Last time we were together, we began our study of 1 Timothy. I had planned to get into the meat of the first chapter here concerning those pastor teachers in Ephesus who were drawn away into false teaching concerning the application of the law to the believers for sanctification. But as I studied again the first verses of chapter one and with all of the current events in our world, I decided to spend this week's message focusing on the words at the end of verse one concerning our hope.

Bobby and I just got back from a trip through the deep south in Georgia and Alabama and then down into Florida. It's interesting to travel through the deep south. We drove across Alabama to a little town in Georgia called Bluffton. We saw all kinds of interesting things as we drove from big beautiful plantation style houses and farms with endless green pastures to literally falling down ramshackle houses of the poorest of the poor. When we got to Bluffton, we were told that it is at the center of the poorest county in the nation. It looked like it. The town had been populated after the Civil War days by farmers and ranchers, and there were stores and some industry all the way up until after World War II, but the industrialization of the south made Bluffton obsolete.

The reason we traveled there was to see a farm owned by a man named Will Harris. His great great granddaddy formed a cavalry unit and fought as part of the confederate army. When the south lost, he lost the land that he had in a nearby town, but he had an uncle who was a doctor in Bluffton, so he was able to gain some land and start a farm there. Our host Will, his great great grandson, runs that farm today. He does not operate like all the farms around him, growing row crops consisting of corn, cotton, and peanuts, rotated yearly. He practices regenerative agriculture with several species of livestock growing on grass and non-GMO grains. He owns 3,200 acres there, a herd of cattle in the thousands, two processing plants, and is butchering 150 cows a week, along with over 5,000 chickens and numerous hogs, rabbits, ducks, and geese. He has quite a business going for a family farm, and last year he grossed over 20 million dollars. He told me his net was not so impressive.

We rode around with Will and his Jeep one day after lunch, and he explained that what he wanted to do was to revive his town. There are only 100 people in Bluffton today, and Will employs all of them. He has a general store, owns most of the houses, and provides not only work but housing for his employees. He wants to see his town, where his family has farmed since before the Civil War, prosper again. This is his hope, to revive the town and have his children carry on the family farm in name, and this is why he's doing what he's doing. 

As we traveled through those areas of our country, as we met people in Bluffton, saw the community and the conditions of the economy, it made me wonder, it made me think a lot about hope. At first glance, you might say there is no hope for many of these people who are so very poor, and in a worldly sense, defined by prosperity and affluence, that might be so. Can Will Harris revive one little part of this decimated area, its economy, and its people? I don't know. It was something to see. It made Ironwood look like a metropolis of hustle and bustle where rich men dwell, but what is their hope? 

Well, then we drove down to Destin, Florida, specifically Miramar Beach. Wow, talk about wealth and abundance and growth. That place is exploding, and people, thousands of people everywhere, shopping, restaurants, high-rises and condos, droves of college kids on the beach, people everywhere, and money, money to burn, and my thought was, what is their hope? It was such a contrast from where we had just been. It was almost hard to wrap your mind around, but the question really is the same for every man in every situation. What is our hope?

I couldn't help but ponder these things because I've been studying for some time now the first chapter of 1 Timothy, and I keep coming back to that word in verse 1, hope. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. Paul says that Jesus is our hope. He is our hope. So much in this world is not real. It is not what it seems to be. It is not fair, and it is not fulfilling. In this world, we can find no hope, and that is true for the poorest of the poor in Bluffton, Georgia, and it's true for the richest of the rich on the white sand beaches of Florida's Emerald Coast high-rises.

As the news and events surrounding the coronavirus really began to inundate us on our drive home, it became evident that no rich man and no poor man is impervious to this little virus that is dominating our world right now. We are like a vapor, and one way or another, this life and all that is in it will pass us by, and if our hope is in the things of this world or in ourselves, we will be sorely disappointed. But Paul says that he who believes Jesus will never be disappointed. When we trust in Jesus, when we believe Him, we have hope and we have peace and assurance. We are saved from fear and doubt today because perfect love casts out fear. 

