True Servants of Christ: 1 Timothy 4:12-16

If you have your Bible’s with you, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Timothy 4, and today we will pick up where we left off last week in verse 12. As I mentioned last Sunday, the anchor of this section of Scripture is discovered in verse 6. It is the phrase, “you will be a good servant.” Everything else from verse 6, all the way through verse 16, describes a good servant of Christ Jesus. As Christians, as believers, and followers of Christ, we must have servant hearts. Our posture is to be ever willing to serve the living God, our Savior, and those around us. We must strive to be excellent and faithful servants.:/0

We could also argue from the overall context of 1 Timothy that this passage is detailing the character of a true servant of the Lord 4q-7. We must remember that Paul is writing Timothy because some of the elders of the church at Ephesus embraced a false gospel message, causing some to fall away from the truth. These wayward men certainly thought of themselves as being good servants to Christ, but they indeed proved themselves to be false servants of the Messiah. Being influenced by evil forces they attacked the sacred truth of God’s Word. That’s the context of this passage in which Paul is essentially counseling Timothy and the church at Ephesus on how to respond to an assault on truth. And notice that Paul’s primary counsel to them was rather simple but shocking. They were to simply be servants of God. They were to have the humble posture of a servant. Under the inspiration of Holy Spirt, Paul did not say that the church needed to more training in apologetics, logic, or rhetoric. Nor did they need a deeper theological education or have their pastors be more equipped in the practice of hermeneutics. Though all those things may prove helpful and beneficial to the church, God didn’t prescribe them because they were not the greatest need. Instead, God calls the church to serve as His good and true servants. Let’s pick up and read verses 12-16, which will serve as out text today. (READ) Today, I want you to see five more characteristics of a good and true servant of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1) True servants of Christ will strive to lead others by modeling Christian virtues (v. 12).

When it comes to leadership, the power of an exemplary life can not be overstated. It is the greatest and most successful tool of leadership. The Puritan Thomas Brooks once wrote, “Example is the most powerful rhetoric.” Example is powerful in that it alone validates the confession and testimony of the Christ-follower. Church family, listen, When a clear pattern of a godliness is missing from a servant’s life, the power of their testimony and potential for ministry effectiveness is completely drained. We need to be reminded again and again that Christian virtue, character, and integrity don’t just empower the message of truth, they validate it all together. As I mentioned last week, if we are going to proclaim and defend the redemptive truth of scripture boldly and with authority, then we must do so with the heart of a loving servant who is striving to grow in Christlikeness. You see we are to model Christ, Christ our Lord, our Righteousness, our Hope, and our Salvation to the world around.

The New Testament speaks frequently about the example we are to set with our lives. The apostle Paul emphasized it often in his writings. Let me give you just two of the many examples: He wrote in 1 Cor. 11:1… “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” In Philippians 4:9, the apostle wrote, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace will be with you.” As Christians we are to model Christ for the world to see, hear, feel, and follow. We are to lead others to discover the peace we have found in our great God. Peace that is completely evident in our willingness to joyfully serve others.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, notice Paul cautions Timothy to “Let no one look down on your youthfulness.” Now, those are words commonly plastered on youth ministry t-shirts and youth rooms across America, yet Timothy was obviously well beyond his teenage years. It’s believed that Timothy was at least in his mid to upper thirties when this letter was written. But in the Greek culture, Timothy was still considered young, especially for leadership role. You see in their culture there were merely two classes of grown men: there were young men and there were elders. Timothy belonged to younger category, which included men up to age forty. Therefore, Timothy was often questioned about his age. He was seen as being too young to be a pastor and so Paul tells him to not let that reality define his life and ministry. Instead, Timothy was to place his effort on redefining his identity in Christ and being an example that was worthy of following. Paul essentially told Timothy, to ignore all the noise that may have been causing him to question his ability to serve and be useful in the kingdom. Instead, Timothy, like us, should was to simply keep his focus on Jesus and model Christian virtues.

