Biblical Blueprints, Part 3 – The Function of the Church

Transcript

JRS 53
09/29/2024
Biblical Blueprints, Part 3 – The Function of the Church
Selected Verses
Jesse Randolph

Well, this morning we’re getting on with our third installment of this series of “Biblical Blueprints,” God’s plans and purposes for the church. In the first message a couple of weeks ago we looked at the “Formation of the Church,’ as we looked through Acts 2. And where we saw that the church, as an organism, as an entity, has a birthday, that day being Pentecost. Then last Sunday morning we went through Ephesians 2 and a message that was on “The Foundation of the Church.” And there we saw that a bridge has been extended between us and God. A wall has been broken down between, not only us and God, but with one another. And now a foundation has been laid, that foundation being Jesus Christ Himself, Who is also the church’s cornerstone. Today we’re going to look at a third topic in this series which is “The Function of the Church.” And in doing so, we’re not just going to study one chapter of one book of the bible. We’re not even going to study one book of the bible. We’re actually going to be looking through three books of the bible, in less than an hour.

Now, in case anybody here is wondering or worried about whether we’re going to suddenly become “that” kind of church, where we’re suddenly just flying through passages and scratching the surfaces of the biblical text as I stand up here and preach warm-and-fuzzy, ear-tickling messages. The answer is “no.” We’re just a few weeks away from getting back to our snail’s-pace study through the Gospel of Luke. And I can assure you that what we’re going to hear this morning, from God’s word will not really tickle any ears. It’ll more likely ruffle feathers. And poke at some firmly-held presuppositions. And get under some skin. Which is good for us!

So again, we’re going to be surveying three books of the bible this morning. And the three books we’re going to survey are what are known as the Pastoral Epistles. Paul’s two letters to Timothy. And his one letter to Titus. These, of course, were men who ministered in the first century. Timothy primarily to Ephesus. Titus primarily on the island of Crete. Both had been trained up by Paul. Both were taken under Paul’s wing. Both were living under Paul’s apostolic shadow. Both heard Paul preach Christ and Him crucified. Paul called Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:2, “my genuine child in the faith”. And he referred to Titus, in Titus 1:4, as “my genuine child according to our common faith.” He loved these men. Cared for these men. These men were also trusted and trustworthy men in the eyes of the apostle Paul. Of Timothy, Paul referred to him in this way, in 1 Thessalonians 3:2, he called him his “brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ.” Of Titus, Paul had such trust and confidence in this young man that he left him on the island of Crete to serve and minister. And it’s described this way in Titus 1:5, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” So, Paul viewed both of these men as spiritual sons. And he viewed both of these men as skilled shepherds. And he wrote them these letters with that perspective in view.

Now, there will be those who come across the Pastoral Epistles, and they’ll struggle with how to properly understand and interpret them today. How do the Apostle Paul’s words to these two men, these first-century pastors, apply to me? I’m a sleep-deprived new mom. I’m a mechanical engineer. I’m a construction worker. I’m a college student. What do I need to know about what God’s word says to pastors about pastors? Can’t I just blow past these letters and ignore them?
Well, obviously, the answer to that question is “no.” To say that you would disregard these letters because they were originally written to pastors would be like disregarding the words of God to David because he was a king. Or the words of God to Aaron because he was a priest. Or the words of God to Jeremiah because he was a prophet. God included all words in the canon of scripture for all of us. For all times. Whether or not we were kings or priests or prophets or even pastors. We remember 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God-breathed,” out by God, “and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

Now only that . . . if we were to take the Pastoral Epistles as if only pastors can benefit from them, well, then we’ve misunderstood the Pastoral Epistles. And because the Pastoral Epistles, the Pastoral Letters, weren’t merely written to tell pastors how to be pastors. No. On a much broader level, through pastors like Timothy and Titus, God was telling churches how to be churches. Well-ordered churches. Properly functioning churches.

