ACCEPTED(Recognized) CHRISTIAN AUTHORITY-III—1Timothy 1:1-2
Attention:
Read names slowly.
What do the following names conjure up in your mind?
Adrian Rogers
Chuck Swindoll
Erwin Lutzer
John MacArthur
J. Vernon McGee
James Dobson
Charles Stanley
Rick Warren
Henry Blackaby
These may cause us to scratch our heads a bit:
David Koresch
Jim Jones
Mary Baker Eddy—Christian Science
Joseph Smith—Mormonism
Charles Taze Russell—Jehovah’s Witnesses
Sun Myung Moon—Moonies
Deepak Chopra
Oprah Winfrey
Peter Popoff
Robert Tilton
Benny Hinn
There are many people to whom we have access every day who attempt to 'show us' what ‘truth’ &/or ‘Christianity’ is really is all about.
But...
In order to fill the shoes of the faithful, one must first recognize his/her authority.
We must be able to recognize true Christian authority in order to learn from it.
Need:
Who can I trust regarding spiritual matters?
Paul approached Timothy thru accepted authority.
The faithful Christian accepts God’s authority.
How do the faithful recognize Christian authority?
10 qualifiers of acceptable Christian authority.
Previously we have found some...
Qualifiers of an accepted Christian authority are a Recognized......
1. FAMILIARITY(:1)
2. APOSTLESHIP(:1)
3. DETERMINATION(:1)
4. SALVATION(:1)
5. LORDSHIP(:1, 2)
6. HOPE(:1)
7—A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...
Recognized KINSHIP(:2)
Explanation:(:2)Relationship
:2—“To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, & peace from God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This letter is written to a specific person named “Timothy.” Thereby Paul has purposes in mind, which pertain specifically to the recipient.
1Tim 3:14-15—“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar & ground of the truth.”
Personal: “Timothy”—A friend. Someone who sticks by you thru thick & thin.
Intimate: “a true son”— There is a ‘blood-tie’ as it were. They have a father-son kindship which exists & is cemented by a spiritual bond. A son needs mentoring. A father willingly & lovingly shares his wisdom.
Timothy is considered by Paul, to be “a true son in the faith.” Thus Paul not only ‘begot’ Timothy thru the Gospel of Christ but Timothy is also called of God to pastoral evangelical ministry(2Tim. 4:2-5) according to that which pertains to “the faith.” Timothy is a legitimately sincere son in the faith of Jesus Christ, birthed & nurtured thru Paul’s outreaching ministry.
Working: “in the faith”—Their giftednesses coincide & are mutually beneficial as well as beneficial for the church. Paul mentors Timothy. Timothy refreshes Paul. The churches of all ages, including ours, are strengthened & built up in the faith.
1Cor. 4:14-17—“I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved & faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”
“Timothy”—Timoyeov—‘Precious or dear to God’ OR‘Honoring God’
“True/Own”—gnhsiov—1) Legitimately born, not spurious; 2) True, genuine, sincere. Strong–Legitimate (of birth), i.e. Genuine. Used 4X.
“Son/Child”—teknon—Offspring, a child. Gives prominence to physical & outward aspects of parentage.
Argumentation:
1Tim. 4:1-16—“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, & commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe & know the truth. For every creature of God is good, & nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God & prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith & of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane & old wives’ fables, & exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is & of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying & worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor & suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command & teach. 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. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself & to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself & those who hear you.”
Gal. 3:26-28—“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
All true Christians are blood kin thru the blood of Christ Jesus!
Illustration:
As a kid, my family always traveling to either Hendersonville or High Point/Daddy’s family was from East Flat Rock & Momma’s was from High Point/Occasionally Foy(my dad) & all his family would congregate at his sister Eunice’s house/She & Walter lived in a blue & white trailer with a cement front porch with aluminum rails leading up to an aluminum corrugated awning/They had a two-holed outhouse(strange for a dentist’s son)/I can remember playing outside with my cousins(Waylon’s)/But we were usually sort of wary of one another & stand-offish for a while because we didn’t see each other more than twice a year/We were from two different lifestyles—We were college people & they were subsistance farmers & factory workers & apple sellers/But we were kin to one another & we knew it!/We had a Recognized KINSHIP
Christians are all brother from another mother/Recognized KINSHIP
I have found that no matter where I travel, we have family in the church of God!/Everywhere we have found...Fathers-Mothers-Siblings-Uncles-& Cousins...you name it!/Recognized KINSHIP
Application:
? Whose KINSHIP qualifies a person as an accepted Christian authority?
