The Church as Pillar and Buttress of the Truth

Holy Father, we come before You asking that You continue in the mercy with which You began. We trust that You who begin good works in Your people never fail to complete them. You are a faithful and good Father. You gave us to Your Son, and He will not fail to raise even one of us on the last day. Please seal our hearts, Lord, and lead us to the courts above.

And God, we pray that even now, as part of that sealing, as part of Your holding fast to us, You’ll grant us understanding through Your Word. We open our Bibles, Lord, because we want to hear from You, to read Your words. We want them to confront us while we’re still alive and kicking. We need to be cleansed and healed by the scalpel of Your Word. Some arrive full of life and vigor; others are beaten and burdened. Apart from Your grace, we would leave unchanged today. We need a word from You. Illuminate Your Scriptures to us. Help us see them, know them, believe them, and obey them. It’s Your will for Your Spirit to use Your Word to transform us into the likeness of Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Could I have a cup of water, please? Unfortunately, a month on, I’m still under the weather. The congestion hasn’t let up.

I do want to remind you: here’s our beloved bowl, which I didn’t forget this time. As we move into our time of study, I’m going to pass it around. We’re sojourners, after all, you know? Sojourners are just passing through. They don’t hold on to the dirt beneath their feet—or to their possessions, their money. It’s all fleeting because they believe that real life awaits in the next life. That’s their home, their land, their place. And so we aim to be recognized as a generous church. You have an opportunity to contribute in person here or through the QR code on your bulletin. We also accept online donations to help advance Christ’s kingdom. Peggy, if you don’t mind passing that around.

We began a new sermon series two weeks ago by asking: What makes a good church? Many elements contribute to a church, but which are most crucial? What sets a church apart as good or bad, healthy or sick? Two weeks ago, I argued that expository preaching—where the main point of the passage is also the main point of the sermon—is a characteristic of a good church. Today, we’re discussing another trait: sound doctrine. A good church is marked by it. So please turn to 1 Timothy chapter 3.

As you turn there, I’ll share something I’ve learned from history. In 1960, the U.S. population was about 179 million. It has since risen to around 335 million—a nearly 86 percent increase. Meanwhile, Methodist church membership fell from approximately 11 million to 6.5 million; Presbyterians from 3 million to 1.2 million; Episcopalians from 3 million to 1.6 million; and Lutherans from 5.3 million to 3.3 million. What’s going on with these churches? While the U.S. population has almost doubled, many Protestant denominations have seen their memberships cut in half.

Take the United Methodist Church, for instance. That denomination began first and foremost as a movement called Methodism. John and Charles Wesley—you might know them by name—started it, emphasizing holy living, with particular stress on that moment of personal salvation. They placed great emphasis on active faith, grounding it in their firm belief that the Scriptures are authoritative and trustworthy. It was promising at first, but sadly, as they moved into the twentieth century, infiltrating wolves threatened to destroy what they had built.

Their academies and seminaries began to doubt the reliability of the Scriptures. They questioned the plausibility of miracles. “Come on, guys,” they’d say in seminaries, “is Jonah’s whale literal? Isn’t it metaphorical?” Soon they applied that same logic to the resurrection and the virgin birth. With their contemporary skepticism came progressive changes in gender roles within homes and churches, along with increased inclusivity for same-sex couples and a desire to be more welcoming toward nontraditional church attendees. Friends, as they say, the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.

All of this culminated at the 1988 General Conference, a turning point for the Methodist Church. Debates over the ordination of women as preachers and the acceptance of members of the LGBT community were fierce at that conference. That debate has continued ever since in the denomination, with the biblical and orthodox view losing more ground with each passing year. It came to a head just a few years ago, when the denomination reached a tipping point and suffered a catastrophic schism. The majority of U.S.-based United Methodists argued that practicing members of the LGBT community could serve as pastors and leaders, while global Methodists insisted they could not, leading to the formation of the Global Methodist Church.

Now, all of that is quite tragic. What started as a vibrant and meaningful movement of God—as reflected in His will for His church through His Word—has become dull and dying. Now it even mirrors the culture and morality of the people Methodists once sought to save. This shift is all about doctrine. With eleven million Methodists in 1960 dwindling to six million today, something crucial happened: they failed to adhere steadfastly to sound doctrine, beloved. The same can be said for the PCUSA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Church, and many other Protestant denominations that have largely released their grip on biblical truth. And God help us lest we fall into the same trap.