Which takes us right to the topic at hand, “The Function of the Church.” Like I said, we’re going to be turning all over these letters this morning. So, our first passage to get us out of the gate, is 1 Timothy 3:14. Turn with me to 1 Timothy 3:14. God’s word reads: “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

Now, those words, “how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God,” are really going to be the linchpin, the hinge, the driver of our time in God’s word this morning. And this morning, we’re not going to consider questions like how large should a church’s staff be, or how long should a pastor’s sermons go, or when should a pastor declare a building campaign? Rather, we’re going to look at matters of function in the church. Not just operational of the church, but function. Meaning, we’re not only interested in what the church is supposed to do. We’re interested in what the church is supposed to be. And because the church is a gathering of individual believers in Jesus Christ, this is going to be a lesson in who we are to be.

Alright, that’s all preliminary. Let’s get into our study as we consider what the Pastoral Letters, the Pastoral Epistles, say about how the church is to function. We’re going to work through fourteen different aspects. Here are my fourteen points. Fourteen different aspects of the function of a properly ordered church.

#1, “The Church Remembers Its Rearview.” Turn with me, if you would, to Titus 3. You’re going to wear out your pages in the Pastorals this morning. Titus 3, we’re going to start at verse 3. We’re going to focus on verse 3. It says: “For we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.” Now, we’re not going to parse out the meaning of every single word that is listed there. We’ll save that for a series in Titus one of these days. Instead, what we’re going to note, as we take in this statement as a whole, is that the church which is functioning as it ought to function is full of people whose minds are never far away from those past-tense realities. It is full of people who understand that instead of being sensible, we were once foolish. And instead of being submissive, we were once disobedient. And instead of being self-disciplined and ready for every good work, we were instead deceived and enslaved by various passions and pleasures. And it’s a church that remembers that instead of being peaceable and considerate and humble, we were instead marked by malice and envy. We were hateful and hating one another.

We may have paid our taxes. And we may have paid our parking tickets. We may have let others cut in front of us in line at the grocery store. And shoveled others’ sidewalks. But from an outsider’s perspective we were keeping our nose clean. But those were just external rituals. Because the reality is we were dead men walking. The reality is who we were in private. When we lied, and when we lusted, when we stole, when we fornicated, that’s who we really were. All of the outside stuff was just that, outside. It was this thin veneer that covered up who we actually were. And who we actually were, were these vile, wretched sinners who deserved and were headed for hell. God had every right to cut us off forever from His presence. And to send us to this place of eternal torment. But in His grace and in His mercy He didn’t.

Read on, verse 4: “But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” See, the properly-functioning church not only remembers its rearview. But on the other side of that coin is it’s made up of individuals who are immensely grateful for God’s grace. Yes, the church is full of folks who remember the blackness of their once-dead hearts. The hopelessness of their formerly-Christ-less existence. But at the same time, those dark memories of those bleak realities only magnify their appreciation for the mercy and grace that was shown them by God through Jesus Christ.

Paul, of course, the human author here, was very aware of his past. In fact, turn back with me, to 1 Timothy, a couple of books to the left, 1 Timothy 1. Here we have the words of Paul, in verse 12. 1 Timothy 1:12, where he says: “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He regarded me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.” Those are words that ring very similar to what he says in Philippians 3, where he lists his former life’s resume. He was acutely aware, Paul was, of who he once was. He remembered his rearview.

