Havasu Christian Church
September 14, 2025,
Series in I Timothy
I Timothy 1:3-17
“Pay attention to what you pay attention to!”
INTRO: We often find ourselves sidetracked.
Getting sidetracked is NOT a new thing… It’s always been a problem. We quit paying attention to what we are trying to accomplish, and next thing you know, it’s been 3 hours and nothing has gotten done!
The Apostle Paul addresses this problem when he writes his first letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:3-11 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers
10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- There are things we should NOT pay any attention to!
- Fruitless discussions.
- Making things that don’t really matter, the most important things!
- “How are the end times going to wrap up?
- Is God going to do it this way, or that way, or some other way?
- The important thing is to KNOW that God WILL wrap it all up!
- The end is coming! We’d better be ready, however God decides to do it!
- Strange doctrines
- Ideas that were not set out by the Apostles, or in Scripture.
- The Gnostics were already doing this.
- “God has given me “special knowledge” and if you treat me right, I’ll share it with you!”
- Instead of “strange doctrines,” Heresy has been the word used.
- It may come from old pagan ideas I “baptized” into Christianity.
- It may come from my own “good ideas” that I elevate to the level of Scripture.
- “You can’t use a machine that’s movement is powered by a gasoline engine!”
- It may come from someone I respect who hasn’t thought things through.
- Myths
- There were PLENTY of these floating around in the ancient world.
- “g” gods and goddesses.
- Heretical ideas about Jesus.
- “He didn’t have a physical body.”
- “Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.”
- “Jesus didn’t really die…”
- There are still plenty of myths floating around.
- “I can pick and choose what I want to believe, and how I want to live, and that will be just fine… I’ll be spiritual!”
- Being “spiritual” doesn’t help if the spirits you follow are demonic!
- “I can be good enough to deserve / earn to go to heaven.”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
- “It doesn’t really matter what you believe…” “We’re all on different paths to the same place…”
- This one is actually true for many… HELL!
- Endless genealogies.
- There were plenty of people who put more stock in who the came from than where they were headed.
- The Jewish culture demanded it.
- If you don’t know your tribe and your ancestors, you don’t get an inheritance.
- If you can’t prove you are descended from priests as a Levite, you can’t be a priest.
- History is good to know.
- Family history is good to know.
- Getting all your value from where you come from is NOT good!
- There are plenty of things we SHOULD pay attention to!
- Timothy is instructed to teach people to learn the right things.
- Love from a pure heart.
- Love here is “in spite of” love.
- A good conscience.
- Do good, feel good.
- Guilt is a POWERFUL thing!
- Jesus died on the cross to take the burden of guilt off our shoulders.
- Why would you still carry it around?
- Why would you beat yourself up about something that God already has forgiven?
- A sincere faith.
- Faith: Trusting God enough to act on what He wants you to do!
- Sincere: No pretending allowed.
- God knows what’s going on behind your eyeballs!
- You may fool people, but you can’t fool God! He knows!
- Some people want to become teachers, but all they have is ignorance to share.
- We see this all the time.
- People who think they “know something” when in reality, they don’t!
- Pontificating as though they know more than you do, when they are actually ignorant…. Ignorant, not stupid.
Frank, from “Fridays with Frank” on a traffic stop: “You sir are speaking from a pulpit of mis-knowledge.”
- Being wrong when talking to Frank may make it less likely to get a warning. You’ll almost certainly get a ticket.
- But when you are falsely teaching what you wish/think God’s word says, you are a danger to yourself, and to others.
James 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
- Leading others astray, even with sincere motives, is a big deal!
- LEARN so you have something to share.
- You don’t have to know ALL the answers before you share.
- But don’t pretend that you do.
- Some of the best words to be willing to say is the following… “I don’t know, but I’ll find out!”
- God can use anyone if their heart is right!
- You have to be willing to change your mind.
- Let the Word of God teach you!
- Let trusted servants of the Lord teach you.
- With their words
- With their actions.
- Trust, but verify!
- You have to be willing to let the Holy Spirit change your heart.
- When you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves in!
- He’s there to help guide you.
- He’s there to prompt your conscience.
- He’s there to help you share with others.
- You have to be willing to change your actions.
- Theoretical is fine.
- But it has to get practical!
- WHAT WILL YOU DO?
Conclusion: What have I heard today that I should incorporate into my life?
- PAY ATTENTION!!!
- Weed out the things that don’t deserve our attention.
- Keep and nurture the things that do merit being a part of my thoughts and actions!
- Don’t be an ignoramus!
- Learn so that you can become a teacher!
- Start small… dream big!
- Don’t THINK you know… KNOW that you know!
- Certainly, don’t lead others astray!
- Don’t ever quit learning how to better serve Jesus, our Savior!
- Trust! But verify!
- God’s Word is what we are to live by!
