Gospel Formed

The following advertisement appeared in a London newspaper a century ago.

“Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” Thousands of men responded! It was signed by the noted Arctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton and that is what made the difference.

If Christ had had advertised for workers, the announcement would not have been much better.

“Seeking men and women to build my church. You will be misunderstood. You will face constant attack of the enemy. Your labor will be difficult. It will cost you all control over your life. You will not receive your full reward until your work is complete.”

That doesn’t sound appealing. But, a countless number respond to the call. Why? Because it is given by Christ. We can trust Christ. We love him because he first loved us and gave his life that we might be forgiven of sin and restored to God.

Timothy was a young man whose life was formed and shaped by the gospel. That is why we are going to call this series Gospel Formed. We are going to talk about that more in a little while.

For now let’s get into the text. The letter starts with a typical introduction from the Apostle Paul to Timothy.

I. The Author: The Apostle Paul

1 Timothy 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

Paul is one of the most prominent figures of the New Testament. His Hebrew name was Saul. He is called Saul until his first missionary journey after which he is called Paul.

He had been raised in orthodox Jewish background. He excelled in his training and zeal. He described himself in .

Philippians 3:5 ESV

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

Philippians 3:5–6 ESV

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

He was a feared persecutor of Christians. On the way to Damascus to bring persecution to Christians, he met the risen glorified Christ and his life was changed forever. He was struck blind, saved, called into ministry, and had his sight restored.

He immediately started preaching the gospel which brought a great deal of hostility from Jewish leaders, so he escaped Jerusalem. The church didn’t know if they could trust him or not, but through the work the well respected Barnabas, Paul was accepted by the church.

In 1 Timothy, Paul identifies himself as an apostle. This is a word derived from a verb meaning, “To send off on a commission to do something as one’s personal representative, with credentials furnished.” We might think of this a something of an ambassador.

The Apostles of Christ in the most restrictive sense where the first 12 disciples called by Christ. Of course, Judas killed himself and then God led the church to replace him with Matthias and then the Lord himself called Paul. These were men who had leaned the gospel from Christ himself and commissioned by Christ to take the gospel to the world.

Notice that Paul says to Timothy that his orders came:

“by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.” (v.1)

1 Timothy 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

Paul was faithful to take the gospel to the known world in at least 3 missionary journeys under unbelievable persecution and danger that ultimately led to his execution in Rome under Emperor Nero in A.D. 68.

Paul is writing the letter to:

II. The Recipient : Timothy

Paul had a special love and connection to Timothy. He called him.

1 Timothy 1:2 ESV

2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy’s name means “one who honors God.” He was named by his mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, who were certainly devout Jews before they became Christians. They were faithful to teach him the Scriptures since he was a small child.

2 Timothy 3:5 ESV

5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Timothy’s dad was a Greek pagan. That’s all we know about him so he might have been dead by the time that Paul met them. Being half Jew and half Greek made Timothy unique and gave him the ability to related to both cultures.

Paul viewed Timothy like a spiritual son. He had mentored him. By the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy, Paul had been close to Timothy for 15 years.

Timothy had been with Paul in Corinth, was sent by Paul into Macedonia, accompanied him on his return trip to Jerusalem. He was with Paul when he wrote Romans, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

He had been sent by Paul to churches at Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippi, and now Ephesus to help the churches and work out problems. Timothy truly was a son in the faith.

III. The Date

The best estimate on when Paul wrote this letter was the mid-60’s AD. He wrote it during a time in his life that many of you may not be familiar with.

The best estimate on when Paul wrote this letter was the mid-60’s AD. He wrote it during a time in his life that many of you may not be familiar with.

Most of us are familiar with 3 missionary journeys. This ended in Paul being imprisoned in house arrest in Rome. This is where the book of Acts ends. What a lot of people don’t realize is that many scholars believe that Paul was released from this imprisonment after a couple of years around A.D. 62.

Betwee

He was imprisoned again and executed in Rome around A.D. 68. It was during this second imprisonment that he wrote 2 Timothy.

It was in between these 2 Roman imprisonment that Paul continued to do ministry. Some scholars call it a 4th missionary journey where he may have gone to Spain to preach the gospel as he very much wanted. It was during this in between time that he wrote this letter to Timothy in Ephesus.