But staying here in verse 13, look what he says next: “Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. Yet for this reason I was shown mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all His patience as an example for those who are going to believe upon Him for eternal life.”
So, patience, mercy, grace. The properly-functioning church is full of people like Paul. Who remember the life they once lived. And they remember the wreckage they caused. And they show their scars. But ultimately they are a people who remember that they’re the unworthy recipients of God’s patience and mercy and grace. Which was demonstrated perfectly through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Not only though is a properly-functioning church aware of where it came from as it remembers its rearview. As we look at this next one, we’re going to see that a properly-functioning church is acutely aware of where it sits today. That’s our second point, “The Church Is Attentive To The Age.” Attentive to the age. Let’s turn over to 2 Timothy for this one. Look at 2 Timothy 3. You know, earlier this week, we were all captivated with these harrowing forecasts related to this hurricane that was barreling down on the Gulf Coast and the southeastern part of the U.S. Here we have a forecast that’s facing churches, not only in Paul’s day, but in our day, as we await the return of Christ. 2 Timothy 3:1 says: “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power.”
What an extraordinarily dark and bleak forecast. What a miserable list. In it, we have these nineteen descriptors. Of this societal degeneration which has been happening all around us now, for thousands of years. Some of these involve sins of the tongue. Some of these involve sins in relationships with others. Some of these involve sins of idolatry. But fundamentally, they each involve sins of the heart. And it’s not getting any better. Drop down to verse 13, 2 Timothy 3:13: “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Yikes! If we were to do a verse-by-verse study of this passage here, we would do a deep dive into all of these nineteen marks of degeneracy. But for our purposes today, what this scripture points to is the folly of the wisdom of the world that’s out there today. And how drastically different that is from the wisdom from above, from biblical standards. Let’s think about it this way, against this backdrop here in 2 Timothy 3, of sin and wickedness and abject selfishness that we see in the world. The arrogance, the gossip, the conceit, and you name it. What’s thrown our way in place of that? The self-help book that says, you just need to look within yourself. And the psychologist who says, you just need to love yourself. And the psychiatrist who says, you just need to medicate yourself. And the life coach who says, you just need to enjoy yourself. And the advertising executive who says, you just need to treat yourself.

Well, as a church, a church made up of individuals who are committed to functioning the way that God has called us to function, we have to be on guard against those types of selfish, and worldly, and ungodly, and oftentimes sinful thinking. We have to remember the way of the follower of Christ is not to pursue self and to protect oneself. What did Jesus Himself say to His followers? To deny ourselves. What does His word teach us? That we need to humble ourselves. And submit ourselves. To God. And to scripture. And to one another.

The church, then, is attentive to the age. It knows the times. Its individual members know that sin still clings. And so, they seek to live out Proverbs 4:23, guarding against the sin that so clings in the heart. Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” The church is made up of individuals who guard their minds. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.”

Moving on. The church not only remembers its rearview. It’s not only attentive to the age. Here’s the third one, “The Church Stands On Scripture.” Turn over with me to 2 Timothy 4, just a few verses over, 2 Timothy 4:1 says: “I solemnly 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, exhort, with great patience and teaching.”

Here the command it to Timothy. And by extension, a future generation, all future generations of preachers and pastors. As they consider their calling and their work of shepherding and feeding the flock. And note the imperative there, it’s so simple, simple to understand. Preach the Word. Declare the whole counsel of God. Unfurl, proclaim the scriptures. Yes, the world is falling apart. Yes, things are proceeding from bad to worse. Yes, we will be ridiculed. And yes, we will be reviled. But the church is to cling to the Word. Pastors and preachers are to proclaim it. And all who hear the Word are to live by it. Preach the Word.

But note this, even as Paul gives that command, he’s obviously aware there’s a whole continuous thought here, as he gets down to verse 3. He’s aware that not all would heed his command. Verse 3: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
And plainly and sadly, what Paul predicted here has proven true. We are more educated than we’ve ever been. And we’re no more wise for it. We’re products of the so-called Enlightenment. And we’re more enshrouded in darkness than we’ve ever been. We are living in a time, this post-enlightenment time, where faith in transcendent, personal God, in our post-modern culture is totally ridiculed. But we’re more than willing to put our faith in a man in a cockpit behind the controls as he flies us through the sky. And we’re more than willing to put our faith in evolutionary theory. Or in government bureaucrats. That’s all fine.