Brothers and sisters, a good church believes everything God says and obeys His commands. This includes adhering to the teachings and doctrines outlined in Scripture. It’s not rocket science, right? A good church holds fast to sound doctrine. I’ll do my best to demonstrate that for you today from 1 Timothy chapter 3:

“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things so that if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the Living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

We learn quite a bit about Ephesus throughout the Bible. We read about the affection between Paul and the Ephesians in Acts chapters 19 and 20 and, of course, in the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesian church—the Letter to the Ephesians. Above all else, these biblical accounts make one thing clear: Paul loved this church deeply, and they reciprocated that love. He stayed with them for three years, longer than he spent anywhere else during his missionary journeys. Ephesus held a special place in his heart.

Loving the Ephesians as he did, Paul left behind one of his most trusted companions, Timothy, to strengthen and guide the church. Furthermore, he penned 1 Timothy as a kind of manual on how to lead a church. What on earth should a church be doing? How should it handle its operations? Paul left nothing to chance. He wanted the church at Ephesus to know what was best for them and how they should behave as God’s household, just as we read in verses 14 and 15. He’s essentially saying, “Timothy, I’d like to be there with you, but if I can’t make it, this letter will suffice. It tells you how to conduct yourselves as the household of God.”

This is really important, beloved, so don’t let the significance of these words pass you by. We don’t need to scrutinize every stone or dive into every church manual at Barnes & Noble. The Bible suffices. There’s a proper way to behave in God’s household, and we can learn it by studying His Word. Thus, there’s an expectation that we’ll embody that behavior. When we act, believe, and become as verse 15 instructs, the Church of the Living God serves as a pillar and buttress of the truth. It’s fundamentally, intrinsically what the church is. This is what a church is supposed to do. Our function, our purpose, is to uphold and support the truth.

A pillar holds things up. It displays, elevates, and supports vertically. Take this podium—I had planned to use our pulpit as an example, but maybe this music stand isn’t quite a pillar. Still, you can imagine that this rod functions as a pillar for the stand. Right now it’s elevating my sermon and my Bible. It’s holding them up and, at least from where I stand, putting them on display. That’s how a pillar functions: it holds things up, elevates them, puts them on display.

But if we took this podium and propped it under the doorknob on the front door, it would function as a buttress. A buttress works horizontally, preventing structures from collapsing by supporting their weight and bolstering them against external pressures. And the church, my friends, is to be and do both: pillar the truth by lifting it high and putting it on display, and buttress the truth by supporting and defending it against all manner of external threats—heresies, ideologies, traditions. To refuse to do so would make the truth invisible. You wouldn’t be able to see it. It wouldn’t be prominently displayed for everyone to see. You couldn’t behold its glory because it hadn’t been properly supported by appropriate beliefs. Instead, it would lie hidden beneath the debris of countless incorrect ideologies and traditions. You couldn’t see the truth.

And the truth, at least in the context of 1 Timothy chapter 3, is sound doctrine. Look with me at verse 16: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness.” I love that word “confess.” This is the early church’s confession of faith, line by line. Think about it: “He was manifested in the flesh.” That’s the doctrine of the Incarnation. Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, became truly human. He wrapped Himself in flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary, being both God and man.

“Vindicated by the Spirit.” That’s the doctrine of the Resurrection. The Spirit of God proved Jesus to be the Christ when He raised Him from the dead, never to die again. Death can’t hold the God-man, and Jesus, of course, was no sinner. It has all been proven, vindicated, validated.

“Seen by angels.” This speaks to Christ’s supremacy over all things seen and unseen. His story isn’t merely declared on earth; heaven itself testifies to the Son’s glory. The angels served Him in the wilderness. They announced His resurrection at the tomb, and they said He would return just as He left, through the clouds. As Hebrews 1:6 tells us, all of God’s angels worship Him. Jesus isn’t merely a teacher or a prophet. He is Lord over all visible and invisible things.

“Proclaimed among the nations.” This shows the gospel’s universal reach, intended for both Jews and Gentiles. It’s for everyone. Here’s what makes this message incredible: its inclusivity knows no bounds! It’s for males, but not just them; it’s for females too. It doesn’t discriminate based on social status. Everyone is invited, whether slave or free. And geography? No matter how near or far you are, the invitation holds firm. It’s for me—yes, you heard right—and for every single soul ready to call upon the Lord’s name. This truth is meant to be shouted from the mountaintops! Share it everywhere. Every nation deserves to hear this message; let no tongue remain untouched by its declaration.

What about “believed on in the world”? Well, that’s the doctrine of salvation by faith. These are truths to be believed. Sinners are not only to hear the gospel; by the grace of God, they are to trust in it. We are justified by faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Christianity isn’t about earning our way to heaven through our own merits. We believe that Christ has done the work and earned our place there.

