Please turn in your copies of God's Word to 1 Timothy 4. 1 Timothy 4, and last week we saw a warning given by the Apostle Paul against false teachers that had begun to creep into the church. That warning was a general one for all people in all ages to beware of seducing spirits which seek to deceive men from the truth. But it was also a prophetic utterance of that man of sin, which was to come who would deceive men such that there would be a great apostasy from the truth. Paul gave this warning in order that we may be on guard against the wiles of the evil one. So that we would not be tempted by his lies. Well, here in our text this morning, he goes on to show what the true religion is, that it is one which is marked by a devotion to sound doctrine and the pursuit of holiness and godliness. So with that in mind, give your attention to the reading of God's holy word from first Timothy chapter four, beginning at verse six. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 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. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Thus far, the reading of God's word, let us ask His blessing on it. Oh, Lord, we come unto Thee and we are thankful for this word which Thou has given us. This Word which is life bringing. This Word which takes the cold, stony heart of man and replaces it with a heart of flesh. This Word which is an effectual means of salvation through Thy Spirit working effectually in it. O Lord, we ask Thy blessing be upon the reading of this Word, would not just go into our ears and then go out the other side, but Lord, that this reading would be received with gladness and with joy. Lord, bless the hearing of it that it may be heard with a heart that is open to receive it. A heart that is ready to be transformed by the renewing of the Spirit within us. O Lord, we ask Thy blessing be upon the preaching of the Word now. We ask that the man would decrease so that Christ Jesus would be magnified. We ask, Lord, that what is preached today would not be in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but would be in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and the power O Lord, we ask that Thou wouldst feed us this day with Thy Word. Teach us Thy truth. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. We live in dangerous times, not only physically, but more so spiritually. As we saw last week in the warning of the Apostle Paul, that Antichrist has made himself known, setting himself up in the temple of God, and he has deceived millions with his lying signs and wonders, with his subtlety and craftiness. Added to that is the fact that the spirit of Antichrist has so influenced the culture that we live in and has deceived the masses with seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Surely the words of 2 Peter 5 8 are true today. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. You must protect yourselves from this ravenous beast which seeks to destroy you. But I fear that the church today has become weak in its fight against the evil one. False doctrines have plagued even the most faithful of churches. Heresy and schism have ripped apart the essential unity of the body, causing many who profess the same Christ to war against one another. Secular philosophical thought has crept in and brought about a challenge to the truth, questioning whether or not we can even know the truth and denying the necessity of being rooted in the truth. Doctrine has become a dirty word in modern evangelical churches, with many people viewing it as a hindrance to the practice of true faith. Godliness has been castigated as being antithetical to the gospel of free grace, with many professing believers holding to a view that is closer to antinomianism than biblical Christianity. We ought not wonder why the church is in such a sad state today, because the answer is painfully obvious. Something has to change or the church will be ineffective against the attacks of the evil one. Here in our text this morning, Paul gives an exhortation to the saints in Ephesus that is desperately needed for the church today. We must be a people who are devoted to sound doctrine. and the exercise of godliness. That is the calling upon each and every one of you here today. And so this will be our theme this morning. Let's begin in v. 6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. Paul is calling Timothy to remember something. What is it that he's calling him to remember? He's calling Timothy to remember the signs of a false teacher. And more than that, he's calling Timothy to remember the truth of God. And Paul doesn't just tell Timothy this in order for him to be an authority over everyone and to Lord his knowledge over those who are in the church. He calls Timothy to remind the brethren of these things as well. This is absolutely key when it comes to life in the church. We are not to hoard the truths that we are given or that we learn from studies in the Scripture, but instead we are to share them with those around us. We are to call our brothers and sisters to a remembrance of these things. This is how we minister to one another. by edifying them with the truth that has been given to us. This is the duty of elders as under shepherds of the flock. In doing this, the Lord says you are a good minister of Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry writes, those are good ministers of Jesus Christ who are diligent in their work, not that study to advance new notions, but that put the brethren in remembrance of those things which they have received and heard. The best way to be servants of the church is to do these things and the best way for servants of the church to grow in knowledge and faith is to put the brethren brethren in remembrance of these things. While we teach others, we teach ourselves. Brothers and sisters, your spiritual duty is to receive those things which the Lord has commanded and to put them