The Discipline of a Faithful Servant

Transcript

GR1768
5/25/2014
The Discipline of a Faithful Servant
I Timothy 4:6-10
Gil Rugh

We are in I Timothy in your Bibles, Paul’s first letter to Timothy and we are in the 4th chapter. There is no one closer to Paul in his ministry than Timothy. We looked at something in the background of this when we began the book in Acts chapter 16, the opening verses there. Timothy joined Paul. A young man to accompany him on his missionary travels and he becomes a key part of Paul’s ministry over the years. Accompanying on his travels and even being a part of his imprisonment in Rome when Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome at the end of the book of Acts he has Timothy joined with him as he opens the letter and just a man of faithfulness in ministry.

In I Corinthians chapter 4, verse 17: Paul said to the Corinthians, “I have sent to you Timothy who is my faithful child in the Lord.” Timothy is one whom Paul could trust to carry out the ministry that was so important and when he had situations that he could not attend to directly and personally himself he would often send Timothy as he mentions to the Corinthians, “I send Timothy to you,” and he commends him in 1 Corinthians 16:10 he says of Timothy, “He is doing the Lord’s work as I am also.” He tells them, “I want him to be there with you, not being intimidated by you, you respect him.” He is mentioned in ten of Paul’s letters and he is also mentioned in the book of Hebrews as some think that Paul wrote so he is a vital part of Paul’s ministry.

Interesting, Paul doesn’t take anything for granted. No matter how long we have been serving the Lord, no matter how much the Lord has used us we still need to learn and grow. We still need to be careful and so Paul is going to encourage, exhort and remind Timothy. And of course in reminding Timothy of what he is to do and how he is to function as God’s servant. It is being addressed to all of those who would be faithful servants and that’s why the Spirit of God has recorded it for us here. You know we lose sight of these things so easily but there is no reason. Churches today address, we keep talking about it. Pastors confused grabbing on to every idea no matter how silly. Earlier today in my first hour class with the workers we were talking about the book and movie about this young boy who supposedly died and went to heaven, his father a pastor. What kind of silly nonsense that we go to a little young boy who supposedly died during an operation to find out about heaven? I remember I was sharing earlier with the class the verse from Isaiah. God speaks to Isaiah. How ridiculous that God’s people should go to the dead to find out about the living. Is there no end to the foolishness and nonsense that is accepted today? And pastors bear a great responsibility. The elders, those who are to be leading, the teachers, but all of us as God’s people have to have discernment.

And so in verses 6 to 10 here in chapter 4 Paul is going to remind Timothy what is necessary for being a good servant of Jesus Christ. Note verse 6 begins: “In pointing out these things to the brethren you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,” a servant that is pleasing to him, one the master will say, “well done, good and faithful servant.” We are servants. He is the master. We desire to please Him. A good servant is one who is doing the master’s will in pointing out these things. One of the first things Timothy has to remember and remembered in his second letter will just encourage Timothy not to be timid and it’s interesting when he writes to the Corinthians he tells them that Timothy, when he comes to them, they shouldn’t cause him to be afraid. You know Timothy is a younger man. He doesn’t have the stature of the Apostle Paul, perhaps so some of those who were causing trouble for Paul; they could cause trouble for Timothy. Timothy needs to be reminded; this is part of your ministry and responsibility as a good servant. First thing you have to do is expose false teaching. That’s what he is talking about. He says here, “In pointing out these things,” what “these things?” Well the immediate context is begin, look back in verse 1 of chapter 4: “The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” Then he gave examples of some of the lies that are promoted that lure people away from sound truth and the revelation that God has given. You have to point these things out. You know it’s not new. People have developed ministries, pastors and they are going to be positive. They are going to be encouraging. They are going to be uplifting. To be a good servant of Jesus Christ you have to be pointing out the error.

I had some correspondence this past week with a man who has a ministry that I appreciate and it involves pointing out error and I was looking at some of the critiques of his ministry. One of them was “Why can’t you be more positive?” Then I communicated with him over that point but it’s the flavor. Why do you always have to be saying something negative? Why do you always have to be pointing out the false in that teaching? Because, you want to be a good servant of Jesus Christ. Who are we trying to please? Do we want to be men pleasers and so not be negative, always find something positive to say?

