A Faithful Leader

Open your bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 4. We are continuing our study in the pastoral epistles. I have titled the message this morning, “ A Faithful Teacher”

We have in this book have already seen the importance of having proper leaders, roles in the church, and one of the most important parts of a functioning church I believe is the role of faithful teachers. And I believe the text is teaching us today Paul thinks the same thing. The role that Timothy had been given was one of great importance. I believe this text as a pastor is one I should look at often, because of its call to a life of faithfulness, and this text unlocks how to be faithful especially for as a pastor. As a faithful teacher.

Main idea: A faithful leader is one who practices what they preach.

Let me read you the text this morning, and then ill break it down for you.

1 Timothy 4:6–16 ESV

6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Several points for you today…

The first is this…

Faithful leaders are trained in the word.

This is a major part of being a faithful leader. Because if you do not know the Word of God how can lead others? Thats why Paul says to put all these things before the brothers.

In order to be a faithful servant of Christ Jesus you have to put truth before others. Paul says specifically in this text that you must teach the Word. Everytime any preacher, teacher gets up to preach or teach a faithful leader should give a steady diet of the Word.

And a teacher of God’s word, must be trained, trained in good doctrine. I am not saying that a pastor or a leader has to go to bible college, and seminary like I did, but you better believe a teacher of God’s word needs to be taught this book, and understand good doctrine. The single most important any faithful leader can do it point to the man this book is about Jesus, and how we know him is through his word.

Faithful leaders who are trained in the word also live out their faith. Notice Paul said that Timothy has followed all that was taught, he took the words of the scripture really seriously, and he lived it out. He applied the words of scripture to his life. This is what Paul said alot of the false teachers were not doing they had a different standard, but this was not so with Timothy and it can’t be so with any faithful leader.

Faithful leaders who are trained in the word of God don’t buy into falsehood. Paul in his letter to Timothy makes it clear to have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. There is alot of garbage out there that Christians by into, and I am convinced it because we spend more time with things that don’t matter than we do training ourself in the word of God.

Paul uses this language here saying have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths describing things that scholars say are fit for old women. Essential like we know it as old wives tails. These would be stories that the old women would tell the children that were fun to tell but had no value. My mother in law does that with her baby gender predictions, even though God decides a babies gender.

Faithful teachers are going to be ones who immerse themselves in the word of God, my best days are when I am face-first in the word of God training myself to be more like Jesus, and that is what any faithful teacher must do if they are going to lead his people.

Another thing we see about faithful leaders is this…

Faithful leaders train in godliness.

How do you stay away from all false hood you train. Not just in the word of God but in godliness. There is a discipline aspect to becoming more like Christ you have to train. To get better at anything you have to train.

Paul says this statement for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way.

What does this mean? Well I know we have some people who like to workout here at-least one, and the effects come and go based on the training regimen. If you train hard you eat right you get results. you gets gains, but if you stop training it goes away. I am a testimony to that part.

Physical training is a great discipline to have we all need to have it, we all should take care of the body which he gave us but we better also take care of the soul he gave us. When we are training for physical gains what do we do we pick the right exercises, the right amount of protein but we also rid our selves of what may cause us to not get the results that we desire, and so in the path for us must be the same when pursuing Godliness. We have to be in the word, we have to pray, we need to show up and worship the Lord at a local church, connect with other believers throughout the week, be accountable, but get rid of the stuff thats causing you to not be like Christ. The easy part is showing up to Church, its hard sometimes as a pastor to read more than just the texts I am preaching and teaching on though I should, but putting the practice the things of the faith I desire to do, not hitting perfect 3 sets of 10 on them all the time, but those things are being done, what impacts my Godliness, and I am sure your Godliness as well is that in our training to be more like Christ we are taking along un Christ like things with us, and wondering why are gains are not what they should be.

Paul makes it clear how to train, but we need to make sure we are not bringing along things in our training that are derailing our results.

Paul says Why we need to train in Godliness because it impacts are everyday lives, and the life to come. When I was a workout machine in highschool, and early college days that impact went away, because I did not continue it, but what I have acquired in this life about Jesus, his word, doctrine that impacts my life to this day and will have impact in the next life to come.

Physical training is important, but don’t neglect the spiritual training which you need to have in this life. Paul says to trust what he is saying, and I want you to trust what I am saying as well.

Next point I want you to take note of is this..

Faithful leaders trust in the living Christ.

Verse explains why any Christian but especially Christian leaders would want to be trained in the word and in Godliness.