Jesus is our hope, and that's where I want to start today in our text as we begin to look at this first letter to Timothy, the young pastor in Ephesus. We'll begin in 1 Timothy 1 at verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope. To Timothy, a true son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

I want to give you three points on our outline this morning. First, Jesus is our hope. Second, doctrine defines hope. And third, faith apprehends hope. We see in the opening verse of the letter that Jesus is our hope, and Jesus is our hope, our confident assurance for one reason, because of the promise that we have in Him, because of what He has accomplished on the cross by His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is our hope because of who He is and what He has done, and because of the promise that we have in Him by faith. 1 John 2:25 says, and this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life.

I'd like for you to look with me at how Paul starts his letter to Titus just a couple of pages over from 1 Timothy. Titus 1:1, Paul starts, Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior. To Titus, a true son in our common faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

God promised eternal life before time began, and this life is through faith in Jesus, our Savior. Jesus is our hope, and Jesus is our Savior. In John 5:24, Jesus said, And most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. In John 10:27, Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. 

The promise in Jesus, our hope and our Savior, is eternal life. This is our hope; this is our confident assurance, His promise to us. And my brothers and sisters, this promise, this salvation, this hope, is not only for eternity, but it is for today as well. The teaching of the New Testament is that in Christ we have peace, we have joy, we have life in abundance. One of the clearest passages on this is Romans 8. I'd like for you to turn to Romans 8 with me at verse 18. Romans 8:18, Paul writes, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only that, but we also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 

Now look at verse 24. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. There's a really important truth that Paul is beginning to teach us and Timothy in these first verses of the letter. He wants us to know that Jesus is our hope, that eternal life is given as a gift to those who believe because of what Jesus has done, because of his promise. This is really the essence of the gospel, the good news. And what we see is that this good news, this grace gospel of salvation by the one-time death of Christ on the cross, his burial and resurrection, is the only doctrine to teach. It is the whole of the truth, the central message of the Word of God. 

And we see the fulfillment of all that was promised in the Old Testament in the institution of the new covenant in his blood. It is the only way that we can have understanding, that we can know, and it is the only way that we can have hope, confidence in the promise of eternal life. And it is the only way that we can have peace and assurance for today, for this day, regardless of what is going on in this world. And that is why we have this monumental statement in verse 3 of 1 Timothy 1. Paul says, as I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. 

Paul says to Timothy, I urged you to stay in Ephesus and you must stay there for one express purpose, that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Timothy's purpose in Ephesus as pastor and teacher and overseer of that church was to be certain and sure that no other doctrine is taught but the gospel of grace found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

Now this is really important for us to understand for every believer in Jesus Christ in 2020 because we are experiencing some of the same problems and distractions that they had going on in Ephesus in the time that Paul urged Timothy to stay there and tell them to knock it off, charge them to teach no other doctrine. What is the doctrine there to teach? Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our Savior. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. We do not have to fear. We do not have, we do not fear the struggles and sufferings of this world. We expect them. Jesus told us they would come. Peter and Paul promised them. They said that we were called to suffer. 

God tells us that the curse will bring thorns and thistles, disease and pestilence, and that things will grow worse and worse, leading up to the time of tribulation that is to come on this world. You know, in one way, it is amazing to see what is going on in our world this very day. I feel, as Paul did in Romans 1, as I stand here and preach to my phone, Paul said, I long to see you all. I have a great desire to preach the gospel to you for your edification and mine. I don't want to preach alone to a phone. I'm thankful that we can upload this message to the website, that you can hear this and by God's grace be encouraged, strengthened, focused on Christ and the hope that we have in Him and hopefully set the things of this world, the events of our day, the strange time in which we live in perspective, trusting, believing, holding fast to Christ. But I would rather be with you, to see you, to fellowship and worship together.

It is amazing to look at our world as the events of the last few days have transpired. As Bobby and I were driving from the beaches of Florida up through Alabama and Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois into Wisconsin and we were listening, reading all the things that were happening. A virtual shutdown of our whole society and the panicked state of mind of so many. I couldn't help but think about how easy it is going to be for the Antichrist when he comes to power. Think of this. We have a threat in our now, perhaps a real threat that we need to be concerned about, that we need to exercise an abundance of caution concerning, to use the government's words. But so far there have only been a very, very small number of cases and a few deaths in our country. Can you imagine what it will be like when upwards of two billion people die in one seal judgment in the Tribulation? Revelation 6-7 says, when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, come and see. So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 

