Garry continued his series on spiritual maintenance tonight, looking at 2 Tim 1:13, which urges us to keep as the pattern of sound teaching that which we have heard.

A pattern or example (see 1 Tim 1:16) comes from two Greek words meaning ‘under the seal’, an impression made which remains after something has pressed down, like a signet ring used to seal a document in ancient times. To be ‘sound’ is to be well, in good health. If we are to keep to sound teaching, we obviously have to be able to differentiate between this and teaching which is not sound. Unsound teaching often takes a verse out of context (eg Heb 8:11 or 1 Jn 2:27 being used to state categorically that we have no further need of teaching, because God Himself will teach us, ignoring other passages like 2 Tim 2:2 or Acts 13:1 which tell us there is still a place for teaching in the church.) Sound teaching will fit with the whole of the Bible and will not focus on one verse only.

To maintain our spiritual lives, we do have to be able to hear directly from God ourselves (see Heb 5:11-14, 2 Tim 3:6-7), but we also have to do more than simply cram Bible verses into our minds; we have to apply what we learn and live it out. We have to be like the Berean Jews who examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:10-12) and spend time reading and studying the Word for ourselves.

1 Tim 4:1-7 gives us insight into what makes a good teacher. A good teacher:

1. listen to the right sources (for there are deceiving spirits who would lead us all astray from truth)
2. needs sensitivity (our consciences must not be seared or desensitised)
3. must be nourished on truth and good teaching themselves
4. must be pursuing God themselves (1 Cor 4:14-17)
5. will leave what they teach (Heb 13:7 urges us to consider the outcome of the way of life of our leaders and imitate their faith)
6. will oppose what is wrong (1 Tim 1:3-4)
7. will promote love (1 Tim 1:5)
8. will seek to pass on the baton to others (2 Tim 2:2)

If we want to maintain our spiritual lives, we must respond to sound teaching. Jesus often said, ‘Whoever has ears, let them hear.’ (Matt 11:15) The process of application can be a slow one; we have to learn, understand and apply the principles we learn. We maintain our spiritual life by holding onto and treasuring the words God gives us which lead to eternal life (see Jn 6:66-68).

Stephen’s message this morning at Cherry Tree Court looked at 1 Jn 2:3-6 and asked the question, ‘Do you know God?’ Nowadays on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, we can have lots of ‘friends’, but many of these are little more than acquaintances. God doesn’t want to be that kind of friend to us; He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother! (Prov 18:24)

Close friends know us, know our strengths and weaknesses and are with us in the good times and the bad times. God wants us to have that kind of intimate relationship with Him. Our coming to know God is a learning curve, rather like a building project. When building, the builders start with empty land and then have to dig deep to lay foundations before they can build upwards. Often, we have to clear our lives of rubble and build on Christ as our solid foundation,.

The Bible is devoted to teaching us how to know God and how to build our relationship with Him. Our knowledge of and love for God are built through our obedience (see Jn 14:15). We are called to live as He did, in dependence on God, in obedience to God, in fellowship and faithfulness and humility, living in sacrifice and in the power of God’s Spirit. God’s Word becomes the building blocks for our relationship with God, knowing Him as Father, Son and Spirit.

These voices that whisper in the night

Can sound so amazingly reasonable,

So utterly sane,

So temptingly pragmatic.

They don’t sound crazy;

They don’t sound bizarre.

They are the voice of reason,

Of sense,

Of normality.

They are proactive, persuasive,

Offering practical solutions:

Ways out of the wilderness which lead to freedom.

What’s not to like about them?

But so often, these eminently sane, utterly pragmatic solutions

Lead us not into freedom,

But to the desolation of dead-end cul-de-sacs.

They obviate the need for faith,

Leaving us in the barren desert,

Abandoning us bereft and alone in the wilderness of disobedience.

How did we end up here?

We didn’t want to disobey.

But every time we choose sight over faith,

Every time we allow the persuasive voice of pragmatism to win,

Rather than standing defiantly on the promises of God,

We lose out.

Abraham holding Ishmael, not Isaac…

David lured into the mess of murder from following the lust of selfish longing and listening to the rationale offering excuses for normal human needs…

The Bible is scattered with evidence of the

Sin of pragmatism versus faith.

Faith is folly, the voices say.

It’s unreasonable to expect God to…

Indeed, it is.

Unreasonable to expect deliverance.

Unreasonable to hope for mercy over judgment.

Unreasonable to believe there’s a way out of Egypt,

To believe a Saviour could come from a virgin teenager,

To think a dying man can hold the keys of death and hell.

But we are called to live by faith, and not by sight.

Called to believe God has the right partner for us for life.

Called to believe God can bring reconciliation after a lifetime of distance.

Called to believe God can do the impossible for us.

We are called to turn from pragmatism to faith,

From Machiavelli’s ‘the end justifies the means’ to Jesus’ ‘die in order to live.’

It doesn’t make sense?

That’s O.K.

Miracles never did make much sense,

But are evidence, nonetheless, of God’s interest in us and proof that He is able to do more than we imagine, dream or dare to ask.

Live by faith.

You’ll be amazed at what you see.

Preparations for the Christmas Market include getting together all the prizes needed. I’ve been scouring shops for bargains for the Christmas tombola! We need prizes suitable for boys and girls (often available in Poundland and shops like that) as well as for adults – hand cream, toiletries, scarves and so on all make lovely prizes for tombolas. Please help us by donating prizes.

We will also be making up a Christmas hamper to raffle at the Christmas Market, so donations for this are also welcome, especially items like chocolates, biscuits, mince pies, crackers and other Christmas-themed foods, though tinned food and other practical items are also welcome. Local shops and market stall holders often donate lovely prizes for the raffle and we are grateful for everyone’s support.

You might not be able to donate prizes, but any craft items that can be sold will also come in useful (homemade cards, knitted or crocheted items, Christmas decorations etc.) and one of the most valuable things you can give is time. Please sign up to help, even if it’s only for an hour, anytime between 4 and 8 p.m. on Friday 9th December and please come along to support the community carol service at 6 p.m. if you’re able.

Many of you have been asking about Bedline Bazile, our Compassion child, who lives in Haiti. I have contacted Compassion for details of how Hurricane Matthew has affected the area where she lives and have received this response:

‘As Florida in the US prepares for Hurricane Matthew to make landfall, a more detailed picture is emerging of the destruction left in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

In Haiti, the death toll is now estimated to be more than 300. 50 people were reported killed in the town of Roche-a-Bateau alone. Rescue workers in Haiti are still struggling to reach affected parts of Haiti as the bridge connecting to the south was washed away by flood waters.

We still have very limited information about the number of Compassion-assisted children and families who have been impacted. Compassion Colombia confirms that 1,000 sponsored children have been impacted by the hurricane. The majority have lost homes and household items. Our colleagues in the Compassion Haiti office sent through the following prayer request yesterday:

“Hurricane Matthew has devastated our country, particularly the south region. It has made thousands of victims and many people become homeless. The government has already intervened in some areas to bring support to concerned people, yet some other affected places are not called on and they are in need. Please pray that God brings them comfort in such a tragedy.”

Please join us in continuing to pray for all those affected by Hurricane Matthew. Pray particularly for the children in these three nations who have lost homes and loved ones.

At the moment we do not have any information about Bedline, however be assured that if we do hear we will contact you as soon as possible. If you do not hear from us with specific information about Bedline, please know that she is OK.’

Compassion have set up a relief disaster fund to help those in Haiti. Further details about that are available here.