in remembrance. And there's a reason that this is so important. This is your spiritual nourishment. This verse says that we are nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine. Can a man live without food? Can a man live without water? Well, of course not. There are certain things that a man cannot live without because they provide essential nourishment for his physical body. The same is true of the spirit of man. There are certain things, namely, the words of faith and of good doctrine, without which you cannot spiritually live. because they provide essential nourishment for your spiritual being. In Matthew 4-4, Christ Jesus makes this connection as well. He says, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And Christ goes on to explain that He, being the incarnate Word of God, is that bread of life which provides nourishment for your soul. John 6.35 tells us, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Friends, true, sound, good doctrine is the life-giving nourishment that your soul requires. But I fear that many within the church today are suffering from spiritual starvation, spiritual malnourishment. There's a growing trend among Christians to shy away from matters of doctrine in favor of those things which tend to focus more on the relational aspect of Christianity. I had a friend several years ago who, when we were discussing what we would study for the men's group at church, he said, why should we focus on doctrine when we should just study how to love Jesus more? And unfortunately, this sentiment is more pervasive than just that one incident. You cannot know how to love Christ Jesus more if you do not know how He has revealed Himself in His Word. You cannot know how to love Jesus more if you do not know how He has instructed His church in the ways in which it ought to operate. You cannot know how to love the Lord Jesus Christ more if you do not know the truth which He has given to His people. Friends, the study of doctrine is not some vain intellectual exercise. It is the means by which Jehovah has ordained for you to be nourished and strengthened in your faith. Every one of us here ought to be feasting upon the doctrine of the Word. Every one of us here ought to be devoting a portion of our day meditating on the law of the Lord in order to make it our delight. Theology and doctrine are not things that are reserved for those who are in seminary or for those with MDiv behind their name or for those who are officers within the church or even just for those who are men. The study of doctrine is for everyone, men and women, ministers and members, academics and blue collar workers. You must be learning sound doctrine in order to grow in knowledge and wisdom and understanding of in your Christian life. This must be something which is part of your personal daily life. but it also must be something which is guided and directed by the church who is the pillar and ground of the truth. It's sad to say that many churches have set aside the study and teaching of doctrine for the platitudes of man. We as a congregation ought to be known as those who proclaim the truth who teach sound doctrine, who equip the saints with a greater knowledge of the Word in order that they may love Christ Jesus more. To neglect this is to deprive the flock of the food they so desperately need. And to neglect this in your own lives is to starve yourselves of the nourishment your soul requires. You must be feasting on the Word being nourished by the doctrine contained within. But you must be careful that what goes into the heart and what is produced in your lives is in accordance to the true teaching of Scripture. Let's continue on in our passage. But refuse profane and old wives fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 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. How many of you have heard that if you tie a piece of string to your wedding ring and you hold it over your pregnant belly that the direction that the ring spins in will tell you what gender your baby's going to be? Or how about if you spill salt while you're eating at the table that it's bad luck? Of course, we know these to just be old wives' fables rooted in nothing more than superstition. Is this what Paul is speaking of here? I would argue that it's not. It wouldn't make sense that in a passage about doctrine he would include such vain superstitions. So what is he speaking against when he says that we are to refuse profane and old wives' fables? Well, let me ask you a few more, some that I think are more applicable to the topic at hand. How many of you have heard the phrase God helps those who help themselves? Or how about God loves you just the way you are and you don't have to change anything? Or what about the Popish act of making the sign of the cross? Or this one that may cut a little closer to home, the phrase, Jesus is the reason for the season. These are the kind of old wives fables that Paul has in mind. These superstitious sayings or gestures that are supposedly rooted in a theological position and are presented as doctrine. So many people would say that some, if not all of those things, are just facts of the Christian life. Why does Paul condemn these things? Because they're vain. They're of no value because they have no foundation in the Scripture. They are nothing more than man-made traditions which hold no bearing upon the church. Far too many people have bought into these old wives' fables and others like them and have built their understanding of doctrine upon them. Friends, if you're guilty of this, then you have fallen prey to the same seduction as the Pharisees who teach for doctrines the commandments of men. Doing this is like eating a piece of rotten meat. There's no nourishment that comes, but instead it produces a vile sickness which, if not tended to, will lead to death. The consumption of false doctrine and old wives' fables will prove to be death in you, and your life will bear the rotten fruit of that death. This is why Paul condemns such things. But Paul doesn't just condemn these things and leave it at that. He gives us the counter to these things, but refuse profane and old wise fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. This exercise unto godliness is given in opposition to the old wives fables. Instead of relying upon superstitions and things which are not founded in the word of God, you are to practice godliness. Exercise godliness. It's not enough that we refuse the profane and old wives' fables, but we must exercise ourselves unto godliness. We must not only cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. Isaiah 1, verses 16 and 17 says, Wash you and make you clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek judgment. