How to Act in Church
1 Timothy 3:14-16
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Introduction: Don¡¦t act that way in church! Ever said that? Been told that? I¡¦ll bet you have. Especially some of our kids. Take your hat off. Stop running. Don¡¦t talk like that. You¡¦re in church! What kind of conduct is appropriate in church? What kind isn¡¦t? More importantly, why should our conduct at church be any different than anywhere else?
Obviously, I think we ought to act in an appropriate way in the church building. The same goes for any public building. Especially in gatherings of worship and learning, our actions ought to reflect our attitudes toward God. We behave in an appropriately serious manner because we believe that what we are doing is serious business. But sometimes our preoccupation with how we act in the church building causes us to overlook the bigger issue of how we act as the church where ever we are. That¡¦s the issue of 1 Timothy¡Xthe next book in our journey through the New Testament.
Before I read from 1 Timothy, let me set the stage a bit. 1 Timothy is the first of three books we call the ¡§pastoral epistles.¡¨ 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were each written to men who had been delegated the task of helping a struggling church weather some choppy waters. Paul had just been released from prison. He was in a hurry to get to as many of his churches as possible. He visits Ephesus, a very large, influential and immoral city. Unable to stay as long as he wished, he asks one of his young sidekicks to stay behind to help the church. A few months later, Paul sends this letter back to young Timothy with instructions and encouragement. Timothy¡¦s task¡Xhelp the church survive and thrive in that difficult situation. 1 Timothy was the instruction manual. The short book contains six chapters, 113 verses and 2,243 words (in the KJV).
Our text is the key passage in the book¡X1 Timothy 3:14-16. Three terms surface in these verses. When we understand these three words, we will understand the message of 1 Timothy. Let¡¦s examine church, and godliness and conduct. These three words in these three verses explain who we are, what we believe, and how we behave. The ideas are interrelated.
First, who we are. Note the four terms our text uses for the church: God¡¦s household, the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. The word church is a very much abused and misused term in our language. When we think of ¡§church,¡¨ we think of either a building or an institution. The confusion is natural. That¡¦s natural, but it can be dangerously misleading.
The problem of thinking of church as a place or an organization is that we easily slide into a we/they or here/there way of thinking. ¡§The church is those people¡Xthe key leaders.¡¨ If I am not part of those people, then I don¡¦t have to live by the same standards. Or ¡§At 205 W. Park I have to behave a certain way, at the coffee shop or at the break room at work, I can act differently. I am not in church.¡¨ A wrong view of the church and our individual relationships to it affects our conduct. That¡¦s the point of our text.
Note the first of the four terms. The church is ¡§God¡¦s household.¡¨ That¡¦s a term of intimacy. It means family. The church is not an impersonal organization or a business enterprise, though we do have structure and we do conduct business. We are first of all a family. It is not an accident that in scripture believers refer to one another as brothers and sisters. The attitude of family affects how we view one another, how we treat one another, and how dependent we are on one another. You are just as much a part of the family whether you are together or scattered.
Secondly, God¡¦s family is the church of the living God. This is a term of majesty. The church is not just any family. It is God¡¦s. This is not just any ¡§god.¡¨ We are talking about the Living God. He is not the God of the past. We do not gather to worship tradition or legends that happened ¡§once upon a time.¡¨ We are not dealing with a God who only knows and sees what takes place in this room. It is not like this is God¡¦s place and every place else is ours. He is the Living God! Hebrews says, ¡§It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God¡¨ (10:31). Does knowing that affect how you conduct yourself?
The next two terms are bit more difficult to get our arms around. The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. The church¡¦s task is to represent and spread the truth in this world. The truth we stand for is not human philosophy, personal opinion, or the traditions passed down from our forefathers. It is the revelation of the living God himself. We live in a cynical world that doubts that truth exists or if it does if anyone can know it. Jesus said, ¡§I am the truth.¡¨ He insisted that God¡¦s revealed Word is truth!
The church is the pillar and foundation of truth. Both pillars and foundations hold things up. Pillars however are visible. Foundations are not. The huge pillars out front of our building do hold up part of the roof structure. However, they mostly provide a stately appearance for our building. We, the family of God¡Xthe people, are what the world sees first. Our lives either decorate the truth of God or detract from it. We are the pillars of truth.
The foundation is probably more important than the pillars but less visible. If the footings give way, the whole structure may tumble. Just think of the all of those huge homes in California that recently slid down the mountainside because the soil and the foundations gave way beneath them. When the people of God lose their grip on truth, marriage, society, family, everything suffers. The church is the foundation of truth.
That¡¦s who we are. That why our conduct matters. We are the household of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Our next term helps define what we mean by ¡§the truth.¡¨ Look at how verse 16 begins. ¡§Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great.¡¨ What comes next is not up for debate. It is beyond all question. This is the truth we hold up and hold out. The key word here is ¡§godliness.¡¨ This deserves some definition.
