"Sound Doctrine Matters” Series

FIRST TIMOTHY is the first of 3 Pastoral Epistles…

• Letters written to young pastors serving the Lord through the gifting of ‘Pastor/Teacher’

• In them Paul the Apostle, seasoned in the ministry, is giving direction for the GOALS & GUIDELINES within the Church.

• What should the Church look like? What are the criteria for leadership? What should be taught? Who should teach?

NOW SOME have gotten the idea that the gifting of PASTOR/TEACHER is greater than any of the other callings.

• That the pastor & teacher is UP HERE, while everyone else is DOWN THERE.

• IN many churches today there is a SHARP DIVISION between the CLERGY and the LAITY, or the pastor & the flock.

• But you’ll notice there are many wonderful spiritual gifts that God has given to His church. LOOK AT 1 COR 12

NOTE: I’ve come to understand that the greatest calling in life is that which God has laid upon your life.

• And whatever we do for Him, we ought to do heartily as unto the Lord, knowing that from our Lord we will receive a reward.

• You see the highest calling for you, is WHATEVER God has called you to be, wherever He’s placed you in the Body!

• AND you can’t be MORE than what God has called you to be and what God enables you to be.

IN THE CHURCH, there are NO 2nd class Christians, no higher or lower positions… everything is a stewardship from the Lord.

1 Cor. 4.2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

YOU MIGHT THINK: Well, what I’m doing is very insignificant. Nobody knows what I’m doing. Nobody sees.

• It’s easy to be launched into a personal pity party.

• Whoa is me, I’m serving the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and nobody knows what I do!

• All I can do is pray. All I can do right now is give

• Oh, I’m just a Sunday School teacher. All I do is stack chairs.

• I’m just a secretary, or a butcher, or a computer tech.

• Guys here’s a key to grasp… and the earlier you grasp this as a Christian, the more fulfilling your life in Him will be.

• KEY: God wants to use you and ANYTHING he entrusts to you makes a HUGE IMPACT in this world for the kingdom of God!

• It’s all a part of His plan to infuse this world with His love and the message of hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mark 10.43 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

SO GOD LOOKS upon the service and the faithfulness of just being whatever it is that God wants me to be and has called me to be.

• All of us are equally important in the eyes & in the sight of God.

• & all of the tasks that He’s called us do are equally important.

NOTE: So we have Paul the Apostle serving in his calling.

• And young Timothy is serving in his calling.

• And what a team these guys are! I love it how God brings people together. He’s the perfect matchmaker in the ministry!

I. (1:1-2) THE CALLING

1. (2) Timothy, a true Son.

a. This letter is a personal one… It’s a note written to Paul’s young protégé, a young man being trained in the ministry.

b. Paul says Timothy was his true son in the faith.

WE DO KNOW that Timothy greatly admired Paul. He was a young hero to young Tim as he joins up with Paul on the 2nd Miss journey.

NOW Timothy chose the right role model in life.

• There’s the kind of man I want to follow. A man sold out to the things of God. He’s not distracted with the things of this world.

• Paul was a man of integrity, of purpose.

• He was filled with the Holy Spirit, a man who understood grace.

BUT Timothy, he appears to be more timid & frail.

• Some have even called him rather sickly.

• Perhaps he struggled a bit with the fear of man.

1 Tim. 4.12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

NOTE: So God brings these men together for to fulfill his plan & his purpose in the planting & pastoring of churches.

• He knew together, they would do great things for the Kingdom!

• From all eternity, the ministry of Paul & Timothy was known.

APP: You guys have people in your life that God knew would be there… to help you, to mold you, so that you might be used.