Notice Paul, under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit lists five areas in which Timothy and the church were to make every effort to be an example in. First, notice that servants are to be examples in their speech. Christ followers must always vigilantly guard their lips. They must choose their words carefully as they articulate the truth that the world needs to hear. Listen to Matthew 12:34-37, Jesus warned his followers, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth that which is evil. And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.” Jesus plainly says, everything that we say, every word that falls off our lips, ultimately flows from our heart. What a powerful and profound truth to consider this morning. Just think about it, have you have ever said something you regret and quickly say, “I…. I didn’t mean to say that.” Perhaps, we should rightfully say, “I wish you didn’t hear my heart speak as it just did.” Our hearts are rather scary are they are not? Though we are redeemed, sin still trickles out of them at times. Our thoughts can be so evil can they not, and our words will at times reveal those wicked thoughts to those around us. But if our hearts are growing in grace, if they are being transformed by the power of the gospel of truth, our choice of words will naturally reflect that wonderful work of God in our lives. You see, it is impossible to guard your tongue if you at first do not guard your heart. Surely there will be moments when we say things we regret, but how do you respond when you do? I pray it with grace, forgiveness, and repentance. Oh, how we must guard our hearts so that our tongues will set strong examples.

Secondly, servants are to be examples in conduct. This word simply refers to the servant’s general behavior, to the way he or she lives. This chapter of scripture has now reminded us numerous times how our conduct and speech cannot be separated. They are impossible to be divorced from one another. Listen our lives are to proclaim the same gospel we confess our lips. And for the true servants of the Lord, their lives will surely proclaim the glory of Christ crucified at all times. At home, at church, at the grocery store, in traffic, on the playground, in public, at work, or at school, our lives are to display the same loving sacrificial servanthood of our Savior, who always put the needs of others ahead of his own.

Notice, thirdly, that servants were to set examples in love. Love can arguably be labeled the virtue of all Christian virtues. A true servant of the Lord will certainly keep both great commandments. They will love the living God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbors with a self-sacrificial love. You see biblical love is far different from the mere emotion that our culture labels as love. In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Church family, a true servant of Christ is ever willing to give of their time, energy, possessions, and money to the people they are called to serve. Listen, love is costly. It is hard, its inconvenient, and demands sacrifice by nature. But God desires us to be known by our love, as it perfectly reflects His heart and character.

Fourth, servants are to model faith.A true servant will certainly have a strong faith in God, marked by confidence in the power of God to save sinners. And this faith is made visible through the servant’s faithfulness. Good and true servants are faithful people, they don’t deviate from the course that God has set before them, and when they do, they quickly repent. True servants will live, study, and serve by faith. They are trustworthy, consistent, and loyal to what God has called them to.

Lastly, servants are to be an example of purity. The GK word for purity was used to describe general moral conduct, but it was most often used to refer to sexual behavior. Oh, how vital this virtue is, especially in our sex-obsessed culture, where pornography and sex outside of marriage are so easily accessible. Timothy and the church were called to pursue purity at all costs. Servants of Christ must heed Paul’s charge to Timothy recorded in 2 Timothy 2:22… “flee from youthful lusts.” Run from it like a young Joseph fleeing Potiphar’s wife. Make a covenant with your eyes like Job and guard your heart from the lusts of this world. Purify it with the Word of God! Find help and counsel if you are struggling in this area, for we are to model to the world around us purity and the power of the gospel that sets us free from the lust of our hearts.

Brothers and sisters, if we are going to serve the Lord, let us do so as examples of Christian virtue to the world around us. Examples that shine brightly the hope and glory of Jesus in a dark world that desperately needs God’s gracious light. The great evangelist of the nineteenth century, D.L Moody once said, “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they just shine.” May our lives shine the light for the world to behold Christ, His righteousness, His sacrificial death, and the power of His glorious resurrection. And may our words proclaim His gospel to a world who desperately need to hear!

