Latest / The Daily Word / June 21 – The Pillar and Foundation of Truth
Transcript
- Cory: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good wee hours of the night, whatever time you are joining us. Welcome to the Daily Word Podcast from Lakeshore Christian Fellowship. My name is Corey Barnes, and it is my privilege to pastor Architapa Campus. And I'm excited to be sitting down with you for another Daily Word episode where we're going to be doing a devotion from the New Testament portion of our daily Bible reading plan. Today is June the 21st, and that means on the docket for our New Testament reading was First Timothy chapter three. Now, this letter, First Timothy, is a letter from Paul to his spiritual son Timothy, after Paul had sent him to Ephesus, ⁓ to deal with some issues that were arising in the church there. Paul sent Timothy to deal with some some false teachers who were bringing false doctrine. into that church and this letter ⁓ comes to Paul after Timothy's already there and he's getting his hands dirty dealing with with the things that are going on and this letter's a support to Timothy and it really focuses on restoring order and right doctrine within the church. Now we're we're in chapter three now and Paul has gotten to a portion where he is describing the qualifications for leadership In the church. Now, maybe we can imagine perhaps this is in there because maybe maybe the people that are that are false teachers don't really meet these qualifications. That's that's possible, but regardless of why exactly Paul put that in here, we can see that there are certain qualities that Paul would expect from those who would take on roles of leadership in the church, whether they'd be elders or Or overseers, depending on what translation you're reading, or deacons or or servant leaders in the church. And after listing those qualities, we we get down to verse 14 and 15, which is where today's devotion is going to be coming out of. ⁓ reading out of the NIV today. Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the church. So here we see that Paul is saying that the church, this isn't just the church at Ephesus, this is the church, is the pillar of And foundation of truth. Now, one thing pillars and foundations both have in common is that they support, they hold up things. So Paul's saying here that it is the church that holds up the truth, the truth of God's message to a broken, dying world. And I think in our world it's really easy, especially in our culture. To lose sight of the church being that pillar and that foundation of truth. See, as Christians, we come to church, we we listen to sermons, we we we make friendships, all that is beautiful. ⁓ maybe we serve, but I think there comes a stage where if we aren't careful, we can get so comfortable in our rhythm of life. With the church, that that old saying comes to life that familiarity breeds contempt. And that's a really easy trap for us to fall into. We get so used to ⁓ church becoming part of our lives that we lose sight of the fact that Jesus sees the church as his body, as his bride. And here Paul lays out as the pillar and foundation of his truth. So do we conduct ourselves as we ought in church given the significance of where we are and what we're doing when we gather together as believers in Jesus' name? Or have we fallen into the trap of treating God's house as less than it is? Have we Allowed ourselves to to act contemptuously in the church? Are we honestly bringing reverence and respect to what God is doing and his call to the church when we gather together? And I think that's just that's our application today. How am I bringing myself to church? Am I conducting myself like like the same I would if I went to ⁓ a club or another social venture in in life? Am I am I acting at church the way I would on my softball league, my bowling league? Or am I coming to church expecting for the Lord to do more out of what to bring more out of what I am doing than I can see? Let's pray. Father, I thank you. I thank you, Lord, that you see the churches so much more than we do. You have such significance. You founded this church. You gave your life for us believers, for us and for the world to come to know you. And the church serves as the pillar. We are holding up the truth for this world to see that you are a good God that loves. Your people who sacrificed your life. Lord, when people look at the church and they see us behaving in the church just as the world does, what kind of image is that painting for them? Are we playing into that? Father, I pray that you would help us to walk with you, to understand how you see the church, and then to conduct ourselves appropriately in light of that. I thank you, Lord, that you aren't asking us and calling us to to shuffle in quietly and somberly and just sit quietly and and not not engage with with church service and with our our brothers and sisters in Christ. No, you're calling us to come and become part of a family, but the purpose of our family is so much higher than any of us truly understand. And I pray that you would just help us to see that and act accordingly. We love you, Jesus. We thank you that every time we come to your word, you have something beautiful to show us. You have something to speak to us that draws us closer to you. We love you, Jesus. We really do. Amen.