Steward the Gospel - Why We Need Paul's Last Letters
Notes
Transcript
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus,
Do you remember one of the refrains, chorus’s of the Acts of Apostles/Holy Spirit/ Risen Lord Jesus Kingdom - Part II? The theme beginning to end is “And the Word of God grew” - gospel went to the world, and it turned the Roman World upside down. What a thrill to see that early growth of the church, turned from a Jewish Church with Gentile coverts, to church from all nations and races with Jewish origins. And do you remember how ends? Its not an autobiogrpahy about Paul, kind of anticlimactic - don’t know if gets out, if he speaks to Caesar , if he dies, if … because not about Paul but about the Word of god growing, the kingdom and mgospel of Jesus
- so it ends
proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Well we have also seen that after those wonderful beginnings, those churches - began to wander and stray. As we saw fromthe boo of Jude false teachers from within the churches started to stop the progress of grace and started killing the church from within. Indeed lookig at the PRISON LETTERS of Paul, this false teaching in Asia Minor, Turkey - Ephesus, 150m W Colosse, Laodocia, Heiropolis. Paul had visited Ephesus and church led by Priscila and Aquila in his first missionary journey, and then Apollos eloquent Jewish preacher had come, then Paul ministered there for ongest by far of any - 2 1/2 years.
But false teaching within, division also wrecking this prize church. It had planted those other Epaphras had gone from there and planted church at Colosse. Well Paul in those prison letters Philippians, Colossians, Philemon - says he will visit soon. Two years have passed by, and either got his hearing before Caeasar able to testify of the gospel, or required time for the lega complait expired, Roman citizien go free. Now Paul - visits all those area churches, and visits Spain, and he writes to very similar letters - almost identitical. One to Titus, whom he had sent to the isalnd of Crete - very talented .bold, some what older assitant tot he Apostle. And having re-visited Ephesus, and assessed their church istuation, he urges Timothy to remain there. Both 1 Timothy and Titus almost identitcal letters - that were written to revitalize dying churches. To fan into flame - so churches become roaring flame of witness, instead of dying embers. And if you were ask the question - why did church die - like at Classis Springdale - lots of reason but elder said as I thought of it, - we lost our first love! Autoposy of a dead church. But I think that’s the wrong question, maybe lot’s of right and helpful answers to reflect on. But you can have the right answers, but get the question wrong. The question we need to ask is how are churches in an ongoing way revitalized? How do churches grow and become healthy and vibrant?
The context will always be through struggle, gathering of repentant sinners - doubts, sin, doctrianl testing. The context, like Gurret could attest to in church planting - attacks from without peresecution, and Stan’s second prong - attacks from within. And it is especcially the second prong that Paul says is dngerous here: Look
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
Not just one of the probelms there, but the solution, the right question. The gospel is a stewardship. If I say to you how do you steward your money, talents, time .. probably gie an answer -how you put to use $$, gifts of service, time - as bleonging to God for his purposes. But do you undertand that the church is given the treasure, it must put to use in eachothers lives, in our comunity - It is the greek word - for a productive household. —GOd’s household of grace - church doesn’t exist to inspire and entertain you, doesn’t exist first of all for social change, emotional health, polti8cal justice, its ahousehold where the truth and grace of the Messiah is treasure - cut through all the other questions with this questions How is Satan , how is interanl bickering, how is flase teaching, and worldly practice preventing us from stewarding the gospel of Jesus?
Put more positively in the next question, if we steward the gospel, and living as a continually renewing church - is the big deal wiht our church a faith that
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
faith working through love - agape love of Christ - self-giving, not taking love, that’s outwardly in action what we are to be engaged in - its the telos, the end goal. How inwardly are we through the blood of Christ, applied to our lives - finding this purity of heart,livng in the the freedom of Christ that produces a clear sound conscience, sincere stepping out and exerciseing faith - taking risks in obeying Jesus.
Some where along the line in the last 10 years - this congregation stopped being concerned about that. What is the problems with the teachin ginthe church - no longer consider sin, nor thinks they ar sinners that need God’s grace to be at wor inthem. DO’t concern themselves with sound conscinece, rather talk about personal inspiriation and speculations - little persona private theories and spiritualities, than on actually loving people.
And guess when these area church show up in Scripture again. Timothy had renewed the church gone, and John writes to the the church in Ephesus:
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
It’s twenties yeas later, and JOhn needs to come to them. Paul has been killed shortly after by Nero just after he wrote 2 Timothy turly Pastoral Letter, in his second roman imprisonment. Timohty probablly died, and Joh the last living apostle - need to come back to Epehsus - not so much the persecution but confornt the false teaching, and bring them back to the first love, and flame into flame - this church to truly be stewards of the gospel!
Look at how Paul instructing Timothy - puts it these false teachera problem, but look what we’ve been called to:
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.
We need a turnig back to sound doctrine why? Because the gospel is to bring a glory of God in its wake. Influence of the gospel to - make us stand back - and say WOW isn’t God’s grace amazing how - restore d this person, broke that sinfu habit, restored that broken relationship, saved that wandering sinner -
SO much of church has become man-centred and not God and gospel centred. Like Horton’s book - last Supper but Jesus cut out. … Reutnr to sound doctrine - which accords with sound practice of family, sexuality, of work, of mercy, of justice - You know what we will see - more of the blessed God.
that title is one of my favourite tites for God. Blessed marakrios - simply and purely means happy. OUr GOd not absolute power, Monad God of Islam, our God is the thrice pesaonl, rivers of love flowing between Father SOn and Holy SPirit - supreemly happy in himself, and over flowing source of happiness to all related to Him. Do you know any content happy epole “ We are at ease and delight in their fellowship … Pal says that’s the gospel of the Happy God - - and being entrusted by Him with His Good news has got to change how we do church.
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
Paul ays the same of Timothy
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
And he says the same to you and me
We too have a charge of service for the gospel together, and Paul in His Pastoral letter’s gives us the keys to reviving church in the midst of attacks from without and especially within. We are going to have to learn how to do church, about the heart of discipleship. Called in our leadership to do what Jim Collins discovered - get the right people on the bus and right people off the bus - character and willing big deal ,ability to know and show the truth of God, not perfect but hubmle, but even more basic begins with ch 2 with prayer and ch 4 with actually teaching God’s Word
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.
IN chapter 5 about relationships - in the church that mirror relationships in our homes - older women, younger women, older men younger men. widows, children. Going to talk about love of money and wealth, not got up in the consumerism rat race, but regardless if rich or poor, to live for true contentment with godliness.
Dear Congregation, Paul begins this letter on the oder, the household economy of Christ Church, not giving little grandfatherly advice before he dies, look at the start of the letter again:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
He is saying that just like he learned the gospel directly from the Riseon Lord Jesus, divinely commissioned bring the gospel to the Gentiles, so too this instruction on reviving and doing church - it is by command of God for the ages. And he doesn't just send the instruction to Epehsus, look at v.2
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
He sends his righthand man, a pieces of his heart. Do you have someone like that inthe faith - a brother of sister here - you trust . Timothy unlike Titus, young, had physciall sickness, and had a timd spirit, and Paul says - God has chosen actual people not the pastor of this congreation, apostlesh lpher, but appointed people to embody this instruction and fan into flame gospel ministry of the church. All called to service in this ministry, all need this continual revival and rec-centering. And just like Paul showing you know what those called to this work of leading and reviving, and recentring - deat me and I love them. We are to have people we trust - know the spiritual pulse, know the temptations and false teaching theat lure us to stary from withinn, no the pressures of society around - And we are to trust them in the work of re-centering and revivnig Christ’s gospel minsitry among us!