Paul says the reason he has worked so hard, and trained so hard is because his hope is in Christ. He is working for a God who is alive. Remember the context they are in, a place full of idols, a place where they would go to temples and worship statues of made up Gods who had no power, we have a living God who we worship.

A God though he died on the cross, rose again three days later never to taste death again. A God who is the savior of the World.

Think about this… Most of you are OU fans. Could you image this season, the last season in the big 12, and God tells them you are going to win every game be big 12 champions, be national champions this year. Do you think the right response from them would be to trust God and what he said, of course this is the living God the savior of the world the one who holds all things together, and what he says always comes to pass.

So do you think if God said this they would be lazy in their pursuit or be motivated? I would hope that they would be motivated. Because the living God said it would happen. They would train, condition themselves knowing the end result. I say this friends because we know the end result this book tells us, The Holy Spirit magnifies that truth, so we need to trust the living who saves.

Does Christ save all people? No. He only saves those who are his, those who believe. He can save all people, but does not.

What this text is talking about is a trust that those who believe in him save to toil to strive knowing God is going to save them. Having that confidence like the Ou football team would have to trust the living God.

Another point this morning is this.

Faithful leaders set faithful examples.

As a pastor I have told you this text is one of those texts that is convicting and motivating, Paul tells Timothy to Command and teach these things. I told you when you called me to be your pastor that I would not shrink away from preaching the word. And I want you as believers in Christ to devote yourself’s whole heartily to the Lord. To good doctrine, to training yourself. To trust God. To trust the end result. So in teaching I need to practice what I preach. Timothy is a young man entering into a leadership role where he will be despised for his youth. He cannot let that youth slow him down to discourage him from living the life God has called him to. So Paul gives him the answer to not being despised, be the example. Be the example.

Convicting for me for any leader, because sometimes leaders christians are not the example. But we are called to be. Its easy to follow Jesus because he was that, but your pastor not be, but they are called to be. In the sermon a few weeks ago I talked about how important character is for the christian, and Paul does not shrink back here talking about that very thing.

In fact he says be the example in many ways. He says in speech. I think he is referring to speaking truthfully. No faithful leader should be speaking lies. Should be gossiping should be using his mouth other than for the glory of God.

In conduct. Remember those qualifications in chapter 3 that set leaders apart. faithful leaders need to act Godly. Need to act in such a way were others want to be like them in their conduct.

He says in love. Love is a fruit of the spirit. 1 John 4:8

1 John 4:8 ESV

8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Paul says this is love in 1 Cor 13:4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

A faithful leader needs to show this kind of love.

He says in faith. faith is another one of those fruits of the spirit. Faithful leaders are ones full of faith. As your pastor I believe the Lord can do great things, because he has done them over and over again, and the Lord who is reigning in heaven I trust more than anything else in the world. I hope you are the same way.

Finally he says in Purity. He is talking about sexually purity. Paul says this about leaders because he knows people are going to struggle with this.

I here of pastors all the time failing because they slept with a member and not his wife, went down a path they should not have. Its a sobering reality because we see it outside the church so much when it creeps.

Let me read you something I read this week. One pastor said… "My people's greatest need is my personal holiness." These are humbling words, and they ought to lead pastors and all believers to spur one another on with lives of love and holiness. Sadly, however, this is not the testimony of many pastors. Consider the following statistics, which are nothing short of jaw-dropping:

As many as 50 percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.

Almost 40 percent of pastors admit they have had an extramarital affair since the beginning of their ministry.

More than 50 percent of pastors say they have visited pornographic sites on the Internet in the last year, and 30 percent admit to doing it in the last month.

Thats heartbreaking for me church family, because its easy to follow a path of unpurity.

The pastor said.. These statistics should cause pastors and all followers of Christ to tremble. We must watch our life and doctrine.

All these points tie together today, and ill close with that thought at end today.

Another point this morning is this…

Faithful leaders live out their calling.

For Timothy it was clear. One he was called to be a minister of God’s word. This is where that training in the word and Godliness would come into play. I believe an important task for any pastor is that he devotes himself to the scriptures. In every Jewish service there was a reading of the scriptures. They would often read huge chunks at a time, there are examples of great repentance, and mourning from the people because they did not follow the very word of God.

Timothy was to preach the word. Preaching is not just reading the bible to people its calling people to obey and trust the word of God.

Timothy was called to teach the word as well. God’s people need to be taught how to live for Jesus, and his calling was to do that very thing I believe my calling is the same. Each and every week my goal is just to push you a little closer to Jesus.

