Latest / Admonition Podcast / 1 Timothy 4 (Lesson 3) - Aaron Cozort - 07-06-2025
Transcript
- 0:04We're going to begin in 1 Timothy chapter 4.
- 0:07You can turn me down just a little bit.
- 0:12First Timothy chapter four, we're going to pick up where we left off down around verse six as we get into our study this morning.
- 0:22It's good to have everyone here and it is good to be home.
- 0:29Thank you.
- 0:30We missed being here, though we didn't miss the weather.
- 0:35It was a little abnormally warm up in Michigan.
- 0:39They were almost to the level of complaining about it.
- 0:41It was about 85 degrees.
- 0:46and about 60 % humidity, so it was nearly unbearable.
- 0:54All right, let's begin with a word of prayer and then we'll get into our study.
- 0:58Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've granted to us, for the blessings that you have placed in front of us and the care that you
- 1:10show us each and every day.
- 1:12Lord, we are mindful of all of your many wonderful gifts, many wonderful blessings that you shower upon us, and we are grateful for all that you do for us.
- 1:23We are most especially grateful for your Son who came and died on the cross for our sins, that we might have the hope of eternal life.
- 1:31We pray that we might live every single day in view of that hope.
- 1:35setting our life and our actions in accordance with your will that we might obtain that hope, that we might live out faithful lives in your service.
- 1:48Lord, we ask that when we sin and fall short of your glory that you will forgive us of those things.
- 1:54We recognize that sometimes we sin and sometimes we sin again after we know that we've sinned and we pray that you're willing to forgive us as we know that you are willing as
- 2:05long as we are willing to repent.
- 2:07Lord, we pray for this nation.
- 2:10We pray for its leadership, for the choices that they make.
- 2:14We pray that the decisions that are made will be those which can be used to further your kingdom.
- 2:20and expand the borders of your kingdom by preaching and teaching the gospel.
- 2:25We pray for peace in this country and throughout the world that we might be able to focus on ministering to the eternal needs of all those who are on this planet and not worried
- 2:38about wars and uh difficulties, yet we understand that those things are also normal in the course of human events.
- 2:47Lord, we pray that you be with us as we go through this period of worship and period of study this morning.
- 2:52all that we say and do be right and in accordance with your will.
- 2:56In all this we ask and pray in Jesus' amen.
- 3:03Paul, as he's writing to Timothy, says in verse 6, if you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ.
- 3:18Now, picking up there, for those who may not have been in this class, that's not very helpful because these things refers to things he's already stated.
- 3:30Let's take just a moment and examine a few of the things that Paul has discussed in this context that he's telling Timothy, if you preach these things, if you teach these things,
- 3:46you will be a good minister.
- 3:50Before we go into that though, what's the adverse of that?
- 3:57If you don't teach these things, what are you?
- 4:03a bad minister.
- 4:05It's not hard.
- 4:07If you do this you are, if you don't do it you're not.
- 4:14So if you have an individual who stands in a pulpit week after week or even on occasion and says, well I understand that's what Paul wrote to Timothy and I understand that's what
- 4:25Paul told Timothy to teach, but things are different now.
- 4:30Then you know how to qualify him as a minister.
- 4:33He's a bad one because he won't teach the Word of God.
- 4:39He won't preach what Paul, through the work of the Holy Spirit, expressly and purposefully told Timothy, it was Timothy's responsibility to preach.
- 4:53Now as you go back and look at all of the things that we're going to mention here in just a moment, you're going to realize if you think about it that if you preach all of these
- 5:02things and if a congregation teaches all of these things, there are going to be some people not happy.
- 5:09There are going to be some people who say, I don't agree with that and I don't think that ought to be taught.
- 5:14There are a few of the topics and the subjects inside of the last two chapters that some preachers would refer to as moving sermons.
- 5:23In other words, you preach the sermon, go ahead and pack the truck because you're going to be moving.
- 5:30And yet, Paul says, Timothy, if you're going to be a good minister, in accordance with the Word of God, you are going to preach and teach these things.
- 5:41Go back into chapter 2.
- 5:44And you'll notice that in chapter 2 and in verse 1, he says, uh
- 6:03Paul says if you're going to be a good minister, you are going to teach that Christians should pray for the good of all men, even rulers they don't agree with.
- 6:22When Paul writes to Timothy, there's a Roman Caesar on the throne.
- 6:27not one very favorable to Christianity and not one morally upright in any way shape or form.
- 6:37on top of that?