There are nearly eight billion people on this earth now. If our population continues to grow in this time of the fourth seal, over two billion people will die on this earth. How easily will the Antichrist take all power and control? People will, in a total state of panic, be glad to look to him to save them, to give answers and solve the problems, gladly giving up all of their liberties. It's an interesting time in which we live, and I believe this is an unprecedented time for witnessing for Jesus Christ, for preaching the gospel and offering hope to a lost and dying desperate world. But we need not be desperate. We need not have fear. We need not sorrow as those who have no hope because we have hope, because we believe Jesus. Eternal hope, salvation from wrath and eternal death, but also temporal hope, salvation from fear and doubt and anxiousness in our world today and every day. Philippians 4:6, Paul said, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there's anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 

Jesus is our hope, and doctrine defines our hope. If we want to be anxious for nothing, we must meditate, think on doctrine, truth teaching, the things which we have learned and received from the scriptures, the truth concerning Jesus, who he is and what he has done, and we must rightly divide the word of truth, as Paul encourages Timothy to do. Doctrine defines our hope, and this is why doctrine is essential, truth is essential, and that is why we must teach nothing else. 

As those who have been born again regenerated through faith in Christ, we now live and walk by faith, as God empowers us to live for him by grace. Life comes as a gift from Jesus by faith. He gives to us life and life more abundantly when we trust and believe him. This is the doctrine that Paul taught, continually and everywhere he went. This is the doctrine that Timothy learned in listening to and traveling with Paul. This is a doctrine that must be taught, and no other in every church, and this is why Paul is so clear and forceful with his admonition to Timothy to teach no other, to charge others to teach no other, to preach the word in season and out of season, even when they don't want to hear it. 

Don't fall into the temptation of employing other methods, of teaching other doctrines, of looking away from or beyond the gospel truth, the message of grace and faith. Doctrine has been cast aside in the church today, my friends. Expository preaching through the word, verse by verse, is no longer in vogue. Men who preach and teach and pastor churches no longer have confidence in the doctrine of Paul and Timothy. But here's the problem. Our hope is defined by doctrine. How can I have hope if I have no doctrine, or if I have another doctrine, something not according to Christ and his word, his gospel truth? In Colossians 2:8, Paul wrote, Paul says we can be cheated by teaching not according to Christ. He says when we look to the philosophies of men, the empty deceit of the traditions of men, and the basic principles of this world, we can be cheated. The word literally means to be taken captive or led away as booty. Paul says that other teaching, false doctrine, that according to the traditions of men and the ways of the world can carry us away, spoil us, cheat us out of our hope, our confident assurance and joy. 

Now it is interesting to me that Paul uses this language in Colossians 2 because it is the same theme that we see in 1 Timothy 1. 1 Timothy 1:3, as I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

As we discussed last time, fables and endless genealogies and idle talk refer to the words, the wisdom, literally the talk of men. They are here very Jewish in their context. These teachers in Ephesus, and I believe they were embedded already in the church as teachers, as pastors, were attempting to go to the legalistic traditions of Judaism, wanting, as we see in verse 7, to be teachers of the law. The genealogies of Israel were a favorite subject going on and on, parsing words, and fables and idle talk were the talk of men, the religious wisdom of men. They wanted to teach law not knowing what they were saying or doing. 

And Paul says that these things cause division, not godly edification. This is not God's plan. His plan is in faith, through faith in him, in Jesus Christ. We're going to delve deeper into what Paul's talking about next time and find, I think, a very important application in the church today. But the main exhortation Paul gives us here is this, teach no other doctrine. It's a simple command, easy to understand. Paul even gives us a contrast in the next words. He says, the purpose of the commandment, to teach no other doctrine, is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law. 

This is just what we see today, my brothers and sisters, men who desire to bind the law on believers as a rule of life under these systems of men. In Timothy's time, this was a Jewish issue, legalism, law teaching, causing division. In verse 8 of chapter 1, he says, but we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person. What an interesting statement. The law is not made for a righteous person. What law is Paul talking about? Many would say the civil and sacrificial law of Israel has been done away with, but the moral law is still necessary. What law is Paul talking about? The law that is not for a righteous man. Look at verse 8 in 1 Timothy 1. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and if there's any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 

It seems clear that Paul's talking about the moral law. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, take the Lord's name in vain, etc. And yet he says that the moral law is not for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, the man and Adam. Do we find this to be consistent teaching throughout the New Testament? When we consider the doctrine of the gospel and the teaching of the New Testament concerning the purpose and place of the moral law represented by the Ten Commandments, what do we find? Romans 3:19 says, we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

And concluding and summarizing his teaching on the condemnation of all men up to chapter 3 verse 20, Paul says that the purpose of the law is to show us our sin, to shut our mouths, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. In Galatians 3:19, Paul asks the question outright, what purpose then does the law serve? He says it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to who the promise was made, and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not, for if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor, for you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. 

