Graham continued his Timothy series this morning with a bit of a revamp of the previous few weeks.
1 Timothy 4
Character
Intro
The theme of this chapter is character. This continues the emphasis on character we noticed in chapter 3 when Paul wrote regarding to the appointment of leaders. See verses 7,8, 13-16.
Paul opens the chapter with an outline of the character of false teachers. Paul tells us that attempts at godliness without character results in legalism. This is not first century stuff only, the church of the 20th century was blighted by legalism.
Now Paul encourages Timothy. Timothy may or may not succeed in all he attempts to do for this church but his is told to watch his character, guard his fire, or else he loses all hope of having in his moment and in his location.
1) A Good Minister v6. How?
A good minister does not promote legalism, but life abundant and thankfulness. A good minister is committed to proclaiming the truth.
2) A Youthful Minister v12. How?
“Let no one look down on your youthfulness” - yes but how?
Live the anointing. Guard the fire of the Spirit.
3) A Gifted Minister v14. How?
He will later be encouraged about this again in 2 Timothy 1:6. The problem identified then would be Timothy’s timidity. Perhaps he was still conscious of his youthfulness when Paul wrote his second letter - an internal battle still not won. He will need courage to carry out the rest of the instructions Paul gives in this letter.
The way it is worded here, the gift is described as a spark that can be fanned into flame. A skill all would have in the days before matches and electronic ignition. There is huge potential from a small spark when the spark is placed there by God.
How would you fan it into flame?
Timothy is being reminded to trust in the prophetic word he received. See 1 Timothy 1:18
Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight
Graham continued his 1 Timothy theme this morning. The recording starts just as Graham is reading the first few verses of 1 Timothy 4.
1 Timothy 4
Tolerance and Unity
1) False teaching should not be unexpected.
Paul refers to what must have been a common expectation. The Spirit was speaking about this to the church.
According to the NIV Study Bible, some suggest that Paul is speaking about a particular revelation of the Holy Spirit that he had received.
He also had the words of Jesus. See:
Matthew 24:3-11
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Jesus answered: Watch out that no-one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth-pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect- if that were possible.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
See 1 John 4:2-6.
This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognise the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
Paul did have a revelation. Acts 20:29-30 Prophetic warning given by Paul to the leaders of the Ephesian church at his farewell meeting.
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
2) Spiritual Agents of Deception
Deceiving spirits, “demons”.
See incident with Peter. Matthew 16:22-23
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
We must ask, “Could the enemy use me?” In reply we must admit our weakness as human beings. We are all capable of deceiving and being deceived.
3) Human Agents of Deception
Moral failure - “hypocritical liars”.
Damaged conscience - ” seared…hot iron”.
Bad consciences, unless they turn to repentance, will always turn to hypocrisy for comfort. In contrast, faith and a good conscience partner together.
See 1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The Greek, however, primarily means “branded” with the consciousness of crimes committed against their better knowledge and conscience,
A “brand” can be compared to the seal from God. See 2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and, Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of his glory.
A conscience repeatedly denied, the voice of the Spirit repeatedly ignored, will result in damage.
The solution? Repentance and restoration. Glory in the seal of the Holy Spirit.
Graham preached for us this morning. Sometimes funny and sometimes very moving but always excellent.
1 Timothy 3 Part 2
From last week:
Leadership is character. Our character is not God’s gift to us, it is our gift to God, it is our worship.
See Romans 12:1-1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
This week:
People should know how to behave because it is God’s household. Verse 15ff is the “because” of the previous verses.
Because - The theme of unity continues as Paul draws their gaze to the greatness of the church.
1) The house (household) of God
Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
Temple of Ephesus
Ephesians 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesus was the home of the Artemisian, the Temple of Diana (also known as Artemis), a wonder of the world. See Acts 19 for Paul’s marvellous yet difficult time in Ephesus, The introduction of power with disciples filled with the Holy Spirit, extraordinary miracles (verse 11) and a riot (verse 23 ff).
Here in his letter to Timothy Paul is declaring that the invisible church is greater than the temple of Diana.
See Hebrews 12:18-24 “You have not come… But you have come to Mount Zion…”
The church, the congregation of the living God. “Living God” is compared to the dumb and lifeless idol, Diana of Ephesus.
2) Pillar and foundation of the truth.
This is the church he speaks of. Though the pillar of the church rests upon Christ, in this world the non-believers see the church. The church is the pillar that carries the truth that the future church rests upon. Each generation needs the previous one that has supported and preserved the message of God.
3) Mystery
If we could know all things about God he would be no bigger than our understanding. A God without mystery is no God at all.
Yet this is not about God being a mystery. It is about godliness being a mystery. The God who call for character is the one who shapes character.
See Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
See 1 Corinthians 2:7-14
No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
However, as it is written:
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him-but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Conclusion
Timothy has been reminded of the glory of the church in which he labours. These are the high stakes Timothy must fight for. This is the ‘because’ of verse 15. This is the reason why unity in the church is so important.
Apologies to all for the ropey quality of the first recording. It was recorded using an old mp3 player. This first short recording is the first bit of the sermon.
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Intro
We have identified that the grand theme of this letter so far is unity. Paul has been dealing with disunity by addressing with those things which either the cause or aggravate disunity.
He has covered man arguing, who he told to pray, and women displaying social difference by their jewellery and expensive hair braiding. Paul even mentioned his personal policy of restricting the role of women in church meetings. I mentioned that at this time business women guilds were large and powerful. In some cities the business women guilds had the largest buildings.
This section gave us the context of the previous section and helped persuade us that it was about people appropriating leadership or influence without having any right to do so.
1) Non-appointed leadership
Self-appointed bullies. Those that control yet are accountable to no one.
If this error is left uncorrected, a church will normally have more than one such self-appointed ‘leader’.
2) Properly appointed leadership
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
“Reliable is also translated “faithful”. God can add ability to character and availability. God can not add character to ability, that is our gift to Him.
The list of qualifications is all about character before ability.
(a) Elders
Also called overseer. Duties were to teach and preach (3:2, 5:17), direct the affairs of the church (3:5, 5:17), Shepherd the flock of God (Acts 20:28), guard the church from error (Acts 20:28-31).
(b) Deacons
They serve.
Difference between the two offices of elder and deacon? And Elder answers for the souls in their care.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
(c) “Wives”. Literally translated - “the women” in 1 Timothy 3:11
New International Version - In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
New American Standard Bible - Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
New Century Version - In the same way, women must be respected by others. They must not speak evil of others. They must be self-controlled and trustworthy in everything.
(d) Female Deacons
Romans 16:1-2 refers to a woman who was a deacon (no such thing as a deaconess):
I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant (diakonos), of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper (prostatis ) of many and of myself also.
3) Purpose of leadership
Discipleship. Order, yes, but the real purpose is the fullness of stature for the believers.
Ephesians 4:11-14
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
A comment about MILK
Hebrews 5:12-14
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
1 Peter 2:1-3
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
One of Elim’s Regional Superintendent, Gordon Neale, joined us this morning.
