Sermons
November 1st, 2009 by Pastor Solley110109AM Faithful Sayings.
Sub. The phrase faithful saying
Theme: The four places that phrase is used.
Text: 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8
“Faithful Sayings” 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8
IntroductionI would like to bring a message this morning on faithful sayings. The word faithful means that which is firm in adherence to truth, religion and duty, to be constant and true. The word saying is defined as an expression of wise utterance. When you combine those two words you are left wise sayings, faithful sayings that have been proven and you can trust. And there are several such sayings that we are familiar with. Finish these for me. “Red sky in the morning sailor take warning” “Red sky at night sailor take delight” “A stitch in time saves nine” “If something is worth doing it is worth doing right” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” “Good things come to those who wait” There are many faithful sayings that we are familiar with. And we often hold these type of sayings up to one another, faithful sayings.
I. The Bible is a book of faithful sayings: In truth everything in the Bible, every word, every phrase, every account, every chapter, every book, everything in the Bible is a faithful saying because these are the very words of God. Do you know which of the above sayings was used by Jesus in the Bible? – Matt 16:1-3 It is a saying of man but Jesus used it.
A. And there are many faithful sayings in the Bible, the words of God: And this you can live by, these have been proven true and they continue to be proved true in every generation. (1) Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die , but after this the judgment: That is a faithful saying. (2) Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap . That is a faithful saying. (3) Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. That is a faithful saying. Every word in the Bible, every phrase is a faithful saying.
B. That phrase “faithful saying” is found four times in the Bible: Four different phrases God identified as faithful sayings. These are the faithful sayings we will look at this morning. – 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8
II. Do you wonder why God would set these four faithful sayings apart? Every saying in the bible is faithful, every phrase we can depend upon, ever recorded event true just the way it is written down. Why then would God set these four apart?
A. One reason is to whom they are given: Each one of these phrases is given to a pastor. The Spirit of God is directing the pen of Paul as he writes to Timothy and Titus, two young pastors. At least one of them was led to the Lord by Paul and both were appointed pastors by Paul. And these faithful sayings were given to encourage them in the ministry of the local church.
1. Remember at this time pastors were appointed by the apostles: God calls pastors today, at that time they were appointed.
2. These men would need to be encouraged in that this is what God wanted them to do: That is one reason for the epistles.
B. Another reasons is that these faithful sayings were to guide their preaching: One thing they were responsible for was the preaching of the Word, one thing they were charged to do was preach the Word. – 2 Tim 4:1-2 But what Word? The bible was not yet complete. They had the Old Testament and part of the New but the Bible was not yet completed. What Word then?
1. In the 13 chapters that make up 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus you find the Word they were to preach: If one were not commanded to preach all the counsel of God a pastor could settle into these 3 books for years and years.
2. Here are the faithful sayings you are to preach:
PROP: Let us consider these four faithful sayings set apart by God this morning. TS. Because that which is set apart by God should take on an added importance to us today.
Body
I. This is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 1:15 The very first thought has to do with salvation. The church can be a lot of things, the church can do a lot of things. But at the foundation of it all must be the gospel message of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a faithful saying. – 1 Tim 1:15 What do we have if we don’t have Christ?
A. And all that is needed in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ is given to Timothy here: 1 Tim 4:8-16 Everything that is needed to turn a lost sinner to Jesus Christ is given to Timothy in these verses.
1. Use the Law to show the lost man his sin and his need for a savior: 1 Tim 1:8 People don’t like to hear about the Law of God, they didn’t then and they like it even less today. That is because the Law shows us what we are.
-2-
2. Do you want a good picture of yourself this morning, then look into the Law of God: 1 Tim 1:9-10 And this is exactly why most people don’t like the Law of God. It shows us exactly what we are.
a. This is the heart of every man, woman and child here this morning. 1 Tim 1:9-10; Mark 7:20-23 That which the Law of God condemns comes from within the heart of every man, woman and child here this morning.
b. No wonder people don’t like the Law of God.
c. But a person cannot be saved until they see themselves as God sees them.
3. After they have seen the Law of God, show them the grace and mercy of God: 1 Tim 1:14,16 It is the Law of God that condemns man, it is the grace and mercy of God extended through the Lord Jesus Christ that saves sinful man.
a. Gods mercy is God withholding what sinful man deserves.
b. God’s grace is God giving to the forgiven sinner what he could never deserve.
4. Then show them the reason that Jesus Christ came into this world: 1 Tim 1:15 Show them Jesus Christ.
B. This is the faithful saying that the lost sinner needs to hear: It is also that which is often lacking today. There is a reason that so few people are being saved today. So few people are hearing the true gospel message. Very few people want to hear of their sin and their need today and very few people are hearing about that. Man has changed the gospel but God never did.
