Dirty Bible Words - Week 3 - The CORE - Pastor Mike Novotny
Dirty Bible Words
Week 3 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to week number 3, Dirty Bible Words as we talked about on the bookshelves in my office. There's a bunch of books whose titles recently got my attention with this book, called a summary of Christian doctrine or this green book. Called Christian dogmatics. Volume 1 dogmatics, the study of Christian dogma or this one Christian do Medics going to or just in case. Two volumes was enough, Christian dogmatics, volume 3. And for those of you who got good grades in school, volume 4 of Christian dogmatics hundreds. If not thousands of pages talking about dogma and the doctrine of this is super fascinates me because part of my work is to write books. And I've learned over the years that by far the hardest and most important thing to do is to pick the right title for the book that you wrote There's a billion books that you can buy online at your local bookstore. If the title doesn't jump off the page and seem like something interesting and relevant to you, you'll skip the book and find a different book.
This is so interesting to be, apparently when these books were published decades, if not over a century ago, the Publishers and the authors were not worried that words like Doctrine or Dogma or dogmatix. Would scare away potential readers.
Think we could publish the same books today?
Because they put it at the special display stand at your favorite local book store. They sell a lot of copies. Oh yeah. No there's something about living in this time and place here in 2020s America. That Doctrine is not such a good word to us. In fact of the day, I typed Doctrine into a Google Search and one of the first images that popped up was one of those word clouds that shows Associated words, And right next to the word Doctrine, were other terms like indoctrination, propaganda, and brainwashing. Like imagine if we did some church Outreach with such words, Come come on. Sunday, will indoctrinate you interested in being brainwashed? We have some propaganda just waiting for you guys. Your come true at all. I mean that seems like restrictive. It seems old-fashioned, bigoted judgmental, don't ask questions, close your mind. I will indoctrinate you with a Doctrine and dogma of the Christian faith. It seems like a dirty word that's best for us to ignore.
All these books and before you wash my mouth out with soap. I'll just hold on for just a second and think for a second about the word Doctrine. You know the word Doctrine at. It's very heart means. You're taking notes Here in church or you're doing. So at home, I'll grab a pen, right? This is a very simple dictionary, definition of the word Doctrine. A Doctrine is simply a set of beliefs,
So, if you believe certain things, which we all do You have Doctrine. If there are certain convictions that you hold and not everyone in the world holds, you are a doctrinal person, somehow somewhere you were indoctrinated with a certain list of ways to think. It's a Doctrine, isn't the problem you have Doctrine. I have Doctrine. We all have doctors things that we all believe. In fact, I bet that you believe your Doctrine. So passionately, when you find someone who doesn't agree with your Doctrine, you try to indoctrinate them. You try to put your Doctrine in them, that's what indoctrinate means.
Right? So forth. So you have a relative who was just, you know, a little bit racist and some discriminatory joke. You say hold up, Grandpa.
You try to explain why that's not okay. And that he should changes the way that he speaks the way he thinks literally, according to the dictionary, you are trying to put your doctor and your set of beliefs about Raven race and ethnicity inside of him, you're trying to indoctrinate someone else. And I think you'd agree with me, that's not a bad thing. That's actually the right thing to do. We burn the books and get rid of the word. We should realize Doctrine, isn't the problem. Indoctrinating people isn't the problem. The real question is this: What is your Doctrine? And did your doctor and come from a trustworthy source?
Like whether it was your parents or your pastor, or your priest, or the internet, or a tick, tock influencer, or a college professor, someone indoctrinated you, someone said something that shaped the way that you believe. My question for you, is what exactly is the doctrine you currently hold to and are you sure the doctor and came from a trustworthy source? Like, some of you believe that life begins at conception, I would say, did you get that from a trustworthy source? Some people leave. It's a woman's body in a woman's Choice. It's your doctor Where'd you get that from? Some people even it's very important to go to a church and be part of an organized religion week after week after week, okay. Where'd you get that from Some people say I don't need a religion. I just want a relationship with God before the poor. Okay, where did that come from?
Some people say that love is love and you should follow your heart. Many people do. Where does that come from? Some people say no God is love and you should follow his word. Well where did that come from? You can pick any issue. It could be gender. Sexuality, organized, religion, Heaven, hell, the Bible parenting race ethnicity. My question for you is, if I gave you some time and you could write down your personal Doctrine, are you sure that that all came from a trustworthy source?
