Pursuing Gospel Community
Household of God - 1 Timothy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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***Series Slide***
Today we are starting a new series from the book of 1 Timothy. Paul has written this letter to his protege Timothy. We hear of Timothy in the book of Acts, chapter 16...
1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
We see that along with being a disciple of Christ, Paul took him on a journey to see and experience what Paul was teaching and doing. This was the start of a strong relationship between the two. Paul saw Timothy as his son in faith as we’ll read.
The purpose of this letter to Timothy is to encourage him and to teach about some things that he needs to look out for as a young leader in the church. Paul states his purpose in writing this letter to Timothy in chapter 3, verses 14-15:
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
This letter is meant to guide Timothy as he leads the church in Ephesus. The church that should operate as the household of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
We’ll see over the next several weeks how Paul encourages Timothy in that, how Paul sets aside certain qualities of Worship, leaders, conduct in the church, teaching in the church...how we are to raise up leaders within the church.
Although this letter was written to Timothy, this teaching from Paul has a lot of relevancy in our current context.
***Title Slide***
Today I want to take on the entire first chapter of this letter. I’ve titled this first message, Pursuing Gospel Community. It is also the sub-title of the entire series. Paul is encouraging Timothy to lead a Gospel Community as the Household of God. Today’s passage He two main points:
A Gospel Community includes teaching God’s Word in Love
A Gospel Community displays God’s abundant grace
Let’s read and we’ll pause along the way.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
A Gospel Community includes teaching God’s Word in Love.
After a customary greeting, Paul warns Timothy about teachers who are focused on the wrong things. It’s very easy to slide into teaching the wrong things. In verse 3 and 4, Paul warns against three in particular...false doctrines, myths and endless genealogies. I think the first two apply to the church today. There are all sorts of false doctrines out there. There are all kinds of myths, conspiracy theories and ideas that people have to explain things that are happening in the world. Paul says not to teach that, nor devote ourselves to these ideas.
These distract us from from advancing God’s work. In our current day, there are so many churches who are so focused on politics and our country as the best thing. Don’t get me wrong...I love my country, but I love Jesus more. We get plenty of the political stuff on our TVs and around the water cooler at work. What we don’t get enough of in those places is Jesus. Let’s keep reading...
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
When we have to tell someone they are wrong about something, we must do so in love, from a pure heart and conscience. Out of a sincere faith. This is not always the easiest thing to do, especially when we have to do the next part...which is provide correction to those who we may not have a deep relationship with...
8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
The key here is use the law properly. So often the church is seen as a group of people who just want to hit the world upside the head with their Bibles. That’s not very loving and more times than not, the rebel doesn’t want to hear it. Yet, Paul here tells us to use the law to show those who don’t know Jesus that none of us are good enough. We’ve all participated in one or more of this list. We even still need to be reminded of what holiness and godliness looks like.
Paul does this out of love so that in seeing the error of our ways, we might turn to Jesus.
Keep in mind this is just the half of the conversation. A conversation that is rooted in God’s word, a conversation that is rooted in love. Again...
A Gospel Community includes teaching God’s Word in Love.
Let’s keep reading and see that...
A Gospel Community displays God’s abundant grace
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here Paul transitions...he started with how teaching the law and challenging those who teach false doctrine is a loving things to do. It’s how people ultimately come to Christ. They see their need. Then he speaks from his own experience...He was that guy who taught false doctrine as a blasphemer...he killed people...and yet Paul was shown mercy.
He was a sinner, ignorant of who Jesus really was. Ignorant of what Jesus accomplished. He did not believe, but he was then confronted with the word...God’s word. When that happened, God touched his heart and poured out grace, faith and love that is only through Jesus.
Isn’t this what we want for our friends and family?
Let’s read what he says next...
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I just love what Paul is saying here. I have had many conversations with people who tell me that they have done terrible things. They would argue with Paul for the title of “worst of sinners”. Perhaps you can relate. You might see yourself that way. I think our tendency is to avoid talking about our past. We don’t want others to think of us in that way.
Paul wears his sin openly and freely. Not that he is proud of it, but because he is an example for those who might think they could never be shown grace. Surely God’s patience has already run out.
But that’s not the truth. God has displayed his love for us by sending Jesus into the world to save us from our sin and from the consequence of our sin. As Christ followers who have been saved, who have been redeemed, we are all examples of God’s grace and mercy. There are many people in this world who need to see how we believe and what Jesus has done in order that they too may believe and experience God’s salvation through Jesus.
Paul ends with an encouragement and a warning...
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
God has created each of you with a purpose. He has redeemed each of you for a purpose. That purpose in each of us will always include someone else. Living our lives out in God’s purpose will inevitably include us sharing God’s word in love and displaying God’s abundant grace. That’s the charge here to Timothy specifically within his calling, but it is also to all of us in our callings.
Unfortunately, there is a flip slide of people who will reject their faith and conscience. Paul says he’s handed them over to Satan or excommunicated them as a means to teach not to blaspheme. That sounds harsh, but it really is the most loving thing to do. It is a means to protect the Gospel Community that we have.
In our church history, this has been done. It was only done as a last resort though when having a conversation and showing what God’s Word says was not headed.
A Gospel Community includes teaching God’s Word in Love.
A Gospel Community displays God’s abundant grace
Invitation.