With that being the state of the world, the idea of coming to a church and hearing a man in a suit speak for an hour about a God they cannot see from a book that’s 2,000 years old. With ideas that conflict with the whole modern cultural narrative: about truth being subjective, and meaning being relative, that love is love, and “self” is king. To the world it has less and less appeal as time goes on. There’s a reason this auditorium isn’t full this morning but the brunch spots and the sports fields in Lincoln are. Bringing it back to our text, 2 Timothy 4. There’s a reason we have a whole crop of so-called preachers and pastors who are absolutely folding and caving in. As they deliver whiny little ditties about multiculturalism and reparations and pride and economic injustice and social justice. Instead of doing the one thing a man called of God is called to do. Which is to preach the Word. Not to apologize for it. Not to skirt it. Not to sidestep it like a clown at a rodeo. But to unashamedly and boldly proclaim its truth. To call on unregenerate sinners to see what the word says about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And Him being the only way of salvation. To call on believers to understand it and to live by it. Even the hard parts. And the difficult parts. And the parts that will bring about reviling from the world. “Preach the Word,”

Along those same lines, here’s our next one, #4, “The Church Has Thoughtful Teachers.” For this one, we’ll go back to 2 Timothy 1, just a few chapters over in the same book. 2 Timothy 1:14 says: “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” The big idea here is that those who teach and preach God’s Word in our church, they have to be thoughtful. Not thoughtful as in the sense that they have to be highly creative or innovative. We’re not talking about using PowerPoints or three-point alliterated outlines here. But thoughtful in the sense that the Bible teacher in any church needs to be mindful and take seriously the reality of the treasure that he holds in his hand. God’s word is a treasure. That’s the word here in 2 Timothy 1:14. It’s a treasure that is to be upheld and protected at all costs. Not distorted. Not diluted. Not added to. Not taken away from. But labored through. And prayed over. And proclaimed.

Whenever we handle the scriptures here, for the purpose of teaching other people, whether it’s for a midweek bible study or a Sunday school class or from behind this pulpit, it is not a task to be taken lightly. We may have winged it for the tests in high school. We may have winged it to write a college paper. We don’t wing it when it comes to God’s word. God’s word is a treasure. So, we’re called to work hard at mining its truth. 2 Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,” rightly dividing, “accurately handling the word of truth.” God’s word is true. And God’s word is sacred. And God’s word is a treasure. And it is to be handled with caution and care and precision. James 3:1 gives that warning, not all of you should become teachers. And that’s tied into the fact that this is a treasure. So, the well-functioning church has thoughtful teachers. Teachers who are committed to the absolute essentiality of getting it right.

But here’s the thing. Not only should they make sure that they get the text right. Our teachers, our preachers here, need to make sure that they are right. Right before the Lord. And that presents us with our next one, #5, “The Church Has Pure Proclaimers.” Those who teach and preach God’s Word here at our church, or at any church, are not to think of themselves as mere pulpiteers, or speakers, or professional talkers. They’re not to be mere performers who like the feel of lights on their face or people listening to every word they say. No. Those who handle God’s Word. In God’s church are to be fit instruments. Clean instruments. Holy instruments. Meaning they themselves have been and are themselves being, as 1 Timothy 4:6 says: “nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”
So, before a man even thinks about standing up here, or elsewhere in the church, to feed others God’s Word, he needs to be feeding on God’s Word himself. Before he gets up to preach a message on consubstantiation or dispensationalism or predestination. He has to have communed with the God he purports to speak on behalf of. He has to have himself drawn near to God, as he calls on others to do so.

Consider how many times, in these Pastoral Letters, we see Paul telling Timothy and Titus this very thing. That yeah, they are to have sound teaching and right teaching and solid teaching. But it’s always to be married up with a godly life. 1 Timothy 1:5, I’m going to give you a list here.
1 Timothy 1:5, “the goal of our command,” that’s teaching, “is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and an unhypocritical faith.” 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word,” teaching, “conduct, love, faith, and purity.” 1 Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things.”