?What KINSHIP holds Christian Authority for you?
?Who & What have you Accepted as a Christian authority?
8—A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...
Recognized GRACE(:2)
Explanation: (:2)
:2—“To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, & peace from God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
God is our “Father” in that He is the originator of all that exists both physically & spiritually. He is the originator of our salvation, which for us, is obtained by faith in Christ. He is the originator of the Lordship of Jesus as intended for humanity.
Thru His providential parental loving care, God has seen fit to indeed be our Father. Such fatherly grace is misunderstood by many internationally, yet is intended to be mimicked thru human fatherly relationships. Unfortunately we allow this picture of fatherhood to be marred because we allow sin’s picture to take precedence, discounting the good, which is also available.
We see the abuse of fatherhood personally & thru social media(You Tube, TV, Radio)
We are completely undeserving of God’s parental love. Yet the elect are drawn thru such grace to His awesome presence.
To have God’s grace overshadow our lives is phenomenal. To know I/we operate in the shadow of His wings as it were. To know the all mighty God of creation cares for me/us.
Grace—God’s giving me what I don’t deserve!
or—God’s blessing me with His good things that I don’t deserve.
Mercy—God’s not giving me what I have rightly earned/deserved.
or—God’s not sentencing me because of my actions.
G-R-A-C-E—God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense
Grace is intertwined with Mercy & vice-versa.
Grace is more concerned with prevention than rescue.
Mercy is more concerned with rescue rather than prevention.
The Bible reveals that God’s grace is...
Great
Praiseworthy
Glorious
Sovereign—as it reigns thru righteousness to eternal life.
Rich—in its expression of redemptive kindness.
Transcends, excels, surpasses.
Manifold
Sufficient
Abounds far beyond sin’s capability.
Declarative of the Gospel(the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ).
God’s grace is also the source of our...
Election
Callings...to God & to His purpose.
Justification
Faith
Redemption
Forgiveness
Salvation
Hope—Settled hope.
Consolation—Comfort.
Service to God
Heavenly Inheritance
Help in time of need
“Grace”—cariv—1)Grace; 2)Good-will, lovingkindness, favor—2a) The merciful kindness of God 3)What is due to grace. 4) Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—Graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude).
“Father”—pathr—1)Generator or male ancestor either physically or metaphorically. Strong—apparently a primary word; A "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote).
Argumentation:
2Kgs. 22:16-20—““Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place & on its inhabitants--all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read-- ‘because they have forsaken Me & burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place & shall not be quenched.’”’ “But as for the king of Judah[Josiah], who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard-- “because your heart was tender, & you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place & against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation & a curse, & you tore your clothes & wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the LORD. “Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, & you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; & your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.”
God was indeed gracious to Josiah because of his faithfulness. However the previous damage was so far-reaching that God could not relent from Judah’s destruction.
Acts 18:27-28—“And when he[Apollos] desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; & when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”
*Every aspect of who we are in Christ is centered & flows from God’s immeasurable Grace!
Illustration:
My college experience/Daddy paid for it all because he wanted me to have the best that life would offer/He knew college would bring that to me/But I was undeserving of his graciousness/I cussed, I complained, I drank, I fought him mentally/It was not til later that I appreciated my Dad’s gift-sacrifices/Recognized GRACE
If I am to spy a dog in the road & I avoid him, I am merciful/However if I not only avoid him but literally take or lead the dog to safety, I have exercised Grace/If I take the dog home & raise him to avoid the highway I have exercised Grace/Recognized GRACE
Application:
? Whose GRACE qualifies a person as an accepted Christian authority?
?What GRACE holds Christian Authority for you?
?Who & What have you Accepted as a Christian authority?
9—A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...
Recognized MERCY(:2)
Explanation: (:2)
:2—“To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, & peace from God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Mercy—God’s NOT giving me what I have rightly earned/deserved.
or—God’s not sentencing me because of my wrong-doing.
Mercy is intertwined with Grace & vice-versa.
Grace is more concerned with prevention than rescue.