IV. The Purpose

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to help them with a number of issues that had arisen in the church causing problems. So Paul wrote to Timothy with clear instructions about how to help the church.

Paul gave very clear statement on why he wrote this book in .

1 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

I’m calling this series through 1 Timothy calling “Gospel Formed.” At the very heartbeat of this book, we we see how the gospel changes believers.

Our behavior should have the fingerprints of the gospel on them.

Today we start our series through 1 Timothy. It’s a series that I’m calling “Gospel Formed.” At the very heartbeat of this book, we we see how the gospel changes believers.

*If you know my wife Misty very well, you know that she is a ID Channel addict. If you don’t know what the ID Channel is, be thankful. The ID Channel is a 24 hour channel that runs true life murder stories on it.

It’s all Misty watches. Outside of Hallmark in December, that’s it.

I want everyone here to know something, right now. If I come up missing, it is because I’m dead. And, Misty did it. But, you are never going to be able to prove it. She has learned numerous ways to get rid of me.

Do be fair, she has had to live with me for the past 23 years. I’m a little surprised she hasn’t already done it. But, you are never going to be able to find the murder weapon. But if you could, Misty’s fingerprints would be on it. She is responsible.

Now that’s a poor illustration to say this. Paul is concerned that the church, and by that the believers that make up the church can be identified because we have the fingerprints of the gospel on our lives.

Our behavior matters and how we function as a church of believers matters.

*When my kids were little they use to play with playdoh. It could be formed into all kinds of different shapes. The playdoh came with little molds of houses and animals. If you looked as how the playdoh was shaped you could tell what mold they had been shaped.

Paul is going to tell us that there should be outward evidence in our lives that we have been formed by the gospel.

What are the identifying characteristics that 1 Timothy points to that shows as church, we have been molded by the gospel?

1. The gospel shapes in us God glorifying character.

If we believe that God is holy then we should understand that God’s people are called to be holy. There should be no separation between belief and behavior.

1 Tim. 15

1 Timothy 1:5 ESV

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

The church is to protect it’s doctrine and have leaders that embody godly character and love God more than money because the church is not formed in a vacuum. It is formed and shaped by the gospel of Christ.

2. The gospel inspires in us God glorifying evangelism.

And ultimately, who is the church? The people of God living in community together confessing Christ as savior and seeking to grow in him.

God doesn’t want us to try to shelter ourselves from the lost world. God wants to reach this lost world with the gospel. God love the world and the gospel of Jesus Christ is it’ only hope. We have the charge to bring the gospel to the world.

1 Timothy 2:3–7 ESV

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

2

3. The gospel ignites in us God glorifying worship.

One of the truest evidences that we have been shaped by the gospel is a desire to corporately worship God in ways that please God. Prayer, Unity, humility, submitting to one another and God.

1 Timothy 2:8–10 ESV

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

4. The gospel raises among us God glorifying leaders.

God graciously gives leaders to the church. But not leaders who are out to accomplish their own agenda. But, out to accomplish God’s agenda for his people. Leaders whose very lives display the character of Christ.

1 Timothy 3:1–3 ESV

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

1 Tim. 3:

1 Timothy 3:8–9 ESV

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

1 Tim. 3:8

5. The gospel clarifies for us God glorifying perspectives on God’s gifts.

If we are not careful, it is easy to love God’s gifts more than God as the giver. But, the gospel causes us to be thankful for God’s gifts, but to fall in love with giver. Listen to Paul speak about money.

1 Timothy 6:17 ESV

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

I find it funny when preachers say that we’ve got to become a first century church. As if first century churches didn’t have problems and challenges or face an ongoing enemy.

We need to be what Paul wanted all the churches he helped plant to be in the first century, a Gospel Formed people.

1 Timothy 3:14 ESV

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,

1 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

The point is simple: the gospe

“how one ought to behave in the household of God...” Or, how God desires us to behave as believers. We might say this, the gospel just doesn’t save us from hell; it changes our lives.

It leads to practical visible change in those who believe it.

The values of the gospel should be reflected in those who have been touched by it.

Two simple illustrations came to mind concerning being formed by the gospel. Both from my family.

*