1. The true gospel doesn’t begin with love: It begins with sin.
2. The true gospel does not go at once top heaven: The true gospel goes to the cross.
3. The true gospel does not make man smile: The true gospel makes him cringe and cry out to God.
4. There is a faithful saying that needs to be heard today:
C. And this faithful saying needs to be rehearsed in the ears and heart of the redeemed as well: Why is it that after they have been saved for a time that many Christians begin to think that they deserve God’s salvation and take it so much for granted? When this happens we loose our burden for the lost. When this happens we loose our joy. When this happens we begin to lift ourselves so high that we loose sight of the cross.
1. We need to remember this morning what Jesus Christ saved us out of: 1 Tim 1:9-10
2. Paul was one I believe that never forgot what he had been and what he was saved from: 1 Tim 1:15
3. When we forget we loose so much:
D. Are you walking, are you living in the faithful saying this morning? 1 Tim 1:15
II. This is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 4:9-11 The second grows out of the first. – 1 Tim 4:10 This is a faithful saying.
A. It speaks of the struggles and troubles of the Christian life: When the true gospel was replaced by a false gospel, when the preaching of sin, judgment, repentance and faith was rejected it was replaced with an easy believeism. It was replaced by an all positive gospel. One that claims just believe in God and all your troubles will go away. Just say a prayer and all will be right.
1. It is a gospel of love that offers heaven with no mention of sin, hell, repentance and judgment: That is a false gospel.
2. It is a gospel that offers green pastures at all times in this world: That is a false gospel.
3. It is an all positive gospel: That is a false gospel.
B. But this is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 4:9-10 The word labor in verse 10 does not mean serve. This is the same Greek word translated “being wearied” in John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. It is the same Greek word translated “being wearied” in this verse.
1. This is the Greek word “KO-PEE-AHO” and it means to feel fatigued and wearied: It appears in the 1st person plural which is why the word “we” is in the verse but it is also active infinitive. That means it is an action that will continue on into the future, it will be an ongoing thing.
2. Not everything with the Christian life is positive: Paul is saying we will labor, we will be wearied, we will struggle and have reproach in our Christian life. – 1 Tim 4:9-10 This is a faithful saying, you will have troubles and you will be wearied.
C. And we will be wearied by different things in this life because we still live in this world: John 17:15 In His high priestly prayer for those that would believe on Him, in His prayer that reaches down through the ages, Jesus did not pray that we would be taken out of this world but that we would be sustained and strengthened in it. – John 17:15 We have to live in this world.
1. So we live for the most part in subjection to the natural laws of this world: We will have sickness, we will have disease, we will have sorrow, we will feel the pain of death, we will go through all the things the natural man goes through.
-3-
2. We will also have to live in a world that hates us because it hated Jesus: John 17:14 Christian you have no friend in the world. Those that are lost do hate you because they are blinded by the one that hates your savior. The only Christian that is not hated by the world is the professing Christian who keeps his or her faith hidden when they walk out those doors.
3. We have an enemy that will do all that he can to destroy us: 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
4. We also have to battle this flesh that we hold onto: Our own natural desires of the flesh work against the will of God.
5. We have a lot that we have to deal with: It is a faithful saying that you will have troubles. – 1 Tim 4:9-10
D. But don’t be wearied Christian, take heart for Jesus Christ is coming again: 1 Tim 4:11-13 “Til I come” – 1 Tim 4:13
1. The evangelist that was here was a great help to me: Rodney Stewart is a friend and we value our friendship. On two other occasions he was a help to me in ways that only my wife knows about. As our meetings approached I prayed that God would give him what I needed to hear.
2. At least 3 of 6 messages brought out the struggles of the Christian life and our need to rest in the Lord: There have been so many things that I have been struggling with and my wife and I have been struggling with.
a. There are times you just get wearied in this world.
b. But look to the Lord Christian for He is our stay. – 1 Tim 4:15
E. It is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 4:9-10
III. This is a faithful saying: 2 Tim 2:11-12 That if we stand for Jesus Christ in this world, that if we remain faithful even in the midst of struggle and trial, not only will Christ be our strength, He will reward us for it. – 2 Tim 2:11-12 Some read verse 12 and apply that to salvation but that is a misinterpretation.
A. This is addressing the Christian: 2 Tim 2:1-4, 7, 10-15 Sounds like it is addressing a true believer doesn’t it? There is not a change in the middle of verse 12. – 2 Tim 2:12-15 This is addressing the Christian.
B. Are we willing to live for Christ and to suffer for His name? Will we remain faithful throughout? 2 Tim 2:11-12 It is a faithful saying that some will not, many will not, many will deny Him. – 2 Tim 2:12 This is not dealing with salvation for one can never loose that. This is speaking about reward for faithfulness.