I think scholarly book reviews and theological journals just drive me crazy. No matter how far off the theology is they give it a scholarly evaluation as there are many helpful things in this book. Even though there are weaknesses on this and this. What do you mean even though there are weaknesses on this? They are denying the truth of the Scripture. That is not a minor point. That is the major point. But it’s not scholarly to not be balanced and acknowledge you are open and even though you may disagree with this theological point you respect he has in a scholarly manner handled himself. We become men pleasers. Not only scholars in theological schools but pastors and then churches. We don’t want our church to have a negative influence. Well the first thing he said to Timothy, “if you are going to be a faithful servant you must expose false teaching. You must point out these things to the brethren, draw them to their attention, point them out to fellow believers.” Believers must be alert at all times of the false teaching.

When you are dealing with the spirit world, doctrines of demons, deceitful spirit beings,- we can never just become lax. Well we have always been a church that’s committed to the Word. That doesn’t guarantee that we will be tomorrow if we become lax. We are not above being deceived, deluded, and led astray. So it is a responsibility particularly of the teachers to point out these things to the brethren. One of my responsibilities is what – to point these things out to you. Yes, do we have to have something critical to say? I want to be a good servant. He said in pointing these things out to the brethren you will be a good servant. You are the brethren and if there is error you must know about it otherwise I become complicit in you being led astray. So first thing, you must expose false teaching so that the brethren are forewarned. Then you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ
The second thing for Timothy – he has to be constantly nourished on the words of the faith and sound doctrine which he has been following. He himself must be nourished on the truth. Part of that being nourished on the truth involves sorting out error from truth. I mean if I get led astray and the men teaching the Word get led astray, where will that take the congregation? So we must be nourished. And that nourishment involves the discernment; being nourished, present tense word. That’s why you have that word constantly. It is in italics because the word itself is not there but the present tense of that word, “nourished” gives you the idea that it is regularly going on; nourished on the words of the faith and of good doctrine; discernment in going through the Word in reading, in studying. We want to take in healthy truth. Those who are going to teach the Word have to have absorbed it into their lives first.

I want to take you back to a couple of Old Testament passages you are familiar with, Jeremiah chapter 15, the prophet Jeremiah. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel so three large prophetic books after the Psalms in your Bibles. Jeremiah 15 verse 16: “Your words were found and I ate them and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart for I have been called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” I didn’t sit in the circle of the merry-makers and so on but I nourished myself on Your word. I took it in like food. It’s what gave me joy and delight. You know, we think of Jeremiah as the weeping prophet. He had a difficult and hard ministry as was characteristic of the prophets but he was sustained by the Word of God. “I took it in like food, I ate it, I took it into my heart. I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”
Something tragic is happening when the pastors lose their heart for the Word of God and the people of God lose their heart for the Word of God.

Go over to Ezekiel since you are back here. Just go to the next book after Jeremiah. Come to Ezekiel. I would have found it much harder to come to pastor here in Lincoln, Nebraska, if the Lord had told me what He told Ezekiel. In chapter 2 God addresses Ezekiel and says, “Stand on your feet that I may speak to you.” Then He says, “I am sending you son of man to the sons of Israel, a rebellious people and you go tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord.’” You go give them my word, what I tell you; “As for them, whether they listen or not for they are a rebellious house. They now will know that a prophet has been among them. And you son of Man neither fear them nor their words though thistles and thorns are with you when you sit on scorpions.” Not exactly an exciting way to be called to a ministry. I don’t know a lot about scorpions but I do see some of the programs on the various kinds of animals and so on. You know what he is picturing here it is going to be a very difficult, painful ministry. “You don’t fear their words or be dismayed at their presence.” Why? I am not sending you out to be popular. I am sending you out to tell them my truth. “You speak my words to them whether they listen or not.”

You know we keep thinking we have to adjust the message in light of what the hearers like, an audience centered message. We don’t have an audience centered message. We have a God-centered message. Sometimes by the grace of God is given to an audience who responds like you are here to hear the Word of God. Sometimes there are people who don’t want to hear it. It doesn’t matter. This is what God says. Ezekiel doesn’t go, “Try this out Ezekiel. See if they like it.”

