Sound Doctrine versus Sensual Doctrine
Sound Doctrine versus Sensual Doctrine
2 Timothy 4:1-4
Intro: Yesterday, I did a podcast interview with a preacher in North Carolina. He asked me to talk about the difference in biblical doctrine and worldly doctrine.
During that interview, I turned over to 2 Timothy 4 and God began to show me some things that I think might help us understand the ideological battle that we are fighting as Christians.
Let me say this – DOCTRINE MATTERS!
I made a post on Friday about New York City electing a Muslim.
I was called a hater.
I was told I was un-Christlike.
I was told to love people unconditionally.
I was called a clown and a fake preacher.
What you believe will determine your eternal destiny.
What you believe will determine whether you are biblical or unbiblical.
What you believe matters.
What I preach matters.
What I teach matters.
I. The Distinctions in the Attributes
The question was asked: what is the primary difference in sound and seductive doctrine.
The answer is in the text.
Sound doctrine is TRUTH.
Seductive doctrine is FABLES.
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Sound doctrine appeals to the SPIRIT of a person.
Sensual doctrine appeals to the SENSES of a person.
Jude
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
James 3
· 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
· 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Sound doctrine is a reflection of THE HEART OF GOD.
Sensual doctrine is a reflection of THE HEART OF MAN.
Sound doctrine is LIFE.
Sensual doctrine is LIES.
· Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Sound doctrine is an adherence to the FAITHFUL WORD of God.
Sensual doctrine is an adherence to the FLESHLY WILL of man.
· Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Sound doctrine will consist of THE WHOLE COUNSEL of God.
Sensual doctrine will consist of PARTS of the counsel of God.
TURN TO Jeremiah 36 and expound
NOTE: A preacher that omits part of the Word from his preaching is doing what the king did with the scrolls.
A church member that doesn’t want certain things preached is essentially doing the same thing.
Part 2
II. The Disparities in the Audience
There are clearly two groups of people in these verses.
There was Timothy, referred to in verse 1 and 5 as “thee and thou.”
· 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
· 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
And then there was a group of people identified simply as “they”.
· 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
· 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
· 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
There are clearly two groups of people found in verse 2:
· The ones doing the preaching, and the ones being preached to
· The one doing the reproving, rebuking and exhorting, and the ones being reproved, rebuked and exhorted.
· The one showing longsuffering, and the ones receiving it.
· The one preaching doctrine, and the ones hearing it.
I was asked why preachers preach sensual doctrine rather than sound doctrine.
My answer was this: because the people in the pews are either unsaved, or they are unspiritual.
I am convinced that a large percentage of the average church is made up of unregenerated members.
The ones that are saved are broken down into to groups; spiritual and unspiritual. (carnal)
There is a stark contrast in these two groups.
They are evident by their:
A. Desire for the Word
· 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
There will be a natural hunger for the Word of God.
There will be an attraction to Bible preaching.
There will be a desire to read their Bible and know more.
A person that is saved will EMBRACE the Word of God; an unsaved or unspiritual person will ENDURE it.
A saved person will DESIRE the Word; an unsaved or unspiritual person will DETEST it.
A saved person will REJOICE in it: an unsaved or unspiritual person will be REPULSED by it.
· EXAMPLE: When Stephen was preaching in Acts 7:57: Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,”
The Word of God will cut to the heart.
The saved person will be filled with HUMILITY; an unsaved person will be filled with HATRED.
· Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
They hated Jesus when He preached.
They ultimately murdered Him for it.
They hated the disciples; John the Baptist. James. Peter, Stephen, Paul.
They were all martyred. For their preaching.
The crowds of disciples in John 6:66 walked away from Jesus over His doctrine.
· 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
· 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
· 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
· 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
· 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
· 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