Timothy calling was confirmed by others. See God is the one who calls out people, but I believe from this text we see when it calls out people he lets the church know he has done that very thing.

In the case of Timothy that laid hands on him, Elders came and laid hands on him confirming what God had already done by calling him out to be a preacher a minister of the word of God. I remember at my old church they watched my life watched my teaching for years then I was approached by one of the pastors about licensing me to ministry, and they had me feel out a long list of things asking me about the gospel, about the non-negotiables and other basic questions, and when I did that I was questioned by the elders in a room for awhile, and then they decided to licensing me and lay hands on me and present it before the church.

Here if you remember Preston came in, and people who were ordained deacons, and ministers laid hands on me praying for me confirming the gift the Lord had given me. Those days were some of the most powerful days in my life why? Because it reminded me that God has called me to do this very thing. And Timothy needed that reminder as well.

But part of your calling also is that you improve. One of the things I hope you have seen in the last two years is some growth as a pastor, and a preacher. You know before I started preaching here every week I only had maybe 10 sermons under my belt taught weekly for years, but preaching to me is a whole different task, leading a church is a whole different task and doing it over time I believe is the only way you can really grow. Hopefully you have seen progress there because of the practice I have been given.

Finally last point today is this…

Faithful leaders persevere and so do their followers.

Paul is the best example of this, he came back time and time again over and over why did he do this, because he watched his life and doctrine. Its alot easier to overcome things if you know who Jesus is. Its alot easier to persevere if you know right doctrine, if you teach the right things. If you keep a close watch on your life being trained in the word, trained in godliness practicing them you are going to persevere. This means you are going to watch what comes in watch what comes out. Work on head stuff, heart stuff, ear stuff. If you notice before I preach I mention that every week, that our hearts our minds and our ears would be receptive to your word.

That helps us persevere. I told you in a previous sermon that at my licensing the pastor said watch your life and doctrine. And that has stuck with me. Now I am not perfect in this, but I can tell you that my doctrine what I believe about God impacts my life, and what you believe about God should impact yours as well.

But what about Pauls words at the end of v16. He says persist in this, for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers. You may say pastor I thought we were saved by faith and we are.

So what Paul is saying is leaders in the faith who are trained in the word of God, trained in godliness, trusting the Living God, being examples, living out their calling, and persevering are going to save those we preach to, and he is saying that God is going to use faithful leaders to bring the message of the gospel to them. Pretty much every person who is every saved, God used someone else to bring that message to them. And faithful leaders are a huge part of that.

One man said this… For pastors, perseverance is not only necessary for their own salvation. It is also necessary for the congregation's salvation. As godly pastors persevere in love and good works, people see it and glorify God who is in heaven (cf. Matt. 5:16). As godly pastors preach and teach the Word of God, people hear it, repent, believe, and are saved. This is the work of God, and he chooses to use pastors to do it. They are the tools in his hand.

So for those who are not pastor leaders in the room what do you take from this message.

Its simple its all those points right because you may not be a “Leader a pastor in the church but you are a leader in the church” God has called more than just the preacher to know the word of God. Just a few hundred years ago people did not have the word at their fingertips and you have it in a place were you stroll watching youtube videos, looking at memes, posting pictures about your families your jobs, and everything in between, you have an amazing opportunity to train yourself in the word of God. Start a reading plan get with other brothers and sisters in Christ study the word grow and train yourself in Godliness, learn to truth the living God who lived a life you and I could never live to the point of death even death on the cross and rose again proving he has dominion over sin and death, who is alive trust him, trust his word train your tail off to be more like Jesus. Be example to your wife to your husband to your kids, to your co-workers to your neighbors bring the gospel to them live where God has called you to in the place he has called you to for his glory, and persevere. Don’t give up because you have trained for his moment, and you know the living God.

One of those examples in our very own congregation miss Lois Smith.. I wrote this about her this week. If I could describe Lois in one word it would be faithfulness. As a young pastor seeing her commitment to the church is such an encouragement to me. Lois represents what so many people hope to be in this life and that is faithful and finishing strong. Even at the young age of 105 Lois sings, prays, participates, and says Amen every time she gets the chance. She has been foundational to the health of our Agape baptist church and an encouragement to each and everyone of our members and guests. Her legacy is one that will truly impact the world for the next 105 years. The words from 2 Timothy 4:7 make me think of Lois. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Let us always be a people like Lois ready to give all we have to God for the rest of our days.

Let us be a church that follows the example of faithful people, and be the example because Jesus himself is the example and live our lives for his glory. Let us pray.