Then you will note how chapter 3 begins, similar to what Jeremiah said. “Then he said to me, ‘Son of man eat what you find. Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth. He fed me this scroll. He said, ‘Son of man, feed your stomach. Fill your body with this scroll.’ I ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man go to the house of Israel, speak my words to them.’” You see the picture here of eating the scroll. You take in my word. You devour it into your innermost being. Now you go speak it out to them. You know, no excuse. Should I come and try to find out from you what I ought to say? No. What is the ministry? Take what God has said and give it out.

And yet verse 7: “The house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you since they are not willing to listen to me.” But you know, one thing it takes to be in the ministry you have to be a hard-head, stubborn in the right sense and in the right way.

Verse 8: “Behold I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead.” You know I have shared before. A person who is overly sensitive, takes everything personally shouldn’t go into the ministry, shouldn’t go and try to minister the truth. They are always having their feelings hurt. They are always concerned. Did I say it right? Why did people not respond?
Verse 10: “Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I shall speak to you, and listen closely and go tell the people whether they listen or not.” You know we who teach the Word have the easiest, simplest responsibility. Not easy in the sense that there won’t be difficult opposition but easy because it’s not hard to understand what am I supposed to do? Go teach them the Word of God. Tell them what God has said. What if they don’t like that and they would rather hear something else? Tell them what God has said. What if your church doesn’t grow? Tell them what God has said. What if people leave? Tell them what God has said. I mean how will I give an account to the Lord if I don’t get that through my thick head? I am to be a hardhead but not against what God has said.

So Paul is telling Timothy, here is what God has told His servants down through the history. You know, you must be nourished on My Word and that commitment to the Word is to be unshakeable.

Come back to Timothy. You be a good servant, nourished on the Words of the faith and good doctrine, good teaching which you have been following. You note here. This has been the pattern of Timothy’s life. It’s a perfect tense. A perfect tense is something that happened in the past and the results continue on. This is what has been Timothy’s practice and is to continue to be Timothy’s practice but you know Paul doesn’t take things for granted. He still tells Timothy you have to keep doing what you have been doing because Paul’s been in the ministry a long time. He’s been through difficulty. He knows how we can wear down. We can begin to look if we can avoid the confrontations knowing that opposition is going to come. It can intimidate us into not being as direct and clear with the Word as we should, not necessarily openly denying it but just not being clear and bold with it. So this has been your practice, Timothy, continue on. So it is not a rebuke you haven’t been doing this. You’ve been being nourished on the word. You’ve been faithful in dealing with these situations. I just want you to continue that pattern.

Turn back to Colossians a few pages back before Timothy. Thessalonians, Colossians there, Colossians chapter 2. This is another one of Paul’s prison epistles. In Colossians chapter 2 verse 6: “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in Him having been firmly rooted, being built up in Him established in your faith just as you were instructed and see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception.” You see in this context he is encouraging the Colossian believers, stay the course, stay faithful, stay rooted in the Word and continue to be built up in the Word. You know, we never outgrow the Word of God. We stay the course. The same thing he is saying. Peter wrote - we won’t turn there but I Peter chapter 2, verse 2: “As new born babies long for the pure, unadulterated milk of God’s Word that you might grow with respect to your salvation;” any reason that the church would lose its way? Always new things coming down, how your church can grow, how you can be more effective, how you can minister to millennials and everybody else and boomers and how they think so what you must do. God’s planted us here to do what? Be a pillar and support of the truth; if the millennials, whoever they are, come in, great. They will hear the truth. If the boomers come in, whoever they are, they hear the truth. If old people like me come in, just think, people are people. They hear the truth. I mean this idea., “well we have to adjust it.” You know these people think differently. No, God says, “sinners are sinners.” My truth is my truth. The salvation I have provided. You know, it’s great. We don’t have to sort through all this mess. We are not selling something. We are proclaiming the truth of the unchanging God and that should be the same generation after generation. So Timothy must expose false teaching and he must continue in being nourished by the good sound teaching.