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow. You must make a practice of exercising yourselves to godliness. This word exercise is a sports term and it's used of the Greek athletes who would devote themselves to the perfecting of a sport. And you all know what exercise means. You know that exercise is something which takes effort. It's something which you must devote yourself to. That's what the Apostle is saying must be true of your life concerning godliness. So how can you exercise godliness? Godliness is part of the sanctification process, which means it is a work that is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. So how do we exercise godliness if it's something that the Spirit does in us? Well, by doing what the psalmist in Psalm 1 says, meditating on the law of the Lord day and night. The Word of the Lord is the means of grace whereby the Spirit works these works of sanctification in us. This means you must be disciplined in your Bible daily, in reading your Bibles daily. You ought to not just read them to check a box. But you must actually meditate upon what the Lord is saying in His Word. You ought to give yourselves over to the learning of doctrine. And you must apply those truths that are found in the Word of God. Those truths in the doctrine which you are being instructed in. You must apply them to your daily lives. Seeking to live in accordance with what the Word of God teaches. It's not enough that doctrine remain just head knowledge swirling around in your brain waiting for the time when a question is asked so that you can give the correct answer. It must penetrate into your heart, creating a devotion for the things of God so that it becomes your desire and it must flow forth from you in your lives so that everything you do reflects the truth that you profess. Godliness must be the fruit of doctrine. But why? Why should we do this? Well, Paul gives the answer. 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. There are many who point to this passage and interpret it as speaking of physical exercise, of going to the gym and working out. That's not what Paul's speaking of. He's arguing against the vain exercise of pretended godliness through going through the motions of religious actions. This is the very thing that Christ Jesus chastised the Pharisees for in Matthew 2323. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. The mere externals of religion profit a man little if they are not connected to the internal reality of true godliness. Are you one of those whom the Apostle is speaking of here? Are you one of those whom Christ speaks against? Do you devote yourself to the show of godliness without having experienced the reality of true godliness? Friends, what a waste of time that is. to put on a show of godliness but not have the reality of it. Calvin comments, there is no reason why you should weary yourself to no purpose about other matters. You will do that which is of the highest importance if you devote yourself with all your zeal and with all your ability to godliness alone. your good deeds, your religious exercises, they will all wither away and fail in due time because without true godliness, they are nothing. They will not last. But the same cannot be said about true godliness. But godliness is profitable unto all things. having promise of life that now is and of that which is to come. External shows of religion are vain, but godliness is profitable. The vain things of this world will ultimately pass away. And godliness, which is only found in the Spirit of the Lord working through the Word is the only thing that continues to profit you both here in this life and in that which is to come. 1 Peter 1 24 and 25 tells us, For all flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof fadeth away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. All the things of this world will pass away, but the things of the Lord will stand. In these things of the Lord, this godliness is the promise of that which is to come. It is an eternal promise. Hebrews 12 14 says follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. It is only true doctrine producing true godliness that will endure. And all of this so far is an argument that Paul has been building. Yes, each element is an argument within itself, but they all build together to formulate this grand argument which Paul is making. The culmination of this argument is found in verses 9-11. