Man of God
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Next week we are going to begin a long series that will take us through the book of Galatians. As we will see, the churches in the region of Paul’s First Missionary Journey, known as Galatia, were in trouble. Much of the trouble was started by FTs coming in after Paul, teaching people that in order to become Christians they first had to become Jews. This was causing many to either turn from the faith, or to embrace false doctrine in their life and church.
As we will see, the churches needed many things. One thing the churches needed then, and they need today just as much, is biblical church leaders.
Over the last six weeks, we’ve been talking about biblical church leadership. We’ve seen biblical church leaders are responsible to God to build up the body of Christ to maturity in faith and practice.
We’ve also seen how the church overcomes conflict and the two main leadership offices within the church, overseers and deacons.
This morning we are going to finish this series by seeing how Paul calls Timothy, and by extension, us, to be the men and women of God that He calls all leaders to be within the church.
Body: 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Body: 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Verse 11
Paul brings this letter to a conclusion with some closing instructions to Timothy.
Paul purposely calls Timothy “man of God” here. Partly because it sets the tempo for what he is about to challenge Timothy with: to be the man of God the church of Ephesus needs him to be.
Additionally, the title “man of God” was often used for some of the great leaders of the OT (like Moses, David, Samuel, Elijah and Elisha). Like them, Timothy was called to represent God and speak His name to the people of Ephesus.
It follows on the heels of Paul ripping into the FTs in Ephesus:
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
He warns his student in the Gospel because he wants Timothy to recognize the FTs and to flee the things they do.
In essence, Paul is saying, have absolutely nothing to do with the works of the FTs.
If I’m going to “flee” something, I’m not going to back away slowly or hang by and see what it’s all about. I’m going to get out of there!
Instead of the behaviors of the FTs, Timothy is to invest his energies into pursuing the actions of a true man of God.
Pursue righteousness
Pursue godliness
Pursue faith
Pursue love
Pursue steadfastness
Endurance in the face of hardship...
Pursue gentleness
What does the word “pursue” suggests? That he is going after something.
Timothy was to flee one way of living and pursue a better way of living.
Notice something about all six things Paul tells Timothy to pursue here: they are all observable.
Meaning, they are all things that can be seen in our behaviors. They are not simply internal beliefs or states of mind. They are things that will be seen in our interactions with other people.
Thus, we will know if we are actually pursuing these as we look at our interactions with other people.
Verses 12
Not only is Timothy to flee the example of the FTs and pursue the actions of a man of God, but he also needs to fight the good fight of the faith.
How can someone both flee and fight?
Paul tells Timothy to flee the behaviors and attitudes of the FTs. But, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to fight for the Christian faith, particularly when it came to his ministry to the church of Ephesus.
This really is a call to contending for the truth of the Gospel. Paul speaks about this throughout the Pastorals:
who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
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.
who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
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.
Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”
which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
So, the fight is fought by teaching the truth without fear or compromise.
Interestingly, the term translated as “fight” here is the same word we get the word “agonize” from in English.
I remember running during football season after practice...
To agonize or fight, is to push through everything that might hinder you from accomplishing the goal at hand.
In this case, it is the teaching and preaching of the Gospel of Jesus…the perfect antidote to the false teaching that was plaguing Ephesus.
What does Paul mean when he tells Timothy to “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called”? Doesn’t Timothy already have eternal life as a believer?
Yes, of course he does. Paul’s point is to grab a hold of the eternal life that is already his and hold onto that hope throughout all the ups and downs he will experience in his ministry.
Me on the Guardians of the Galaxy ride in Disneyland...
In all seriousness, like many pastors, I had a time in ministry when the only reason I stayed with it was because I knew I was called by God and because I knew that God has a greater reward for me in glory. But, I needed to hold onto that hope with both hands.
Timothy cannot live for the success of his ministry, because he was never promised success. He was promised a heavenly reward. And that heavenly reward is where he must derive his joy in his life and ministry.
So What?
So What?
The key term this morning has been “man of God”. Now, most of us who are in leadership, though we would like to live and minister like a man (or woman) of God, we also are careful about calling ourselves, “man of God”, since we don’t want to overstate our position or put ourselves at the same level of the heroes of the faith.
And yet, a true leader should strive to be a man or woman of God. This is true for pastors, for elders, for deacons, for teachers, for group leaders, and for every other believer who God calls to serve in various different ways.
So, what does this passage tell those of us who are called to serve the Lord?
Flee anything that will hinder your ability to be the man or woman of God that God is calling you to be.
Flee anything that will hinder your ability to be the man or woman of God that God is calling you to be.
In leadership, temptations abound. The temptations of pride, money, and sex are the most obvious ones. But, in reality, anything that hinders our ability to fulfill God’s calling on our lives ought to be run from.
Joseph is my favorite man in the OT for numerous reasons.
When Joseph was pursued by Potiphar’s wife, he didn’t try and talk sense into her, explain why sleeping with her is wrong, or come up with some middle ground agreement with her. No way! He ran right out of his coat as fast as he could!
Many of us today need to try keeping pace with old Joe!
Pursue the actions that enable your ability to be the man or woman of God that God is calling you to be.
Pursue the actions that enable your ability to be the man or woman of God that God is calling you to be.
We are not just fleeing the bad things, we are pursuing the things that help us to be what God is calling us to be.
Look again at the six things that Paul mentions. Here’s the challenge, ask yourself a couple times this week, “How am I doing when it comes to living a righteous life before others? Were my interactions today godly? How have I shown my faith to others? Am I actively showing love to people, or just saying I am? How am I enduring difficulties? Am I treating people with gentleness or harshly?”
These are the actions that enable us to fulfill God’s calling on our lives.
Fight against the false teachers of our day by knowing, teaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Fight against the false teachers of our day by knowing, teaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here’s something I believe firmly: Every Christian should be able to articulate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you cannot, it’s time to work on it...
If you can, it’s time to pray about who you can articulate the Gospel to.
Finally, it’s not just knowing and teaching the Gospel, but also living the Gospel. This means we live like the Gospel truly has changed our lives.
Take hold of and keep focused on the great hope that we have as believers that our reward is coming in heaven with our Lord Jesus.
Take hold of and keep focused on the great hope that we have as believers that our reward is coming in heaven with our Lord Jesus.
In a moment we are going to participate in the Lord’s Supper together.
After we do that, I want to sing one more song together. The Solid Rock (especially the last verse).
Throughout this week, I want you to be reminded of the words of this great song, and remember the hope we have in Christ Jesus.
Not a hope of worldly success, but a hope of a heavenly inheritance. That should be the focus of our lives!