Come back to Timothy. This swings back now and it involves you must reject the false teaching. He goes back and forth here. So now he is going to say in verse 7 but have nothing to do with worldly fables. It is only for old women. Well isn’t the church supposed to be open? Don’t we welcome everyone? Everyone is welcome to come and hear. Everyone is not welcome to come and promote their ideas. “Have nothing to do with world fables fit for old women.”
And I mentioned the boy who supposedly died on the operating table and went to heaven and then came back and now he has got a book out. That’s not even fit for old women. If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable, goofiness. And his pastor, father promotes this and goes around. We had churches in Omaha promoting it. I don’t know, maybe in this city, I don’t know.

Timothy, have nothing to do with it. We trivialize the ministry God has given us. This is a ministry of truth. Timothy you have nothing to do, you reject worldly fables. This is how he started out. Come back to chapter 1 of I Timothy, verse 3: “I urge you upon my departure from Macedonia remain on at Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach strange doctrine nor pay attention to myths.” People find it hard to stay with the Word of God but they quickly get excited about some silly notion. You know Paul talked about that when he writes to the Ephesians. It’s a characteristic of childish immaturity. Blown about by every wind of teaching that comes along. Well how do you know that kid didn’t die and go to heaven,? Because I don’t go to the dead to get my information from the living God. I go to God. Lazarus died and spent days in the tomb. We don’t have any book of Lazarus telling us about heaven. I think the world jumps on this kind of stuff. There are all kinds of people writing books on dying, even medical doctors. One lady has a book on she died and went to heaven. Of course people who reject the truth of God are running around. They are happy to get their information from anywhere but from God. Timothy you reject it. You put a stop to it. You command that they can’t be promoting these myths in the family of God which is the pillar and support of the truth.


Now we are over in chapter 4. Timothy, I am reminding you. You know Paul, you are never done. Timothy is a faithful servant, used of the Lord, trusted by Paul. But Paul didn’t think he was above being reminded. “Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.” This is not a put down on old women. I am married to one. I like her and she is married to an old man. And you know how it is, those of you who are old. Sort of like being here. When I was young I wondered what do old people do? Well, go home and take a nap. It’s great. What it is, it’s the kind of things that the grandmas might make up a tale and tell. You know, the Briar Rabbit, Alice and Wonderful kind of things; a story that has no truth in that sense. In that sense it’s just something for kids that the grandmas might have told and spun. You know, how does this get into the church? You see what God says about this kind of teaching contrary to His Word. That’s the level it is on. The church loses all discernment. Have nothing to do with it; so myths.

Look over in II Timothy. We will jump ahead to see what he says in his second letter to Timothy. He is telling Timothy again, what is he to do, verse 2? “Preach the Word. Be ready in season, out of season.” That means you do it when people want to hear it. You do it when they don’t want to hear it. You know I was sharing what Harold Berry who worked for Back to the Bible, some of you older people know him told me, back in the days when people are breaking down the doors to get in. He said, “Gil, you’re teaching the Word and they are breaking down the doors to get in. The test will be when they are not breaking down the doors to get in, will you still be teaching the Word.” I never forgot it. That’s what he is saying here, “You do it in season and out of season.” I have a simple job. You know, the world has changed, the culture has changed, people’s thinking has changed but the Word of God has not. So our ministry as the church stays the same. “Preach the Word. Be ready in season, out season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction for the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching.” The word doctrine is just the word teaching, healthy teaching. Same thing as good teaching Paul told Timothy to focus on for his life. A time will come when they will not. Who? Well, the world never was open to it but there will come a time when God’s people, when the church will get to the condition that’s not what they want. Have we come to that in our country? This is where we are. They want to have their ears tickled so they accumulate teachers for themselves in accordance with their own desires. They will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths. The very thing he says Timothy, you be careful you don’t do. But there will come a time when that will be the case. What’s Timothy to do in that kind of situation? Be sober, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Nothing has changed as far as your responsibility. Like Ezekiel they are not going to listen but you go tell them what I told you. Why should I go tell them what you told me if they are not going to listen? Because I told you to go tell them what I told you, right? I mean who’s in charge, God or us? It’s sad to think these are God’s people who won’t want to hear the truth anymore but they will want to be religious. They will want to be spiritual so they will heed to teachers that will say more what they like to hear then they will turn aside to myths.

