Sermon or Lesson:  1 Timothy 1:6 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Meaningless Talk Or Babble From Doctrine That Is False

INTRO:  Perhaps this has happened to you while shopping at a busy big store.  You come up to the checkout lines and get into a line that looks like it is the shortest and will be the quickest to get to the checkout counter.  After standing there for 5 minutes, you jump to a different line that is progressing faster than the line you have been in.  But after waiting another 10 minutes there, you see that the first line you were previously in progressed way faster than the second line you are in now.  What looked better actually turned out to be far worse for you.
     People in churches and ministries do the same kind of action in regard to following doctrines that look like they will improve one's spirituality but in actually turn out to make one's spiritual situation far worse.
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READ:  1 Timothy 1:6, with verses 3-5 for context

BACKGROUND:
- - In the beginning of 1 Timothy, Paul is again urging Timothy to confront the teaching of false doctrines and myths in his ministry in Ephesus.  (v.3)
- - Those persons teaching false doctrines or myths are to be commanded to immediately stop their false teaching activities.  (v.3)
- - In the confronting of these persons who teach false doctrine, the goal is to establish in each person's life a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith, and resulting love, which will help to move the person away from false doctrine and into sound doctrine.  (v.5)
- - Therefore, a main underlying reason why people fall into teaching false doctrine is that their spiritual heart is not right with God.
- - In the confronting of persons who teach false doctrine, it is important to understand other dynamics of what is going on, what choices they make and steps they take to get to the point where they follow, teach, and promote false doctrines and myths.

v.6 - READ

[Lesson Question:  What does God say is in reality happening when church people follow false doctrine and myth?]

SECTION POINT:  Church people who follow false doctrine and myth have wandered away from a life right with God.

"Some have wandered away from these"
- - In our Christian churches and ministries, there are some people who have "wandered away" from sound doctrines of the faith to instead pursue false doctrines and myths.  (vv.6,3-4)
- - In their "wandering away" from sound doctrines, they thereby now "miss the mark, and deviate from truth".  (Strong's #0795)
- - In actuality, they have wandered away from keeping their faith and their life right with God, no longer sufficiently maintaining or possessing the four spiritual qualities listed in verse 5 of "a pure heart", "a good conscience", "a sincere faith", and "love".
- - Even though these persons may disagree with this contention, the fact is God says they have shifted their "devotion" (v.4) and their pursuits away from proper godliness (v.5) and onto agreeing with, believing, teaching, and promoting falseness, incorrectness, or error in Bible doctrine (vv.3-4).  (cf. v.16 in Titus 1:9-16)
- - There may be some of you who do not like this message, but this is what God is saying here, so don't shoot the messenger if you don't like this message.
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[Lesson Question:  Analyze and determine what God is saying in this passage about the value and influence of false doctrines and myths.]

SECTION POINT:  The content of false doctrines and myths has no righteous value and instead has inherent destructiveness.

"and turned to meaningless talk"
- - God further states here that teaching and promoting and defending false doctrines and myths is "meaningless talk", "empty talking, random talk, babble" (Strong's #3150), which includes "fruitless discussion" (NAS), "vain arguments, discussions, and purposeless talk" (AMP).
- - The talking they do for their false doctrines and myths contributes nothing useful or correct to any discussion of Bible doctrines and furthermore supplies incorrect and erroneous information, which fuels controversies that are distracting and destructive to ministries.  (v.4)
- - They have deviated from what God wants, "turning to", "turning aside, deflecting to" that which is devoid of meaning, content, and truth.  (Strong's #1624)

- - In essence, those who teach false doctrines trade or exchange maintaining the disciplines of the faith that require consistent work, to instead sit around and indulge in effortless idle chatter.
- - Thus some of them have become lazy in their faith and are looking for a shortcut or easy way to keep their life right with God.  (cf. v.12 in Titus 1:9-16)
- - But they are seriously in error though, because there are no acceptable shortcuts to keeping one's life right with God - the four spiritual qualities listed in verse 5 take sustained effort, dedication, self-initiating, and self-discipline.
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[Lesson Question:  What is God's position regarding "meaningless talk" and what ramifications does that position exert on people in churches and ministries?]

SECTION POINT:  God clearly opposes His people uttering meaningless talk or babble.

- - Other people turn aside to promoting false doctrines and myths because they are convinced that what they are promoting is authentic, correct, and godly, even though God clearly states here that He considers their false doctrines and myths to be babble, "meaningless talk".
- - Certainly this "meaningless talk" and babble includes not only speaking falsely or mythically, but also includes speaking unintelligently - vocal utterances that have no meaning, wherein the speaker and the hearers do not know the meaning of the words and sentences the speaker is vocally uttering.
- - This is like a toddler chattering away a monologue of gibberish, and neither the child nor the parent knows or recognizes the words the child is saying.
- - In these verses 3-6, engaging or promoting meaningless talk or babble is a characteristic of some false doctrines and myths, regardless of who it is being spoken to, whether to other people or to God.  (cf. Matthew 6:7)
- - Thereby, in this passage God is rejecting, condemning, forbidding, and commanding to stop all meaningless talk or babble to other people or to God because it is false doctrine and myth.
- - Additionally, from verses 5-6, uttering meaningless talk or babble does not enhance the speaker's spirituality but to the contrary contributes to that person wandering away from or deviating from enhancing spirituality.
- - Again, don't shoot the messenger if you don't like what God's Word is clearly saying here in these verses and in the original Greek definition for "meaningless talk".  (see Strong's #3150)
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BIG IDEA:  People who follow false doctrines and myths turn away from maintaining the disciplines of the faith and turn towards falseness, incorrectness, or error in Bible doctrine that has no validity before God nor any propriety in ministries.

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IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

- - For those of you who support, or teach, or promote meaningless talk or babble, God is herein and hereby commanding you in these verses 3-6 to stop this - right now.
- - For those of you who tend to dismiss, ignore, or minimize sound doctrine and the importance of maintaining the disciplines of the faith as cited in verse 5, God is likewise herein and hereby notifying you that He opposes you in your dismissive actions.
- - Whether you know it or not, you are harming your relationship with God, who opposes you and opposes what you are doing in regard to your false doctrines and myths.
- - And you are opening the door to bring harm and controversies into this ministry.

- - Change your mind, and heed God's command to stop your following and promoting of false doctrines and myths.
- - Turn towards and pursue "a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith", and resulting love.  (v.5)
- - And completely get rid of your false doctrines, myths, meaningless talk, babble, and dismissive actions.
- - "Humbly accept the word [being] planted in you", and turn to sound doctrines that have meaning, truth, and properly align with God's Word.  (James 1:21; 1 Timothy 1:10b-11)
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Works Cited:
Bible. The Comparative Study Bible: A Parallel Bible Presenting New International Version, New American Standard Bible,
     Amplified Bible, King James Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Updated: September 6, 2016