Sermon Tone Analysis

“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.

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.

Rather train yourself for godliness; 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.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

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.” [1]

Someone has said, quite accurately, I might add, that one can live about forty days without food, about four days without water, about four minutes without oxygen and about four seconds without hope.

Hope is not merely important for us—it is essential.

However, hope can be misplaced, creating serious problems for the one hoping; likewise, the object of one’s hope is critical.

Whether one places hope in that which is worthy of hope or whether one rests in that which is certain to disappoint will determine whether that individual shall succeed in this Christian life or whether that one will fail.

For far too many of the professed saints of the True and Living God, hope is synonymous with wishing—a feeling that what is wanted will happen.

Like the little boy walking past the graveyard in the evening, many professed Christians see hope as an act symbolised by whistling during the terrifying stroll.

The Bible presents quite a different picture of “hope,” however.

Hope, in biblical terms, speaks of expectation; it is grounded in faith, though it is distinct from faith.

Faith is based on the presence of God in one’s life; whereas hope presents an element of desire.

Faith has more of a grounding in facts and rational consideration growing out of God’s presence and promise; hope speaks of intensity as well as confidence.

We hope for the transition into the likeness of Christ, and our hope is grounded in our faith in Him as Master of life.

We hope for the rapture, and our hope is established on the promise of Christ to come for His own.

Thus, hope is akin to anticipation built upon the promises of God.

Paul reminds us that Christians have set their hope on the Living God.

Consequently, we are a hopeful people.

We live in hope—hope of Christ’s return, hope of the resurrection, hope of the transformation of creation and hope in the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Christ Jesus.

All that we hope for grows out of the knowledge of God and of His love for us.

Knowing this to be true, it will prove valuable for Christians to consider Him in whom we have hoped.

It will be to our benefit to look to the True and Living God, renewing our hope in Him.

*MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES* — Paul has been urging Timothy to excel in the service he presents before the Lord.

In relating these truths, Paul reveals Christian characteristics that must be seen in the life and service of any minister who will qualify as the good servant of Christ.

/THE GOOD SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS WARNS HIS PEOPLE AGAINST ERROR/.

“These things” refers back to all that has preceded the text.

From the very beginning of the letter, Paul was warning Timothy to expose false teachers [1:3-11] and to warn his listeners of the progress of this present age [4:1-5].

To be certain, interspersed with these warnings is to be sound instruction.

Let’s look at the substance of Paul’s admonition for the minister to warn against error.

In 1 TIMOTHY 1:3-11, Paul writes, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”

In the opening verses of this present chapter, Paul wrote, “The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” [1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5].

The minister who will gain the commendation of the Master will always bear in mind the awesome responsibility weighing on his soul.

God warned Ezekiel, and through him all ministers, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.

Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die.

Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.

But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul” [EZEKIEL 3:17-21].

I am always conscious of the responsibility to warn those who listen against error.

I take very seriously my charge to “reprove, rebuke and exhort” [2 TIMOTHY 4:2].

I am very much aware, as is each conscientious minister of Christ, that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching” [2 TIMOTHY 4:3].

Knowing this, the wise minister will be watchful, fulfilling the charge delivered to the elders of Ephesus when the Apostle met them at Miletus.

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Therefore be alert” [ACTS 20:28-31].

Dangerous times, deceitful people, desperate conditions will always face the churches of our Lord; and the minister of Christ must be prepared to stand firm against all such people and situations.

/THE GOOD SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS WILL BE AN EXPERT STUDENT OF THE WORD/.

Paul says the minister of Christ is to be “trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that [he] has followed.”

Weak preaching produces weak churches; to produce strong churches it is necessary for the minister to excel at study of the Word.

Note that I did not say “study /about/ the Word,” but “study /of/ the Word.”

If the Word is reduced to nothing more than a sourcebook for sermonic material, I cannot build strong believers through the sermons delivered.

If, however, I feed on the word, reading therein to strengthen my own heart, I will deliver messages born out of the overflow of the Word in my own heart.

The excellent servant of Christ must be thoroughly familiar with the Word, reading it, meditating on it and mastering the contents of the Book.

Years ago, I read the warning of a godly man who cautioned young ministers, “Woe to the minister who reads the Word and fails to hear the clarion voice of the Risen Son of God speaking to his own heart.”

How true those words.

Paul specifically indicates that the good servant must be “trained in the words of the faith” and trained in “the good doctrine” that had marked the young minister path to that point.

The pulpit is no place to be formulating one’s theology.

Paul will remind Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” [2 TIMOTHY 3:16, 17].

The minister of Christ must know the Word, understanding what has been written.

It is not the place of the minister to address the foibles of the flock, to ride a theological hobby horse or to chase after every contemporary fad arising within Christendom.

Timothy had imbibed from his mother’s womb the sincere milk of the Word; he had learned the good doctrine of the Faith as taught by his grandmother, Lois, and by his mother, Eunice.

Paul acknowledged this when he wrote, “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” [2 TIMOTHY 3:15].

But Timothy had learned those truths from Paul as well, honing doctrine through listening to what the Apostle taught.

Listen to Paul as he reminds Timothy of this truth.

“I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” [2 TIMOTHY 1:6-8].

“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” [2 TIMOTHY 1:13, 14].

From earliest days of preaching the Word, I have endeavoured to build each message on what God has written.

Some time ago, a man complained about my preaching.

“You quote a lot of Scripture,” he began, “but it is as though you are flying at twenty thousand feet.

You don’t dig deeply enough,” he complained.

I took his criticism as a complement.

I have often said, and I will say again, my purpose is not to be novel in the pulpit; rather, I am to be grounded in the Word, guiding you through the Word so that you will have an understanding of the will of God.

/THE GOOD SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS AVOIDS UNHOLY TEACHING/.

Paul admonishes Timothy, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.”

The good servant will neither imbibe from polluted wells, nor will he tolerate teaching that has its origins in the specious speculations of fallen mankind.

Paul speaks quite pointedly when he says, “Have nothing to do with…” The idea is that the man of God is to reject such teaching.

In fact, those who persist in such teaching are to themselves be rejected.

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him” [TITUS 3:10].

Paul is especially scathing in dismissing teaching that is not rooted in God’s revelation.

He calls such teaching “irreverent [and] silly myths.”

Akin to this cautionary warning is that Paul delivers in a later letter.

“Avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness” [2 TIMOTHY 2:16].

If the minister of Christ will be excellent in the sight of Him who appoints to holy service, he will expose himself to the Word of God.

In doing this, he will clarify his thoughts and enable himself to speak with power and clarity.

Paul admonishes us, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” [PHILIPPIANS 4:8].

/THE GOOD SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS DISCIPLINES HIMSELF TO BE GODLY/.

The Apostle encourages Timothy no merely to reject errant teaching, but continues by stating, “Rather train yourself for godliness.”

Let me give you a little insight into the Greek text.

The word translated “train” is the Greek word *gumnázō*; we derive our English words “gymnasium” and “gymnastics” from this Greek word.

The first readers of Paul’s missive would have understood that the training in view would be rigorous, strenuous, demanding, self-sacrificing.

The one who trains aims to do whatever is necessary to equip himself to compete.