Come back to I Timothy 4. The worldly fables, that word worldly is that which is profane or godless. It’s the opposite of godliness, translated worldly here and more characteristic on the same level. We think well the church being filled with fables, old wives tales as we would refer to it, that’s a sad day.
We must exercise discipline, the middle of verse 7. “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” That’s what you have to do, self-discipline. Discipline yourself. We get the word ‘gymnastic, gymnasium’ from this, the Greek word. We just transliterated it over into English. This constant like you know when you exercise that strenuous activity, what? Increases strength, increases ability, gives you stamina. Timothy, you be exercising yourself for the purpose of godliness, stay with it. It’s the spiritual discipline. We’re not talking about spiritual disciplines which have become popular in the church today. Going back to the ancient ways learning from the monks is referred to. We had a bible teaching church in the city here and some of the people were in to see me. A little while back their church split over this subject because soon you’re going back to the ancient ways. We’re going to learn the kind of discipline and ascetic practices that Paul condemns in the first part of this chapter and soon they went all the way to Roman Catholicism. We are to be disciplining our self for godliness. We have to apply ourselves diligently to the Word. I was sharing with a couple of you here in the last couple of weeks as we were together. They were sharing how it was in the early days when they were first saved. It goes back to shortly after I first came and they were involved in some bible teaching studies. And they were learning the Word. I wasn’t teaching them and they were new believers studying the Word. They said we were taking notes of everything. We thought we would never be able to understand all of this but here they are 40 years later mature in the Lord. It takes discipline in applying but you are never done. Timothy traveled with Paul. Ministered with Paul. Shared with Paul during his Roman imprisonment. But he is never done having to discipline himself.

I’ve been a believer for many years. I’ve been blessed to minister the word for many years. Does that mean I don’t have to discipline myself for godliness anymore, apply myself with diligence strenuous study of the Word? Discipline my body as Paul said “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection so that I would not be disapproved by God?” Well you know I’m tired, I’ve you know, paid my dues now it’s time to sit back and let the younger people take over. I have no problem with the younger people taking over. There comes a time when yes, we ought to utilize their energy. But we don’t quit the ministry. Paul’s not telling Timothy, “I’m quitting Timothy. I’m retiring now you take over.” He’s going to keep going. Timothy is going to be taking over much of the responsibility. When Paul says finally I’m completing my ministry, it is when? When I’m waiting to be taken to execution.

That’s exciting to me. Whatever our age we have something to contribute. It doesn’t mean it’s the same thing all the time but I don’t want to be any less involved in the ministry. How sad it is that people waste the latter part of their life trying to live like the world and be comfortable and have it easy, irresponsible, non-responsible life when we have more time to devote to the things of the Lord. How can I be used of Him? What can I do? Put me to work! I’m retired, I don’t have to go to my job everyday doesn’t mean I now have to do nothing. Now I am available. What can I do? Lord use me. Timothy you keep on, you be “exercising yourself for godliness,” self-discipline and he says “bodily discipline is only of little profit but godliness is profitable for all things.” I’m not saying it’s wrong to exercise for your physical health but that’s not near as important as your spiritual health because godliness is profitable for all things. It holds promise for the present life and the life to come. That matters for eternity. The world is take up with having a good physique and being healthy and being this. I’m not against being healthy, fine. And exercise, fine. But I don’t want to lose sight of the exercise that really matters for eternity. Disciplining myself for godliness, taking in the Word, applying myself to the Word, applying it in the way that I live and how I live. Looking for ways that I might be used of God and serving Him. It is profitable for this life and the life to come.

Look at verse 9. “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.” I take it that is referring to what He has just previously said. “Bodily discipline is of little profit” or “profits for a little while,” godliness is profitable for all things for this life and for eternity.  So Timothy, you’ve got to work hard.  There is no getting around it.  We are going to work hard.  You know, in our society we talk about well you don’t want to be a workaholic.  Well whatever that is, I don’t know, but to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ you have to work hard.