Because here's the thing, you agree with, even if you've never thought about it, you know that people can be wrong. Your parents might have caught your Doctrine, but has there ever been a parent on planet Earth has been wrong? While the kids are all right, right? Maybe you were taught as a kid in a church. Have pastors ever been wrong? Sure. It has culture ever been wrong with the majority of use the stuff that everyone says and repeats. You think of a time in history where that was not good Doctrine. You can, so I'm gonna push you a little bit today, not to dismiss the topic of doctor, but to think a little bit more critical. Yeah. What do I believe and why do I believe it? What is my set of beliefs? And where did that come from? Can I be sure that where I stand is, where God stands sure. Every passage in a book of 1st Timothy, the Apostle Paul said this was close friend.
Watch your life and Doctrine closely.
So much of your life, your choices, your thoughts, your behaviors, come out of the doctrine that you believe in your heart. So cost is here. Watch it, closely think critically, about what you believe and why you believe it? That's really my goal with you. Today I want you to think about your Doctrine and I want all of us to make sure that Doctrine comes from a good spot, most trustworthy spots from a God that we can trust. So we're gonna tackle just a couple passages today. And the first one comes from a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to a pastor named Titus, Titus 1:9 Paul was talking about the qualifications to be a good passer, usually Rose. He speaks of the pastor must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught. So that he can encourage others by sound Doctrine and refute to those who oppose it. It's a pastor. Must this like, a given. He must have. You see there? Sound Doctrine. So Doctrine as I said, is a set of beliefs the word sound in the original Greek language that Paul used literally means healthy. So, sound Doctrine is a set of beliefs that is healthy for your soul. The God, Who created you, The God Who made you? The guy who knows what's best for your soul? If he says this is good, this is healthy, that sounds Doctrine Where do you find some doctor? And Paul Heyman said it here, when he talks about the quotes trustworthy message, Essentially to keep it simple today. Paul's talking about this book, This book, The Bible isn't something that Paul invented. It's not something that our church came up with; this comes from a God that we can trust. He inspired it every word, every chapter, every book. Now this is the week as part of this message, if you don't believe that just the idea like, no, I think the Bible is just another book, a bunch of people wrote it. Like check your box and your communication cut up. I wish I had more time to explain why we believe the Bible is much more than that this came from God. But for the sake of time today, let's just assume what Paul is assuming that the trustworthy message is the Bible which is the message that God gave us. And because God is the same God who doesn't change. He doesn't need to be taught anything, he loves us and he's got a truth, it's therefore a trustworthy message. Pastors must hold firmly to that trustworthy message. Doesn’t need to be updated. It doesn't need to be edited. You don't have to pick and choose. You just are taught it. And you'll hold on like this to it. I kind of think of good Ministry, and good Christianity, like a running back in the Super Bowl. The fourth quarter teams up by two. Clock's ticking down and the coach calls I'm giving you the ball. I'm now running back gets the ball and he's so close though. Hoisting the Super Bowl trophy. What he does not need to do is get fancy. This isn't the time where we need you to call the audible and show us that sweet. Spin move that you do what we need to do is hold firmly to the ball, right? Is it a whole lot onto that ball we're going to win.
Me and you if someone has given you the trustworthy message, if you've been indoctrinated with the scriptures that you must hold firmly to adjust as it has been taught, If Mom was faithful to the Bible, just believe what Mom believed. If Grandpa was a solid Bible believing man, following Grandpa's footsteps. Be like Paul be like, John be like Matthew. Be like those faithful Saints who have held this book strongly. You don't need to get cute, doesn't have to be fancy. You don't need to be super creative, hold firmly to the trustworthy message. Because here's the payoff. If you do, Paul says, then you can encourage others.
By sound. If you and I are not just sharing opinions. But we're holding firmly to the word of God. What we get to do in our conversations is, encourage each other with the truth, and flatter each other with human opinions. To check the internet, to see what people are saying these days. You and I speak to each other. If we've held firmly to the word, we can encourage each other with the word of God. It struck me that when you reach out to your pastors or to your church for help, You probably don't think of it this way, when you're struggling or you're scared, or you're anxious, or your marriage is falling apart, could be cancer, you're dying, you're dealing with anxiety, you never say this. But here's what I think you're saying, when you reach out to the church, Indoctrinate me.
But there's something that I'm believing that I'm thinking in my heart and it's not giving me peace or Joy. It's freaking me out. It's making me scared. I feel so ashamed. Pastor I'm reaching out because I need a new doctrine.
I need a new set of things to believe and if you have studied this book held onto it firmly indoctrinated me put a new set of beliefs in me that can push out the fear. Push out the shame, push out the anxiety, replace it with the things that God wants me to think and feel. And I've never gotten an email from one of you with the subject line indoctrination, it always just says help, or can we talk? But I think that's what you want.