The phrase “taken up in glory” refers to Christ’s ascension and exaltation. He was given a name above all others and now sits at His Father’s right hand as the one true sovereign over creation. His work is complete, and thus He sits on His throne, with every authority and power subject to Him. Every knee bows, and every tongue confesses that He is Lord, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, reigning forevermore.

Guys, this is why we are here. This is why the church exists, fundamentally. We are here to uphold truths and doctrines. A crucial part of being a good church is sticking to sound doctrine, which I believe you and I both aspire to do. How do we keep a firm grasp on sound doctrine and avoid loosening our hold? After all, no church has ever woken up and said, “You know what? Today’s the day we dabble in some heresy.” No one does that. So what caused these churches to lose their grip on the truth? And how can we avoid doing the same?

Well, the answer—or at least a significant part of it—is that you have to be very careful about whom you appoint as a leader over you. If your church values healthy doctrine, you must choose your pastor carefully. It’s right there in the text. Let me show you.

There is a relationship between biblical doctrine and a biblical pastor. First, this whole discussion of how to behave in God’s household and support the truth follows Paul’s discussion of leaders: who should lead and what their qualifications are. Look at chapter 3, verse 1: “If anyone desires the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” Here, overseers are pastors. They oversee the flock. Beginning in verse 8, “Deacons are to be dignified, not double-tongued, not inclined to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.” Deacons assist pastors in caring for specific needs within the church, such as managing finances or helping widows. Paul’s discussion of deacons closes in verse 13 and leads directly into his purpose statement in verse 14. There is a relationship between choosing your leaders and how well your church upholds the truth.

This becomes even clearer when we look at the word “household” in verse 15. In Greek, it’s oikos, meaning “house.” You’ll find this term in various forms throughout the Pastoral Letters, including oikonomia, “stewardship”; oikonomos, “steward”; and oikos itself, all connected to the health of the church’s doctrine. Let me share a few examples.

First, there’s 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 3: “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so you can stop certain people from teaching things contrary to what I’ve taught you. Don’t fall for myths and genealogies instead of the real thing—sound doctrine from God.” Paul warns Timothy that these people may want to seem as if they know it all, but their ideas are just empty speech.

The link between stewardship and sound doctrine is crystal clear in Titus. In fact, let me give you some time to find it. We’ll flip to Titus together. It’s just a couple of books after 1 Timothy. You’ll see 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and then Paul’s letter to Titus. Titus chapter 1. Listen to this. I’ll read verse 5: “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” When he says “elders,” he’s referring to pastors. These terms are used interchangeably throughout the New Testament.

Pastors may also be called elders. Then, in verse 7, Paul outlines the qualities required of an overseer, another term for a pastor or elder: “For an overseer must be above reproach.” He is “God’s steward,” emphasizing his role as a household manager. This steward must hold firm to the trustworthy teaching so that he can instruct in sound doctrine and address those who contradict it, as verse 9 says. Stewards are responsible for the doctrinal health of their households, and they are answerable for their diligence.

You know, in Luke chapter 12, Jesus tells an interesting parable about His second coming. He instructs the apostles to stay ready for action at a moment’s notice; the master might return at any time. But if the servants fall asleep and a thief breaks in to steal from the master, it won’t go well for them. In Luke 12, Jesus calls that wise and faithful manager “blessed” if he is found faithful. But if that steward neglects his duties or mistreats others, the master will punish him severely. Perhaps that’s why James warns against many becoming teachers: they will face stricter judgment.

Beloved, here’s my point: if we want a healthy household, we need to appoint our household managers carefully. As you know, I’m one of your pastors. It might sound strange right now, but this ultimately is our church. It’s God’s church, and we’re not trying to be healthy for just the next couple of years—we’re aiming for the next two hundred! We’re preparing the church for generations to come. How long will I be pastor of Sojourn Church? Who knows? That’s up to the Lord. But when the time comes to choose leaders, my prayer is that this congregation will do so with great wisdom and careful thought, understanding that it’s a key way to protect our doctrine.

I know this seems obvious, but churches get it wrong every single day. In fact, that was the start of it all for the Methodist Church. Wolves slipped into their seminaries. They began denying the inerrancy of Scripture, miracles, and ultimately even the resurrection. That trickled down into their churches. The quality of pastors declined. Fast-forward to the 2000s, and churches openly appoint gay men and women as stewards and pastors.

