, godly living, is a benefit in every possible way because it holds the promise of life, not just for the present, but also for the future. Godly behaviour will lead us to reproach ourselves. It will lead us to labour for the Lord, because we trust in the living God. So therefore, as we would seek to dedicate ourselves to godliness, that godliness itself will be the means for us to enable us to endure the labour and the reproach. And here when he's talking about labor, it means actually strenuous toil. In other words, what he's saying is godliness demands every ounce of energy that we possess. But we need a steady mind to cope with it. For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. If we were to suffer persecution, as so many of our brothers and sisters of Christ do today, then we will have the peace of God, which passes all understanding. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might be at peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I, the Lord Jesus Christ, have overcome the world. Indeed, even our sufferings can be sanctified so that we may even end up calling them blessings. Verse 10, we read there that he said, because we trust in the living God who is the saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. There he calls Jesus the saviour of all men. But He is the Saviour for all those who believe. And back in Psalm 33, verses 18 and 19, we read this. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. You see the work of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ is not limited to one class of people or one nation or whatever. Maybe there were thoughts, we sort of considered it a bit this morning about the priest and the Levi and their attitude would have been to the Samaritan. But the Lord Jesus Christ today has set aside all narrow and all selfish conceptions of who will be redeemed. Whosoever will. One of the things I would, if you've got it, the works of John Bunyan is to read the Jerusalem Sinner Saved. It is really so encouraging how he writes in that particular, I don't think it's a book really, but it's a fairly sized book, I suppose. You see, of all men, God is the saviour. But of some, that is the believers, he is the saviour in a much, much deeper sense. Remember the exodus. That vast, great multitude that left Egypt with Moses. How the Lord took all those people, his people, out of bondage. But how many entered the promised land too? Joshua and Caleb. Even Moses was prohibited from that. Consider Paul's journey to Rome and the shipwreck they had at Malta. The Lord had assured Paul that if you all stick together on the boat, you'll all get ashore, none of you will perish, none of you will drown. Yes, you see, all those on that boat were saved. They all made it to shore. But they were not all redeemed. Paul was. Maybe others may have been. So it's possible there. You see, labour for the Lord, labour for God is a reward. itself. The privilege of serving the Living God in a sin-sick world in which he's placed us. It's not a burden. Does it not say somewhere that his service is what? Perfect freedom. Perfect freedom. Those Korean believers that are locked up tonight are more free than half the people wandering around Helsinki tonight or tucked in doors where they are tonight. Service of Christ is perfect freedom. There are no promises in the scriptures or sensual rest But there are promises of inward peace and satisfaction. And I must say, we have to always remember this, that our desire and seeking after godliness is never ever in vain. If we have no concern on the way we live. If we meet people that have no concern on the way that we live, then of course they, and we'll see no need for godliness. And surely the salvation of men and women, of our loved ones, of our families, of our friends who are unsaved, surely that is a motivation to keep going if nothing else. bringing and applying the gospel to people. Because we know, do we not, that's the only thing that's going to save people. It's the only thing that's going to improve their lives. It's the only way to make them in any sense better. And of course it's not just for this life, is it? It's forever, into eternity. And what a blessing it is, warning people, admonishing people, helping people, encouraging people, even amidst great difficulty. And what a blessing it is to pray. What a blessing prayer is. Because you don't even have to go out your front door to do that. When I first joined the London City Mission, I had to do four months in Tooting, with a missionary day in there. And he took me to meet this elderly lady. She'd just lived in one room, in a really basic place in Tooting. Her name was Mrs. Rowe. And we'd go in there and she'd have her thing out there, she'd say, what's the list? And she would ask items for prayer. And she, you know, people we'd met on the doors maybe, and people in the church, and maybe your family and all sorts of things. And that's what she did. Couldn't go out the house, she was ace-bound. But what a ministry she had. Prayer. And I think, you know, people like that, up and down our land, mainly stuck indoors, but what amazing ministry they have in prayer and what effect they have on this nation of ours and the people that live in it. And of course, it's not easy, is it? It's a physical effort to pray for any length of time. It's a mental effort to maintain your concentration in prayer. But again, we need to ask the Lord to help us in that. And what does he finish here in verse 11? These things command and teach. True faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is profitable for both worlds. I saw enough of it in London and I'm sure you've seen it as well. Vice destroys the body and the soul. eventually some ways quicker than others. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the saviour for all these things. I remember once speaking to a bloke who was an ex-druggie. He said one day, he said, I was lying in the gutter and all I could do was look up. And somebody told him about Jesus. And he said, I've been looking up ever since, but on two feet. You know, no one is without hope, are they? Well, there's life, there's hope. And what a privilege it is to share the wonderful gospel with people. And there's no doubt about it that Lord Jesus Christ does save those who believe. I trust that your believer's here tonight. He saved you. Surely that's our hope, isn't it? That's our hope, not just for tonight, but for the rest of this week, the rest of the month, if the Lord gives it, the rest of the year, if the Lord gives it. So wherever our time comes to leave this earth, our hope is in the living God, who through the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed has made us savable. Yes, self-discipline involves the diligent teaching and practicing of these things. These things command and teach. Timothy, you teach the whole counsel of God. And then you teach by example. And surely that's what we look for today, isn't it? For those who administer the world of God, that they do preach the whole counsel of God, and they live by the whole counsel of God. But that comes down to ordinary folk like you and I. We know how we should live. We know how we should behave. We have looked in the scriptures, it tells us. And we need to live by example. In other words, he, Timothy, must transmit same doctrine to others. And you'll only be able to do that as Timothy was when we study the word of God. And Lord in his graciousness, reveals its truth to us and helps us to live for him in these days. Let's sing, shall we? Number 343. The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation by water and the word. From heaven he came and sought her, to be his holy bride. With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. 343. The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation by water and the word. From heav'n he came and sought her to be. ♪ His holy pride ♪ ♪ With his own blood he sought her ♪ ♪ And for her life he died ♪ ♪ He left from every nation ♪ ♪ Yet one for all the earth ♪ ♪ The charter of salvation ♪ ♪ One Lord, one faith, one birth ♪ ♪ One holy empty blessed partage ♪ ♪ One holy food ♪ ♪ And to our Lord she presses ♪ ♪ With every crescent due ♪ ♪ With a storm for wonder ♪ ♪ And sea as for a grass ♪ ♪ By schism cramped us under ♪ ♪ By heresy's distress ♪ ♪ Yet since there was dark evening ♪ ♪ Their flight goes on how long ♪ And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of sun. With toil and tribulation and journals of her war, He waits the consummation of his forevermore. Till with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blessed. And the great church victorious, ♪ Come ye, the church at rest ♪ ♪ Yes, ye are no bad youth ♪ ♪ With God the free in one ♪ ♪ And this, this sweet communion ♪ ♪ With those whose breasts are clean ♪ Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith for God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. May grace be with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ.