This morning we’re beginning a new series of messages from Paul’s first letter to Timothy - “Vital Signs of a Healthy Church.”  What is a healthy church?

There are different ways we might ask that question.  If we’re looking for a new congregation to be a part of we might be asking questions about what goes on there.  What’s the worship like?  What kind of ministries do they have?  What’s the preaching like?  Is this a healthy place for our family to land?  Is the church passionate?  Welcoming?  Trendy?  Spiritually alive?

Or if we’re in a congregation we might ask ourselves are we moving sideways?  Is this congregation growing or shrinking?  Why or why not?  How do I feel about being a part of this congregation?  Do I feel safe?  Engaged?  Needed?  Ministered to?

Is the church healthy?  What does that actually look like?  Feel like? 

The question has relevance for every one of us.  Because every Christian is called to be integrally engaged in the life of a local congregation.  To be part of a body means being physically connected to that body.

Every Christian has responsibility for the health of that congregation.  Not just the pastor.  Not just the church leadership.  But all of us - engaged together as the Body of Christ - contributing to the health of the congregation we are a part of.

As pastors we know that one day we’ll stand before God and give account for how we’ve led this congregation.  But every single believer here is going to give an account for whether or not we’ve regularly gathered together - encouraged each other to follow Jesus - pursued together the living out and proclaiming of the Gospel.  (Hebrews 10:23-25; 13:17) 

What should a healthy church be like?  What are the vital signs of a healthy church?  And what does that mean for each one of us?

It’s fire season in California.  The Chimney Fire is 12,000 plus acres.  The Blue Cut Fire is 37,000 plus acres.  Last year we’ve had huge fires just east of here. 

If you had seconds to grab stuff and evacuate your house - assuming that everyone was out safely - what one item in your house is so valuable that you’d bypass a whole lot of other stuff just to make sure that one item survived the fire?

That is vital - cannot do without - essential for life - what we are looking at here in 1 Timothy.  What is vital for us as a congregation to live healthy in our relationship and ministry together as the Body of Christ.

To the degree that we see these in evidence we know that the congregation is healthy.  Maybe there’s opportunity for improving that health.  But at least there’s a pulse.

We are at 1 Timothy 1.  Today we are looking at the first 11 verses and “Love.”  John Lennon:  “All you need is love.”  Love originates with God - love is vital for the Body of Christ.

1 Timothy 1 - starting at verse 1 - Paul’s Greeting.  Let’s read together:  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith:  Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s grab some background on Paul and Timothy.

Timothy is Paul’s “true child in the faith” which means that Paul probably led Timothy to faith in Jesus as the Christ.  We know that Timothy was a young man - “young” probably meaning in his 30’s - Timothy was a young man who traveled with Paul - served with Paul - was discipled by Paul - was with Paul the first time Paul was thrown in jail.  There’s a tight relationship between the two.

From about 52 to 55 AD Paul had served with the church in Ephesus.  Ephesus being in western Anatolia - the Roman province of Asia - what is now western Turkey.  When Paul was engaged in ministry elsewhere Paul had instructed Timothy to remain in Ephesus to serve the church there.

From about 60 to 62 AD Paul was in prison in Rome.  In 62 he’s released - travels probably to Spain to evangelize there.  At some point he arrives back in Macedonia - north of Greece - which is where he is when he writes this letter to Timothy - who’s in... Ephesus.  Then in 64 Paul is imprisoned again in Rome and is executed by Nero in 67 AD.

That’s a lot of background.

The point is that Paul is writing to Timothy who’s serving with the church in Ephesus.  And that Paul is very familiar with Ephesus - a city that’s broken in every way that Merced is and then some.

Merced is a broken city.  We know this.  Right?

Looking around Merced - there are lot of broken people.  Broken homes.  Broken families.  Broken down people - struggling - wounded - angry - bitter - hopeless - who’ve turned to a number of different ways of trying to cope with their brokenness - drugs - sex - gangs - alcohol.  Are we tracking?

In reality there are broken down people right here in the church.

