Dear Timothy

Weekly Update – January 20th, 2022

After two years, we are going to pick back up in our study through 1^st and 2^nd Timothy.  As we do, what we will once again see is that there is a foundational truth that we must be crystal clear on.  That truth is the gospel message. The problem that the apostle Paul is addressing as he writes to his “child in the faith” (1:2) is that a distraction away from truth, leads to a replacement of the truth with something that is false.  There are many topics addressed throughout the two letters from Paul to Timothy, all dealing with the structure and order of the church, but at the core of these topics is the preservation of the gospel truth.   

Within the Ephesian church were a group of leaders teaching “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4).  Now on the surface, this may not seem as serious as some other issues Paul addresses with other churches in the New Testament, until you connect 1 Timothy 1:4 with 1:3.  Not only was there a devotion to “myths and endless genealogies” but there were “certain persons” teaching “different doctrine” (1:3).  So then what is the connection?  Are these two separate issues?  I don’t think that they are.  I believe that it was the devotion to “myths and endless genealogies” that led to these “certain persons” teaching “different doctrine.”  Plus, in the apostle Paul’s warning to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he warns that among them “will arise men speaking twisted things” (Acts 20:30).  What this means is that even though these “myths and endless genealogies” may not have blatantly contradicted the gospel, it distracted the church away from the truth which opened them up to a “different doctrine.”

Perhaps you are thinking, we are not prone to “myths and genealogies” so what is the point?  Does what Paul says to Timothy have any bearing on us?  In short, yes!  The issue is not “myths and genealogies” but ideas that distract.  For example, several years ago, how many churches jumped on the bandwagon of the end-time series “Left Behind?”  How about the emphasis that other churches place on speaking in tongues.  It doesn’t have to be another teaching though.  It could be an overemphasis on a building project or an obsession with a certain ministry.  Anything within the church that places an emphasis on something other than the truth of the gospel, would fit the bill of what Paul is aiming at with Timothy.  The result then, is that truth may then only be assumed instead of emphasized leaving the church susceptible to a “different doctrine” rising up. 

Therefore our goal at First Baptist Church is to focus on and be absolutely clear with this gospel message.  We want to always be proclaiming the good news about who Jesus is, what He came to do and why we so desperately need Him.  The gospel that we proclaim says that God is infinitely holy, man is utterly sinful and in his atoning death, Jesus was perfectly righteous.  Therefore, we as sinful men and women need what Jesus did through his righteous life and his atoning death to be applied to us.  This comes through repentance of sin and faith in Christ alone.  Our desire is that this message would clearly permeate through every service and every ministry of our church.  

The church is to be “a pillar and buttress of the truth” (3:15).  This will entail a proper confession of who we believe Jesus Christ is, as told to us by the Scriptures, as well as a proper display of how our lives have been impacted by this truth.  In fact, this is the mission statement of our church.  We exist to speak out and to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Why is this our mission?  So that ultimately, we might fulfill our vision of seeing our families, our community and world transformed by the power of God.

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11

Announcements:

Leading Worship: This Sunday, we will have Moses Kuthyola leading worship for us. Moses and his wife Adrianna serve as members at Mission Road Bible Church in Prairie Village, KS. Moses is currently a student at Spurgeon College.

Funeral Services: Barbara Robinett passed away last Saturday afternoon. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00am on Wednesday, January 26th. The Funeral will follow at 11:00am. Both services will be held at First Baptist Church.

Ladies Bible Study: Ladies, join us for a Bible study through the book of Exodus starting on Tuesday, February 15th at 6:30pm. The study will be a video based study led by Sheryl Nelson. There is a sign up sheet in the hallway, or sign up by contacting the church office. You can learn more about this 10 week Bible Study HERE

Help Box: In the welcome center there is a new “Help Box” located on the right counter, under the book store. This box is designed to provide you with a form of communication if there is anything physical or practical that you might need help with. The box will be checked on a fairly regular basis and help will be organized as needed. There are communication cards on the side of the box.

First Wednesday Prayer: Join us on the first Wednesday of every month 7:00-8:00pm in the sanctuary for an hour of prayer. On these evenings, we will have a mixture of structured and less structured times of prayer as we seek the Lord to move for our sake, the sake of our church, as well as the sake of our community and world.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering: Thank you for giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Your gift allows us to further partner with others in spreading the gospel all over the world through missionaries sent with the International Mission Board (IMB). If you would still like to give, you can do so online HERE. Choose “missions” under the Fund tab. You can find more information about this offering HERE.

Awana

Every Sunday at 5:45pm, children ages 3 years to 6th grade are invited to join us for Awana.

Bible Study

Join us in the Sanctuary at 9:15am on Sunday mornings for a study in the Spiritual Disciplines. A women’s Bible Study meets at the same time at then end of the hall near the nursery.

Beginning January 23rd, join us on Sunday evenings at 6:00pm for a 6 week study through the Explicit Gospel. Books will be available in the Welcome Center and are $10 each. We will meet in the sanctuary. You can find an introduction to this study HERE.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE. 

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE.