Introduction:
A. Ministry can be a challenge for ministers and for members – How’s that for an understatement?
B. But imagine seeing this “want ad” for a preacher:
1. “Must have experience as a shepherd, CEO, office manager, educator, salesman, diplomat, referee, writer, theologian, politician, motivational speaker, Boy Scout leader, psychologist, social worker, funeral director, wedding consultant, master of ceremonies, church planter, and missionary.
2. Helpful, but not essential: landscape manager, interior decorator, building contractor, musician, minor league athlete, and stand-up comedian.
3. Should have answers to life’s tough questions about suffering, dying, and God’s sovereignty.
a. Must hold firm convictions on every topic, but not allowed to ruffle anyone’s feathers.
b. Must think as deeply as C. S. Lewis, preach as passionately as Charles Spurgeon, and listen as sensitively as James Dobson.
4. A sweet disposition is required at all times, even when being attacked or simply having a bad day.
a. Must have wisdom and experience of age but energy and glow of youth.
b. Must have no bad habits or hobbies.
c. Twenty-four-hour-a-day availability a must, but he must spend quality time with family.
5. Applicant’s wife must be both stunning and plain, quiet yet outgoing.
a. She should keep home ready for visitors at any moment, and be available to teach Sunday school, organize socials, and disciple women.
b. Applicant’s children must be exemplary in conduct and character, yet be no different from other kids.
6. We are an equal opportunity employer.
C. Okay, so maybe you’ve never seen a “want ad” quite like that, but ask around and you might be surprised at what some people think preachers are supposed to do and supposed to be.
1. That’s one reason that Paul wrote to Timothy - to clear up confusion about the duties, expectations, and priorities of ministry.
a. That, certainly, was instruction necessary in the emerging church of the first century, but it is also necessary in every century.
2. There were also false teachers and their doctrines abounding in the sphere of Timothy’s ministry.
a. That’s why this letter mandates the preaching of the truth.
3. Surely Timothy must have felt overwhelmed at times as he tried to extinguish the theological and administrative fires that flared up in the church at Ephesus.
a. The demands of ministry in our time, just as in Timothy’s, are greater than our wisdom or abilities, and so we need a guidebook, and a guide.
b. 1 Timothy is such a book, and Paul, inspired by the Spirit is our guide.
D. Today, I want us to take a look at the first eleven verses of the first chapter of this letter and understand and apply the message that Paul had for Timothy and for us.
E. Let’s briefly review the first two verses of the letter.
1. We looked at these verses in last week’s introductory sermon to this new series on 1 Timothy.
2. The letter begins: 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope: 2 To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Tim. 1:1-2)
3. These are warm words from a commissioned apostle to a close friend.
4. From the very greeting of the letter, Paul affirmed his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
a. Those who were giving Timothy trouble needed to remember that Timothy was there because God had put him there, for Paul had sent him there, and Paul’s authority was given by God.
b. Paul was an apostle, one whom God sent with a special commission.
c. His apostleship came by commandment from Jesus Christ.
5. We note also, that Paul pointed out that Jesus was not only our Savior, but our hope.
a. To a discouraged Timothy, that was surely a real boost.
b. When Jesus is involved, there is always hope, for He can do anything and everything through us. Amen!
F. We also note, from the beginning of this letter that it was written from a close friend.
1. Last week we explored the two-decade relationship of Paul and Timothy, and surely their relationship resembled that of a father and son.
2. Paul calls him his true son in the faith (1:2).
3. What an encouragement this letter must have been to Timothy.
a. As he unrolled the parchment and began to read Paul’s words, memories of their years of ministry together surely swept across his mind.
b. Paul’s letter must have reassured Timothy that, though he may have felt overwhelmed, he was not alone.
c. His heavenly father, and his “spiritual” father were with him to provide comfort and strength.
4. By the way, the ministry can be a lonely profession.
a. For a preacher to be able to develop the character and walk with God necessary to serve others and persevere, he needs solitude and study, but he also needs some “Pauls” and “Timothys” in his life.
b. I’m thankful for the “Pauls” and “Timothys” I have had, and continue to have in my life.
c. Truthfully, all of us Christians need these kind of co-workers and mentors.
G. Paul ended this introductory greeting with the customary prayer that God’s grace, mercy and peace would be with Timothy.
1. Now let’s move into the new section that we want to explore in today’s sermon.
I. Wise Counsel from a Seasoned Veteran (1:3-11)
A. We might call this section “Wise Counsel from a Seasoned Veteran.”
1. The Christian Standard Bible gives this heading to the section: “False Doctrine and Misuse of the Law.”
B. In the first verses that follow the greeting, Paul launched right into the serious matters facing Timothy.
1. I think we can distill his advice down into four directives, but before we do, let’s be reminded of from whom this advice was coming.
