A LIFE OF GODLINESS
1 Timothy 4:1-11
INTRODUCTION:
A. Picture this:
1. You are driving down the highway and you spot what looks like a deer off to the right side of the road, fairly close
2. As you look harder you realize that it is a herd of deer and you begin to count: 1, 2, 3…
3. All of a sudden your counting is rudely interrupted by a blaring horn!
4. You had drifted into the left hand lane unaware of another car
5. Your rear left quarter panel and the other persons front right quarter panel contact throwing you both into a skid and off the road into the ditch!
6. Think about these questions for a minute:
a. How did it all happen? Inattention!
b. Was the accident intentional? NO
c. Could things have been worse? YES
d. How do you keep it from happening again? Pay Attention to the most important task at hand!
B. Now I gave this little story to help us understand something about a life of godliness.
1. Often we are headed down the highway of life and we get distracted
2. This distraction often puts us and others in the way of danger – spiritually speaking - and can cause accidents
3. It does not usually happen on purpose but it happens none the less
4. How do we keep it from happening or happening again?
5. We must discipline ourselves to pay attention to the most important task at hand – godliness!
C. With this in mind, we come back to this letter the apostle Paul has written to a young preacher, named Timothy.
1. After instructing him in how to find good leaders he now turns to Timothy and speaks directly to him.
2. Paul wants to warn him about the dangers that lie ahead, for both him and the church.
3. And though these words are to a young man in the ministry (making them especially applicable to ministry personnel) they apply to each of us as ministers of the gospel
4. Here Paul gives two beneficial admonitions. The first is
a. A Warning About Duped Saints
b. An Exhortation To Godly Saints
5. It is the responsibility of the pastor to bring these things to the attention of the congregation, in general and to himself specifically, thus Paul states in 1 Tim. 4:11 These things command and teach.
6. Let’s pray and ask God to help us in this life of godliness and protect us from those who would draw us away.
PRAY
We will begin this morning by looking at
I. A WARNING ABOUT DUPED SAINTS 1 Tim. 4:1-6 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
A. The Warning: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,…
1. We are not talking about something that might happen: we are talking about something that will happen and not just out there but right here.
a. Some will leave the faith because of some seducing spirit or devilish idea.
b. But here is the cunningness of Satan’s tactics – he does it without our being aware of it
c. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, …if you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people drift away?
2. It happens as we are giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…(3) forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe and know the truth.
a. In this case we are talking about giving way to false doctrines and distortions of the word.
1) Don’t marry, Don’t eat; as if accomplishing these things made someone more spiritual (Asceticism)
2) That is what the false teachers were saying
b. But there is another even more subtle way many “depart from the faith”
1) Something small happens at church, some event takes precedence, some person gets our attention (some of these things might even be good in and of themselves)
2) We follow after them and stop serving the Lord in the church, which then leads to not attending Sunday School or small groups, which in turns leads to a ever increasing line of excuses to avoid worship and without even knowing it we are out!
c. Therefore Paul warns the Colossians, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col. 2:8
B. Notice the hypocrisy of the false teachers were Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1. In other words they were speaking out of both sides of their mouths!
a. Claiming Christianity yet teaching in word or deed a false doctrine
b. They could do this because their conscience had long since been seared, thereby allowing them to do so without regret or remorse.
2. We see this today in the thousands who claim Christianity as their religion yet live like the world in almost every aspect.
a. They might not be teaching don’t marry or don’t eat, yet they glorify other false god’s like wealth, business, sports, personal destiny, and many more.
b. Its all the same idea, “I have a better way.”
c. And it is often the very ones who have drifted away that are the most adamant about the false ways
d. Let me give you an example: I once visited a couple who had left the church and they said they did not have to go to church to be good Christians
- Then they said they would never go back as long as so-and-so was still there because they could not forgive them. DO WE SEE A PROBLEM?!
C. Thus Paul tells Timothy to put them, the brethren, in remembrance of God’s word and what it says concerning the issues!
1. I don’t want you to drift from the gospel and into the world, yet many are doing just that.
2. We will justify, make excuses and even condemn others who bring it to our attention
3. We must stick to words of faith and good doctrine!
4. Don’t get side tracked by the world – it is so easy – and it is the devil’s scheme!
Following this warning about duped saints, Paul gives
II. AN EXHORTATION TO GODLY SAINTS, 1 Tim. 4:7-10 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
A. The Exhortation is given in one verse but comes in two parts: 1 Tim. 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
1. First, Paul exhorts Timothy not to spend time listening to profane and old wives fables
a. Listen to how the Message presents this verse: Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God…
b. In other words stop listening to every body’s opinion and stick with the Word!
2. The positive side of the exhortation Is …exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
a. What is godliness? John MacArthur gives us a good definition in his commentary on 1 Timothy, Godliness is a right attitude and response toward the true Creator God; a preoccupation from the heart with holy and sacred realities. It is respect for what is due to God, and is thus the highest of all virtue. (The MacArthur N.T. Commentary, 1 Timothy (Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL 1995) p. 164)
b. Developing this type of godliness takes work: hence the word exercise or discipline.
c. It is hard because there is much that is against us: Satan, the world and our flesh – therefore we must be diligent, striving to think and do that which is right
d. We need to keep our focus and attention on the goal: glorifying God through godly living.
B. The exhortation gives us the motivation for working at godliness: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Tim. 4:8
1. Bodily exercise is good but it only provides benefits for this life
2. Godliness, however, is beneficial for both the temporal and eternal, because it comes from the heart and pleases God.
3. Paul further lifts the chorus of hope as he writes, For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 1 Tim. 4:10
a. “Timothy, you and I trust in the living God, the Savior of all men, especially those who are saved, therefore we labor and suffer reproach as we strive for godliness” is another way to say it
b. We too have the privilege as children of God to labor and suffer reproach as we seek after godliness because we know the Savior!
4. We have the hope of all humanity dwelling within us and we can live lives, godly lives, that would shine before men and give them a glimpse of hope.
5. Lets live a life of godliness and let Christ shine through us.
CONCLUSION: As we close ponder these questions
A. Are we trying to live godly lives or are we world lings with a religious veneer?
1. Have we been lured away by some seducing spirit or doctrine of devils?
2. Are we living for ourselves, our parents, or our children rather then Christ?
3. Are we living that double-minded, hypocritical life with no shame because our consciences have been seared?
- If you are feeling guilty or experiencing anger you might want to consider what Paul had to say this morning.
B. Lets decide to live godly lives.
1. Let’s exercise our minds, emotions and will within the frame work of God’s word under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
2. Let’s be good ministers nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine.
3. Let’s set our face to godliness as Jesus set His to the cross!
4. Because Jesus is the Savior of all men, especially to those that believe!
5. Let’s live a Life Of Godliness!