Like maybe you're one of the many people at our church who struggles with anxiety. It was what if questions, just keep you up at night, this happens, that happens. If you figure out what you need is a good Doctrine about a big God who loves even his anxious kids. I got who promises that you're in the palm of his hand and no one's going to snatch you out of it. The God Who is in control of the universe and whatever happens. He's an absolute control. And he always is working for the good of his church, you needed the doctrine of God's sovereignty. It was all teachings in these old books are so. Practical big God, who runs the universe? You need the story of Joseph and his brothers were God was working everything out for the good. You the story of Jesus and the cross where it seemed like evil was winning but Jesus' father had a plan the whole time to eat good Doctrine.
You're dating someone, you're married and there's a relational conflict.
Couples fight.
Bad Doctrine.
Somehow one or both of them gets this idea in their heart that I only have to be nice if you're nice to me. Terrible doctor. Conditional love is so easy to believe it's even easier to behave that way. When a couple comes in what they really need is the authoritative word of God that says hey I'm sorry she hasn't been more respectful but your call is to love her. Your father is, I'm not seeing the suit. Your God is saying to you love her even though did he love you first? When you weren't being so great. I need to say to wife, am I'm sorry. I wish it was a better husband. But getting back at him and keeping score and getting in those digs that, that's not helping. It's hurting Respect. Love is what saves relationships, what resurrects a broken marriage. Good Doctrine.
Afraid of cancer.
You're freaking out because you're, you're not sure if you're going to make it to Heaven, if this is it, what's happened to your heart? Heresy.
You picked up this idea from the world that, you know, good people go to heaven, which is so toxic because you're always left wondering, well, how good is good enough. Come in because you're scared and you're rattled about what you need? You need the doctrine of grace, the doctrine of salvation, fancy words, like soteriology and christology, the teaching of Christ and his saving work that he died on the cross. Not for a couple of scenes, or for a couple of people. But for all the sins and all the people, I'm trying to indoctrinate you with, The gospel. And when I think about it that way, what saves marriages sounds Doctrine. What gives people peace in the face of death, sound Doctrine, but an anxious people cope? They remember the sound doctrines that come from the scriptures? Can you imagine if you reached out to the pasture and you pour out your heart? I'm scared. I'm dying. I'm ashamed for what I did and I just Googled it and said, 47% of Americans. Think what you like, okay, well, by my ear, like you need something bigger than the opinion of Americans. And you need something better than the opinion of a pastor.
You need someone who has held, so firmly to this message, who can open to the right page, the right chapter, the right verse and they can't reach you. Sound Doctrine. A dirty word.
Oh wait, it's a word that saves Souls. Here's my shocking message for you today because I want to believe this, the Bible is good for you. What I need the Bible, would we have the Bible tightly held in our hands more than just our own feelings or opinions? We can as Paul. So beautifully says, he encouraged others by sound Doctrine.
What's a good definition for sound Doctrine? This beautiful word. I defined it this way. The unchanging encouraging Bible.
If your set of beliefs comes from this unchanging encouraging Bible, you know, that you have sound Doctrine, you have something in your heart, that is good for your soul. So, in summary, More Bible. Come to church for the Bible at home. Grab a Bible parents Doctrine at your children with a Bible. Indoctrinate yourself with the Bible, come to your pastors and your congregation to get more Bibles because sound Doctrine is unchanging. It's so encouraging for Arsenal. Simple.
It's not so simple. Some of you know that in a couple weeks my family and I are going on a camping trip. Most people who have heard about it are convinced we won't make it past the first night because it's because we've never canceled, we're going to try. So I've been researching for months. I'm, you know, getting all the gear trying to survive the Bears and the books and all the things that happen when you're camping. So, I'm a research addict, I've been to all the websites and all the key here, all the prices, all the blogs, all the stuff that I want, and I was looking, and looking and looking. And looking into one day, I find this
Good deals on camping stuff. But the really nice REI sleeping bag that I wanted to get. I found it not for like twenty percent off or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 but 70% off the price and I click add to cart. I think the information as fast as I can before someone else buys it booms. 70% off the best sleeping bag that I couldn't wait to get. I'm looking at this website and that's how I do that. Check this out, the camping mats in the camping stove and all the camping gear I wanted to get like crazy clearance prices. So I'm clicking add to cart, add to cart that the car Click, click, click, click and insert my credit card information for the second time. When My wife says, you will hold up.