1. Many decide to turn back when things become hard and difficult: John 6:60-66 Who was it that turned back here? Who was it that walked away? It was many of His disciples. – John 6:66
2. There is a dividing line here in the gospel of John if you would: You can see it in the other gospels as well.
a. Up until this point or thereabouts it had not been very difficult to be identified with Jesus Christ.
b. But from this point on things are going to change. – John 10:31 They took up stones again, that means that they had done this before. Things were now going to get difficult if one is going to be identified with Jesus Christ.
c. And many turned back.
3. And how many turn away when things become difficult in the Christian life: Matt 13:20-22
a. How many have I heard say “you don’t know what happened to me”. That is true I don’t know or understand.
b. How many have I heard say “you don’t know what people did to me”. That is true.
c. No one in this world understands what a person goes through unless they go through it themselves.
4. But Jesus knows and He went through more than any of us will ever be called to endure: Aren’t you glad Jesus remained faithful to the Father? Aren’t you glad Jesus remained faithful to the task at hand?
a. Jesus felt the kiss of betrayal.
b. Jesus felt the pain of denial.
c. Jesus felt the scorn and mocking of men.
d. Jesus felt the pain of the cross.
e. Jesus remained faithful.
C. It is a faithful saying that if we remain faithful He will reward us: 2 Tim 2:11-12 Those who remain faithful will not be denied in heaven, they will be rewarded.
1. Whatever faith costs us in this world will be doubled in rewards in heaven:
2. And we will reign with Him: It will be worth it all if we remain faithful to Christ.
E. That is a faithful saying:
-4-
IV. This is a faithful saying: Titus 3:8 And this verse does have to do with service and working for the Lord in this world.
A. Christian we are to be careful to maintain good works: Titus 3:8 For sure we are saved by grace through faith and works have no part in securing salvation. But after we are saved works are to become a part of our everyday life. There are to be works on our part if we are saved. – Titus 3:8; Eph 2:10
1. When men proclaim that works do not matter they are not preaching all the counsel of God: Clearly works do matter. Again not to be saved but because one is saved.
2. The Bible says in the book of James that a faith that produces no works is a dead faith: I often wonder how many are walking around still dead in sin because they have a dead faith.
3. When someone has no desire for spiritual things there may be no spiritual life: Matt 7:18-20 When there is no fruit there very well may be no life.
a. But preacher I said a prayer one time. A prayer without repentance and faith never saved anyone.
b. There are many dead trees around us today. Dead because there is no life.
4. We ought to want to do whatever we can for the Lord: Working on the camp yesterday I handed boards and was happy to.
B. One thing I hear people often say is they can’t do much in service: For the most part those ones have not tried much.
1. Notice this woman: Mark 12:41-44 This woman did not do near as much as the others. That is the truth.
2. But she did all that she could: And that is the point.
3. Do what you can:
a. I may not be able to preach like Moody so I will just do what I can.
b. I may not be able to pray like Hudson so I will just do what I can.
c. I may not be able to sing like Shea so I will just do what I can.
d. You may not be able to do mush so just do as you can ang Goid may make much of it.
e. We can all do at the very least what we can.
C. But notice again the faithful saying: Titus 3:8 The language that one is to be careful to maintain good works suggests that they may be lost from us does it not?
1. Why do you maintain your car? You change oil, change the breaks, flush the radiator, change the tires. We do this because if we don’t we will not have the car for long.
2. Why do you maintain your house? Clean it, paint it, fix the roof? Because it will not last without maintenance.
3. So must one be careful to maintain good works before God: They will Fade away if we are not careful to maintain them.
a. Reading your Bible will become fewer and fewer times between if you don’t maintain it.
b. Prayer time will become shorter and shorter if you are not careful to maintain it.
c. Being in the church house every time the doors are open will fade if it is not maintained.
4. And soon you are doing less and less for the Lord:
D. And there is a reason good works are to be maintained: Titus 3:8 They are profitable unto men. What does that mean?
1. Do not think for a moment that you go unnoticed as a Christian: Satan makes sure the world watches what you do.
2. When you are careless with your walk you are noticed:
3. When you are careless with your temper you are noticed:
4. Don’t think you go unnoticed for a moment:
5. More lost people are turned away from Christ by Christians than are won for Christ by Christians:
E. Whatever comes out at the judgment seat of Christ in heaven I do not want to hear that I turned others away: We need to be careful to maintain good works. – Titus 3:8
1. People have watched my wife and I drive to church three times a week for 30 years: They will continue to see that.
a. Perhaps no one has ever been influenced by that.
b. But I do not want to turn anyone away by stopping.
2. Be careful not to turn others away: Don’t let a supposed liberty be a stumbling block. – 1 Cor 8:9
F. This is a faithful saying: Titus 3:8
-5-
We have looked now this morning at the four places the phrase faithful saying is used.
I. This is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
II. This is a faithful saying: 1 Tim 4:9-10 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
III. This is a faithful saying: 2 Tim 2:11-12 It is a faithful saying : For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
IV. This is a faithful saying: Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying , and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.