
Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8
Theme: Sound teaching
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Intr – No, it’s not the pastor’s snack time during the service—I just thought of using a donut I made as an illustration for today. (It’s actually a sandwich.)
Is this not a donut? Don’t you believe me? But why? Where is it written how a donut should be? You should just respect the way I made my donut and that’s the end of it. Now I’m offended…
Well, if that would help you believe me, let me put a Canadian flag on it. (Actually, it’s a Brazilian one.)
Now, here things are different. For a donut, there may not be an official rule, so one might still argue about my version of this Canadian treat. But for the Canadian flag, the rules are clear and precise—and this one definitely doesn’t fit them.
We’re talking about concepts, definitions, and how precise—or not—they are. Our world is full of them. That’s what Paul calls Timothy to: sound doctrine—not what pleases our ears, but what’s anchored in the unchanging truth of God’s Word. For if even a donut’s definition can be fuzzy—what about a sandwich-shaped donut?—God’s Word is not. It is clear. It is fixed.
Our itching ears
When it comes to well established concepts, our ears usually don’t itch. Would you believe that water is bad for your eyes, or carrots cure pneumonia? I guess not. The questions linger more in things that are not are clear and defined. Is the food pyramid prescribed in the 50s really correct? Should you ditch ultra processed food completely? Are animal fats bad for your health? How do we sift through right and wrong, sound and wobbly teachings, ideas, ideologies and doctrines of our world?
Something similar happens in the spiritual field. It is not the “Devil with horns and a fork” or “Jesus didn’t die to pay the price of sins” or “the Bible is just a book written by humans” that itch our ears. It is more subtle and usually what Suits our own passions, as Paul warns Timothy in the epistle today. Our human nature loves to perk its ears to teachings that confirm our desires or give us permission to believe things our way.
After all, it doesn’t matter what I did, good or bad—the most important thing is that I did it my way. Oh, there it is! A phrase that itches our ears because it celebrates our deepest desire—to be “true to ourselves” and judged by what we feel, rather than by objective truth from the sound doctrine.
The same temptation that Paul warned Timothy about is alive today. We may not chase new gods, but we often chase new ideas:
- Nothing is wrong if it makes you and people around you happy.
- Every person goes to a better place after death.
- Keep your faith inside your church; we don’t need it in the public square.
- Jesus was a good teacher who taught love.
- There is only one God, so no matter your faith, it leads to Him.
- If your religion isn’t engaged in a social cause, it isn’t necessary.
- If it isn’t measurable, it doesn’t exist.
- Love is love.
Sometimes, you can’t even use the same words anymore—or the same symbols. To have a voice, you must change your vocabulary or adopt new social norms. (Ill: thumbs up is considered rude or even offensive by some people in newer generations. It that is for a thumbs up, imagine how the Church sounds when it speaks of the Trinity, or when it proclaims that only Christ is the way to God, that there is salvation and condemnation.
Sound teaching
Paul invites Timothy to be a faithful pastor teaching sound doctrine because “the sacred writings are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” All Scripture; not parts of it, not sections of it. The entire Book of God is fully God’s Word.
Paul asks Timothy, and us, to teach sound doctrine. He points us to teach things as they are from the Word of God. He is not supposed to avoid themes, change meanings or seek not to offend. He certainly is expected to be loving, moderate and pacifier. But always sound. For what sounds kind may not be true, and what is true remains true even when it doesn’t sound kind.[1]
And what does God’s Word do for us, day by day? Paul lists things that make it essential for our lives.
For teaching — Scripture educates. It teaches us who God is — not who we wish He were. In a world where truth is shaped by opinion, the Word of God remains the steady voice that tells us what’s real, not what’s popular.[2] The Bible doesn’t echo us; it educates us.
For reproof — Scripture confronts. It tells us when we’re wrong — not to shame us, but to save us. When God’s Word rebukes us, it’s not a scolding parent but a loving Father saying, “You’re heading toward danger; come back.” God’s Word doesn’t scold to humiliate — it reproves to heal.
For correction — Scripture redirects. It doesn’t just point out the wrong road; it turns us back to the right one. Like a GPS that says “Recalculating…” when we’ve taken a wrong turn, Scripture reroutes us toward grace and forgiveness in Christ.
For training in righteousness — Scripture strengthens. It strengthens us to live faithfully in a world that’s is far from faithful. We grow in faith the same way we grow in strength—through regular exercise in the Word. Sound teaching trains strong disciples.
And here is what these four use do: they equip us “for every good work” — Scripture prepares. The Word doesn’t just fill our minds; it equips our lives to live his love. Every “good work” we do is not a ladder up to God but the fruit of His grace working in us. Scripture equips us—not to earn salvation, but to live as those who already have it. We don’t do good works to get to God; we do them because God got to us.