The common link that ties those passages together, is that the one who dares to stand before the people of God, as a mouthpiece of God, as a proclaimer of God’s Word -- must not only have the right answers (though he should have those or he has no business standing up here proclaiming God’s Word) -- in addition, and before the Lord, he must be walking with God. Seeking the Lord. Honoring Him with his life. He needs to be, 1 Timothy 4:7, training himself for the purpose of godliness. He needs to be, 1 Timothy 6:11, pursuing “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, gentleness.” He needs to be, 1 Timothy 2:21, “a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master having been prepared for every good work.” And he needs to be, 2 Timothy 2:22, “flee[ing] from youthful lusts and pursue[ing] righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

I’m sure many of you have heard this story. I’ve been personally very grieved and distracted by the news that broke about a week-and-a-half ago. About a prominent preacher and minister with a national stage and platform. Who disqualified himself permanently from future public ministry. When it was discovered that he had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a woman who was not his wife. I don’t personally know the man. Though I did sit in large lecture-style classes with him at the Master’s Seminary. But I don’t know the man. But this is a man who could preach with the best of them. He was a man who was thought of, and frankly called by many, as one of the greatest preachers of our generation. He preached with power. And he preached with conviction. He preached with what seemed to be fire in his belly. He was brilliant behind the sacred desk. And then he threw it all away. This is a man who would preach powerfully on the holiness of God. And how we as God’s followers are to be holy as He is holy. But he wasn’t living up to what he was calling others to be. This is a man who preached powerfully on the sovereignty of God. But apparently, behind the scene, he was acting as though God wasn’t sovereignly looking on him and his life. This is a man who preached powerfully on the sinfulness of sin. And yet his sin found him out.

I mention this sad news of this fallen preacher to remind us here, locally in this church. That for this church to function the way it’s supposed to function, our preachers, our teachers, our pastors, have to be pure proclaimers. It’s non-negotiable. It’s essential. And practically speaking, we’ve set out all sorts of guardrails for our pastoral staff. To make sure we’re living by the standards of our role. You walk around the church, you might find we actually have glass windows now for our pastoral offices. We don’t text women who aren’t our wives. We don’t ride in cars with women who aren’t our wives. Some of us are sharing locations with one another for accountability purposes. And the thought behind these cautions, these precautions, is better to have a hyper-cautious group of pure proclaimers, than unholy men, who later cause wreckage to the church. And bring reproach to the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ultimately, though, (and I get this) these are fundamentally matters of the heart. A man’s purity isn’t proven by his compliance with external standards or rituals or rules or policies. It certainly isn’t established by his brilliant bible interpretation or his soaring oratory. Rather, a man’s purity is proven by how he conducts himself when no one is looking. Purity is a matter of the heart. And this church, must live by this standard, these baseline requirements that its proclaimers be pure. Meaning, if you’re teaching here somewhere in our church and you aren’t a pure proclaimer, I’ve got two words for you, “Step down.” But it will ruin the dynamic of the study. It’ll embarrass my family. So what? Step down. The Lord will raise somebody who takes the role more seriously than you do. So, step down.

Moving on. Here’s our next one, # 6, “The Church Invests With Intentionality.” For this one, let’s go over to 2 Timothy 2:2. We’re going to see here that the church that’s functioning properly is committed to preparing and training the next generation of ministers and leaders and servants in the church. 2 Timothy 2:2 says: “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” You see it there, this model for investing and teaching and training in the next generation. Here, in context, its Paul to Timothy, and then Timothy to faithful men, and faithful men to others.

Bringing that over to our context, we’re not to be thinking of ourselves as silos storing up all the sound doctrine that we’ve learned and received for five years, or ten years, or fifty years. That’s a great way to kill a church. Where everybody is holding on to what they know. And hanging on to what they know, rather than pouring into others what they know. No. We pass it down. Which is exactly what Paul did here with Timothy. Which we see, not only in 2 Timothy 2:2. But if you flip over to 2 Timothy 3:10, we’ll see another example of this. 2 Timothy 3:10, Paul says to Timothy: “But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra.” So, Paul modeled sound teaching to Timothy. And Timothy followed Paul’s teaching. But we see here, he wasn’t just following his teaching, but his conduct, his purpose, his faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings.

