Sermon Tone Analysis

The Conduct of the Pastor- 1 Timothy 4:1-15

I have had the privilege of serving on staff as a minister or pastor in three churches.

I have looked at many churches needing pastors as our family sought the Lord’s will for us.

Without exception, every church had a job description.

A list of items that the church expected the pastor to do.

Most of the items are found on each list: prepare and preach messages, oversee worship services, marry and bury, serve as moderator and as an ex-officio member on committees.

Thankfully, our job description at this church uses the Word of God for the pastor’s job description.

What we have in a this fourth chapter of the letter to Timothy is a more detailed explanation of what pastors are to do.

The Conduct of the Pastor, that which he is called to do by the Lord Himself.

That is, God expects pastors and elders to do these things.

What we will find, though, is that God also desires all of His children, the members of His Church, are to do these things.

In fact, a church that grows will be a church where both pastors and people do these things.

I.

The Pastor (and people) Must Avoid Asceticism- 4:1-5

We begin by what the pastor and people are to avoid, in a word, asceticism.

Now, Paul offers us a deep dive into false doctrines, their origins, and their harm in this warning.

All of us, me as a pastor and you as people, must avoid asceticism.

Let’s look at Paul’s reasons for this.

A. Why is asceticism is evil—it comes from the devil and his followers- 4:1-2

Perhaps you find yourself asking, “What is wrong with asceticism?”

It seems good, because someone is disciplining their bodies (I mean Paul says that in a few verses, doesn’t he?).

There is nothing wrong with discipline (self-denial for godliness).

What is wrong is telling other people they cannot partake of something or engage in marriage as godliness.

These are demonic doctrines and promulgated by the devil’s followers.

Paul does not pain these people or their teachings in a favorable light.

Perhaps the immediate example of monks whipping themselves, or eating little to no food to “discipline themselves.”

The Roman Catholic Church comes to my mind.

They forbid their priests to marry and instruct Catholics on what days they can and cannot eat meat or other foods.

Paul says this is demonic.

B. What asceticism is—abstinence from God’s good creation- 4:3a

Paul defines asceticism here.

We cannot tell people that they cannot eat certain foods or drink certain things.

This is unbiblical.

You cannot tell people they cannot marry.

Foods, drinks, and marriage are created by God and were declared by Him to be good (see Genesis chapters 1-2).

God provides the boundaries for the enjoyment of these things: do not overeat, do not get drunk, and enjoy a monogamous relationship with one member of the opposite sex.

Anything else is sinful.

It is really simple.

The problem is these demons and their followers are attempting to earn something that Christ has already purchased and provided: salvation.

A more modern example of this comes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, where we read: “The authority of the Magisterium extends also to the specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the Creator, is necessary for salvation.”

(CCC 2035)

What should we do instead?

C. What is the opposite of asceticism—following the Bible and prayerful thanksgiving- 4:3b-5

I mentioned that we can enjoy the good things God created for His glory if we follow His Word and employ prayerful thanksgiving.

The Word of God informs our lives, including what we eat, what we drink, and whom we marry.

If we receive these things in this manner, we can enjoy the goodness of God in creation, glorify Him, and be built up in the faith.

The pastor (and people) must avoid asceticism.

But what should pastors (and people) do?

II.

The Pastor (and people) Must Exercise- 4:6-10

Paul uses the language of an athlete to describe how both pastors and people should live.

We will break it down into more manageable sizes and see how we should exercise today.

A. Instruct about Godly Living- 4:6a

This ties into our previous point of enjoying God’s creation within God’s boundaries.

It is my privilege and duty to remind you of these things, and when I do, I am being a good servant of Jesus Christ.

When I begin teaching anything contrary to this, it is your duty to lovingly confront me and challenge me on the basis of God’s Word.

B. Balance Life and Doctrine- 4:6b

Paul gives further instruction on our spiritual fitness, though, by balancing life and doctrine.

Too many Christians choose a godly life or godly doctrine.

The two are not mutually exclusive, as we have seen already in this letter.

Just as athletes must balance out skill and strength, the Christian, if he or she is to be healthy, must balance out their lives with doctrine.

You cannot live a godly life without godly doctrine, nor can you hold to godly doctrine without a godly life.

There are all sorts of displays of this in natural life.

You cannot sleep all the time nor can you stay away all the time is a perfect example.

You need both sleep and activity to be healthy.

The way to do this, to balance, is to develop a consistent exercise program.

C. Develop a Consistent Exercise Program- 4:7-9

Again, Paul uses athletic training to develop spiritually mature disciples of Christ.

He continues this line of thought by encourage us to develop a consistent exercise program.

Now, this is such an important point that we will spend the remainder of our time this morning on it.

You may have wondered why we don’t find specifics in the Bible about spending time in prayer, how many church services to hold, or how much time we should spend in reading the Bible.

It is ambiguous, and sweetly so.

Let me explain by way of illustration.

People in South Carolina live differently than people in Ontario, Canada.

There are a variety of reasons for this, most evidently the weather.

Our outdoor activities look quite different, especially at different times of the year.

We expect life to look differently in Canada than in South Carolina.

The same is true of us individually.

I do not eat the same amount as Jarrod Nelson, he is a good foot and half taller than me!

We have the same needs but different schedules and responsibilities, so it is not surprising that our individual fulfillment of these needs will look different.

What are our basic needs:

Scripture (reading, memorizing, and meditating, 1 Tim.

4:13)

Prayer (1 Tim.

2:1-7)

Church (fellowship & service, Heb.

10:24, NT epistles)

Worship (John 4:24, Psalm 95:6; Heb.

10:19-26)

Growth in Christ (i.e., sanctification, see Eph. 4:22-24)

These are the basic needs of every child of God (like food, shelter, clothing, rest, and air are for every human being).

The question is, how will I meet these needs to be like Jesus, build up His church, and glorify God?

That is where you come into play.

You must develop an exercise program for your spiritual fitness.

It is not optional, your very health depends upon it.

So let me end our time this morning with some helpful suggestions for your to develop a specific plan to grow in holiness.

Determine the amount of time you can devote to your spiritual fitness.

Now, we have to be careful here, because you can say “I just don’t have time for....” That is not true, nor will it be legitimate.

You may not have hours a day to read and study the Bible, but you do have some time.

Determine how much time you have, and it may require some schedule rearrangement.

But figure out how much time you will need for each one.

Develop a specific, clear, and attainable plan to accomplish your spiritual fitness goals.

I say specific, and I mean say, “I am going to spend 20 minutes a day reading the Bible.”