2) True servants of Christ will prioritize biblical preaching and corporate worship (v. 13).

Notice as Paul expresses his desire and plan to come and visit Timothy, he calls on him “give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” The GK words give attention can mean “to devote one’s life to,” “to be concerned about,” or “consider carefully.” Timothy as the pastor of the church was prioritize his preaching and teaching ministry of the Word of God. He was to concentrate on these things because they were and are the church’s greatest need. Notice the emphasis on public reading. In the ancient culture, books and scrolls were exceptionally rare, and most people were illiterate. Therefore, special emphasis is placed on the public reading of scripture that naturally led to exhortation and teaching. You see Timothy was not simply to teach and preach, but he was to exhort. Exhortation is the calling of people to action, to respond to God’s Word by faith. It may take the form of rebuke, warning, counsel, or even comfort. The Greek emphasizes that Timothy was to continually give his attention to these things. In other words, he was to be well prepared to deliver a timely message to his congregation and encourage them to respond to the Word.

Now, I know the temptation here is to label this characteristic as one specific to the pastor or the elder, but I would argue this must be a characteristic of the entire church. Indeed, every servant of Christ Jesus, every disciple of Christ, must prioritize the preaching of God’s Word and the gathering together of the saints for the purpose of worship. Listen church family, our weekly gathering here on Sunday morning must be prioritized above all else on your weekly schedule. There is nothing more important for you and your family than to hear the truth of the Bible proclaimed for the glory of God. This moment, right now, where we come together to hear the very counsel of God for our lives, nothing is more important for you. Nothing! Do you notice that everything about our Sunday services are aimed to prepare us for the preaching of God’s Word. The music, the prayers, the scripture reading, everything aimed to ready our hearts so that we can receive God’s message to His church. You see, we spend the bulk of our time together on Sundays in the Word for one reason, because is vastly more important than all other things! Martin Luther once said, “The highest form of worship is the preaching of God’s Word.” It’s not the music, it’s not the overall experience, nor is it the personality or the gifting of the preacher, no it’s the message, the Word proclaimed. This time together must be prioritized because we need to hear God’s Word, we need to be exhorted to respond in faith to God’s Word, and we need His Word taught to us in a way that we can understand it, apply it, and live it for His glory. And let me add this… we need those things to occur in the context of community. In the context of a church family. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the inspired author commands, “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Oh, how we need each other, and the Scriptures proclaimed boldly and lovingly to us so that we can live our lives as the family of God.

But sadly, I fear for many of us, that our Sunday mornings are no longer sacred. It’s simply another busy day, a day that we may choose to go to church, watch a service online, or do something else all together, but it’s not prioritized. Listen, if you see our time together on Sunday mornings as optional, then you are failing to prioritize the preaching of God’s Word as you should. If you are not prayerfully preparing your heart for this time throughout the week to receive God’s message for you, then you are not prioritizing this time as you should. True servants of our Lord make this time together their priority because they understand how much they need to hear God’s wisdom, His counsel, and His guidance in our dark and noisy world. They will prayerfully prepare their hearts for this time, and they will pray for their elders as they prepare to minister the Word that they need to hear. Oh, may God help understand the centrality of preaching and help us to prioritize it in our walks with Him.

3) True servants of Christ will steward their spiritual gift within the church family (v. 14).

In verse 14, the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to stay the course. So often, Christ followers forget that they are to be servants of the living God. We easily get distracted in our consumeristic and individualistic culture that we begin to think that the church is here for our own enjoyment and satisfaction. But church is not about you! And so, Paul encouraged Timothy to not neglect the spiritual gift within him. The verb tense in the GK indicates that Timothy may have been in danger of abandoning his ministry. Perhaps, he was starting to think he was too young, maybe there was someone else more qualified or experienced to lead, or maybe he was just tired of dealing with all the junk a servant must endure. Whatever, the reason Timothy appeared to be in danger of not stewarding the gift that God had entrust to him, and potentially losing the gift all together.