- 6:39There's a Herod that is in charge in Israel, and yet Paul says you should pray for kings and for all who are in authority.
- 6:52But furthermore, he says, that those prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks should be made for all men.
- 7:03You know, there's a time not too far back in the history of this country where you would find some objections from members in the pew if you stood up and said a prayer for someone
- 7:18who was of a different color.
- 7:23never should have been that way, but it was.
- 7:27You go back a couple of generations and you find that being the case.
- 7:31Now what if someone comes up this morning
- 7:37and in the midst of his prayer prays for the leadership and the people in Iran or Russia or China.
- 7:47we'd be fine with it if he specifically says for the Christians who are in Iran or Russia or China, but what if he just prays for the people in Afghanistan?
- 8:01Sometimes we approach our Christianity not from a biblical perspective, but from a national perspective.
- 8:12And wherever there's a war and an enemy of the United States of America, we view them as an enemy of ourselves.
- 8:22Now are there people who do horrendous and horrible things that are those who are violent and should be opposed?
- 8:32Yes.
- 8:33Are there people and even whole nations and societies that have taught historically their people and their culture to hate others throughout the world?
- 8:45Yes.
- 8:48Does that make them any less people who God desires to be saved?
- 8:56No.
- 8:58As a matter of fact, it makes them more poignantly those who we should be striving to reach with the gospel.
- 9:10Therefore, Paul says we should be praying for them.
- 9:13We should be making intercession for them.
- 9:18We should be giving thanks for them.
- 9:23And we should not be withholding our love, our care, our concern, our evangelistic efforts because of the nation, the race, or the culture, or the background of any individual on
- 9:41this planet.
- 9:44But he also says,
- 9:48that if you go down just a little bit further, he says, verse 8, I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
- 9:59In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is
- 10:10proper for women professing godliness with good works.
- 10:17You want to stir up some strife in some congregations?
- 10:21Start preaching about men being in the leadership role as given that responsibility by God and you're going to have some people who disagree with you.
- 10:33Who think that women should have the same role in the church, in leadership, because they're just as good as men are.
- 10:44But Paul says that that role is given to the men and the responsibility is given to the men and they are accountable for it.
- 10:58Therefore he taught Timothy to teach the men to fulfill the role.
- 11:05But you want to stir up some more strife?
- 11:07While you're at it, teach that women ought to adorn themselves in modest apparel.
- 11:14and start defining what it actually means.
- 11:19Start showing what the Bible says about when a person is naked and should be ashamed and when they are appropriately clothed and holy.
- 11:32You're gonna start finding some people who don't agree with you.
- 11:35Think maybe you should find another job somewhere else.
- 11:42But then he says, let a woman learn in silence with all submission and do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
- 11:52For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.
- 11:58Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control.
- 12:06as he goes again to the roles and the responsibilities within the body of Christ, specifically within the public assembly.
- 12:15He says it's the role of the man to be in the leadership, it's the role of the woman to adorn herself in a way that professes godliness, and it is the role of the woman in the
- 12:25assembly to learn in silence.
- 12:28doesn't mean she can't speak, doesn't mean she can't ask a question, it means it is not her role to lead in authority.
- 12:42And then he gets to chapter 3.
- 12:45Chapter 3 he starts saying that elders have to be blameless.
- 12:49They have to desire the role of an elder.
- 12:52They must be the husband of one wife.
- 12:55They must be those who have faithful children.
- 12:57They must be those who have wives who meet certain characteristics.
- 13:03And then he discusses deacons and he says much the same thing and he mentions concerning both of them that neither of them are able or allowed to be given under the influence of
- 13:14wine.
- 13:17You start preaching those things.
- 13:19You might just find someone who disagrees with you.
- 13:24But he goes on to say, these things I write to you shortly, verse 14 of chapter 3,
- 13:30But if I am delayed, I write to you that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the
- 13:40truth." Why is it that Paul tells Timothy, you, if you're going to be a good minister of Jesus Christ, must preach and teach these things?
- 13:56And the answer is because
- 13:58if a minister doesn't or won't.
- 14:04then all they're building is a crumbling edifice to human opinion instead of the pillar and the ground of the truth.
- 14:18So Paul tells Timothy, there's going to be some who are going to come along, and the Spirit has been clear on this, in the first century in the church in Ephesus, which Paul
- 14:30would later meet with on his way back to Jerusalem and remind them that he specifically had warned them that there would be false teachers that would rise up from the very
- 14:41eldership.
