Sermon or Lesson:  1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Spiritual Qualities That Help To Prevent and Quench False Doctrines

INTRO:  When we work with flames in the kitchen or shop, there are particular actions to take for preventing the flames from getting out of safe containment, and there are other actions to take that extinguish the flames when they have escaped safe containment.  Both sets of actions are valid and necessary to be exercised.
     In a similar way, both taking actions to prevent the teaching of false doctrines and taking actions to stop the existing teaching of false doctrines are valid and necessary to be exercised in ministries.  Let's look at this in 1 Timothy chapter 1.
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BACKGROUND:
- - In the beginning of this letter to fellow ministry worker Timothy, Paul is again urging Timothy to confront the teaching of false doctrines in his ministry in Ephesus.  (v.3)
- - Timothy is to identify, and single out, and confront the specific persons who are teaching false doctrines, myths, and genealogies, assertively implementing and enforcing the immediate termination of their false teaching activities.  (v.3)
- - Such false teachings are counterproductive to the ministry work that God's people are to be focused on and doing.  (v.4)

READ:  1 Timothy 1:5, with verses 3-4 for context

[Lesson Question:  What command is being referred to here, and what effects should its "goal" have in relation to the teaching of false doctrines in a church or ministry?]

SECTION POINT:  In order to help prevent or quench the teaching of doctrine that is false, each person needs to have his/her heart comprehensively right with God.

- - In the confronting of the teaching of false doctrine (v.3), there is a "goal" or objective to accomplish, which is described in this verse 5.
- - "A pure heart" - is when one's inner thinking is unpolluted or not dominated by sin, is characterized by consistently living morally upright before God, has an unobstructed healthy relationship with God, has a contented approach to life, and has a godly attitude towards others.  (Psalms 51:10; Mark 12:30-31; 1 Timothy 6:6,11)
- - "A good conscience" - is the maintaining of integrity before God even when no one else sees or knows.
- - "A sincere faith" - is an authentic deep committed comprehensive dedication to God, which produces consistent and genuine living in righteousness, with no sinful motives, nor hypocrisy, nor false fronts, nor projecting of a religiosity one does not have.  (from Strong's #0505)
- - "Love" - is produced when a person has a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
- - Love is to pervade and motivationally influence everything a godly person is and says and does.
- - Each person who teaches God's Word needs to have a pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith, and love in order to help ward off or help prevent that person from teaching false doctrines.
- - The establishing and/or enhancing of these four spiritual qualities is the goal or desired outcome to be accomplished in the life of the false doctrine teacher through being confronted and held accountable for teaching false doctrine.
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[Lesson Question:  What influence and effect should these four spiritual qualities have for the person doing the confronting of the false doctrine teacher?]

SECTION POINT:  The person doing the confronting of the false doctrine teacher should use these four spiritual qualities throughout the implementing of the confronting process.

- - Also, the establishing and/or enhancing of these four spiritual qualities is likewise the goal or desired outcome to be accomplished in the life of the person doing the confronting of the false doctrine teacher.
- - Confronting and holding accountable is an action of love and a purpose of love extended towards the offender.
- - The dominant quality that is to pervade the confronting of false teaching is love - love one another, love your neighbor, do no harm to your neighbor.  (Romans 13:8,9,10)
- - The objective of lovingly confronting false teaching is to promote right thinking that is based on sound doctrines, which then will lead to a healthy faith with right living, which then will lead to the teaching of sound doctrines, which then will lead to the benefit of being blessed by God.
- - So, confronting false teaching is for the benefit of those persons doing the teaching and for those persons hearing the teaching.
- - The teaching of false doctrines promotes controversies and hinders God's work (v.4), whereas the confronting of false doctrines is to produce love, beneficial spiritual qualities, and cultivate God's work (v.5).
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[Lesson Question:  What influence and effect should these four spiritual qualities have for the people in ministries hearing teaching?]

SECTION POINT:  These four spiritual qualities are to be developed in all of the people in ministries.

- - On an additional note, the establishing and/or enhancing of these four spiritual qualities is also the goal or desired outcome to be accomplished in the life of those persons hearing the teaching and doing "God's work".  (v.4)
- - The spiritual qualities cited in this verse are applicable for all of us believers; thereby we should all be pursing these qualities.
- - Sound doctrine conforms to God's Word.  (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2-3)
- - And the more each of us knows and understands what is written in the Bible, the easier it will be for us to quickly detect and identify false doctrines and myths.
- - We need to be a group of believers that value and promote sound doctrines, while simultaneously safeguarding against and confronting every teaching of false doctrine among us.
- - Therefore, it would be to our corporate advantage for all of us believers here to individually be dedicated students of the Word and be watchful for the teaching of false doctrine.
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BIG IDEA:  Believers must be devoted to having a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith, resulting love, and sound doctrine, which will help to prevent and quench the teaching of false doctrines.

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APPLICATIONS:

For hearers:
- - Do you have a pure heart - consistent godly thinking that is unpolluted by sin?
- - Or is your thinking pervasively corrupt with sinful or evil thoughts, and church people would be shocked if they were to hear what you are thinking during the rest of the week outside of this meeting?

- - Do you have a good conscience - always living in integrity before God?
- - Or have you been thinking, speaking, or acting in sinful or evil ways, while you try to project a facade of being a good Christian?

- - Do you have a sincere faith - a deep authentic all-inclusive devotion to God that is evidenced by consistent genuine righteous living?
- - Or do you flip-flop back and forth between times when you have faith with corresponding righteous living and other times when you essentially toss your faith out the window so that you can indulge in some beloved sinful activity?

- - Do these three spiritual qualities prevail in your life, abundantly producing love?
- - Or are they apparently deficient because you rarely possess or exhibit love?

- - Can you readily discern and identify false doctrine when you hear it?
- - Or do you just swallow everything you are taught - you assume it is correct and truth?

For teachers:
- - For those of you who teach the Word, do you have pure motives for teaching the Word?  (cf. Titus 1:11)
- - Or do you have your own agenda - some hidden or disguised motive or ambition?

- - And do you sincerely desire to teach sound doctrine?  (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3)
- - Are you open to graciously receiving feedback that questions the doctrinal correctness of some of the content of your teaching?
- - Are you a student of the Word, and teachable?
- - Do you consistently put in the extra effort to research Scriptures in order to ensure that you are teaching sound doctrine?  (cf. Psalms 1:1-2)
- - And furthermore, do you persist in your research until you understand what the Scriptures say and that what you are teaching appropriately aligns with Scriptures?  (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3-4)

- - We each must vigorously pursue and excel in the four spiritual qualities in verse 5 so that false doctrines do not invade and wreck havoc in this ministry.
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Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Updated: September 3, 2016