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe these things, command and teach. Everything that Paul has argued so far, it's all to be taken as faithful, as true, as trustworthy. We are to fully accept it And not only the things that are explicitly mentioned in the previous verses. No, we are to accept all of the doctrine that has been taught. It's all of doctrine. All of Scripture that the Spirit of the Lord uses to bring about godliness in the lives of His people. And you must accept it as faithful and true and trustworthy. But why must you accept these things? Is doctrine not just man's interpretation of what the Bible says? Absolutely not. There are doctrines of man that go against what the Scriptures teach, but doctrine found in the Word of God is not merely man's interpretation of Scripture. Doctrine flows directly to us from the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. You can know that your doctrine is sure because of who it was rooted in. If your doctrine is rooted in anything or anyone other than the sovereign King of the universe, then it's not faithful. It cannot be true. It cannot be trusted. But the reason Paul says this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation is because we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men. Because God is unmovable, unchangeable. We can rest assured that our doctrine, if properly founded in Him, is just as unshakable. So far as the Lord is trustworthy and your doctrine is founded in Him and His Word, that doctrine is faithful and worthy of all acceptation. So with this in mind, where does it leave us? Well, the Augustinian monks, they removed themselves from the secular world in order to devote themselves to the study theology and doctrine? Are we to do the same? Should we close ourselves up in our libraries and offices and just spend the rest of our lives doing nothing but studying theology? I know a lot of guys in Reformed churches who would say that that's not a terrible idea. And to an extent, it's not wholly terrible. There's nothing wrong with devoting yourself to theology and doctrine. The problem comes when you alienate yourself from the world around you. We are at war. Remember what was said in 1 Timothy 1 and verses 18 and 19. This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience." Does the military just lock themselves away during wartime and study tactics and strategy? Of course not. They study and then apply what they've learned on the battlefield. That's what you must do. You must apply this doctrine to the battlefield of the spiritual war that you are fighting. You feed on doctrine knowing that it is your spiritual nourishment providing you with the nutrients needed to keep fighting. The Word of God feeds the soul, conferring grace upon us in the reading and hearing of the Word, in the singing of the Psalms, in prayer, and in the partaking of the sacraments. Doctrine is our fuel for the fight. We embrace doctrine knowing that it will preserve us through these trying times. Even when you suffer reproach in this life, as the Apostle Paul mentions here, you can know that the Lord is the one who is working together all things for His glory and for your good. Your afflictions in this life are to be accompanied by hope in the living God. Hope is the foundation, but it never maketh ashamed as Romans 5.5 teaches. And therefore, everything that happens to the godly, it's persecution, reproach, or blessing. Everything that happens to the godly. Ought to be reckoned as gain. Faith in the Lord and trust in His Word will be our weapon in this present age as Galatians 617 tells us. The Word of God is also a means of grace whereby the Spirit works in us godliness, without which no man will see the Lord. It is the hope of that victory over the war we wage and that assurance of a better kingdom in the age to come. And you must lean upon doctrine knowing that it is trustworthy because it flows from the only one who is trustworthy himself. Our sovereign King, the Lord of heaven and earth, is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is unwavering. He is unmoving. He is unstoppable. He is the one in whom all our trust is placed. Your doctrine may not be perfect in every minute detail, but it is trustworthy because He is trustworthy. So when this life gets tough, when you suffer reproach for the sake of Christ, When the war rages just a little too violently, when the weight of this world comes crashing down and you are failing in your flesh, remember that the great and mighty King is carrying you on wings like eagles, and He has given you His word to be a guide as you face the enemy, Christ's enemy, head on. He will break their teeth in their mouths. He will crush them underneath His feet. He is our victorious King. What then shall we fear? Brothers and sisters, the call upon you in this Christian life is one of action. One which requires you to be diligent in your efforts at fighting against the enemy. You must be equipped with the doctrine of the Word. Hiding it within your heart so that you may not sin against God. Putting it into practice. Not through vain religious actions, but through a life of sincere and true godliness. And as you press on, know that the Lord of glory is by your side every step of the way. empowering you by His Holy Spirit to advance further from strength to strength through the battlefield of this life. Trust in Him and you will never be led astray. Friends, you must be a people who are devoted to sound doctrine and the exercise of godliness Let's pray. O Lord, we come unto Thee and we are thankful for this Word of truth, this life-giving Word which equips us for whatever may lie ahead. O Lord, ask that thou wouldst feed us with thy word each and every day, causing us to increase in knowledge and wisdom and understanding of thy ways, and causing us to grow in godliness. Lord, let us stand against the wiles of the evil one. Let this doctrine and this godliness be a means by which we are protected from the seducing spirits of the age, from the deceptions of that Antichrist who seek to draw us away from Thee. O Lord, let us long to know Thee more and more and more. And Lord, let us long to grow in more and more Christlikeness every day, putting to death the old man, putting away the flesh, and putting on the righteousness of Christ, that we may be conformed after the image of Him. Teach us Thy ways, O Lord, and we will walk in Thy truth. We ask, Lord, that Thou wouldst give us an undivided heart, that we may fear Thy name. Lord, let us meditate upon these truths. Bless the remainder of our worship, we pray. In Christ's name, amen.