The purpose of the law of God was to show us our sin, increase our knowledge of transgressions, and lead us to faith in Jesus. Having served that purpose, we are no longer in need of or under the law. In Romans 4:14, Paul wrote, for if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath. 

Second Corinthians 3, Paul says that God made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, not of the law, not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. And then he calls the law the ministry of death, the ministry of condemnation. Paul says the law is a ministry of condemnation. It brings condemnation to man; it brings death to men. We could go on in the book of Hebrews and see the purpose and limitations of the law, and how the old covenant in its entirety has been made obsolete and has passed away. 

What the law says, it says to those who are under the law. But we are not under the law, but under grace in Christ. In Galatians 2:18, Paul said, for if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live, in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. 

And he goes on in chapter 3, chastening the Galatians, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, that's justification, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect, that's sanctification, are you being made perfect by the flesh? The law cannot bring sanctification and holiness, but only a knowledge of sin. 

The law is not God's means for holiness; it is his means for condemnation and bringing a man to faith in Jesus, showing him his desperate need for a Savior. As we will see next time, God's means for holiness is based in what he accomplished in us through salvation in Christ, and on his work in us by his power, and his life in us by grace through faith. So we see that those who desire to be teachers of the law in Timothy's time, and in ours, are teaching another doctrine. It is a distraction at best, a false doctrine at worst, causing division rather than godly edification. Paul says, teach no other doctrine. 

What doctrine was Timothy to charge these men to teach, and only teach? The doctrine of the gospel, of grace and faith. The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. Why do we need to teach grace, faith, the gospel, and Jesus only? Because God's purpose and plan is for us to believe Jesus, and love one another. To have his love, which has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, be made manifest to others. Love from a pure heart. 

My brothers and sisters, Jeremiah 17:9 does not apply to those who believe Jesus. We have a new heart, a heart of flesh, we have a new spirit made alive together with Him and we have the very life of Christ living in us, His love poured out through us to others. These are the truths of the New Covenant, of the Gospel of Grace. We can now have a good, clear conscience toward God. Why? 1 Peter 3:21 tells us that we have the promise, the pledge of God to us that we can have a clear conscience toward Him because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our faith in Him alone. 

Jesus is our hope. Doctrine defines our hope and what we see here in verse 5 as Paul gives us the purpose of the commandment to teach no other doctrine is that faith apprehends this hope. The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. We've seen already that faith is the means by which we receive the righteousness of God, by which we are justified, and by which we are sanctified. The just shall live by faith. The life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God. Ephesians 3:17, Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. 

It is faith that apprehends, takes hold of hope. We have hope because we believe Jesus. There's no hope in this world, the things of this world, the passing pleasures of this world. But if a man takes hold of, receives the gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, then it does not matter if he is living in a shack in southern Georgia or if he is in the highest high rise on the beaches of the Emerald Coast of Florida. He has hope because his hope is in Jesus. We were saved in this hope. But hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 

What we need in the church today, my brothers and sisters, is no other doctrine. No other doctrine than that which is consistent with Jesus Christ and his gospel of grace. No other teaching than the words of God found in this book, taught clearly and plainly word by word, verse by verse, book by book. And it is in this way and only this way that we can be sure that we are not drawn away, taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies and idle talk of men, the doctrines of this world not according to Christ. 

I have left you in Ephesus for this very purpose, Timothy, that you may charge some to teach no other doctrine. What an admonition for the church today and for us and for me in particular. I leave you with these words from Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6. He wrote, therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel to which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. 

For this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that I have committed to him until that day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have learned from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. 

Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you that you have not given us a spirit of fear. We thank you that we do not have to fear anything in this life. We don't have to doubt. We can trust and know and believe your promise in Jesus Christ by grace through faith. Help us to look to you, to trust you, to believe you, and to eagerly wait with perseverance through all the trials and troubles and fears of this life, knowing that you will do what you have promised in Jesus Christ. It's in his name we pray, amen.