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.
• Even when you were a little child, God was shaping you.
• He gave you personality, desires, likes, dislikes.
• And even being here, right now, is all a part of the great plan that God is working out in you!
Eph. 2.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
• Original word is ‘poiema’ from which we get our word poem.
• Every believer is a sweet poem of God’s grace worked out in our lives daily.
• Which means every one of us is a work in progress!
• You are His poetry… absolutely a thing of beauty.
NOTE: Someone once read this & thought about being God’s poetry.
• They felt more like a comic strip than a poem… Isn’t that true?!
• Life can be one comic episode after another…
• But God still loves us… stills stands by us… still sustains us!
APP: Oh, how we need to remind people who say that Christians aren’t all that great, aren’t perfect, aren’t much different…
• They see all sorts of inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
• Truth is though, they wouldn’t believe how bad we used to be
• Where we might be if the Lord Jesus didn’t break in our lives.
NOTE: Sometimes I think we watch each other and look at each other say “Oh that’s not good”, how can you and why are you…
• We look at ourselves and say, “but I’m not good enough”, “I can’t go there, I can’t do that, what about my past, my weaknesses, my failures.
• I’m not Paul, I’m more like Timothy… well it takes us all!
• And the Lord, our Director whispers, “Oh no they aren’t that bad considering where they could be, or would be, if My work wasn’t being done in his life…”
• How wonderful is the work of God in our lives…
• His great grace working through even our dumbest mistakes…
• To make us a trophy and crown of His Grace…
AND So don’t count yourself down & out.
• He’s not done working in you & on you, or working thru you…
• You’re a work in progress.
• A work that moves in the grace, mercy, & peace of Jesus.
NOW TIMOTHY was faced with come challenges in Ephesus.
NOW KEEP IN MIND, Ephesus was a hard place to minister.
• It wasn’t unlike any city in our own day but it did have its unique challenges…
• Remember in the center of town was the Temple to the goddess Diana where 1000’s of prostitutes would flow into the city enticing and destroying men’s lives.
• There was rampant sorcery, and drug use, & blatant immorality.
• But many believed in that city and a church was formed.
• I love that! The Gospel of Grace changes lives!
• And remember, Timothy took over from Paul the apostle who had to be a tough act to follow.
• When you have Paul the Apostle as your pastor for 3 years, it doesn’t matter who you are, it will be tough to take over.
• Timothy needs encouragement & exhortation in this immoral and ungodly city.
II. (1:3-11) CHARGE SOME
1. (3-4) Remain in Ephesus.
a. I’m sure that Timothy was wrestling with a question:
b. How long should I stay here? How long should I serve here?
APP: God’s servants should always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Sometimes he moves a person to go and other times to stay.
• And often He’ll speak to us through folks we respect in the Lord.
Prov. 15.22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
c. SO Paul tells Timothy REMAIN… the word urge can mean “call to one’s side comfort” or “exhort & admonish”.
d. Stay there Timothy. That’s where you’re needed.
e. Don’t move an inch.
NOTE: On top of all the pressures Timothy was facing, a new one emerged and begin to discourage him… FALSE TEACHERS.
• And you know, it’s always easy for the leader to feel called to leave when things are going tough, when opposition comes.
• This is especially true for those serving in the church.
• The thought is this, things are tough, the spiritual warfare is overwhelming, I’m at my breaking point…
• I can’t quit my job… so I’ll just quit the ministry. God will raise someone else up to take my place.
• Well, yes someone else will come and serve, but what will you do? How will you use your gifts and talents!
• So if some of you are feeling that way, hang in there, don’t give up, don’t give in, don’t move an inch.
Gal. 6.9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
CHARGE THEM, v3, to teach NO OTHER DOCTRINE.
• No fables, no endless genealogies. Stick with the truth.
NOW THE Bible SAYS that we have itching ears… and because of our fleshly desire for more and some new thing… it’s a trap the enemy uses often to catch believers off guard.
