Sermon Notes – 11.1.2015 | Northpoint Church

Misguided Notions about God
1 Timothy 4:1-5
Pastor John Sloan

Introduction: The world is full of bad theology. Wrong views about God. And while no one is immune to these misguided notions about our Creator—because we are broken people whose hearts, wills, and minds have been tainted by sin, none of us has perfect understanding of God—there are some who are so devious and self-serving that their teaching divides and destroys the church. And the most dangerous thing: it typically appears to be right.

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Questions for Discussion & Discovery

1. When are the “later times” that Paul talks about in verse 1?

2. What does Jude 4 (and 18) tells us about the way false teachers tend to work (and the motivation behind their efforts)?

3. What does it mean to have a “seared conscience” (verse 2)?

4. The devil often works in either one of two ways: he seeks to induce within his objects despair or pride. How does the gospel of grace provide weapons against both of the evil one’s overtures?

5. What is asceticism? How is it an affront to the completed work of Jesus?

6. Why does any addition to God’s plan of salvation (by faith alone in Christ alone) ruin everything? What efforts or merit are you inclined to add?

Sermon Slides

1. “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” – A.W. Tozer
2. “Jesus bled and died for us so that we could lay claim to financial prosperity.” – Creflo Dollar
3. “Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.” – Pope Francis
4. Read passage: 1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV
5. 01. Bad theology comes from the devil and is advanced through the false teaching of dishonest and deluded leaders.
6. Read passage: 1 Peter 5:8 ESV
7. Read passage: Matthew 19:24
8. “What he is unable to crush by force he seeks to suppress by cunning and lies. This was his strategy at the beginning. … He raised up false prophets and erring spirits and filled with world with heretics.” – Martin Luther
9. Read passage: – 1 Timothy 4:1
10 . Apostasy is a decisive turning away from God by those who once claimed to belong to Him.
11. 02. The effect of bad theology, uncorrected over time, is it dulls the soul to the need for God and leads to a “turning away” from Him.
12. Read passage: – 1 Timothy 4:3-5 ESV
13. 03. The antidote to bad theology is the grateful recognition that every good thing we have comes from God—even our righteousness.