Majoring on the Majors
(I Timothy 4:9-16)
1. Peter Roussakis is our resident Greek, so I dug up a Greek joke on the internet in honor of him. If you don’t like it, blame it on him. If you do like it, remember, I’m the one who found it.
2. 3 Greeks and 3 Turks are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the 3 Turks each buy tickets and watch as the 3 Greeks buy only a single ticket. “How are 3 people going to travel on only one ticket?” asks one Turk. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers one Greek. They all board the train. The Turks take their respective seats but all three Greeks cram into a restroom and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, “Ticket, please.” The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.
The Turks saw this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the Turks decide to copy the Greeks on the return trip and save some money. When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the Greeks don’t buy a ticket at all. “How are you going to travel without a ticket?” says one perplexed Turk. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers a Greek. When they board the train the 3 Turks cram into a restroom and the 3 Greeks cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the Greeks leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the Turks are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, “Ticket, please.” [source: http://www.greekboston.com]
Main Idea: Although much of our time is spent on small points of ministry, we must never forget some of the big principles of church life.
I. Our Far-Reaching Goal for Both Church and Life: PLEASING God (10)
(Maslow’s hierarchy) But there is a higher purpose for the believer; Rick Warren: Purpose Driven Life “It’s not about you.” What is your purpose?
A. Many DIFFERENT descriptions of prime directive, but similar idea
Here, it is "fixing our hope on the living God."
Ecclesiastes 12:13, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Matthew 22:37-40, “And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.'”
I Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:9, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”
B. We are tempted to substitute a part for the WHOLE
• Sounds good on outside: prayer, worship, Spirit, integrity, family, giving, good works, etc.
• We must not divide the sacred and secular, or some commands in place of all
• Look beyond merely being religious to having a vibrant walk with Lord: image or substance?
Today, I spent an hour in my car terrified to go inside because I thought my house was being burgled. I saw rapid shadows in the light of my lounge. Eventually I plucked up the courage to creep inside with a rock to find it wasn't a robber. It was my cats, fighting in front of a toppled lamp. [Myfamilylife.com]
C. We Should Get Tired Serving the Lord: TOIL and Labor
D. The Motivation: We have been SAVED!
1. Note his deity
2. All men
3. Especially those who believe
II. Solid Leadership Involves the Marriage of Office and Character (11-12)
Character gives us more influence than appointed authority
A. Timothy had authority, but he had a disadvantage: he was YOUNG
B. Sometimes pastors have to get TOUGH
1. Timothy is urged repeatedly to be a gentle and patient leader (I Tim. 6:11, 2 Tim. 2:25)
2 Timothy 2:25, “correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth…”
2. But there is an exception — when others try to hold him in contempt
3. In marriage, contempt is the sign of a serious breakup; in church, sign of undermining
4. Paul writes something similar to Titus, serving a pastor-like role in Crete
Titus 2:15, “ Tell them all this. Build up their courage, and discipline them if they get out of line. You’re in charge. Don’t let anyone put you down.” [The Message]
5. Jesus was very patient with very sinful people, but he stood up against the Pharisees who held him in contempt…
6. Application: All of us struggle with this; we can be too compliant and avoid things we need to address, or we can be too aggressive and assertive, interfering in areas we don’t belong. Many of us — like yours truly — struggle with both!
C. Authority is associated with an office, but it is amplified by proven CHARACTER
• We shall see later that authority is never absolute, always limited and always accountable
• Influence grows (time plus faithfulness)
• On the rare occasions when a good leader has to pull rank, most people realize it is for the good of the church or the truth of the Word, not ego — if he has proven character.
• A leader who frequently pulls rank is probably not much of a leader; church is family, not corp.
D. Whether in office or not, if you have proven character, wise people will CONSIDER what you say
III. The DOMINANCE of the Word in Ministry and Church Life (13-16)
A. Not everything is EQUALLY important
It takes a team for successful surgery: surgeon, nurses, various techs, maintenance crew, etc., but they are not all equally important, even though every one of those persons can mess things up.
1. Our bodies have many parts, some more crucial than others. We walk in winter, bundle up. Marylu once asked a friend how to keep feet warmer. He said to put more on your chest? Why? Vitals/blood
2. Church life and ministry has many facets, often important; but what are the vitals?
3. Everything else is calibrated by Scripture, the level, the tuning fork
2 Timothy 2:15, “ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
B. Three WAYS to communicate the Word
1. Public READING
2. TEACHING
3. EXHORTING
2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
Preaching, teaching, and indoctrinating are out of style, receiving token effort. We don’t do token.
C. Timothy was ordained and GIFTED to serve in this type of ministry (14)
I knew a minister once who had a heart for God and won and disciple many people over the years, one by one. He was a visitation pastor. When the pastor and Asst. were OOT, he would preach.
He was godly, and gifted for vital ministry, but not preaching. And the opposite can occur.
D. Being gifted and called does not preclude the need to IMPROVE (15)
1. Some pastors I have known stopped learning once they graduated school. But not just pastors.
2. Let me ask you a question: what is your plan for spiritual growth? Routines/procedures?
3. Maybe you have been trained through discipleship class — are you still improving? Still making progress? Is your character still changing by small increments — in a positive way?
4. I have known people in their 90’s who are still growing.
E. Teaching and living out those teachings save us from WIPING OUT (16)
In English, we have many words; Greeks have one word for “saved.” Think of our many English synonyms: rescued, delivered, preserved, salvaged, reclaimed, retained, safeguarded
I’ve known people who say they have lost their faith, and, most often, I think “What faith?”