Mercy is more concerned with rescue rather than prevention. Getting out of the trouble I’ve gotten myself into.
“Mercy” is the noun form & is associated with the verbal form of it & means ‘to be compassionate’ or ‘to pity.’
If our church is to be truly Christian, then we are to be merciful, as God is merciful to us who are prone to sin.
“Mercy”—eleov—N. n.—Mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable & afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. Manifest itself chiefly in acts rather than words. A criminal might ask for eleov, mercy, from his judge; but hopeless suffering may be the object of oiktirmov(compassion). Strong—Compassion (human or divine, especially active).
“Compassionate/Pity”—eleew—V.—1) To have mercy on; 2) To help one afflicted or seeking aid; 3) To help the afflicted, to bring help to the wretched; 4) To experience mercy.
Argumentation:
God’s Mercy:
Jude 20-23—“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Js. 2:12-13—“So speak & so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Js. 5:10-11—“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering & patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job & seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate & merciful.”
1Tim. 1:12-13—“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, & an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
Eph. 2:1-7—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Titus 3:3-7—“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts & pleasures, living in malice & envy, hateful & hating one another. But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Man’s response to God’s mercy:
Micah 6:6-8—“With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Mat. 5:7—[Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said,]—“Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”
Mat. 18:21-35—“Then Peter came to Him & said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, & I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife & children & all that he had, & that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, & I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, & forgave him the debt. But that servant went out & found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; & he laid hands on him & took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet & begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, & I will pay you all.’ “And he would not, but went & threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, & came & told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ “And his master was angry, & delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.””
Mat. 9:10-13—“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors & sinners came & sat down with Him & His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors & sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go & learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy & not sacrifice.’[Hos. 6:6] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””
Illustration:
When you slow down so you won’t hit the squirrel/dog/rabbit/, you are acting mercifully/Why?—because the dumb squirrel has chosen to enter the road/By avoiding the squirrel, you are exercising mercy—NOT giving him what he deserves—Death for being in the road meant for automobiles/Recognized MERCY
Application:
? Whose MERCY qualifies a person as an accepted Christian authority?
?What MERCY holds Christian Authority for you?
?Who & What have you Accepted as a Christian authority?
10—A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...
Recognized PEACE(:2)
Explanation: (:2)
:2—“To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, & peace from God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
As with both Grace & Mercy, so does “Peace” come to our experience.
Peace is available by means of the prayers of the saints for their fellow saints.
We possess peace & it possesses us when it comes by means of “God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“Peace”—eirhnh—1)A state of national tranquility; 2)Peace between individuals—harmony, concord; 3)Security, safety, propserity, felicity; 4) Of the Messiah's peace; 5) Of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, & so fearing nothing from God & content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; 6)The blessed state of devout & upright men after death.
Argumentation:
Lk. 12:22-23—“Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, & the body is more than clothing.”
Jn. 6:35—“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, & he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
Lk. 10:38-42—“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; & a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet & heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, & she approached Him & said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered & said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried & troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, & Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.””
Ps. 46:1-3—“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah”
Mat. 5:9—[Jesus said]“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”
A peacemaking demeanor helps us Recognize a son of God & thus an accepted Christian authority.
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Rom. 8:28—“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Illustration:
Saturday morning I noticed one of our bird feeders swinging wildly with the lid off & some of the seed spilled/ I then noticed the neighbor’s little gray cat innocently watching the swinging feeder!/We don’t want to invite birds in just to be targets/But ...God has physically equipped the birds so that they can both eat in the presence of danger & escape from that danger/They also have the Shermans to look after their welfare/We even have a dog that will chase the cat back to its yard!/Recognized PEACE
Application:
? Whose PEACE qualifies a person as an accepted Christian authority?
?What PEACE holds Christian Authority for you?
?Who & What have you Accepted as a Christian authority?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The people we recognize as Christian authorities versus those who cause us to scratch our heads.
Action:
Qualifiers of an accepted Christian authority are a Recognized...
7. KINSHIP(:2)
8. GRACE(:2)
9. MERCY(:2)
10. PEACE(:2)
1. FAMILIARITY(:1)
2. APOSTLESHIP(:1)
3. DETERMINATION(:1)
4. SALVATION(:1)
5. LORDSHIP(:1, 2)
6. HOPE(:1)
Presented 09/25/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