What that means practically, is that we as a church, as a properly-functioning church, are to be training up the next generation. As we prepare them for whatever is next for them. Whether it’s here at Indian Hills, or elsewhere. And the means by which we teach, and we train, and we pass the torch, is just down the page in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Well, speaking of every good work, here’s our next aspect of a properly-functioning church. This is #7, “The Church Sweats In Service.” Look over the page at Titus 2, the church sweats in service, Titus 2:11, here we’re reminded a very simple truth, that we are saved by grace through faith alone. But as it’s been said before, it is not a faith that is alone. Meaning, the faith that we have in Jesus Christ, the faith which saves, always is accompanied by good works.
Titus 2:11 says: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.” That’s the salvation part. Everybody loves that part. But then look at what it says in verse 12 and forward:
“instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purity for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.” The natural outcome of genuine saving faith will always be works. For the one who has been saved, doing good works, honoring Jesus Christ, bearing good fruit will come as natural to them as breathing. Having been saved by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8, they will recognize Ephesians 2:10, they were created as God’s workmanship to do good works. I’m going to hold more comment on that one until next week. Because we’re going to look at service for the entirety of the message next week.

Here’s #8, “The Church Recognizes Roles.” The church that is functioning properly recognizes that God is a God of order. He’s a God of order not only in creation; He’s the God of order in His church. Now, if a feminist were to ever stumble upon what I’m about to say in this sermon, she’s going to hate what I’m about to say. And that’s fine. Here, we cut it straight, according to God’s
word. And what God’s Word says, is that there are differences between males and females. Is that okay with you all? There are differences between men and women. Go with me over to 1 Timothy 2. I’m going to dive right in. 1 Timothy 2:9, the church recognizes roles, as we see here in verse 9 of 1 Timothy 2. It says: “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, with modesty and self-restraint, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly clothing, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women professing godliness. A woman must learn in quietness, in all submission. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first formed, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into trespass. But she will be saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.”

Oh boy. There’s a lot there. What do we see in this text? Well, one thing we see in this text, is a text that many pastors and preachers will just ignore today. As a way to appease half of their church. Or to prevent their forward-thinking big givers from leaving. Or to not draw the ire of the PC (politically correct) police. They’ll just ignore it. But brothers and sisters, this text says what it says. We’re not going to run away from it. We’re going to preach it. And the text begins by saying, verse 9, that women, Christian woman, are to be modest. “I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, with modesty and self-restraint.” Meaning, ladies, if you’re wearing something to church that you could have worn to the club on a Saturday night, you’re not being modest. If you’re wearing something to church that is intentionally seeking to draw attention to your physical appearance, you’re not being modest. If you’re wearing something that will cause your weaker brother in Christ to stumble, you’re not only being immodest, you’re being unloving toward him, and if he’s married, to his wife. A Christian woman who is committed to the proper functioning of the church will clothe herself modestly. And she will really focus on what we see in verse 10, clothing herself “by means of good works, as is proper for women professing godliness.” That language is very similar to what we see in 1 Peter 3:3-4. But note the focus of the godly women’s adornment is not the external, the outside, but the internal, the inside.

Back here to 1 Timothy 2. We also see that the godly woman is not only modest in her outward appearance, but she is not to exercise authority over men in the church. Verses 11-12: “A woman must learn in quietness, in all submission. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” Make no mistake, Christian women are valued. They are fellow image bearers. They are joint-heirs of the salvation that’s been offered through Christ. And make no mistake in terms of the salvation that He has offered to mankind. God makes no distinction between males and females. That’s Galatians 3:28, “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” But make no mistake, Christian women have a unique role, and a specific role in the church. And specifically, in a mixed gathering of males and females, her role is to receive instruction, to learn. And to do so quietly and submissively. And that means a woman can’t be a pastor. And a woman can’t be a preacher. And a woman can’t lead a home bible study. And a woman cannot, 1 Timothy 2:12, exercise authority over men.

I’m very aware that what I’ve just said, is not popular in our day. And I’m also aware that this might sound outrageously backwards to some of you, who might be newer here. You might be a woman who is highly educated. And you’ve climbed the corporate ladder. And you’ve taught and led in various secular settings. And you have a voice out there in the world. And you have influence. And you have clout. And you’ve been steeped in our culture’s three waves of feminism. You might be thinking to yourself, “I mean, I’m allowed to lead others. And teach others out there in the world. Why can’t I do so in the church?” And the answer is so, so simple and clear. The answer is because God said so. That’s the answer. It’s given to us with clarity in His Word.