I look over from my laptop, she's on the couch with her phone. It's just the look on her face which makes me think something is very wrong. And she's just, I don't know if this website is real. And I look back. This time I'm watching closely. And I know is, oh yeah, then we'll go there. It's a little bit out of place.
Scroll down to the bottom of the website. I said to see some grammar errors and English words that are spelled wrong, but a couple days later, an email comes to my inbox, thank you for your order, like the word order was spelled wrong, just butchered English. And then there's a big link and it just says, click this link. It's an amazing time. As you can. Sixteen separate charges from Singapore on my car. So I had to call the bank and I got to cancel the card. Figure it on my bills, that are Auto paid to that car, and I get a new credit card, how to reset up all the auto pays. And I will tell you what, To this day, my friends. The poor have not sent me that sleeping bag.
What happened?
I know I got scared. How did I get? I mean, I know about fake websites. I know that these things happen, I have to take training at work to make sure. I don't click on links and give information to fraudulent people. How does that happen to me? The answer is very simple and it's actually very spiritual. The simple answer is. They offered me something I really wanted. So I stopped watching
I could have seen the red flags but I saw that sleeping bag. It's such a creep. I wanted it so much I wanted the good thing at a cheaper price. I didn't want it to cost me as much and when someone offered me something I wanted that much. I stopped watching. And I started believing a doctrine that wasn't true.
That is a huge Parable for your spiritual life. Why don't people just believe what's in the Bible? What do they hold onto it firmly, why won't they listen to it?
Why would a false teacher? Because they offer you something that you want.
The Apostle Paul just before he died. He's in prison, he's about to be martyred for the Christian faith. He writes his last letter called second Timothy and in the very last chapter it's of the final words. We have from the Apostle. Paul looks at what he says.
For the time will come, when people will not put up with sound Doctrine. Ted. Don't miss this. To suit their own desires. They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. You had an itch before that, I'm gonna scratch it. Paul says, here that the difficulty of the Bible of sound Doctrine is that our ears are itching for something that we want.
Explain that you're something that quote suits their own desires and apparently that itch is so strong and apparently people's desire to be like is so strong. That Paul says, quote there will be a great number of teachers who will say exactly that Their websites, their books, their podcast their Tik toks and their shows will try to offer you a god, a Jesus, a Christianity at 70% off. Won't cost you as much. It won't be as difficult.
The other day, all these things that we say in modern American culture, am I right? Or am I not at the very heart of, it is just a doctrine that suits your desires.
The Bible is so clear that God is God that he knows best that his word is truth. Jesus called everyone to repent and to follow him and yet. What do we hear in our culture every single day?
And we hear stuff like my truth.
Or for your truth.
But Jesus talked to ton about truth, he said, but the truth the truth, God's truth, his truth will set you free. So what really is my truth or your truth is what it is. It says that whatever I desire, whatever you desire we can follow. It's because the thing to be followed is within us and not outside of us in the book.
People say things like be you. Be true to yourself. Follow Your Heart Live authentically. Don't repress. Your any desires. What is that?
But the Bible says constantly be something be like, Jesus, be a disciple. Do you follow were be Godly. Be biblical, be holy? The Bible says, Where do we get you be you?
He can be you. I guess you can follow your own desires.
For this phrase. We use it all the time. Who am I to judge? Who are you to judge? Did Jesus say you people shouldn't judge? Which fires me up to be honest. Because it's the most hypocritical thing. Anyone can say everyone is judging all the time. If you think racist and child abusers are bad, you're a judgmental person and that's good. So why do we throw out these walls? Who are you to judge? You shouldn't judge who basically says, well, I'm following my own desires. Don't you dare say a word about it? For you to impose something on me because I'm living my truth and following my heart.
How about this one to happen to the church all the time? Well, I'm right, it's true. That's what the Bible says. The Bible also says, in First Corinthians 13 that you might be 100% rights. You might be able to prove it with a chapter in a verse, but if you're not a loving person, You know, if you're right about that lifestyle or that issue or whatever, but you're not kind or patient or gentle. If you're easily angered and selfish, won't if God does not care. If you're right, Because if you're righteous so why do people, especially Conservative Christian people repeat this false Doctrine to ourselves? Well it's true.
It's more convenient. If I don't have to be nice to you, if I can put you on blast, if I can degrade you and write some snarky thing in the comments and not. Listen, and not learn, not try to persuade another group of people. And Paul wrote these words two thousand years ago but they are. So relevant people will not put up with sound Doctrine; instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them. A great number of teachers just to say whether itching ears, friends, don't make my mistake,
Don't click that link. There are many people out there who will say exactly what you want them to say, they will try to make religion not about God. What about you? They try to make the church not about God but about you; they'll try to make the Bible not about Jesus, but about you. But here's the thing, it's not about you. When you walked into church today, our Usher's didn't take a survey to see what you wanted to hear. The job is not to conform Jesus into your image, job is to conform you into Jesus' image. In the Bible is the cookie cutter that shakes, the do. The cookie cutters are made of you to reshape the Bible. Here's why that's such an important thing. If it's all about you, at the end of the day, All you got, is you.