2. Paul was a seasoned and scarred, well-traveled and wise apostle.
a. Paul had felt the sharp blows of stones hurled at him and winced under the slashing fury of a whip.
b. In some towns, people wanted to worship Paul, in others he was thrown into prison for preaching the gospel.
c. So, this letter didn’t come from the hallowed halls of academia or the stately study of some theologian.
d. Paul’s pen wrote, not only with the ink of sound doctrine, but with the blood, sweat, and tears of an experienced minister, who had faced the very things facing Timothy and so much more.
B. Paul’s first word of advice was STAY AT THE TASK.
1. Verse 3 reads, “As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine…” (1 Tim. 1:3)
2. I know it may be hard for you to believe, but preachers sometimes think about quitting their jobs, just like everyone else does.
3. No doubt, when Timothy saw what he was up against, he wanted to quit.
4. The pressure can become intense, people can be inflexible, and their expectations unreasonable.
5. And sometimes it is best to move on, but more often than not, the thing that is most needed is to stay at it - to persevere.
6. There is no such thing as stress-free or problem-free ministry.
a. If the grass looks greener on the other side, you can bet their water bill is higher. Right?
7. In truth, it is usually best to let God forge His glory in the furnace of ministry, and He often does His best work through the problems and difficulties.
8. So, Paul’s message to Timothy and to all of us is to stay at the task.
a. Whatever work we are trying to accomplish for God, we must persevere.
b. If there are difficulties, then rejoice, stay at the task, and draw upon God’s vast resources.
C. Paul’s second word of advice was COMMUNICATE THE TRUTH.
1. Paul told Timothy to stay at the task, because the truth needed to be communicated.
a. Because of the false teachers and their doctrines, Paul saw communication of the truth as a top priority for Timothy’s ministry.
b. Paul told Timothy to “…instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine…” (1:3b)
2. The claims and commands of Christ were being assaulted by men teaching “strange” or “false” doctrines, and they needed to be corrected.
a. One commentator pointed out that the word “false” doctrine literally meant “different” doctrine.
b. Doctrine that diverted from the accepted teaching of the OT, of Christ and of the apostles.
4. Paul did not elaborate on the details of these doctrines, but he said that they involved “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4a).
a. One commentator wrote, “These false teachings may have had a Gnostic flavor, but were more likely of Jewish origin. Whatever their nature, they were empty of any spiritual value and had led only to further speculation, questions, and arguments. Such speculations were to be avoided because they did not further God’s plan, which is grasped and implemented not by human imaginings, but by faith. By contrast, human speculations tend to lead off down endless blind tunnels which serve only to confuse and obscure God’s truth.” (Duane Litfin, “1 Timothy” Bible Knowledge Commentary)
5. So, what was Paul’s point for Timothy? Be sure we stick with truth and stand for the truth.
a. In Timothy’s day there was a world of different doctrines, from the growing movement called Gnosticism, to Judaizers, to pagan cult worship, of which Ephesus was the center of worship for the goddess Artemis, whose temple was considered one of the seven wonders of the world in its day.
b. So knowing and teaching God’s Word wasn’t an option for Timothy, it was a necessity.
c. And it is still a necessity today.
d. In our world, we find ourselves seated before a buffet of false teachings; many of them attractive, some even sprinkled with a few grains of truth.
e. That’s why all of us, not just preachers, need to know God’s Word well enough to discern the false from the true.
f. Otherwise, we’ll swallow anything, even the tasty but poisonous fare offered by false teachers.
D. Paul’s third word of advice was CONCENTRATE ON THE TARGET.
1. Of the false teachers and their teaching, Paul wrote: These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. (1 Tim. 1:4b-7)
2. What was supposed to be Timothy’s target and our target? Love!
a. For Jesus and his followers, love is the key word. Love sums it all up.
3. Christianity is not about knowledge, it is not about winning theological arguments, it is not about championing political causes or impressing others - it is about loving as God loves.
4. Paul says that this love flows:
a. From a pure heart (where our only desire is to help others and lead them closer to God).
b. From a good conscience (where we are secure because we live up to our teaching).
c. From a sincere faith (where we are earnest in our desire to find truth and communicate it).
