Hungry for the Truth

(1 Timothy 4:4-6 – Hungry for the Truth)

How important is it to teach the word of Christ? Yes, I know. What a stupid question.

But there are many people teaching things in the name of Jesus Christ that are simply false. And as a result the people in their congregations are starving and hungry for the truth because they are not being fed.

This scripture also makes this same point. It tells us that it is critical that those who are teachers need to teach the truth of the gospel and so feed the people of God the good food of the truth. They have a responsibility to ensure the people of God are not hungry for the truth.

Hungry for the Truth

The scripture I am looking at today is one of many in the Bible that tells the preachers and teachers of the Church of the need to feed the people of God so that they are not hungry for the truth. This is what it says.

4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you put these instructions before the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:4-6)

The first verse speaks about physical foods and that everything created by God is good. But as it goes on, we see the spiritual perspective to this teaching.

The final verse says that a good minister of the Christ Jesus will and should feed and nourish the flock of the Lord with the good doctrine. This is the work of a good minister of the Lord.

The Lord spoke often about the need to feed the flock the good spiritual food that leads to life. And the people are hungry for the truth today as much as they ever were in years gone by. Consider these verses.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38)

It is the preachers and teacher who are the labourers that the Lord said to pray for. He is the Lord of the harvest, but He needs preachers, teachers, ministers, and pastors to go out and work in His fields to bring the people in and feed them.

The Apostle Peter

Consider also the instruction of the Lord to the Apostle Peter before Jesus left the earth.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)

The Lord instructed Peter to feed His sheep. Peter was basically anointed by the Lord to take point with the disciples and to feed the people the truth of the Gospel after Jesus had gone.

Clearly this had an impact as we see immediately after Peter and the disciples received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, it was Peter who stood up and spoke to the crowds. He became the teacher who explained the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people that day.

Those crowds were hungry for the truth as we saw three thousand people converted to Christianity that day.

And we read in other places how it was Peter to whom Paul came to ensure that the Gospel Paul taught was correct.

Peter was also just acting upon another instruction from the Lord aimed at feeding the people of the Lord to prevent them from being hungry for the truth.

The Great Commission and those hungry for the truth

Some of the last words that Jesus spoke to the disciples as He left the earth and was taken up into heaven, was the Great Commission.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Almost every Church in existence knows these words, but they often make an absolute botch of fulfilling them.

Typically they don’t go any further than the first instruction in the Great Commission, which is to make disciples. But there are three instructions in these words, not just one. They are:

1. Make disciples
2. Baptise them
3. Teach them to observe ALL that Jesus commanded

Most churches do reasonably well at the first point. The second point about baptism varies widely from church to church and some do it OK, but other are dismal or don’t baptise at all.

And with respect to this topic today, the third point is what we are talking about. The need to feed the people of God the good spiritual food that leads to life. In many places this is so badly done that you struggle to find any mention of Jesus in the Church. So the people are starving and hungry for the truth, and sadly they often don’t even realise it.

We all need the truth in our lives, not the half baked or simply false doctrines fed to people in the churches today that have no basis in the Bible and are built on lies handed down from generation to generation.

These lies are institutionalised into the modern church. They are taught as gospel truth in the Bible colleges, universities, and schools. If a preacher does not toe the denominational line, they are expelled and cannot preach in that church.

Likewise, if a person happens to find a grain of truth and try to introduce it into one of these strictly bound and controlled churches, they are shut down, and often asked to leave, or simply ejected.

While the people are hungry for the truth. They are starving for what the Gospel says, and they are not getting it in many of the modern churches.

And what the churches don’t realise is that the great falling away from the faith that many speak about, is a direct result of this issue. If a person is hungry for the truth and not being fed, is it any surprise that they leave that place to find the good spiritual food elsewhere?

So seek the truth. Ask the Lord to provide what you need. If you are suffering and not being fed where you are, pray and ask the Lord to take you to a place where you will be fed.

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