- 14:44He says the Spirit has spoken expressly.
- 14:47He has been very meticulously clear.
- 14:51that false teachers, that there would be those who would uh depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having
- 15:02their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from foods which God commanded or created to be received with thanksgiving by those who
- 15:12believe and know the truth for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving."
- 15:20for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
- 15:24Paul says there's going to be false teachers who are going to come along and they are going to use their historical beliefs, their doctrines from their old religions, and
- 15:35they're going to try and corrupt the church to draw away people after themselves.
- 15:44The contrast of that
- 15:47is Timothy who he says, if you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which
- 16:04you have carefully followed.
- 16:08Interestingly, we use a term, and the New Testament uses a term, for good doctrine.
- 16:16It's called sound doctrine.
- 16:21Now, we don't often use the word sound now, commonly in English, the way that that idea is being used.
- 16:31The idea of sound doctrine is that which is wholesome, that which is good and right.
- 16:40If you were to study logic in the logic course at the Memphis School of Preaching, you will know that there are arguments which are technically in the structure correct.
- 16:55They have been laid out in the proper form.
- 17:00And they're a valid argument.
- 17:04If the premises are true, then they're a sound argument.
- 17:09But if the premises that are the basis of the argument, whether it's technically valid or not, are untrue, the result is false and it is an unsound argument.
- 17:27Why?
- 17:28Not because the line or process of argumentation was wrong, but because of the premise that it was formed upon was false, untrue, making the argument unsound, unwholesome.
- 17:45It doesn't produce that which is good.
- 17:51Paul says to Timothy,
- 17:54if you will instruct in these things and if you will nourish yourself in these things, if you will build yourself up into a healthy Christian by holding fast to the Word of God
- 18:09instead of the Word of men, you will be what God would have you to be.
- 18:17But he says if you're going to do that, you're going to have to be careful.
- 18:27One of the things that we face in this world, Christians in every level of walk, they face the problem of there are some people who are giving far more thought to how to corrupt
- 18:44your spiritual life than you may be giving on how to keep your spiritual life.
- 18:55on a regular basis because of my technical background.
- 18:59I deal with business owners, some of which have the problem of they have a staff member or they themselves who have at some point in time not observed that the email or the
- 19:12communication that came through was fraudulent and was malicious.
- 19:19and therefore they clicked on something or they signed into something and they have given someone who is a bad actor access to their entire business.
- 19:30and they start losing money pretty quick.
- 19:34Why is it that people are susceptible to those type of attacks?
- 19:39We call them social engineering attacks.
- 19:45There was a time in which, back when Jack Dorsey owned Twitter, back when it was Twitter and not X, that Jack Dorsey's, as the CEO of the company, his own Twitter account got
- 19:58hacked and stolen from him.
- 20:02And they didn't do it by actually getting his information.
- 20:06They did it because they called up Verizon impersonating an individual connected to Jack and convinced Verizon to reroute his cell phone number to them instead of to him.
- 20:21And then they triggered a two factor authentication code to come to them instead of to him.
- 20:27So through socially engineering that Verizon customer service representative, they got access to the head of the company's own Twitter account.
- 20:42What's my point?
- 20:44There are people in this world, in this context, false teachers, that are spending far more time thinking about and planning how to corrupt people to follow after them than many
- 21:02Christians are on paying attention to make sure that they don't follow after men.
- 21:11Paul tells Timothy that he needs to be careful as to how he follows the teaching he has received.
- 21:25One of the saddest things that I've observed happen, and it's not the fault of the schools, it's the fault of the individuals who it happens to.
- 21:37One of the saddest things that I've observed is guys go through a school of preaching and spend two or three years studying at the feet of men who are teaching them sound doctrine.
- 21:51who are teaching them how to interpret the Bible, are teaching them how to open up, study for themselves, and properly understand the Scriptures.
- 22:02But because that student doesn't apply themselves to those proper uses of Scripture, they graduate, they go off on their own, they get started in a work in a congregation, and
- 22:16three or four years later, they're teaching nonsense.
- 22:21That's found nowhere in Scripture.
- 22:24And they're arguing and resting the Scriptures to their own destruction.
- 22:29Why?
- 22:31because they weren't careful about what they learned.
- 22:35They weren't careful about who they learned it from.
- 22:38They weren't perceptive concerning what was going on.
- 22:46And so they wander off into false teaching.
- 22:50Now, I want to point out that that's not new.
- 22:53That's been happening since the first century.