2 Timothy 4.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
NOTE: The ancient world was fascinated with stories & fables about origins of their families or their cities or their heritage.
• The Greeks were great with mythology making up stories of how the gods visited the earth.
• They were caught up with their genealogies loved to use them as tools to gain superiority over another.
NOTE: THERE ARE THOSE OUT THERE TODAY who dismiss expository Bible study, (the type of study we hold to here, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book) as irrelevant.
• Why the OLD truths? We want something NEW. We need to know how to raise our family, how to spend our money, how to survive in this world.
• And so the pressure is on the pastor and leadership today to come up with something NEW, IMPROVED, EXCITING.
SO we might hear guys come and say, “This has never been seen before.” I’ve found a new doctrine, a new teaching.
• Well… guys, you who desire to teach the Word: GIVE IT UP.
• Give up trying to come up with something new, something creative, some new twist, some new turn.
• STICK WITH THE TRUTH, the basics.
Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
NOTE: Bible study and worship and fellowship… powerful ingredients to the growing Christian life.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
Paul URGES TIMOTHY: stay there and CHARGE THEM TO TEACH THE TRUTH. Why? At the end of v4.
• It’s causing disputes & disagreements, arguments & animosity!
• Stop it guys… you’re hurting one another.
• There’s NO godliness, NO edification, NO faith.
• The Word edification literally means to ‘build up’
• And you can always tell a person is off on a tangent that is unbiblical by whether they are building up or tearing down.
• Are they teaching sound doctrine from the Word of God or are they confusing & confounding with their own stuff?
2. (5-7) Purpose of the commandment is love.
a. In their desire to be creative they develop new systems but they don’t even know what they’re talking about.
b. They’re loveless, impure, faithless.
c. And along the way, have caused others to stray.
APP: You know, that’s the enemy’s desire for you… to stray.
• To wander… to drift… to roam… to meander.
• Oh, he’ll take a complete falling away, a full on backslide
• But he’ll settle for a wandering aimless Christian just the same!
APP: So watch out for those little things that get your mind and your attention and your devotion off of Jesus Christ.
• Worries & Anxieties. Hobbies & Habits. Diversions & Distractions.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
NOTICE in v7, they were desiring to be teachers.
What does James say about the desire to teach?
James 3.1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
• If God calls you to do it, then go with all your heart.
• But don’t’ let the position of teacher or the desire to be a leader drive you to a place of prominence.
Jer. 45.5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go." ’ "
APP: Let the Lord be your guide.
• I’ve seen too many men jump into the pastoral or teaching ministry only to hurt the flock because they weren’t called.
3. (8-11) The Law is Good.
a. The has it’s place but it’s not what these men were doing with it.
b. They were trying to put the church under rules & regulations & religious systems.
c. So we get list of who the Law is for (READ THROUGH AGAIN)
d. Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia:
Gal. 3.24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
NOTE: The Law reveals that I’m not OK. That I can’t keep God’s holy and righteous standard. The Law tells me I need a Savior!
• I’m reminded that I need forgiveness. Jesus I need you!
• The Law isn’t for a righteous man… it’s for those straying.
SO OFTEN IN SITTING DOWN with a person, there is that response that says, ED GET OFF MY BACK, STOP LAYING DOWN THE LAW.
• Well, if you were walking uprightly, I wouldn’t have to.
• The law reveals the standard by which we’re to return.
• The Law leads us past the sins that hinder us to v11…
• The glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
SOUND DOCTRINE MATTERS guys… it’s a matter of life and death.
• It’s what determines a man’s eternal state.
SO There will be times when talking with well-meaning believers that they will say… I don’t want to discuss doctrine, it’s not important to me!
• When I hear that I’m grieved and fearful for that person.
• Doctrine isn’t important to you? Right teaching doesn’t matter?
• What you believe will dictate how you behave.
• As much as the Word of God you get in you will determine your daily life and how you live for the Kingdom of God.
• It will determine whether you evangelize and make disciples.
• It will determine whether you repent, tithe, share, love, forgive.