Jesus is the only One who can heal that brokenness.  That’s where we fit into this city.  The bottom line of why we’re here - the mission of the Church is to take the Gospel into the world - into the places were we live life.  Love God.  Love Others.  Serve the Church.  Serve the World.

Paul gets Ephesus and Paul deeply cares for Timothy and the believers in Ephesus - and the not-yet-believers in Ephesus.  Paul is writing this letter to Timothy and the church - to focus them on what’s vital - what is essential to be focused on - if they’re going to be effective as the church that God will use in Ephesus.

The vital signs of the Church that we need to give our lives to - that we need to focus on nurturing and growing - maturing in - if we’re going to be the congregation that God intends for us to be here in the greater Merced metroplex.

1 Timothy 1 - verse 3 - Paul writing to Timothy - let’s read together:  As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than stewardship from God that is by faith. 

Let’s pause and make sure we’re together on what Paul means by myths and endless genealogies and speculations - what was a different doctrine being taught by certain persons.

“Different doctrine” is one compound Greek word - meaning one word made up of two Greek words stuck together.  “Eteros” - meaning “the other” and “didiskalia” meaning what’s being taught.

Find the Differences.  There are perhaps 5.  Maybe you’ll find more than I did.

The sun

The 3rd Giraffe

The additional branch

4 more clouds

The Zebra… just kidding

Different means so close to the original that it’s hard to tell the difference. 

The best lie is the one - what?  Closest to the truth.  This “different doctrine” sounded so close to the truth.  But when we look at them close up they’re very different.

Left shoe verse right shoe.  They look a lot alike - same style - same color - same material.  But one curves right and one curves left.  One is right - sound doctrine - teaching.  The other isn’t. 

Certain persons in the Ephesian Church who saw themselves as teachers - leaders in the congregation - these certain persons had spiritualized the Old Testament in much the same way that people today will claim that the Old Testament is a collection of stories - not actual historical people and events.

They said - there’s some historical accuracy.  But, we can’t take all that literally.  They said that the Old Testament is mainly a collection of “myths” - stories that represent the spiritual aspirations of the Jews.  What the Jews longed for - idealized - in their relationship with God.

Then they added to the these myths “endless genealogies.”

Imagine a pool of water smooth as glass.  Throw a small stone into the center of the pool and waves - rings - start moving outward.  Right?  Call each ring a new generation.  Each generation moving farther form the center where the rock hit.  Does this sound familiar?

The center is the divine origin of all things - pure - holy.  Call that center god - or divine perfection - or nirvana - or Stovokor.  The farther a ring gets away from the center the more distorted - the more impure - the more distorted by sin it is.

We’re out here on the outermost ring - generations increasingly distorted by sin.  Somehow we have to get back through those generations - or rings - to the point of our spiritual origin.  Oneness with the cosmic -  whatever we call it - divinity.  

The technical name for this teaching is “gnosticism.”  Comes from a Greek word “gnosis” - which basically means “knowledge.”  The way to get back to the center is through what we know - spiritual enlightenment and our efforts at living out that enlightenment - living a purer life.

We see some of that in eastern religions.  Maybe we’re all enlightened cows that made it to being human.  Or maybe the cows are more enlightened and we’re all working to attain cow status.  Or coming back as a mosquito.

We see some of this in Mormonism or Masonry or the First Church of Christ, Scientist.  Some secret knowledge that we need to understand and some work that we have to do in order to become more like a god - or whatever that divinity is out there. 

Grab this:  these “certain persons” - wanna be leaders in the church - were teaching that the Old Testament was a collection of stories - that Jesus Christ - who was Himself closer to the divine - more enlightened - like a Buddha - all that is useful to guide us to higher knowledge - to lead us backwards through the generations or rings towards our goal of sinless perfection - divine purity.  Are we together?

If we compare Jesus to Buddha it’s easy us for us to say, “That’s nuts.”  But remember, we’re comparing the left shoe with the right. 