That’s why we need Scripture—not as a book of old words, but as the living voice of God who teaches, corrects, and sustains us. Without the Word, we drift; with the Word, we are directed, corrected, and resurrected.[3]
Where does our help come from?
How hard is it for us to stay faithful? A lot. far beyond our strength. Where does your help come from?
Psalm 121 answers: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Don’t look to the hills, as the pagans did, or look down as if you’ve already figured life out. Look above the hills—to the Lord who keeps you. Life in this fallen world is full of blessings and struggles, joys and disappointments. But He is the One who keeps you faithful to the end.
Luke 18 answers too. Jesus told His disciples a parable “that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Pray. Do not lose heart. For even an unrighteous judge would grant the woman what she insistently requested, think about what our Righteous and Loving father will do in our life.
Because Christ, the Living and Loving word remains faithful, even when we are not. We can rest in Him and be strengthened by His Word, who defines His teaching in a clear, solid and saving way. [4]
Cc – Now in case you didn’t know it, there are places where you can go to find a precise definition of what a donut is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary for example: “a small usually ring-shaped piece of sweet fried dough”.[5] (Shows a platter full of actual donuts, with a Canadian flag on it). You may not like it, you may not agree with it. You may challenge it, but that wouldn’t change the doughnut. The description corresponds to reality. Reality doesn’t change.
Neither does God’s Word. Its Sound Teaching teaches us, equips us and saves us.
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[1] We’re not talking about practice, adiaphora, or preferences. There’s certainly room for different ways of teaching, confessing, and living our faith. The history of the Church is a 2,000-year journey of adapting to different cultures and customs. But when it comes to sound teaching, every time someone tried to shift a major teaching of the Church, she had to deal with it—and sometimes even excommunicate, as the Bible commands when false teaching threatens the flock (Romans 16).
[2] Ill: If you walk into a donut store and ask for a donut filled with raw salmon and topped with soy sauce, or for a parmeggiana donut, what are the chances you’ll get it? The clerk might be calm, polite, and kind—but they’ll decline your order. No matter how much businesses want to please their customers, they still have a menu—a set of rules and recipes they follow. And even when place carries a dill pickle donut, sushi donut, pizza donut… they are variants that veer off the original donut. Well, think about the name…dough-nut – type of pastry made from leavened fried dough.
The Church isn’t a restaurant changing the menu to please every taste. We love serving people – but what Christ Himself has given. No matter how much the world would press the Church the chance its menu, to be more tolerant and open-minded, to change the filling or the topping of its teaching, we will politely, pacifically, but steadfastly decline the order. We will continue to preach sound doctrine. We don’t rewrite the recipe; we serve what Christ prepared.
[3] It is important at this point to say that there’s room for genuine disagreement among faithful Christians on secondary matters. That doesn’t make us careless about sound teaching—it makes us more careful. The core truths of Scripture can never change.
And it’s also important to say that not everyone who embraces different teachings does so out of malice or rebellion. Many times, people are hurting. They’re lonely. They’re searching for belonging, for meaning, for community. And that longing is real and deeply human. The enemy of our souls knows this—he doesn’t usually tempt us with what’s obviously false, but with half-truths wrapped in compassion, with doctrines that tell us what we want to hear.
Our task as the Church is to recognize this reality with compassion, even as we stand firmly on truth. We can hold both—a tender heart toward the struggling and an unmovable commitment to sound doctrine. In fact, true love demands both. False teaching may feel kind, but kindness without truth leaves people ultimately abandoned. So we speak the hard truths—not harshly, but clearly—because we love people enough to tell them what’s real, what endures, and what truly saves.
[4] Sound doctrine—teaching it with steadfastness, respect, and love—is our calling. This is what we do as Christians, and as a Church. That’s why we’ll keep the doors (and hearts) open—24/7—offering this life-giving taste of God’s Word, so that many may drive through Christ into the arms of the loving Judge who saves.
[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doughnut
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Christian responses to truisms of our time
“Nothing is wrong if it makes you and people around you happy.”
🕊️ Response: Happiness is a gift, but it’s not the measure of right and wrong. God’s Word, not our feelings, defines good and evil. Sometimes obedience to Christ leads to sorrow or sacrifice, yet that’s where lasting joy is found (Luke 9:23; John 15:10–11).
The Law reveals sin, not emotions (AC II). The Gospel gives peace with God, not the approval of others.
“Every person goes to a better place after death.”
🕊️ Response: Scripture teaches that salvation is through Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). God desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and Christ truly died for all — but His gift must be received through faith. Those who are not in Christ go to the worst place, hell, prepared for the devil and his demons.