5. The false teachers were obviously not aiming for the same goal.
a. They were motivated by something other than love.
b. William Barclay in his commentary gave us this picture of these false teachers:
1. They were driven by the desire for novelty.
2. They exalted the mind at the expense of the heart.
3. They dealt in argument rather than in action.
4. They were moved by arrogance rather than by humility.
5. They were guilty of dogmatism without knowledge.
6. These are helpful tests for us as we seek to stay on target.
7. We can ask ourselves: What are the results of my study of God’s word?
a. Is it creating a desire to be novel, to fill my mind, not my heart, to get lost in arguments rather than action, to become arrogant, or to be dogmatic?
b. Or, Is it bringing about the godly character of love in my life?
c. God’s real work in our lives through his Word results in holy and righteous attitudes and actions.
E. Paul’s final word of advice was REMEMBER THE STANDARD.
1. Paul finished this section with a discussion of the law: 8 But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. 9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral and males who have sex with males, for slave traders, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which was entrusted to me. (1 Tim. 1:8-11)
2. Paul made a very important and significant point here about the law.
a. It appears that the false teachers were misusing the law, because they had misunderstood the purpose of the law.
3. The right use of the law is to expose, restrain, and convict the lawless.
a. The law cannot save lost sinners, it can only reveal their need for a Savior.
b. Notice that Paul started out with general kinds of sinfulness: he mentioned the “lawless and rebellious, ungodly and sinful, unholy and irreverent.”
c. But then Paul gave some more specific examples: he mentioned murderers (including those who kill their fathers and mothers – how ruthless is that!), the sexually immoral, including homosexual behavior, then he mentioned slave trading and lying.
d. Finally, Paul reverted back to a broad generality: “and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the gospel.”
4. God has given us His laws and commands and they are the righteous standards that guide our behavior – without them we wouldn’t know what is right and what is wrong.
5. But it isn’t the law that saves us, but we are saved through the glorious gospel of our blessed God – the gospel is the good news of salvation.
6. We cannot save ourselves by being good through law, and yet we cannot remain in Christ without maintaining God’s standard.
a. Someone said it this way, “The law is not gospel, but the gospel is not lawless.”
7. This was something Timothy needed to remember, and so do we.
a. We are saved by God’s grace, but that grace isn’t a license to keep on sinning.
b. Grace and faith require a repentance from sin and a striving for God’s high standards.
Conclusion:
A. So, Let’s review Paul’s advice to Timothy that we have discussed today.
1. Stay at the Task.
2. Communicate the Truth
3. Concentrate on the Target
4. Remember the Standard
B. Another simple way to summarize today’s lesson might be:
1. Stay Alert – realize that error exists and do not hesitate to expose it.
2. Stay Focused – never forget the overall goal should be that of producing love, even when dealing with error and our enemies.
3. Stay Informed – know the Word and teach the Word.
C. Do you remember the “want ad” for a preacher from the beginning of the sermon?
1. Maybe it should read like this: “Minister Wanted. Prefer the compassion and care of a shepherd, the discipline and steadfastness of a warrior, and the zeal of a prophet. Main responsibilities: Love God and love people. Love the truth; teach the truth; live the truth. Clay feet required - he must be one of us.”
D. Ministry is tough, not just for preachers, but for all of Jesus’ disciples and servants.
1. Those who lean on human example and listen to people more than to God will have trouble.
2. They will miss God’s best and wind up disappointed, confused, and insecure.
E. For those who lean on the Lord and listen to his Word, the ministry will still be a challenge, but their direction, vision, and philosophy will be shaped by the Master.
1. These people will serve Christ with fulfillment, enthusiasm, and endurance.
2. I hope and pray that all of us will put into practice the things Paul suggested for Timothy.
a. I pray that we will stay at the task and never give up.
b. I pray that we will communicate the truth – that our answers will always come from God’s Word.
c. I pray that we will concentrate on the target – love is the answer and the avenue.
d. I pray that we will remember the standard and live according to it – may we walk worthy of the calling we have received.
F. If you aren’t yet a Christian, we would love to help you begin your walk with Christ.
1. It starts with a faith that believes in God and wants to trust and obey the Lord.
2. That faith leads to repentance, confession, and baptism.
3. This process of being born again, results in our forgiveness and adoption into God’s family, and the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit as our seal, and our helper.
G. If you are already a Christian, but you have been struggling in your walk or you have been distracted by the world, but you want to renew your commitment to Christ or need prayers for strength, then we would love to help you with those things today.
1. If you need to respond to the invitation, then come forward as we stand and sing.
Resources:
• 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Commentary by David Roper, Truth For Today Commentary
• “What’s a Preacher To Do?” – Sermon by David Owens