In the way the teaching was being presented in the church in Ephesus it did sound kind of like what the Apostles were teaching - the other shoe.  Putting off the flesh - with all of its sin.  Being one with God - the Father.  Jesus who points the way - who gives us life.  Becoming more holy.  Living in obedience to God.

But Paul writes that what these certain people were doing was promoting speculations rather than stewardship from God that is by faith.  They were promoting controversy rather than promoting God’s work done by faith in God.  Emphasis being that something in their faith was messed up.

Rather than these men helping to move the church forward in what was essential to their faith - vital to fulfilling their mission as the church - the church was being caught up - distracted - by endless - hurtful - destructive - fruitless discussions - about these teachings.

Which was more about these persons focusing on themselves rather than focusing on God.  Faith in self verses faith in God.  The church focusing more on themselves rather than focusing on God and what God had for them to do by faith - by trust in Him.

Creekside has a tremendous history of being a Bible teaching - Bible believing - congregation.  It seems like most of us can discuss the basics of our faith - citing chapter and verse - arguing against heresy and the cults.  For the most part identifying the right shoe from the left.

And yet, we need to be so careful that we don’t mistake the huddle for the game.  That we don’t get so caught up in what we’re learning or debating or focused on that we start focusing on ourselves and not God who called us here to live our His purposes for us by trusting in Him.

Paul says, “Timothy, charge them - literally command them - a word in Greek that has the idea of a message - a command - that’s coming from God Himself:  “charge certain persons not to teach these strange doctrines.” 

Let’s read verse 5 together:  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Paul’s first vital sign of LOVE.

“Aim” is literally our “end point.”  When all is said and done what is the bottom line.  Our goal.  Our purpose.  What we’re aiming at is love.  What they’re aiming at is themselves.  A huge contrast of targets.  When we experience together the vital sign of “love” then we know we’ve hit the target.

Love is the Greek word “agape.”  Have you heard that word before?  Deep affection.  Charitable.  Benevolent. Unselfish commitment love.  The kind of love that sent Jesus to the cross.

Romans 5:8:  “But God shows His love - “agape” - same word - But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners - self-focused - rebelling against and rejecting God - unlovable - Christ died for us.  

There is no self-focus in God’s vital sign quality of “agape” love.

Paul goes on to describe what that love looks like in real time.

First:  The love we’re aiming at comes:  “from a pure heart”

“Pure” is the Greek word “katheros.”  Where we get our English word… “catharsis”  Purified.  Made clean.  “Pure” is not what we can do for ourselves - trying to be more pure.  Like that really works. 

Pure is God scrubbing out our hearts so that there’s nothing left in there of sin - or nothing left even desiring evil.  God bringing us to a place of innocence - guiltlessness.  As if we’ve never stained ourselves with the corruption and self-centered - self-destructive - sin of this world.

That’s where our heart needs to be - the core of who we are - cleaned of all self-serving desire - selfish motivation - an unclogged by sin - conduit of God’s love to those around us who are so desperate to know God’s love.  In our relationships with others - even here at Creekside - to be focused on loving others with the quality of self-less love that brought Jesus to the cross to die for helpless and hopeless sinners such as we are.

Second:  The love we’re aiming at comes from “a good conscience.”  “Good” meaning honorable - excellent - morally upright.  No sin.

“Conscience” translates another Greek word that’s two words stuck together to make one word.  First word:  “Soon” - meaning “with.”  And “eido” - meaning to examine - to perceive. 

Meaning that when we’re faced with a choice of what to do - after we’ve examined the options - we’ll know the right thing to do.  Our conscience is suppose to tell us what’s morally good and morally bad - prompting us to do what’s good - what’s honorable - excellent - upright.  Which happens all the time.  Right?

Problem is... our conscience is messed up by sin.  Our compass gets stuck on “bad.” 

The “with” part needs to be all about God.  Our perceiving “with” God’s perception of what’s going on in our lives what’s the right thing to do.  A good conscience is one that troubles us - judges and accuses us - when we do anything outside obedience to the will of God. 

Jesus reminded the rich young man the only one who is good is God.  So we need to let God reset our internal compass.