Now, I’ve got to say, if you’re looking for a church where women are preaching. And looking for a church where women are leading in times of corporate worship. And running prayer meetings. And leading home bible studies. If you’re looking for a church where the preacher’s going to be super fuzzy and vague about what God has made clear, about both women’s roles in the church and women’s roles in the home -- you’ll definitely find a different church in this town that will meet your preferences. But it’s not going to be this church. In this church, we’re not about to redact or redline what God has declared timelessly.

Now, getting back to our passage, 1 Timothy 2. What about that last line? I Timothy 2:15:
“But she will be saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.” You’re going to have to wait for me to give the full explanation, when I preach through 1 Timothy in the future. But I will give you a preview right now. Which is that Paul (God here) is not preaching two ways of salvation. It’s not as though he’s saying, you can be saved by putting your faith in Jesus Christ, but for women there’s this carved-out exception, where even if you reject Christ, you can be saved by having a child. That’s not what’s being said here. A person, male or female, are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There’s no other way. There’s no second way.

What the text appears to be teaching rather, is that a woman is preserved. That word for “saved” here, has a wider range of meaning than just “saved” in the salvific sense that we think of it. It can mean preserved or kept safe, even protected. Translation that I would give it is she will find her greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in life -- not by seeking to fight against God’s design for her -- but instead by fulfilling God’s design for her. As both a wife and as a mother. And then she does so with “faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.” Which are really things we’re all called to do. Live lives of “faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.”
Again, I know I’m not going to score any political points with what I’ve just said. I’m not going to win any friends or influence people with what I’ve just said. But this isn’t a popularity contest. This is preaching God’s Word. And God’s design for women is that they would flourish in their God-given roles. In the home as wives and mothers. A church that functions properly, doesn’t hide from those truths.

Well, next we’re going to see there’s also distinction drawn, roles recognized, in the offices in the church. In fact, just down the page, 1 Timothy 3, we’re going to see that God has designs, not only for men and women in the church. But He has different layers of leadership that He’s recognized in the church. Namely the offices of elder and deacons. Elders are the overseers of the church. The shepherds of the church. You could even say, the pastors of the church. Now, when it comes to our elders here at Indian Hills, I can say first-hand, and many of you I’m sure can say the same, that our elders here are not a detached group of professionals. Who simply vote on budgets and planning and hiring decisions. No, these are shepherds. Who love the people of this church. And pray for the people of this church. And don’t hesitate to get their hands dirty in carrying out their shepherding functions.

These are godly men. With a very high calling and a very high responsibility. And because of that, not just anybody can become an elder. Rather, the man who aspires to the office of elder must be of a certain caliber of spiritual maturity and godliness. Look at 1 Timothy 3:1: “It is a trustworthy saying: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money; leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
There’s a parallel passage in Titus 1:5-9. We won’t go through that now. But again, it just brings me such joy to report, that if you don’t know any of them personally, that the elders at Indian Hills are these type of men. Qualified men. True shepherds of the sheep. We should be praying for them. And praising God for the oversight they provide.

Now, the other biblical office mentioned here in the Pastoral Letters is that of deacon. These are men who are not necessarily shepherding the whole church, as the elders do. But deacons support the elders. They’re the “shock absorbers” of the church. As they carry out distinct roles and functions of ministry that they’ve been assigned. And again, because of the significance of the role they perform, they’re also held to a very high standard of character and conduct. Look at verse 8 of 1 Timothy 3: “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not fond of dishonest gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And these men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women,” I take that, by the way, to mean deacon’s wives, “must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, leading their children and their own households well.”

So, the properly-functioning church draws proper distinctions. That’s the main idea here. Men are acting like men. Women are fulfilling their God-given roles and functions. Qualified men are serving as elders. And other qualified men are serving as deacons. It’s all in order, according to God’s perfect plan and design.

