The Blueprint: God's Design for His Church; Part 11: Members of God's Church Must Pursue Holy Behavior and Practices.

Recap

Series Main Truth: When the Church follows God’s design, it becomes the Church that God intended it to be.

Foundational Truths: The church belongs to Jesus and must have correct teaching/doctrine, especially the doctrine of grace

Christ’s church has the one true Gospel of salvation by grace and must fight for it.

The Church is to pray for all people, especially those in authority. Men, in particular, are to pray, lifting holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

The church is to be led by qualified elders and deacons.

We, the church, are to conduct ourselves in godliness.

The church must be on the lookout for false teaching.

Introduction

This week we turn to Paul’s next instruction to Timothy: to be an example to others and love others in a manner worthy of their place in life.

The main truth for us to take away today is:

Members of God's Church Must Pursue Holy Behavior and Practices.

Today’s passage:

1 Timothy 4:12–5:2 NASB95

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

1. We are to pay close attention to who and what we are individually (4:12-16).

It is always easy to look at others and judge them as not meeting Christian standards. But Paul reminds Timothy that he must look to himself first. Who is he? What is he like?

Paul instructs Timothy that he must look to himself first and what he needs to be. Paul gives him 5 commands about what he needs to strive for. And the same is true for us, esp leaders in the church. First:

We are to be an example to others (v.12).

1 Timothy 4:12 NASB95

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

“Let no one look down your youthfulness”

Timothy was evidently rather young, perhaps in his 20s.

This is a command. “Look down” = view with contempt, disdain

This has always been a common problem among the older: to view the younger as less than they, to look down upon them. Sometimes this can be legitimate as some youth act very unbecomingly.

But this is the reason why Paul brings up this matter to Timothy. He wants him to make sure to put away childish, immature behaviors and be an example to the church at Ephesus. Being un understudy of Paul and organizing the church at Ephesus demands the utmost of integrity and behavior.

Specifically Timothy is be an example in his “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.”

This about covers it all, doesn’t it?

The words that he speaks need to be pure, rather than crass. He needs to avoid gossip, foul language, slander, and ridicule. As one who preaches the Gospel, Timothy’s speech must be carefully weighted.

Paul says Timothy also needs to be an example in conduct. He needs act lovingly and respectfully of others. But he also needs to make sure his conduct is in line with what he professes. And he esp. needs to love (ἀγάπῃ) others.

He needs to show others what it is like to have faith in Christ and how to live it daily. His conduct needs to be “pure” (“chaste”), i.e., sexually pure.

Second, Paul commands what Timothy needs to be doing as a leader in the church (and, of course, this applies to us as well):

We are to focus on God’s Word (v.13).

1 Timothy 4:13 NASB95

Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

Lit. = “. . . to the reading, the preaching, and the teaching/doctrine.”

This is a short way of saying that Timothy needs to continue to preach and teach the Word of God/Scripture. This is certainly a reference to the church’s practice of reading Scripture and then the preacher expounding upon it. The practice we know today as “the sermon” goes all the way back to the very beginning of the church. And we should note its importance: it is one of the primary practices of the church when it comes together.

It is interesting to note what Paul does NOT emphasize for Timothy to pay attention to: singing, music, even prayer and communion. Obviously, this is not to belittle any of those things, but Paul stressing the reading and preaching of Scripture shows us the priority and primary importance.

Illustration:

I got a little bit in trouble this past week for a meme I posted on FB:

“The pulpit is not the place for:

personal testimonies, political speeches, group therapy sessions, motivational talks, self-help advice, worldly philosophies, or scientific theories.”

I caught little flack for this. A few people mentioned that some of the Apostles used their testimony when preaching and sometimes personal testimonies are helpful in seeing God work in one’s life.

To this, I say, “of course!” But this misses the point of the quote. We need to understand the spirit of the quote and not make it dogmatically wooden and literal as to mean the pulpit is never, ever a place to even refer to these things.

The point: Scripture is the main focus of preaching and teaching.

This is the point Paul is making. Paul did not say, “Give attention to personal testimonies; give attention to politics, give attention to _______.” He said give attention to reading, preaching, and teaching of Scripture.

Again, this does not mean we never refer to other things like personal testimonies, politics, or something of the kind. We certainly do and will when appropriate. But Scripture must be central and foundational for what we do.

But Paul also instructs Timothy that he is to cultivate his spiritual gifts (as do we, too, ought to do the same)

We are to cultivate our spiritual gifts (v.14).

1 Timothy 4:14 NASB95

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

Here, Paul is referring to when Timothy was called to preach and teach alongside him. There was a specific word from God that directed Timothy to do this. Timothy was called by God to be Paul’s understudy and to preach.

We see here too that a part of designating Timothy as a preacher what the laying on of hands by “the presbytery.” This is the elders.

Paul is reminding Timothy to fulfill his ministry of preaching and teaching. “Do not forget it! Exercise your gifts!”

We, too, are to exercise our gifts. The Holy Spirit has given to each of us at least one gift, and God had given to us many skills and talents. He wants us to use them for the building up of the body, to serve one another, to love one another, to encourage one another.