Having a good conscience means that our minds, our wills, our emotions - and so our attitudes and actions - are so totally surrendered and conformed to the mind and will and heart of God that what comes out in our relationships together is a quality of love that is totally in conformity to the mind, will, and heart of God.

Third:  the love we’re aiming at comes from “a sincere faith.”

 The word sincere in Greek literally means “without hypocrisy.”  A hypocrite - in the origin of the word - was an actor.  Someone who got up on the stage and pretended to be someone else.

A sincere faith isn’t a faked faith.  Its genuine.  The real deal.  No reservations.  What you see is what you get.  Nothing held back - open - honest - trust in God. 

Faith that is grounded in the authority and truth of God’s word not our speculations about spiritual things - faith that is placed in Jesus Christ alone as the Lord and Savior of mankind.  Faith in God.  Not us.

Sincere faith means that the quality of love we have in our relationship together gives no opportunity for hidden agendas and motivations - hidden pride and pretense - a love that understands that we’re only here because of God who by His grace and not our merit or work - God alone who by His grace has called us to Himself and together as this congregation for His purposes and His glory alone.

Are we seeing what Paul is getting at here?  Faith - trusting in God with all that we are - should open us up to God directing our conscience - living in purified obedience to God’s will - so that what results is a life that’s totally surrendered - totally in love with God and others.  The vital sign of love. 

God being the very source and definition of love must be the One to create that love within us.  That only happens when we surrender ourselves to Him.  Totally give ourselves over to Him.  Faith in God.  Not us.  “God, seize control of my life and make it what you will it to be according to your will and purposes and for your glory alone.”  (1 John 4:7-12)

The aim - the end point goal of Paul’s command - love from a pure heart - from a good conscience - from a sincere faith - only comes as we acknowledge our sin and throw ourselves on the grace of God offered through Jesus Christ.

Everything else that entangles us - wounds us - keeps us from joy and victory - distracts us from fulfilling God’s ministry in and through us - as people - as a church - comes as we focus on ourselves - when we refuse to get past our own appetites - our own issues - our own pride - our own goals.

Coming to verse 6 Paul goes back to these “certain persons”  What is a contrast - an example for us in real time of what is not our aim.

Read with me at 6:  Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

On October 21, 2009 air traffic controllers lost contact with Northwest Airline’s flight 188 from San Diego to Minneapolis.  This is classic.

For 1 hour and 18 minutes air traffic control tried desperately to contact the flight.  By time air traffic control managed to regain contact - flight 188 with 147 passengers and 5 crew had overshot the Minneapolis airport by some 150 miles.

The pilot and co-pilot were both experienced fliers with 20,000 and 11,000 hours of flight time under their belt.  The pilots - who said that they were not tired at the time - had no record of accidents, incidents, violations, or medical problems.

The pilots told investigators that - flying at 37,000 feet on autopilot - they were engaged  in “a concentrated period of discussion” about airline policy and “lost track of time.”  Meaning they were focused on their laptops and the discussion they were in.

Even though they both heard the radio they weren’t monitoring the airplane or calls from air traffic control.

These “certain men” have swerved.  The Greek word has the idea of being off target.  Meaning their aim is way off.  “Wandered away” translates a Greek word means to be put out of place.

Spiritually they’re aiming at a totally different target - a different goal.  Something’s wrong with their internal - spiritual -  guidance system.  Their course isn’t being corrected and their end point is way off course.  

Are we together on why they swerved?

Their desire is to be known as teachers of the Law.  Those whose teaching and opinions people should respect.  All this teaching and debate isn’t about moving people farther along with God - fulfilling the mission of the church.  It’s about them.  Their reputation.  Their egos.  Faith in self.

Which is an easy trap to fall into.  Isn’t it?

Deep down we know we got nothing - especially in our relationship with God.  We’re inadequate.  Empty.  One step from epic failure.  We can try to compensate by putting out an image or maybe lose ourselves in an addiction.  All of which is self-destructive if we’re avoiding trusting God to deal with our real needs and issues.