Frankly, Surrey County’s churches today face a similar issue: leadership declines. I don’t think it’s usually the gifted brother with exemplary character described in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus 1 who manages the house. So who is managing the house? “The deacons are, aren’t they?” Perhaps it’s some influential figure in the church, someone from a long-established family with significant clout, who disregards Paul’s teachings. They aren’t acting as they should in God’s household, and thus they’re failing to support and uphold the truth, which is what the church is meant to do. They barely declare or even acknowledge the truth. Half the time, they don’t know it themselves.

If, to our shame, we were to survey the churches in Surrey County to gauge their doctrinal literacy, what do you suppose we’d find? What would their views be on key doctrines like the Incarnation, the Resurrection, Christ’s atonement or ascension, biblical inerrancy, the nature of God, or the church’s role? From my encounters, I can report that they often label Calvinism—which is essentially a doctrine of salvation—as taboo. Moreover, they tend to confuse ecclesiology, the study of the church, with Calvinism itself. It’s all upside down. They don’t know up from down. And why? Because for too many years, too many seasons, beloved, they’ve had the wrong people acting as household managers.

Let me be clear as we move toward closing: these churches ultimately aren’t victims. Churches choose their leaders. At the end of the day, a church’s leader reflects a church’s heart. Here’s a sobering passage in 2 Timothy chapter 4. Listen carefully: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching.” They’ll reject solid doctrine that aligns with the truth. Instead, they’ll surround themselves with teachers who cater to their desires, turning away from genuine truth and wandering into myths. There’s a kind of snowball effect here. Healthy households maintain their health by choosing responsible managers, but negligent managers lead to decay, creating a vicious cycle.

Friends, we must protect the teachings of our church. It’s inherent to who we are. It’s part of our very purpose. The church is a pillar and buttress of the truth. We lift up the great truths of the Bible, and we fight off the false doctrines that would taint the pristine message of the gospel. But no church will do that well, or for very long, if it isn’t careful about whom it appoints to manage the house. If we aren’t vigilant, our spiritual health can decline. Instead of upholding biblical truths, we may find ourselves supporting trivial traditions and worldly ideologies.

Turn your attention back to 1 Timothy 3 for just one moment, and look with me at verse 16. Perhaps you already knew this, but verse 16 is one of the earliest Christian songs on record, with a very structured meter. There are six parallel statements. Each has the same structure—a verb followed by a preposition followed by a noun—and every verb seems to rhyme. It’s beautiful, melodic, and poetic. Guys, this was the note that rang forth from the early church. It was their song, sung with gladness and hearts full of doctrine. That first church believed in baptism and devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching, according to Acts 2:42.

So let’s carefully pillar and protect the truth. Let’s guard our church’s doctrine, or we risk exchanging it for myths or vain discussions about laws and traditions. Here’s how fast it can happen: in a single generation. Before you know it, the note that rings loudest from your church won’t be the precious doctrines of 1 Timothy 3:16. Instead, it’ll be excitement over the KJV Bible, with the claim that anyone who disagrees isn’t really reading the Bible. If we’re not careful, our churches might echo with Charismania, fixating on speaking in tongues, or with political discussions about “hell in a handbasket” and Gog and Magog. Some prioritize traditions over doctrines, getting excited for cantatas but tuning out the gospel. They’ll defend those traditions tooth and nail.

I want people to think of our church as it says in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. I want them to dwell on the pure, sweet song of the gospel. I desire our loudest note to be the message of Christ’s coming, living, dying, and rising. I long for us to be known for our love of God’s doctrines and His church. In other words, I aspire for our church to be healthy, believing all that God reveals and obeying His commands. I envision a church that upholds truth, holding fast to sound doctrine.

Would you pray with me?

Father in heaven, we thank You, Lord, for the great task and great privilege of serving You as a pillar and buttress of truth. Lord Jesus, You have given us great and precious promises and truths. You have saved sinners, offering salvation to anyone who would repent. You came as God and man, born of a virgin. You rose from the dead on the third day. You live and reign. You still reign supreme in the heavens. Lord, You’ll return again.

These are truths that resonate deeply within us. Lord, we cherish them; they ignite our mornings. But oh God, please help us not to stray tomorrow, exchanging our hearts’ devotion to divine doctrines for worldly traditions. We know that we’re not special, nor is there anything good in us that would keep us from falling away. So please grant us supernatural strength to hold fast to the right biblical teachings and not deviate even a little. We want to honor You and spread Your gospel, but today I pray for those who might be tempted by other doctrines. Help us stand firm on what You’ve taught us in Scripture. Lord, it can be tempting to think differently or seek new things, but I pray that Your Holy Spirit guides us according to Your Word.

We’re thankful, as Pastor Ethan prayed, that God won’t leave us or forsake us. Let’s rest in that promise and respond by singing “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery.”