In fact, it’s much stronger than this:

We are to be absorbed in our ministry (v.15).

1 Timothy 4:15 NASB95

Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.

Notice the strong language here: “take pains with these things” “be absorbed in them”

ESV: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them.”

NIV: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them.”

KJV: “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them.”

AMP: “Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry].”

What if we were to throw ourselves wholly into the life of the church, using our giftedness? What if we were to throw ourselves wholly into a ministry of the church?

Illustration of the only contribution one makes is warming the pew?

Why is this so important?

=> “. . . so that your progress will be evident to all” (1 Tim 4:15b).

For Timothy, this means quite a bit. He was a young guy, and some people looked down on his youth. And so Paul is telling Timothy, “Look, one thing that will help others not look down on your youth is to do your ministry well and stick to it. People will notice and take note. Your progress will be seen.”

Progress in what? Progress in the faith.

As Christians, our primary goal is to make progress in becoming like Jesus and being effective in making disciples.

Did you know that you, too, are to make progress in your faith and ministry? . . .

D. Martyn-Lloyd Jones quote:

“You do not become a Christian by just refraining from some actions and doing others; the Christian is a man who is in a particular relationship to God and whose supreme desire is to know him better and to love him more truly. That is not a part-time job . . . it is not achieved by the religious observance of a part of Sunday; it demands all the time and attention we have.” [Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 181]

Paul gives Timothy a final command about how he himself (and this applies to us as well) ought to be:

We are to pay attention to what we are saying (v.16).

1 Timothy 4:16 NASB95

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

What Paul says here is very important. Timothy is to pay close attention to how he acts and what he teaches.

“Pay close attention to yourself,” Paul says.

The idea here means to hold fast to, fix one’s attention, or direct one’s mind toward something. Paul is telling Timothy that he is to fix his mind on himself in the sense of doing deep, self-reflection.

And he is to do this not just concerning himself as a person but to his teaching. He must concentrate intently upon what he teaches. This takes study, meditation, and prayer.

Then, Paul uses a word that indicates that this is not easy but he must continue to do it: he says, “Persevere in these things.”

What does persevere mean? => “endure, tarry, continue no matter what”

Ministry can be very difficult. Being an elder or deacon can be very difficult. Just being a Christian can be difficult. We need to be reminded to pay close attention to ourselves and our teaching and then to persevere in these.

Now, note the reason why Paul commands Timothy to do these things: so that he will ensure salvation for himself and others.

Question for us: do we pay close attention to ourselves and our ministry of the church?

How often do we take time to reflect on ourselves? We are often afraid to do so, aren’t we?

Blaise Pascal, Christian of the 17th century noted that we avoid taking personal inventory because we’ll find our miseries. He went on to say, “The only thing which consoles us for our miseries is diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this which principally hinders us from reflecting upon ourselves and which makes us insensibly ruin ourselves.”

We come up with many things to distract us and divert attention so we do not have to reflect on whether we are progressing in the faith and fulfilling the ministry Jesus called us to or is calling us to.

Are you progressing in your ministry? Do you have a ministry?

“Pay attention!” Paul says.

Finally, we are not to pay attention only to ourselves, but to how we treat others in the church.

2. We are to pay close attention to how we treat others in the church.

1 Timothy 5:1 NASB95

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,

Timothy was in a pastoral position, and one of his responsibilities (as we’ve seen) is to correct false teaching and sinful behavior. But Paul warns him to do these things in an appropriate, Christian way.

How are we to treat older men and younger men (v.1)?

Paul says for Timothy to treat older men as fathers. How are we to treat fathers? => respect, dignity

Note: he doesn’t say to refrain from rebuking them when needed, but to do it as an appeal to a father.

Timothy is then reminded to treat younger men as brothers. How are we to treat brothers? => love, guidance, understanding

Paul then instructs how to interact with women, both older and younger.

How are we to treat older women and younger women (v.2)?

1 Timothy 5:2 NASB95

the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

Timothy is to treat older women as mothers. What does this look like? => Respect, love, gentleness, honor

Finally, he is to treat younger women as sisters. => Also with love, gentleness but note “in all purity” - “purity” is the idea of sexual purity. There are boundaries between men and women that should never be crossed.

“Billy Graham” rule - this is not being a fuddy-dud prude. This is keeping the command to be sexually pure, so much so that there are no questions asked.

Certainly, considering Timothy’s leadership position in the church, how he treated others was of utmost importance. How elders and deacons treat women, esp their wives, is in fact one of the qualifications of these positions as we saw in 1 Tim 3.

But these commands also apply to each one of us.

How do we treat one another in the church? Just pause a minute and think about that. Treating one another the way we ought is not an easy task, is it? Jesus has thrust together a bunch of sinners saved by grace and says, “Get along and love one another!” It takes work.

How do we treat older men, younger men, older women, younger women?

Take Away

We (the church) are to pay close attention to who and what we are individually and how we treat others.

We are to be an example to others, focus on God’s Word, cultivate our spiritual gifts and be absorbed in ministry, and pay close attention to what we say and how we live.

Treat others with love, respect, dignity, honor, and sexual purity.