- 22:55Go back to chapter 1 verse 18.
- 22:57The precursor to this entire discussion, what we're trying to do in this moment in the class right now is to take this entire section and go, look.
- 23:11Paul introduced this with false teachers.
- 23:15Paul's reminding them about false teachers and Timothy about false teachers, therefore sandwiched in the middle what Paul has said is you must teach these things and you can't
- 23:25give over to false teachers.
- 23:28Chapter 1 of 1 Timothy.
- 23:30Verse 18, charge this charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith
- 23:43and a good conscience which some having rejected concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I delivered to Satan that they may
- 23:54learn not to blaspheme.
- 23:58Paul started this entire discussion with two individuals who were specifically causing individuals to blaspheme.
- 24:09To teach that which was in direct opposition to what God said.
- 24:16So as you go through this text, understand, Paul set up this discussion by introducing Hymenaeus and Alexander.
- 24:24Now he's reminded Timothy that the Spirit was very clear that this was going to happen.
- 24:33And so he's reinforcing with Timothy.
- 24:37Here's how you avoid this happening to you.
- 24:41You reject these things.
- 24:44You nourish yourself up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, which you have carefully followed.
- 24:53He says, I know what you've done in the past.
- 24:55Keep doing it.
- 24:59every single one of those students that I just mentioned in discussion had been taught how to do it right.
- 25:11The only reason they went off into error is because they stopped doing what they had been taught and started doing and directing their actions based upon their own wisdom or the
- 25:24teaching of others.
- 25:26Paul says, verse 7, but reject profane and old wives' fables and exercise yourself toward godliness.
- 25:40As Paul addresses Timothy, he says, there are things that you must entirely reject.
- 25:53was watching, sometimes as you're scrolling, you get some random things on social media.
- 25:59Just so happened to scroll through one thing last night and saw an interview that was happening years ago, about 13 years ago with an individual back when uh the Huffington
- 26:10Post had first gone live and everything.
- 26:12And they were interviewing a guy who I think some tech association, which is probably how it ended up in my feed.
- 26:19But here is a guy who is an American.
- 26:22who is living in America, and he was stating that the only way there would ever be any change in America is we needed to start killing some of the politicians.
- 26:35And he's saying this in a live video interview.
- 26:41and the host who's a younger guy sitting over there had no expectation the guy was going to say that.
- 26:49I he wasn't interviewing him because of that, was interviewing him because of some other thing entirely and this comes out of his mouth and you could tell that this young man had
- 26:57a really hard time saying that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of anyone's mouth.
- 27:08and he could not defend the sanity of the position of, executing politicians is probably not the path we need to take.
- 27:20So he tried to boil it down to, kind of just disagree with you.
- 27:25No!
- 27:28That's what some people do with doctrine.
- 27:30Well, I understand that's what you think, but...
- 27:34Yes, yeah, I can see how you would come to that conclusion.
- 27:37I just feel like it's a little...
- 27:39Stop that.
- 27:41Now, it's important to remember, as Rob pointed out, especially when you're teaching and uh working in evangelism, that there are some conversations that you should not have.
- 27:54There are some discussions that you should not participate in because the other person's not ready to have the discussion.
- 28:01They have no...
- 28:03background of basis in God's Word to have the discussion.
- 28:08Not saying that there are not times to avoid discussions.
- 28:13There are.
- 28:14Jesus did it on a regular basis.
- 28:16Jesus was asked a question and didn't answer it.
- 28:20Turned around and asked a different question because the question did not prove to be valuable,
- 28:26or it was falsely based, or it was intended to confuse the other people who were listening.
- 28:35So there's appropriateness in understanding what we should and should not discuss with someone, but we should never back away from rejecting false doctrine.
- 28:51Paul doesn't say,
- 28:54You know, there are some people who will teach some things that you maybe don't agree with and you can just move on.
- 29:02He doesn't say that.
- 29:04He says reject.
- 29:07That is an action that you do.
- 29:10That is something that you are acti-
- 29:12in.
- 29:13That is a pushing back against these things actively.
- 29:19He says reject profane and old wives fables and exercise.
- 29:28Here's the contrast.
- 29:30He says if you're going to reject those things, what should you be doing instead?
- 29:34He says you ought to be exercising yourself toward godliness.
- 29:41Turn over to Hebrews.
- 29:53what's going on but it happens.
- 29:58Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12.