Verse 10:  “It is for this we labor and strive.”  Labor and strive – that word labor kopiao, strenuous effort.  Here’s how one Greek commentator defines it:  denotes strenuous effort to the point of physical and emotional exhaustion.  We labor; a word that Paul often used.  We labor, we toil.  It wears you out.  Read Jeremiah.  Think that wasn’t a tough ministry, didn’t drain every ounce of strength?  You know, Jeremiah said, “You know, I have just made up my mind I just can’t do this.  I’m just not going to give out God’s Word anymore but I could not do it.  It’s just like a fire burning inside me.  I had to tell them.  Ezekiel, I told him, you get out there and tell them and they are not going to listen.”  Do you think that was easy?  It drained him physically, emotionally.  We labor, we strive.  Agonizomai, we recognize that word in English, right?  We just carried it over into English, agony.  We agonize.  It’s a struggle.  It’s exhausting. 
We have the idea that the work of the Lord, we go to church to relax.  You know, we work hard all week, I just want to go and have something this is, you know, I don’t want to say entertaining, but you know I am looking for something relaxing.  You know, this is where the real spiritual work is done and then you do it out there you know as you represent the Lord where you are.  I mean being a faithful servant of the Lord is hard work.  It’s exhausting labor as you know.  You are here on Sunday night and are those more involved perhaps than many others.  You are involved in the ministry in a variety of ways not because you do it for relaxation.  You do it and it takes what? Time.  You are preparing for your teaching.  You are preparing for ministry you have.  You are doing ministry when you could be doing something else but you are pouring yourself into what?  You want to be a faithful servant.
Back to Colossians again, we were in Colossians so you can back up there.  Paul uses these same words, labor and strive; labor and toil, that exhausting physically, emotionally, spiritually.  Colossians chapter 1, verse 28, Paul talking about his ministry:  “We proclaim Him (‘Christ in you the hope of glory’ at the end of the previous verse) admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose I also labor.”  There’s our word, kopiao.  Striving, there’s our word, agonizomai.  “Labor, striving according to His power, which works mightily within me.” 
You know we sometimes get the idea should it be this difficult if it’s the Spirit of God working and enabling me?  Yes.  Paul says “For me the ministry is exhausting labor, agonizing, draining and it’s the Spirit of God working mightily within me.”  That’s exciting.  The Spirit of God using every ounce of my strength, every ounce of my energy, exhausting and we keep going.
You know we all get to the point and think you know, I just don’t think I can do this.  Confession – this week I said, “Lord, I just can’t keep doing this.  Lord, I just can’t do it anymore.”  Oh poor me.  You know, I have studies everywhere.  Marilyn said I am not allowed to have any more flat spaces in the house.  They have a way of collecting books and papers and I have one upstairs and one, two, three downstairs.  So when I want to go into my self-pity spot I have a chair in my closet.  I can go in and close the door and tell the Lord “I just can’t do this anymore, you know, poor me.”  Then I go out and tell Marilyn, “I can’t do it.”  And she says all right, why don’t you just go study.”  No, you don’t understand.  Yes, I do, that’s all right, just go to work. 
Go to Paul and get sympathy?  You think Timothy is going to get sympathy from Paul?  Paul, O Timothy, that’s too bad.  What do you think I am doing, Timothy?  I am laboring.  I am striving.  I’m exhausted.  I am emotionally worn out.  I am drained now let’s get on with the ministry.  His enabling power enables us to do it, right?  That’s encouraging.  That is what he is reminding Timothy.  You have done well.  Keep doing well.  Keep going forward and we do it.
Come back to Timothy; “Because we have fixed our hope on the living God.”  That’s it.  You know we are back to Hebrews, the hope set before us, the promise He has given.  We are driving forward to.  We are not looking for the reward here.  We are looking for the reward that He has promised. 
You know, the runner running the race.  He’s tired but he doesn’t quit because he’s going to the finish line.  When he crosses the finish line then he gets to rest.  Ever see the pictures at the end of a race like that?  I mean they look like walking death trying to get their breath, trying to breath, hunched over. Well, they couldn’t quit till they got across the line.  They were looking for the hope. 
Well you know, I am old, I am tired.  Yes, but you are not done.  How do you know?   You are still here with me.  We are still here together so we focus on the hope.  “Our hope is fixed on the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” 