There are a ton of people - some even claiming to be Christians - people who are living by their own version of what it means be right with whatever they’ve decided “god” is.  When we share God’s truth with them - about what it means to have faith in God and why - they just won’t go there.  Their faith is in themselves and how they’ve chosen to cope with their emptiness.

Outwardly - these “certain persons” here in Ephesus - they themselves have become lost in worthless discussions - making confident - bold - assertions - declarations - about truths they don’t understand.  Internally - for their own lives - they’ve never come face to face with the reality - the truth - of what they’re trying to teach.  What it really means to trust God.

Which is behind Paul’s explanation about the law in verse 8.

Let’s read together:  Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

Let’s make sure we’re tracking with Paul: 

Now we know that the Law - what these men wanted to be teachers of - the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully - if one teaches and understands it the way God intended - the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully - and here’s how - understanding this, that law is not laid down for the just - it’s not for those who are already in a right relationship with God - but for the lawless and disobedient - those who know God’s law and choose to live in disobedience to it - for the ungodly and sinners - those without reverence for God - the unrepentant - for the unholy and profane - those actively working against God - who ridicule God - for those who strike their fathers and mothers - who dishonor their parents - for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers - meaning kidnappers - liars and perjurers...  It’s quite a list.  And in case Paul has left anything out - Paul adds, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine - all of which is not - according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

The whole point of the law is to show us our need for God - for God’s grace - for God’s mercy - for God’s forgiveness.  That we can’t achieve holiness - to reach God or divinity or purity - on our own.  The desperation of our situation apart from God’s intervention.

The law points out sin in order to point us to God.  To His Gospel.  The reality of God’s love demonstrated in Jesus.  The law calls us to faith - to trust in God. 

That truth of salvation and life these “certain men” had never come to understand - to embrace - for themselves.

We’re together?

These men were teaching about the Law - God and His holiness - how we’re to come to holiness before God.  But they’d missed the point.  They were taking this standard of God’s holiness - the Law - and trying - through myths and genealogies and their own efforts at eliminating the sins of the flesh - keeping the commandments and rituals of the law - that somehow by their own works and effort they were to achieve this divine holiness.

Ultimately what they were aiming at - their focus - was themselves and not God.  Which meant that they had totally missed faith in God and the vital essential of love. 

Processing all that…

Paul - when he writes about “certain persons” is not commissioning us to go out and hunt down and kill heretics.  The mission of the church is take the Gospel into the world - the greater Merced metroplex - even beginning within the community of the Church.

These “certain men” were in the church - leaders - teachers - men who were respected.  But, they’d strayed from the truth of the Gospel.  They’d missed the point.  They needed to know Jesus.

Paul is encouraging us to become conduits of God’s love flowing through us to others.

That’s really hard.  Let’s be honest.  We all have room for growth here. 

As individuals in the church it becomes easy for us to share with others of like mind - to share with others about the spiritual shortcomings of those who “just don’t get it.”  Especially when those “others” criticize and speak against us because we, “just don’t get it.” 

It’s easier for us to huddle with people of like mind on Sunday after worship or in Life Groups or ministry events rather than allowing God to push us out of our comfort zone to connect with people we don’t really know.

It’s a stretch for us - not the first thing on our minds - to invite people we don’t really know to be a part of what we’re a part of.  To invite people to our houses.  To meals.  To join with our family.

To see what God is doing around here - the events and ministries - as opportunities to include and involve and invite others to join with us - even doing whatever it takes to make sure that they get here.

To focus outward rather than inward - church as usual - comfortable - complacently doing the same thing and expecting different results.

We’ve heard this.  We know this.  We teach this.  But are we really willing to surrender to God and live this?

In 1 Corinthians 6 - the Apostle Paul goes down a list of sinners similar to the one he has here in 1 Timothy.  A pretty ugly list.  He concludes the list with these words, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:11)

“Such were some of us” - sinners - by God’s grace - saved.  Undeservedly loved on by God.

Merced is broken.  Will we love Merced?  People here are broken.  Will we love each other as God has loved us?

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.