Therefore, Paul calls on Timothy to be faithful and motivates his young protege by reminding him of two important details. First, he reminds him that God had gifted him for ministry. The Greek word for spiritual gift in verse 14 refers to the gift given to all believers at the moment of their salvation. Listen, if you are believer in Christ, if you have been born again, the Holy Spirit has entrusted you with a gift to steward in God’s kingdom. A gift that if you use for the glory of God, will not only strengthen you, and your brothers and sisters in Christ, but it will also draw people to the Lord for salvation. Peter speaks of this gifting in 1 Peter 4:10-11… “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Oh, brothers and sisters, have you ever stopped and considered how important it is for you to exercise your gift within our church family? When you as a Christian chose to simply be a spectator here at Heritage, you limit the spiritual maturity of yourself and others.

Timothy was apparently struggling in ministry. Several of his elders had embraced false teaching, the church was being pulled apart by doctrine of demons, and he was considering giving up. Yet, Paul reminds him, that the sovereign God of the universe, who knows all things, who knows exactly what this church needed at that precise moment, had already thoroughly equipped Timothy for the task at hand. Scripture portrays Timothy as one who was very gifted in evangelism, preaching, teaching, leadership, and an ability to discern false teaching. Exactly, what the church at Ephesus needed. And Paul is begging Timothy not to rob his church of what only he could give. Church we too are far from a perfect church, we also have great needs, and growth areas. How often have we said, “man, we could really be doing well in that area, if God just send us someone to lead it? Or, when we say things like, “wouldn’t be nice if someone would serve our church to make a particular ministry thrive?” Oh, how common it is to think the solution to our needs always lies outside of us. Yet everything we need to move our church further in the right direction, has already been provided by the Holy Spirit. He has equipped us comprehensively to advance God’s kingdom here in Princeton, in the way He desires. We simply need to not neglect the gifting in which the Spirit has blessed us.

But Paul didn’t just remind Timothy of the gift he had been given. Notice also, the apostle reminds him how his unique gifting was confirmed by others. Paul says that Timothy’s gift was “bestowed on him through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” Now, obviously we are not told every detail here. We naturally long to know more about this prophetic utterance, but we simply are told little. What we can gather though, is that during Timothy’s ordination, where the elders or the presbytery of the church gathered around him and laid hands upon him, those men collectively confirmed Timothy’s gifting. Therefore, for Timothy to bail on the church would have been to fly in the face of their clear consensus. You see, God will often send mature believers to you, to confirm the gifting the Holy Spirit has given to you. Don’t turn a deaf ear to what those saints may say. You may be very surprised by the gift that the Spirit has chosen to give you. I can remember as God has sent such people my way to encourage me, and I would hear how they perceived that God had equipped me to teach or preach, and I would quickly conclude, that they were clueless. They obviously didn’t know me well. They didn’t know the fears and insecurities that plagued my heart. They didn’t know how hard it was for me to do certain things. They didn’t know that well! But they did know God well, and they saw things that I could not see, because there was too much of myself clouding my vision. Church family, when your brothers and sisters come to you with such words of affirmation and confirmation, listen to their voice and respond in faith. For often God will use them to guide you into the place God longs for you to serve Him. Listen my friends, if verse 14 shouts anything to us, it’s this… we were created to live in community. The Creator God, who is in himself a community, created us in His very image to live in community as a family with each other. And everything we need to thrive and reflect His matchless glory has been gifted to us by the Holy Spirit. And it takes every single one of us in God’s family, selflessly loving and serving our great God by stewards our gifts together to do that well. Oh, don’t neglect your gift, don’t neglect your family!

4) True servants of Christ will aim to grow their faith through humble obedience (v. 15).