With all your heart. Not let anyone judge you. And when you fall asleep and I guess what, it's just you
But if you have a religion of Faith, it's not about you. But it's about God, his kingdom, his name and his will, then there is a God who can help you, a God, who will forgive you a God, who will save you. I pray that you believe the thing, your soul was created for sound Doctrine doctrine that comes out of this book because if you have it, you have Jesus. You have a Jesus who loved you when you didn't deserve it. Give a Jesus, who shed his blood for you, for the Forgiveness of all of your sins. You have a God who doesn't say that good people go to heaven, but he will believe in God, son, go to heaven. If you assure yourself that you're going to conquer death, you can know that God's face is smiling upon you. If you haven't invented this, you have to guess or wonder, you can fall asleep with the peace and joy of the scriptures because it's not about you. It's what Jesus and his word is: truth.
My friends, all of us have Doctrine
Something I pray that your something comes from the source for the book that challenges me and challenges you. A book that tells me to change certain things about my life, just like it says to yours, but at the end of every day like a good father, sound Doctrine will discipline us and then save us. It will help us and Them Comfort us and I pray that you resist the edge. You don't follow your heart. You don't live your truth. Instead, you come to Jesus to find the truth that will set you free.
At the Seminary that I attended many years ago, At the chapel where future pastors worship every single day. There's a big Sign in the creek language above the doors of the chapel. So you pick the three Greek words. If that's Greek to you sorry I was bad. I deserve better than that. Let me translate. Okay, Rick sits up. The quote from Jesus Mark chapter 16. It just means preach his word using ancient kingdoms. The Herald, he would go to the throne of the king where word was spoken with authority. He would listen, hold tightly to it and relay it to the citizens of the Kingdom to preach not to share an opinion of thought or a feeling. It was to say something with authority. It wasn't. Here's what I think. What do you think it was this preaching down to people. What's true? Two hearts that are often not. The Bible says, the pastors like me to preach. I'm not here just to teach, or to suggest I'm here to preach to you. You are an authoritative word and I pray that it changes you. Preach, what? It's my favorite part. Karissa Tha Owen. Gillian means preach. The gospel. The good news about Jesus. The Jesus, Who Loved people, who are struggling the Jesus, who met parents, who were scared for their children? The Jesus who saw people that had made mistakes, what did he do? He preached the goodness of forgiveness.
Here we sent the prostitutes and tax collectors. Broken people, people who talk too much. Tight wound Pharisees, he preaches. Good news. He called them to repentance and he gave them the full forgiveness of sins. When you and I get together in the space, my job is to spend all week holding so tightly that I can preach to you from the Throne of the king, the goodness of the gospel God said to me, Mike, get Doctrine into their hearts. Indoctrinate them. Preach to them. Give him Jesus, give him doctrine.
And my prayer is that today I just did. My prayer is that we always do that's right. I'll be a father. Most of the problems that we walked into church with today are because of a bad Doctrine. On who you are. Are we forgotten how much, you know, how powerful you are and how much love there is in your heart. And so, I pray. This moment in these very words, God, that you waited for the doctrine of people. For those who are scared, remind them of your power, for those who are embarrassed and ashamed, remind them of your grace. For those who are too controlling, remind them of your plans, for those who feel overwhelmed, remind them that they don't have to be God, they can be still and know that you are. I pray to God for thick skin. I pray that our church would never be driven by the approval of man. I pray that our pastors would never look at the latest survey of our neighborhood and change. What is meant to be unchanged. Gotta encourage pastors, and for all people to hold on, to the unchanging truth of your word. Especially today for the young people among us who are looking to find their place, God, it is so difficult to cling to sound Doctrine. Give him courage. I pray for parents to not be naive and to think that they don't need to indoctrinate their own children. God, they're going to be indoctrinated by something. Let it be your son. I pray that all of us could walk out of here today with a renewed fervor to grab the Bible. Read it, study it, understand it and hold firmly to. If we do father, will hear your voice and will be encouraged by your love. We pray for all these things. Knowing this doctor. If we call upon you in the name of Jesus, you will listen and respond to every prayer to his name and all God's people said Amen
