The House Of God - 1 Timothy 3:14-16
INTRODUCTION:
A. Timothy Dwight was president of Yale University from 1795-1817
1. He is known for many things, such as having received a doctorate from both Princeton and Harvard, but R. Kent Hughes and Brayn Chapell bring out two other interesting tidbits in their commentary of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. (Preaching The Word: 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus (Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL 2000) p.89)
2. First, in 1802 under his preaching of the word at the university 1/3 of his students were converted: He was a lover of God’s word
3. Secondly, there was his hymn publishing, one of which we sang this morning entitled “I Love thy Kingdom O Lord.
a. The third verse of this hymn stated,
For her my tears shall fall;
For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and toils be giv’n;
Till toils and cares shall end.
b. Timothy (how fitting) was a lover of God’s church!
B. These two areas were especially important to and loved by the apostle Paul as well.
1. False teachers were trying to gain influence in the holy ground of God’s entity – the House of God
2. He writes to young Timothy encouraging him to stand for God’s word and the church.
C. The words from our passage this morning should be thoroughly and thoughtfully considered by us because many are saying the church – the House of God – is not important
1. I’ve heard people say to me, “I don’t have to go to church to be right with God”
2. If by that they mean they don’t have to gather with other Christians and worship the Lord together, they are dead wrong!
a. Christ died for the church - Paul wrote in Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
b. And the writer of Hebrews gives us these words to think about found in Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
3. But beyond these and more applicable to our purpose this morning is our scripture passage found in 1 Tim. 3:14-16 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Please note three things of importance
a. The Concept Of The House Of God
b. The Conduct Of The House Of God
c. The Confession Of The House Of God
4. The church – the House of God - is important to God and it ought to be with us!
5. May God grant us the ability and grace to see the importance of the church and may we fill our lives with her ministry and fellowship.
PRAY
This morning I want to begin in the middle of our passage and look at
I. THE CONCEPT OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, the scripture is found in the last half of verse 15, …in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
A. Let me begin by expressing to you the idea of a “concept.”
1. One definition, given by Dictonary.com is “an idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars;”
2. Let me show you a couple of examples
a. A concept car – look at pictures of Lamborghini Insecta
b. Or maybe kitchens – look at these
3. A concept is something that helps us get a better view of an idea
4. Now we have spoken about the idea of “the house of God” before – we learned it is not a building but rather the gathering of God’s people
a. As a house has residents, so the house of God – His people – have God in residence
b. We are the house of God!
B. Now to help us get a better idea of this Paul provides some flesh, so to speak, to help us get a clearer picture.
1. The concept of the House of God is provided to us in the form of two phrases.
2. The first is …which is the church of the living God…
a. We are not a mausoleum – housing something that is dead
b. Nor are we a curio cabinet in which sits a dumb idol
c. We are a temple which houses the living God
1) Individually, 2 Cor. 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2) And corporately, 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
d. God is not dead! He dwells within the church!
e. We are a living eternal entity because the living God indwells us.
3. The second bit of information that helps us to understand the concept of the House of God is the pillar and ground of the truth.
a. Both these words are important
1) A pillar is what supports the structure
2) The word ground is also translated foundation, bulwark and buttress – I like the later word, buttress, it provides the foundation for the pillar
3) In architecture these two support the building
b. So the church is what supports the truth
1) God has seen fit to have the church be the entity that supports and protects the truth
2) God has chosen the church to be the bastion of truth and the organism that speaks forth the truth.
4. Do you get the concept – the church is very important in God’s economy of things: please notice the focus is not on us, but God and His truth!
5. You cannot bash the church without bashing God!
With that in mind, Paul speaks to us about
II. THE CONDUCT OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, 1 Tim. 3:14-15 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
A. Paul had a love for the church of God
1. He had once persecuted it, his own testimony being found in 1 Cor. 15:9 For I am the last of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Now he lived for her and the Christ who established her
2. He warns the Corinthians not to give offense to her or despise her. (1 Cor 10:32 & 11:22)
3. Paul would eventually give his life for the church – of whom Jesus Christ is the head!
4. And because his love was so strong he wanted Timothy and the people of God to behave as they should in the house of God!
B. Now I know what I’m about to say is not popular today, but here it goes
1. When we gather as the body of Christ – His church – we should have standards higher than the lions club, boy scouts, pee wee football, or any other organization you can think of.
a. We are to fear God and stand in awe of Him as the church
b. We are to give our all to him as the church
c. We are to love one another, without exception as the church
d. We are to dwell in unity as the church
e. We are to serve each other as the church
2. There should be very little, if anything, that takes priority over the church
a. It is getting to the point that church is where we go when it is convenient to do so
b. It should be who we are at all times!
c. When we make a commitment to God and His church we ought to support her in all things and make her our place of fellowship, service, and love!
C. We should behave ourselves in a wise manner as the church!
1. As a part of the House of God we should be cognizant of how our actions and behavior effect our brothers and sisters.
2. We should seek to do things God’s way – as He has instructed
- When your children decide to do things their way, contrary to what you have told them, would you say they are behaving or misbehaving?
3. If we love the Lord we must love the church and behave in a manner that God is glorified
4. 1 Cor. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Having spoken these words to Timothy, Paul moves on to one last point in this chapter
III. THE CONFESSION OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, 1 Tim. 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
A. We do not have the time to go into a full explanation of the term “mystery of godliness” but I do feel that something is necessary
1. In order to keep it short let me quote Mr Hughes from his commentary on this verse, “Whenever Paul uses the word ‘mystery’ he uses it in reference to Christ as the revelation of the heretofore hidden plan of salvation. So in saying here that the ‘mystery of godliness is great,’ he is presenting the person and work of Christ as the key to godly conduct. Jesus makes godliness possible.” (Preaching The Word: 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus (Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL 2000) p. 93)
2. In other words the mystery is the gospel, salvation in Christ, that is now see by all.
B. From here Paul gives us a concise vision of the mystery, in the form of a hymn: three sets of pairs each having a heavenly and earthly side to them:
1. Christ’s Presentation: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit
a. Here we have the incarnation – manifest in the flesh – earthly
b. And the resurrection – Proving he was who He said He was the Son of God - heavenly
c. Both man and God
2. Christ’s Witness: seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles
a. Christ was seen of angles, the heavenly: angels were at his birth, his trial in the desert, the garden and the resurrection
b. The earthly, He was preached to the Gentiles – both Jew and Gentile heard of him through the apostles to be both Lord and Savior.
3. Christ’s Reception, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
a. The earthly, men received Him as Lord and Savior
b. The heavenly, Jesus was received up into glory, back to His throne in heaven.
C. These are the truths the church is in possession of
1. We hold them as eternal truths to be to be treasured and testified to.
2. You must believe these eternal truths as a part of God’s church.
3. It is our confession as the House of God.
CONCLUSION: As we close let me state
A. The church, the gathering of God’s people, is important to God – it should be important to us
1. We should behave the way God tells us to, not the way the world would have us to.
2. We have the truth – eternal truth – the world needs to hear it and see it in action
3. There are doctrines that must be sure and preached as absolute truth.
B. So what is your take on the House of God – the Church.
1. You can’t give up on her if you are to stay in God’s good grace
2. Stop complaining and start serving the head – Jesus Christ.
3. Instead of giving up, start working at making her better under the leadership and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
C. The church is a part of God’s glorious pan and we have the privilege to be a part of it. We are the House of God!
