Adult Content: Jesus is Better

Text: 1 Timothy 1:1-11

Summary: Paul instructs Timothy on responding to false teachers/teachings that he and his church will face.  Paul shows us how to identify false teaching, how to respond to it, and what the standard for sound doctrine really is.


1.  Identify some of the false teachers in our world today, both inside and outside of the category of religion.  What are some of the things you've heard? What are some of the lies that are told?  What are ways that the lines are blurred today?


2.  There are 6 characteristics that Paul gives of false teachers and false teachings.
-Devote themselves to myths
-Focus on genealogies
-Promote speculation over God
-Vain discussions
-Don't know what they are talking about
-Incredibly confident about things they don't understand

-Take a moment and consider how Jesus is Better than all of these.  What do these things offer you, and how does that contrast with what Jesus offers?  Which is really better?

-Talk about some things that you've experienced both what culture has to offer and what Jesus has to offer, and you realized that Jesus is better.


3.  The greatest message communicated poorly can oftentimes end with bad results.  We've all seen the Church clash with people/culture/ideas in a poor way.  That tends to always end poorly for the church and it's mission.

a. But how does Jesus respond in the following stories?
-Jesus eats dinner with the tax collectors and hangs out with sinners (Matthew 9:10-13)
-Jesus shows compassion to the prostitute (Luke 7:36-50)
-Jesus challenged the religious people and saved the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)

b. How does Paul tell us to respond in 1 Timothy 1:5?
-With Love, marked by:
i. Pure heart- your motives
ii. Good conscience- earnestly believing that Jesus is better
iii. Sincere Faith- not being a hypocrite about what you're sharing with them


4.  Right or Wrong?  Good or Bad?  True or False?  Acceptable or Unacceptable?  Beautiful or Ugly? How do you determine these things?  We're not talking about superficial, secondary decision in life.  We're talking about the fundamentals, the foundation of life, the standard in which you base your life! Where do you find sound doctrine for these things?  Read 1 Timothy 1:10-11.  Paul says start with Scripture.  That's the foundation.

-What are other areas that people gravitate towards when it comes to determining ethics and morals?  Examples: What feels right.  What I think is right.  What is right for me may not necessarily be right for you.  What do you think is right?

-Paul says the right question to ask is not "What do you think/feel is right?"  Instead, ask "What did Jesus say about it?"  and  "What does Scripture say about it?"  Let those be your foundation.