Serving Well

1 Timothy 4:6–16 NASB95

In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things. 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.

Intro: As we continue our series, For the Sake of the Church, we begin to make a turn from the explanation to the application. We have discussed the main purpose of Paul’s letter- to Guard the Gospel and we’ve looked at the character requirements of pastors/ elders and deacons. Last week, we studied what the church should be. So, we take all of this explanation and begin to put feet on it.

With the described character and understanding of WHO we are, we now look to see how this plays out practically in our lives.

I will remind you that this letter was written to Timothy with the intention that the church would also hear and be instructed under Paul’s authority as a disciple of Christ. And so, in the first part of v. 6, Paul sets forth the measure by which Timothy’s service to Jesus would be gauged. (Read 6a)

In other words, The measure by which Timothy could gauge his service to Christ is his faithfulness in teaching God’s Word.

But it is not simply that he teaches or even that he teaches accurately. False teaching comes in through hypocrites (as we saw in 4:2) so Paul is connecting Timothy’s teaching to his real life. Timothy could not serve Christ well just bringing a message together a few times a week- His life needed to be a reflection of that teaching applied.

The same is true for me as your pastor, for those who are teachers, and for all who are disciple-makers. And that is our calling, isn’t it? To make disciples of Christ.

So today, we will walk through 6 precepts/ maxims to serving well.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing (6b-7a)

Here is what Paul is saying: Timothy, as you teach, keep on following the truths that you have been taught, for they will give you strength and growth. We will be nourished by sound doctrine.

The truth of God’s Word is good for us. We cannot expect to be satisfied by ear-tickling speeches. Just because something sounds good does not mean it is good for you!

Take for example the dessert bar at your favorite Golden Corral- Doesn’t a hot peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream sound good? How about a chocolate lava cake or a pecan pie? Friends, these things sound good, and they taste good, but at the end of the day, they do not nourish our bodies. If we only eat dessert, we will gain weight, develop diabetes or high blood pressure, it will be difficult to walk or breathe and eventually our heart will give out. We need the nourishment of meats and vegetables in our physical bodies. We need the milk and meat of God’s Word to nourish our souls!

This of course stands in contrast to the “worldly fables” Paul mentions in v. 7. These fables, Paul says, are only fit for old women… I didn’t say that, Paul did! Don’t shoot the messenger!!

Here’s what that means: These fables or myths are only good for raising speculation. They cannot be proved and they are too vague to be disproved. But we are the church, the pillar and support of TRUTH as we learned last week. We cannot allow ourselves to get sucked into speculative fables- and BTW, that means conspiracy theories. We must demand truth in all things, especially as we seek to be servants and followers of Jesus Christ.

These myths only distract from our purpose.

Proverbs 4:25–27 NASB95

Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

We must keep the main thing the main thing. Next, Paul says we need to

Train in Godliness (7b-8)

The word, “train” is not talking about how a new Chick-Fil-A employee is trained in using the fry vat or milkshake machine. (Nor is it that thing that goes “Choo Choo”)

The idea is more likened to an athlete. In order to be able to play at a competitive level, athletes must train. They must work out, study the playbook, practice running plays. They develop healthy eating and exercise habits in order to bring their best to the playing field.

This is true for us as well. We cannot expect to serve Christ well if we have unhealthy habits that draw us away from Him. Just like developing healthy eating habits makes a difference over time, so will creating healthy routines in our spiritual disciplines.

This isn’t about checking off boxes, it’s about growing. If we expect to come together as the church of the Living God as we spoke last Sunday, we must be making preparations throughout the week so that we bring worship with us when we come.

Don’t expect to make a giant leap into godliness, but rather understand the process is slow and steady. Kick the bad stuff and lay hold of what is truly good!

Trade your time on Facebook for time in The Good Book.

Trade your time sitting in front of the TV for time kneeling before the KING.

Look, if it’s good and necessary to take time each day to eat right, exercise, shower, brush your teeth (And, trust me, that’s important!) Then how much MORE vital is it to discipline yourself for godliness?

Keep the main thing the main thing, train in godliness, next Paul says:

Fix Your Hope (10)

This is about our motivation. Paul reminds Timothy that his reason for all the effort, all the laboring and hard times are worth it because our hope is in the Living God!

Look, there is not a single verse in here that says we are going to live an easy life free of temptation, free from trouble, free from hard-headed people who give you strife, free from hard work while we are living out the Gospel.

In fact, we are told just the opposite. We will face opposition. The world will hate you. You will be persecuted. You will have heartaches. Your sinful nature will raise up and cause you to stumble. You will be tempted. You will want to give up. You will question whether or not it’s worth all this trouble.

It is. Let me just read to you quickly from

Revelation 21:1–4 NASB95

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Fix your hope on Jesus.

Next Paul says,

Pour Into Others (11-12)

Timothy is instructed to prescribe (command) and teach these things-(referring to sound doctrine/ godliness)

This takes words. We must use our words to teach others. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that most people cannot read your mind! They cannot infer from your smile(as beautiful as it is) the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They cannot be corrected or admonished solely by your gaze… though some of you can definitely shoot daggers.

I think it’s important to do this because when we are sharing the truth of the Gospel with others, we are forced to wrestle with it ourselves. Did you know that every sermon I preach, I preach first to myself? And every bible study I lead, every conversation about the Gospel must first be something I have meditated on and processed. To be a teacher is to first be a student.

But it isn’t just words. Paul tells Timothy that he must be a model for those under his influence. He must be an example is speech, conduct, love, faith, purity…

This is not a “Do as I say” situation, this is a “Do what I say as I live it out in front of you” thing.

This is where our words intersect with our life. A doctor who is obese is unlikely to have much influence when prescribing a diet for his obese patient.

Keep the main thing the main thing, Train in godliness, Fix your hope in Jesus, Pour into others… next,

Be the Church (13-14)

There are two instructions in these verses that Paul gives that help underscore the importance of the gathered body:

Publicly read and proclaim God’s Word.

We are not centered on a personality, on a musical style, or a building. We are centered on the Lord and His Word.

There are groups that meet in building on Sundays that call themselves a church, but they don’t even open the Bible. In fact, I remember seeing one of these so-called church signs declaring they were studying the theology of Toy Story.

God’s Word must be central in our gatherings.

Use your Spiritual Gifts.

Paul tells Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift in him. I’ll tell you the same

God has uniquely gifted you to serve Him. Some of you are gifted with children, others are great at administration.

Some of you haven’t even discovered your spiritual gift- you just come and practice sitting on a pew. BTW- that is NOT a spiritual gift. USE YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT!

Finally, Paul says :

Keep Going (15-16)

Here’s the thing, our witness to those around us will be strongest when we are faced with the temptation to quit.

There will be difficult days. But, as Paul tells Timothy, take pains with this. Make it a matter of concern and concentration. Be intentional.

BTW, did you know that perseverance is contagious? It’s why marathoners will run harder and push further when they see other runners. It’s why soldiers continue to war even when they have nothing left to give.

So it must be for us as well. We must persevere in our godliness.

The happens only when our life is absorbed in the truth of God’s Word- It is when we are surrendered fully, that our growth will be evident to those around us and we will be seen as someone who is authentic in their life and leadership.

It is through our perseverance in living out and teaching the Gospel that we will strengthen our faith and the faith of those around us.

Discuss: What are some “fables” that you may need to avoid?

Discuss: How is one’s teaching connected to their conduct?

Discuss: Who has modeled godliness in your life? In what ways?

Discuss: What precept stood out most to you? Why?