I have to say something here on this part of the verse, then we are done.  He’s the Savior of all men, especially of believers.  Some of you are aware of the debate that goes on between limited and unlimited atonement.  Sometimes referred to as what we call reformed theology.  It teaches Christ only died on the cross to pay the penalty for the elect of God.  He didn’t die for all men.  He only died for those that God had chosen.  I don’t find that to be a Biblical teaching but they sometimes use this verse.  He’s the Savior of all men.  I think that all men He’s the Savior of, He’s the Savior of all men.  This takes us back to chapter 2, the opening verses.  We will pick up with verse 3:  “This is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Verse 6:  “Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all.”  I take it “all” here is referring to all.  And especially back in chapter 4, verse 10.  He’s the Savior of believers. 
In 1979 a man named Skee and you don’t need to know but if you read some commentaries it will come up.  It came up in an article, The Journal of Theological Studies and he said he found the new meaning for this adverb translated “especially” a Greek word malista.  Some of you have taken some Greek.  In other places some with Peter malista.  He said it means He’s the Savior of all men by this I mean believers. They try to limit the all men to believers and so he came up with some arguments he said he had found in the parchments and so on that that was a new meaning for this adverb, especially and that has gotten picked up in commentaries, George Knight’s Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, I. Howard Marshall; commentaries that are reliable in many ways. 
One thing that becomes a red flag when you note somebody has said something new but the only reference to it is back to this same article.  There ought to be others who have studied this.  So in 2001, I believe it was, in the same journal, a man named Pouserus, Vern Pouserus, having examined all the information this man found, found that his study was salacious.  There is no new meaning to malista.  So I mention that for some of you who are in to these kinds of studies.  You will come across that in some of the better commentaries but it has been refuted but of course they don’t reprint the commentary because there was an error in it.  But I think Vern Pouserus in his 20 or so pages carefully refuted the articles of Skee so basically this verse is saying, “God is the Savior of all men, but especially of believers.”  In other words He has provided salvation.  He is the God who authors His salvation, who has provided His salvation for all men but only those who come to believe will experience that salvation.
Come back to Isaiah 45 and look at the end of verse 21 for time.  Isaiah 45 and the last three lines of verse 21 and into verse 22:  “And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior.  There is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other.”  You see He is the eternal God.  He is the only Savior.  So He is the Savior of all men in that sense, but especially of those who will turn to Him and be saved, believe in Him.  So He is the God who offers His salvation to all.  He has provided it for all.  He desires all to be saved.  He calls them to His salvation in this general sense.  “Turn to Me and be saved all the ends of the earth;” so this one and only God who is the one and only Savior of all men.  That doesn’t mean that all men are saved.  Men have the responsibility to turn to Him and be saved.  That’s why the distinction is being made.  He is the Savior of all men, especially of believers; of course, because we by His grace have turned and placed our faith in Him.
So Timothy, these are some of the things that must characterize you and you must do to be a faithful servant of the Lord.  You must expose false teaching, you must continue to be nourished on the truth.  You must reject false teaching and the myths of men.  You must exercise self-discipline.  You must work hard.  Keep at it.  Keep disciplining yourself so you can be like Paul.  “Though our outer man is decaying yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”  We are growing stronger spiritually even though we may be growing weaker physically.  That’s what we want to characterize ourselves individually and what we want to be characterized as a church of believers. 
Let’s pray together:  Thank You Lord for the salvation we have in Christ.  Thank You Lord for the riches of the treasure of Your Word that has been entrusted to us so that we might first appropriate it into our own lives, digest it, feed upon it, put it into practice and share it with others.  Lord we want to be faithful servants.  Lord, by Your grace You are our strength and enablement.  We get weary, we get tired but we are strengthened by the One who dwells within us, who strengthens us mightily to do and accomplish what could never be done in mere human strength.  May we be faithful personally and as a church family until Christ comes we pray in His name, Amen.