Ancient Greeks used the term ¡§godliness¡¨ much like we use the term religion or the modern contemporary term ¡§spirituality.¡¨ They used it to describe the attitude one had toward the gods. It could mean reverence, awe, or devotion. It is close to what the Old Testament terms ¡§the fear of God.¡¨ In the New Testament godliness means the outward expression of inner piety. It is how you act on the outside because of how you regard God on the inside. The two (outside and inside) ought to be related.
Godliness is a key term in 1 Timothy. The Greek word is used fifteen times in the New Testament. The majority of them are in this book. Paul tells us to pray ¡§for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2:2). He says to ¡§Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives¡¦ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7). ¡§For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come¡¨ (1 Timothy 4:8). ¡§But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God¡¨ (1 Timothy 5:4).
¡§If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain¡¨ (1 Timothy 6:3-6). ¡§But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness¡¨ (1 Timothy 6:11).
In 2 Timothy, Paul warns against those ¡§having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them¡¨ (2 Timothy 3:5). He also warns that ¡§everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted¡¨ (2 Timothy 3:12). He begins the book of Titus by referring to ¡§the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness¡X(Titus 1:1). He says that our faith ¡§teaches us to say ¡§No¡¨ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age¡¨ (Titus 2:12).
What gives us a sense of awe and reverence toward God? An experience, a feeling, a ritual, or ceremony? Paul says the answer is obvious. Here¡¦s the mystery of godliness. For Paul, a mystery was something that was once a secret, but has not been revealed by God. It is no longer hidden. We didn¡¦t discover it. Anyone can know it. God has declared it for all to know. Here¡¦s the secret of godliness (the outward expression of inward reverence for God.) Paul lists six undeniable facts. They come in pairs. They are all about Jesus. We stand in awe of God because of what he did in Christ.
If this doesn¡¦t rock your socks, you don¡¦t get it. He appeared in the body. The very God of the universe visited this planet. He lived, walked, and talked among us. That¡¦s how far God will go to reach you. He was vindicated in the Spirit. Anybody could claim to be God in flesh. Jesus proved. His miracles, his demonstrations of power, the testimony of heaven time and time again vindicated his claims. The record is there. It stands true.
He was seen by angels. His life was lived in secret. All heaven knew what was up. His birth and his resurrection were testified to by the heavenly host. But this message has also been preached to the nations. This is not something just for a few. The gospel isn¡¦t a Jewish thing, or white man¡¦s thing, or western thing. This is the whole truth for the whole world. He was preached among the nations.
And believed on in the world. Lives have been changed. People from all walks of life have been born again through the gospel. Our message does work. But not just here. He was taken up to glory. Heaven welcomed our savior. He has been crowned the king of glory. That means we are not done with him. He is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. He is coming again from glory in glory.
WOW! That¡¦s why we stand in awe of God. Look at what he has done. Look at what he is doing. Look at what he is going to do someday. That¡¦s the secret of godliness¡Xthe outward expression of our inner attitude toward God.
This leads right into our third word¡Xthe key idea in our text. ¡§I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God¡¦s household.¡¨ The whole book of 1 Timothy is a series of instructions about godly conduct¡Xhow the people of God act toward one another and before a watching world. How do we act in church? I am not talking about in this room or this building. How do we act because of who we are and whose we are?
1 Timothy¡¦s six chapters outline Christian conduct in six different areas of life. Let me survey the contents briefly by noting the main topic of each chapter and reading a representative section. Obviously there is much more than what I am going to read. This is just a sampling.
Chapter 1¡XThe conduct toward false teachers. Since we are the pillar and foundation of truth this matters. ¡§As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God¡¦s work¡Xwhich is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm¡¨ (3-6).
Chapter 2¡XThe conduct of godly men and women. ¡§I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. 9I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God¡¨ (8-9).
Chapter 3¡XThe conduct of godly leaders in the church. ¡§Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,„T he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God¡¦s church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil¡¦s trap. 8Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons¡¨ (1-10).
Chapter 4¡XThe conduct of godly preachers and teachers. ¡§If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives¡¦ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ¡K11Command and teach these things. 12Don¡¦t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers¡¨ (6-16).
Chapter 5¡XThe conduct of godly families. ¡§Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity¡¨ (1-2).
Chapter 6¡XThe conduct of godly stewards¡Xthose who are entrusted with worldly riches. ¡§Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life¡¨ (17-19).
Conclusion: 1 Timothy is about how to act in church. Maybe that¡¦s the wrong way to put it. It is about how to act since you are the church. Once you know who you are, once you know to whom you belong, who you represent, then you can never act the same. No matter where you are! Our outward behavior is always a reflection of our inner beliefs about the God we worship.
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College of the Bible, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