We confess justification by grace through faith alone (AC IV). To say “everyone goes to heaven” denies both sin and grace — if all are saved automatically, Christ’s cross becomes unnecessary.
“Keep your faith inside your church; we don’t need it in the public square.”
🕊️ Response: Faith cannot be confined to Sunday or to church walls. Christians are called to live their faith in every vocation — as citizens, neighbors, workers, and family members (Matthew 5:14–16).
Luther taught the teaching of vocation: God works through His people in all stations of life (Large Catechism, First Article). Our faith is public because our love serves the public.
“Jesus was a good master who taught love.”
🕊️ Response: Yes, He taught love — but He is far more than a teacher. He is the Son of God, the Savior who died and rose again for our redemption. His love isn’t just instruction; it’s atonement (Romans 5:8).
The Creeds and the Augsburg Confession (AC III) affirm that Jesus is true God and true man, who reconciles us to the Father.
“There is only one God, so no matter your faith, it leads to him.”
🕊️ Response: There is one God, but only one way to Him — through Jesus Christ, the Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Faiths that deny the Son also deny the Father (1 John 2:23).
Lutherans affirm the exclusivity of Christ’s saving work against all syncretism and universalism (AC I, XX).
“If your religion is not engaged in a social cause, it is not necessary at all.”
🕊️ Response: Christians are indeed called to love their neighbor and seek justice — but that flows from faith, it’s not the foundation of it. The Church’s first mission is to proclaim forgiveness in Christ; from that, loving service flows (Matthew 28:19–20; James 2:17).
Faith alone saves (AC IV), but faith is never alone — it bears fruit in love (FC SD IV).
“If it is not measurable, it doesn’t exist.”
🕊️ Response: The most real things often can’t be measured — love, forgiveness, eternity, grace. Faith is the assurance of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It this axiom is true, the universe itself doesn’t exist, for it is not fully measurable.
We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The means of grace — Word and Sacraments — are visible signs delivering invisible gifts.
“Love is love.”
🕊️ Response: God is love (1 John 4:8) — but not all love is godly. Real love is shaped by truth and seeks the other’s eternal good, not just their comfort. The truest love was shown on the cross.
God’s Law orders love toward Him and neighbor (Ten Commandments). The Gospel shows love fulfilled and redeemed in Christ.
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Q & A
Q: “Pastor, I agree with sound doctrine, but how do we defend it without sounding arrogant or judgmental?”
A: That’s a good concern. Paul calls us to ‘speak the truth in love.’ We defend the faith not to just to win arguments but essentially to bear witness. Firm doctrine and gentle hearts are not opposites — they belong together in Christ.
Q: “Sometimes at work or school I just stay quiet about my faith because it’s easier. Does that mean I’m denying Christ?”
A: Not necessarily. God gives wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent. But pray for courage — small words of faith, spoken with love, can make a big difference. The Spirit will help you. If not in words, you can also witness in works and deeds that point to the Word.
Q: “You talked about ‘sound doctrine.’ Isn’t that kind of rigid? Don’t different churches read the Bible differently?”
A: Good question. ‘Sound’ means healthy, like sound bones. Sound doctrine is teaching that keeps us alive in Christ. The Bible is clear about salvation through Him; that’s what holds everything else together.” If that sounds rigid, that’s how it’ll sound, for it can’t be changed according to the context.
Q: “You said not everyone automatically goes to heaven. That sounds harsh. Why would a loving God not let everyone in?”
A: That’s one of the hardest truths — but also one of the most loving. God sent His Son to die and resurrect for every single human being, and He offers salvation in Jesus to everyone. The gates of heaven are wide open in Jesus — no one is turned away who trusts in Him. The person who doesn’t believe in Jesus is excluding him/herself from the blessing of eternal life.
Q: “Isn’t ‘sound doctrine’ just your interpretation? Why should your view be the right one?”
A: Fair question. Our teaching isn’t based on personal opinion but on Scripture interpreted by Scripture, which finds also support throughout the History of the Christian faith — what the Church has confessed for centuries. We don’t claim new truth or a particular special interpretation. We hold to the truth that’s already been revealed since the beginning.
Q: “You said not everything measurable defines reality — but science is based on what we can prove. Isn’t faith just wishful thinking?”
A: Science helps us understand how creation works. Faith helps us know why it exists — and who stands behind it. Outside of Jesus, we would agree, faith is just wishful thinking. In Jesus, faith is trust based on God’s faithfulness in His Word, His love shown in the history of His People, and above all, in the fact of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
Q: “So basically, staying in the Word is how we keep sound doctrine?”
A: Exactly. Scripture is God-breathed — it trains us, corrects us, comforts us. The more we hear it, the less our ears itch for half-truths. There is no other source of sound teaching for the Christian faith.