Verse 15 is a vivid and powerful verse of scripture. The apostle Paul calls on the servant leader Timothy to be consumed with his calling to minister. He tells him to “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.” Timothy was to be all in, with singular focus on advancing the kingdom of truth. This was to be his passion in life. Notice the apostle says, “take pains with these things.” A phrase that implied that Timothy was to strenuously think about them, plan and strategize accordingly. When the young pastor was not actively ministering, he was to be preparing, praying, studying, and planning for more ministry. He was to be absorbed in these things, or in other words he was to be totally engulfed in them. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul ordered Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.” Listen, a true servant is eager to serve and stands ready to serve at moment’s notice. They are willing to jump in and assist because they have prepared their hearts beforehand to serve, they’ve have prayed for opportunities to further the kingdom of God, they have considered what they might say if they were given the chance to serve. They’ve studied the scriptures throughout the week and ready share the wisdom of God through utilizing their unique gifts. Listen, our ministry focus and our desire to serve should be exhausting! Do you take pains to see the kingdom advance in your home, your church, and in your circle of friends? Puritan pastor and author William Gurnall once wrote, “The minister’s work debilitates nature; like the candle, he wastes while he shines.” Church we are all to be ministers of the gospel, we are to serve our King as His servants. Does this quote and verse 15 describe your life? Are you focused on the right things? Oh, how often we are consumed with the wrong things. God tells us to place all our focus on advancing His kingdom, His agenda, and His purposes. He calls us to take up our cross and be consumed with glorifying Him alone! In other words, like Timothy, we must not allow ourselves to become distracted with lesser important things. Now that is profoundly easy to say, but extremely hard to do. For how easily are we distracted when temporary things eclipse matters of eternal significance? When our personal wants, longings, and desires overshadow God’s will for our lives? When our selfish love for ease and entertainment far surpasses our desire to serve our great God? Oh, Lord help us to not be distracted, but to focus on You and your mission!

Listen church family, when we embrace that calling, it will surely be noticed by others. That’s what Paul tells Timothy in the second have of verse 15. Timothy was to serve in such a way that his progress would be evident to all. Young Timothy who was written off by many as not being of age, not having the experience needed for the task at hand, was simply to keep his humble heart focused on Christ and progress in his walk as a servant of God. The GK word for progress in this verse was used in military terms to speak of an advancing force. It implied determined effort to advance in the face of opposition. Servants, you see, are far from perfect, there is always much ground to be taken in our walk with Christ. There will always be opposition. And even though Timothy was completely equipped for the mission at hand, he would humbly acknowledge that there was much growth that needed to occur. Listen, true servants of Christ should not try to hide their flaws for each other, so often we feel as if we must appear to have it all together, do we not? But rather we must humbly allow others to see our progress in spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and maturity. We must allow them to see and know our struggles with sin, as well as our victories as we aim our focus to grow in humble obedience to what our God has called us to.

5) True servants of Christ will persevere in the faith while proclaiming the gospel (v. 16).

Paul closes his charge to Timothy by commanding him to persevere in his faith and ministry. He tells him in verse 16, to “pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.” Each of the eleven characteristics of a servant that we have spent the last two weeks unpacking fit perfectly into one of these two categories. A true servant will concentrate on both his growth in godliness and biblical doctrine. For surely one’s godliness is ever determined by their theology. Paul tells Timothy to pay close attention to these things, to fix his mind upon them and hold fast them. He was to persevere in these eleven distinct characteristics, and not give up, even though the work was exhausting, and other people felt that he was unqualified. Unlike the elders who had fallen away from the truth, whose faith was shipwrecked by false teaching, Timothy was to persevere in the faith and in truth. And notice the benefit of perseverance is two-fold: it ensures both the salvation of the servant, and for those who hear him. You see salvation involves perseverance. The Bible is remarkably clear that the perseverance of faith is a clear mark of genuine salvation. Jesus said it plainly it John 8:31… “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” True servants of the Lord will persevere. Their salvation will be validated by their stick-to-itiveness to Christ and His Word. Such perseverance can only occur by the power of God, but it is nonetheless the responsibility of each servant of the Lord. Philippians 2:12-13expounds on this very concept, there the apostle wrote, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Do you see how man’s responsibility accompanies God’s sovereignty in this verse? Man must put forth effort, while God sovereignly gives Him the will and power to persevere.