- 30:04The Hebrew writer writing to these Christians says, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of
- 30:19God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
- 30:24For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
- 30:30But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
- 30:48The Hebrew writer says that if you're going to mature as a Christian, if you're going to reach the point of being able to teach others as you ought, you are going to have to
- 31:01exercise your mind concerning good and evil.
- 31:09But too often, individuals want to be spoon-fed.
- 31:14They want to be milked along instead of growing up to be mature.
- 31:21Because they don't want to have to understand good and evil for themselves.
- 31:25They don't want to have to discern between what is profane and what is holy.
- 31:32And so they continue on without any exercise.
- 31:38He says, reject profane and old wise fables and exercise yourself toward godliness.
- 31:46But bodily exercise profits a little.
- 31:50All right, switch me over to this microphone.
- 31:52I don't know what's going on.
- 31:55Test one.
- 31:56Okay.
- 31:57He says, sorry, verse eight, for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things.
- 32:09As he tells Timothy, you need to exercise yourself toward godliness.
- 32:16You need to actively consider God's word, the doctrine that you have been taught, the things that you have been delivered to get closer every day to God, to become more like
- 32:33Him, to become more like His nature, to understand things and see things the way He does.
- 32:43when you think about the fact that most false doctrines originate from someone who has rejected God's view on a matter.
- 32:58They have determined in their own mind, in their own evaluation, that God's judgment on that matter can't possibly be the right answer.
- 33:11So they start twisting the Scriptures.
- 33:14They start trying to explain away what God has said.
- 33:19They start trying to argue, well, I know that's what it says, but I understand it this way.
- 33:28When pressed on it for why they should, from the Scriptures, understand it that way, usually they don't have an answer.
- 33:37other than eventually you get down to, don't agree with God's statement.
- 33:46There were those who came to Jesus who were Sadducees.
- 33:51They came to Jesus and they asked Jesus concerning a woman who married a husband.
- 33:57The husband died.
- 33:59She married his brother, the brother died.
- 34:01She married his brother, the brother died.
- 34:03Seven husbands, seven brothers, a bride for seven brothers anyway, uh seven brothers, all of them dead.
- 34:10And the Sadducees came to Jesus and said, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
- 34:18Why did they ask the question?
- 34:23What was the Sadducees' doctrine concerning the resurrection?
- 34:29They didn't believe in the resurrection.
- 34:32They didn't believe there was a resurrection.
- 34:33And they considered their scenario to be proof that the ideas concerning a resurrection were fallacious, were false.
- 34:50What was Jesus's answer to them, His very first statement in reaction to their proposed scenario?
- 35:06All right, takes them back to the scripture but says, you do not know the power of God.
- 35:15You do not understand anything about what you're speaking about.
- 35:24Jesus holds them to the Word, not their opinions about the Word.
- 35:33He holds them to the instructions of Scripture, not their thoughts about Scripture.
- 35:40He holds them to what the text actually says, not their learned traditions about what it says.
- 35:53And Paul tells Timothy, you reject profane teaching.
- 36:02Paul will later have to deal with this same doctrine in the church in Corinth.
- 36:091 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul deals with the resurrection.
- 36:12Why is he dealing with the resurrection?
- 36:14Because there were some in Corinth teaching that there was no resurrection.
- 36:21And Paul says, if there is no resurrection, then Christ is not raised.
- 36:26And if Christ is not raised, then you are of all men most miserable.
- 36:30Why?
- 36:31Because you're putting your hope and your faith in Christ, and He's dead and in the grave.
- 36:42That would be a doctrine that was profane.
- 36:45It was in direct violation of the Word of God, yet there were Christians teaching it.
- 36:54You do not go along to get along with false doctrine.
- 37:01You reject it.
- 37:03But he further says, old wives' fables.
- 37:10What could we categorize as old wives' fables?
- 37:15Does Paul just have some sort of opposition to older married women?
- 37:21Is that what's going on here?
- 37:24No.
- 37:25What's the idea here of old wives' fables?
- 37:31stories with no factual basis, falsehoods, traditions.
- 37:41Yeah?
- 37:41ah
- 37:46The idea that there's some individual over here who's got a special spiritual connection, and we ought to place our faith and our trust in that person and their spiritual
- 38:01connection.
- 38:03The idea of, uh as would have been common under the pagan religions, you have individuals who are the uh spiritual leader of the village or the community.
- 38:16yet they have no revelation from God.
- 38:20you would sometimes find a community where there's an older woman who, whenever she says, goes.
- 38:31She's the matriarch.
