Updated: 11/6/2024
Sermon Prep
2024 started with a bang. I was a month into the latest job and done hopping around. Finally found the company I was supposed to be at longterm and I couldn’t have been happier. What made it even better is that it aligned with my career goals of shifting into a new department down the road too. In the end, it’s as if God had it all under control and I should’ve trusted him from the start.
My wife and I also decided to buckle down to buy a house by moving in with her parents to save money. A year on now and ready to buy, that was the wise decision. But I was hesitant to do so on my end because I had known people who had terrible living experiences with their in-laws. For us, it was way better than expected.
With the new year came a new sermon series at church as well. That meant going through 1 and 2 Timothy with an emphasis on the life and doctrine theme that our teaching pastor uncovered. Before I get into my thoughts about this series, here’s the notes and recorded sermon:
Sermon Notes
Opening Line
- Have you ever confronted someone before?
- Ok, what about a mentor you admired?
Intro
- Confronting former mentor in 2016.
- Heard rumors about him that bothered me.
- Never been the same since that day.
Transition To Main Point
- Charismatic leaders have a fickle faith, while leaders with character have a sincere faith.
Main Point
- A sincere faith is fully dependent on God’s grace, not your granular greatness.
- Let’s see what these two faiths look like.
- 1 Timothy 1:1-2 | To Timothy
- Ephesus adopted Hellenism and Stoicism for money.
- Timothy was assigned and oversaw multiple, small churches in the Ephesus area.
- 1 Timothy 1:3-7 | Strange Doctrine
- Timothy wanted to leave Ephesus.
- Charismatic leaders caused confusion.
- Against eating meat and getting married.
- They had lots of zeal, but lacked wisdom.
- Zeal unchecked causes extremism (i.e. Answers in Genesis, cults, etc).
- 1 Timothy 1:8-11 | Sinners Law
- The law isn’t a gavel, but a mirror.
- Revealing our true self and its imperfections.
- No human is good or just before God.
- The law isn’t a gavel, but a mirror.
- 1 Timothy 1:12-17 | Foremost Sinner
- Paul’s sin list is different and worse.
- Calls himself the highest ranked sinner.
- His response is to lower himself and lift God up.
- Differentiates God from other gods.
- 1 Timothy 1:18-20 | Entrusted Commission
- Keep your sincere faith and avoid fickle faith.
- Hymenaeus and Alexander taught strange doctrine.
Why This Matters
- While charismatic leaders divide, character-driven leaders multiply and unify.
- “embrace a mutual unity in things necessary; in things non necessary liberty; in all things charity.” – Marc’ Antonio de Dominis
Final Thoughts
For quite obvious reasons, it pained me a little to share the intro story about my former mentor. To look up to someone and then find out not just that they’ve failed, but worse they don’t think they did anything wrong. Not an ounce of remorse and became puffed up when confronted by a former student who admired them.
As far as the message goes, I really enjoyed this one. I’m always down for preaching on a call for unity. How we the people of God can unite under the one, true triune God. The whole series at large I liked a lot and this message was probably my best of the few I taught in this season. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
chris cribari blog 