And notice also in 1 Tim 4:16 how the perseverance of the servant will also bring salvation for all those who hear his message. Of course, the servant is not the source of their salvation, he is merely an instrument in the hand of the Redeemer. And oh, what beautiful music our church plays to glory of God when all play our part and serve together. It’s a powerful message we proclaim. Through each person using their gifts, dying to self, putting the needs of others above your own, by serving in the nursery, children’s ministry, youth ministry, teaching Bible studies, serving as deacons, ushers, being a part of our hospitality team, managing the welcome desk, running sound or power point, leading us in worship through music, printing bulletins, packing Operation Christmas Child boxes, going on mission to Guatemala, counting the tithes and offerings, or taking family pictures after church, and on and on I can go. Oh, what a beautiful song we sing, oh what a powerful gospel message we proclaim together. Lives are eternally changed when we persevere in one accord and proclaim the message of truth.

And our message is simply this: Christ crucified, and Christ glorified. As we serve, we must remember we simply model Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. He is the perfect servant. Listen to how the apostle Paul explained this in the familiar words of Philippians 2:3-11, listen as I read… “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Listen church family, we can only persevere because Christ perseveres for us. He is our servant, for out of the Father’s love, He wrapped himself in human flesh, came to earth and lived a sinless and perfectly righteous life, and that spotless life he laid down as a propitiation for our sin. He was beaten, whipped, flogged, stripped naked, spit upon, cursed, bruised, pierced and crucified for our sin. He took the punishment that we deserved. He faced the wrath of God on our behalf until every drop of God’s rage towards our sin was completely satisfied. Jesus then breathed his last sinless breath and died on Calvary’s cross so that you may live, so that you may be forgiven, and so that you may be accredited His perfect righteousness. He died so that our hearts can be satisfied, content, and experience his peace, and joy. But those gifts of grace are only imparted to those who repent of their sin and place their faith in Christ alone. If you are here this morning and you have never placed your trust in Jesus, in His cross, and resurrection, if you have never turned form your sinful ways, if that is you, I just want to beg you, to turn away from your sinful ways and turn to Christ. Place your trust in His life, death, and resurrection. And live for Him by embracing His servant heart and following His perfect example.

But know this, that last moment on the cross, when Jesus died, was not His last selfless act of service! For three days after they laid lifeless body in a cold tomb, He gloriously arose, and then ascended to heaven. Where right now at this very second, He selflessly serves the church by praying for our sanctification and perseverance. Church family, He lives! And He lives to make intercession for his own. Think about it, right now in glory, as the angels and saints are worshiping Him, He’s not just sitting up there taking it all in. No, He still is our humble servant as He never ceases praying for our spiritual growth, our unity, and our protection. And because Christ is without sin, His prayers are always answered and always effective. Jesus perseveres! He’s always faithful. Have you considered that lately? He persevered in living a perfect life, even when tempted by Satan himself. He persevered as He suffered the cross, when at any second, He could have easily called a legion of angles to come to His aid, and He now perseveres in glory praying for you. Church family, will you persevere for Him? Will you aim to grow your faith through radical obedience? Will you steward the gift that has been entrusted to you, will you prioritize listening and responding to the preaching of His Word, and will you let your life be an example of Christian virtue, so the world might see, hear, feel, and experience so that others may come to know Jesus Christ, our Savior, who is forever worthy of all praise, glory, and honor!!!! Will you strive to be a true servant of our Lord? Pray with me!!!