- 38:34And she doesn't base it in truth.
- 38:36She doesn't base it in fact.
- 38:38She bases it based upon what she believes.
- 38:44Paul says, don't let that happen.
- 38:46You don't allow those things to continue.
- 38:48He says, reject profane and old wise fables and exercise yourself toward godliness, for bodily exercise profits a little.
- 38:58It is good to do physical things.
- 39:04One of my least favorite things in the entire world is to be stuck sitting in a chair day after day after day after
- 39:13day.
- 39:16And whenever we were in school, because when you're in school, especially in school of preaching, you don't really have a whole lot of choice.
- 39:23You're stuck in a chair studying in class, doing one thing or another that involved you being stuck behind a desk.
- 39:32And one of the things that was my favorite thing to do whenever the opportunity would arise is someone would say, Hey, brother or sister so-and-so needs help on their house or
- 39:43some
- 39:44something needs to be done at the church building.
- 39:46Work that was physical needed to be done.
- 39:52And there were a number of us who I went to school with who were like, we're game, we're there, just tell us when.
- 39:57We just need something physical to do.
- 39:59We need some manual labor to get out from behind these books.
- 40:06Paul tells Timothy, bodily exercise is profitable a little.
- 40:14Why is bodily exercise only profitable a little?
- 40:23Mm-hmm.
- 40:25Because you're only going to be on this earth for a while.
- 40:28And like it or not, entropy is the answer.
- 40:35You are going to run down.
- 40:39You are going to wear out.
- 40:44You are going to do all that you can to keep up with entropy, but entropy is going to win.
- 40:52in this physical existence.
- 40:55So it is profitable, and he's not denying that, but he wants to focus Timothy's attention on the fact that while that is temporarily profitable, is profitable a little, godliness
- 41:14is profitable for all things.
- 41:34all areas because godliness is a long-term gain and yes you can benefit a lot from exercise, from physical health, taking care yourself, but it's not got
- 41:48Yes, there's both the view of the amount that it impacts you, but also the duration.
- 41:57It is profitable temporarily.
- 42:01If you don't continue in that bodily exercise, are you going to see the long-term gains and benefits of it?
- 42:09No.
- 42:10If I decide, I'm going to exercise one day a year, it's going to be profitable a little bit, not much.
- 42:17If you say, I'm going to live and base my entire life around my physical, bodily exercise.
- 42:29how much you're going to be profited by that.
- 42:33You still gonna die?
- 42:35Yeah, you are.
- 42:39This is just me, but I see people on a regular basis, usually guys who are starting to get into their thirties going, man, I got to push back.
- 42:50I got to start exercising.
- 42:51I don't, I want to, you know, get old and fat and they start exercising and they look at everything they eat and they start.
- 43:01focusing day in and day out all the time on everything being about their physical body.
- 43:11How long does it last?
- 43:14I give them a decade.
- 43:26going to keep you from getting hit by a car.
- 43:31Sometimes the people who spend all their time focusing on bodily exercise injure themselves to an extreme degree through their bodily exercise.
- 43:41They'd have been better off sitting on the couch.
- 43:47And yet, Paul's point isn't to discuss the value of the bodily exercise.
- 43:54It is to contrast the bodily exercise, which is necessary and a part of what God has built our bodies to need, to emphasize that you have a soul and a spirit that needs spiritual
- 44:13exercise infinitely more.
- 44:18And the returns on the spiritual exercise are infinitely better because he says they're profitable in all things.
- 44:30You want to go be a school teacher?
- 44:34Godliness will help you.
- 44:37You want to be a parent of a child?
- 44:39Godliness will help you.
- 44:42You want to teach people who are lost the gospel?
- 44:45Godliness will help you
- 44:48You want to be a faithful Christian till the day you die?
- 44:52Godliness will help you.
- 44:54You want to influence others in business, godliness will help you.
- 45:00It's amazing how many business self-help books there are that when you boil down a lot of the fluff, come down to five or six biblical principles that if you had just applied the
- 45:15Bible to your business,
- 45:16you would have been miles ahead.
- 45:20Why?
- 45:22Because the God who created the universe that we live in
- 45:30said, if you'll be more like me, if you'll think more like me, if you'll act more like me, trust me, it will help you.
- 45:45And if you decide to focus entirely on this physical existence...
- 45:53You might see some short-term gains, but you're going to see some long-term losses because that will only profit you for a while.
- 46:04All right?
- 46:04Thank you for your attention.