The Reason We Toil and Strive

The letter, at this point, gets very personal.

41 times Paul uses the second person singular, “you”, but only 3 times up to this point.

A great deal of what is to come is Paul’s instruction to Timothy on how to be a good pastor, a good shepherd, a good servant of Jesus Christ.

And, while you might find much of it specific to the role of leading and teaching, the practical aspects of what go into that role are no exclusive to that role itself.

In other words, regardless of your particular gifting and calling within the church, much of what makes a good pastor or leader make a good servant of Christ in any fashion.

So I want to give most of the attention this morning to those universal truths, while seeing them in the context of Paul’s specific instruction to Timothy.

I also want to point out that the couple of paragraphs here are very much encouraging - and that in the truest sense. We often use the word “encouragement” to mean lifting up a low spirit, but encouragement in its fullest sense is to “instill courage” or “instill strength.”

As Paul does that, he lifts Timothy’s eyes again toward the living God, the savior, whom our hope rests in.

We must not become distracted or neglect the means of training and growth that God has specifically given us, because our hope is fixed on him.

1. “These Things”

1 Timothy 4:6 ESV

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.

1 Timothy 4:11 ESV

Command and teach these things.

Immediate use

The confession of the mystery of the Gospel in 3:14-16

The dangerous distortions of the gospel through adding works to Christ’s work

Freedom to accept the good gifts that Christ offers in life (i.e. food, marriage)

Broader sense, faithfulness to good doctrine, what was handed down by Jesus through the apostles to the church.

These things, verse 11,

the words of faith and good doctrine

practicing and training in godliness

hope fixed on God alone

2. What not to do, What to do

What not to do...

1 Timothy 4:7 ESV

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:14 ESV

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

What to do...

Vs. 6 - put these things before the brother.

we do need reminders

we do need correction

we do need rudders on our ship, guardrails on our pathways

vs. 7 - train for godliness

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

vs. 12 - set an example for the believers

vs. 13 - devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching

vs. 15 - practice and immerse yourself in these things - let them be real to you first

vs. 16 - keep a close watch on yourself and the teaching

twofold

What we Teach

What we do

Importance self-evident.

examples

3. For This Reason

1 Timothy 4:10 ESV

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.

All of the practical instruction that Paul gives to timothy, and what comes to us regardless of your role as a Christian, stems from this

God - our savior - is our hope and the reason we toil and strive

PRactically...

We remind each other and accept reminders and corrections

We train ourselves for godliness

toil and stive, athletic terms

running the race

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

This guards against...

impractical religiosity

Just doing religious things for some kind of religious satisfaction, without impact on daily life

hypocrisy

Saying and teaching one thing, but doing another

becoming discouraged or jaded

There is nothing more distasteful than a system of belief without a life-giving experience of that truth

self-deception

Both in terms of paying attention to our faults and failings, and realizing our need of growth, and...

thinking that adhering to Christianity will add blessing to our life without requiring any sacrifice, commitment, or perseverance in what God has to say.

We constantly look to our source, the Scripture.

All manner of hypocrisy is failing to actually fix our hope in God.