Here’s #9, “The Church Esteems Its Elders.” Now, we just talked about elders. I’m not talking about that type of elder here. Here, we’re talking about those who might have some wrinkles, some sags, the gray-haired crown of glory. You catching by drift? Older people. Seasoned saints. A well-functioning church esteems its elder members. That includes the tone with which they address them. Look down the page at 1 Timothy 5:1: “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather plead with him as a father.” Or then in verse 2, this is talking about appealing, appeal to “the older women as mothers.” So, the idea here is that older members of our body, should not be addressed with rough rebukes, but rather with gentle exhortations, considerate appeals.
1 Timothy 5 goes on to list all of the ways we’re to care for the widows in our body. Which is another function, usually addressing the elderly. And of course, we esteem our elder members by the type of wisdom we seek from them. And for that, we go to Titus 2. Turn with me to Titus 2, we’ll pick it up here in verse 2, where Paul starts with standards for older men in the church. He says in Titus 2:2, “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” And why? Well, drop down to verse 6. So that through their own modeling of their lives, they can “urge the younger men to be sensible.” Older men, then, model sensibility to younger men, who aren’t always so sensible. And what about older women? Look at Titus 2:3,
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may instruct the young women in sensibility: to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be slandered.”

That ties with what we saw earlier. About God’s design for women. Look at the emphasis here and what’s being prioritized. It’s not older women are to instruct younger women on how to pursue that corner office, high-paying job. Or how to throw off the shackles of a male-dominated society. No. Older women are to teach the younger women on the subjects listed there. Being pure, workers at home, subject to their own husbands. This is all about watching their hearts. And loving their homes.

“Pastor Jesse just hates women. He wants to keep all the women at home and in the kitchen. And silent at church.” No. What I want to do though, is exactly what is talked about at the end of verse 5 here. I want to make sure the Word of God is not slandered. We all want to make sure the Word of God is not slandered. We want to make sure the Word of God is upheld. And one of the ways we do so is that through our relationships, our intergenerational male-to-male, female-to-female relationships, is that these standards of godliness are passed down from one generation to the next.

Here’s #10, “The Church Weeds Out Wolves.” Not only does the properly-functioning church teach truth. And preach the Word. And train up leaders. And sweat in service. And recognize roles. And esteem elders. The church also weeds out wolves, false teachers. Those who would seek to do damage to Christ’s precious sheep. For this one, go with me, over to 1 Timothy 6. There are a lot of places we could go in the Pastorals for this, but we’ll lock in on 1 Timothy 6:3. It says: “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words – those of our Lord Jesus Christ – and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited, understanding nothing but having a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth.”

Now, note here, that Paul isn’t saying that we should just try to better understand false teachers. Or find some sort of middle ground with false teachers. Or just try to love them where they are. No. Not at all. False teachers aren’t just deceived. False teachers are a danger. And more often than not, false teachers don’t just quietly sit in the back row and hold their views to themselves. Instead, what false teachers do, and this is proven through church histories, they seek to get others to align with them as they seek to divide and cause friction and factions within the church. And the Pastoral Letters also give us guidance as to how we’re to deal with that false teacher who inevitably will seek to cause a schism in the body. Titus 3:1- says: “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” Meaning, in other words, such a person, a factious person, a factious false teacher, eventually needs to be put out of the church. For the sake of the unity of the body. And the purity of sound doctrine.

Here’s our next one, #11, “The Church Rightly Regards Riches.” We’ll stay here in 1 Timothy 6 for this one. Look at verse 6 of chapter 6: “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” You’ve heard it said before I’m sure, money isn’t sinful. Wealth is not sinful. It’s one’s attitude towards wealth, and specifically, a discontented heart which is sinful.
Boy, it must be nice to have a lake house, or a mountain cabin. Wow, must be nice to have a five-car garage. Who needs five cars anyway? Wow, I’ve never seen that woman wear the same outfit twice, her husband must be doing really well. That sort of attitude, that sort of talk. only exposes a sinfully envious heart. And it’s a cancer on an otherwise well-ordered and properly-functioning church. And if you are finding yourself grappling with thoughts like those, sinful thoughts bubbling and brewing in your heart, you know what you need to do. You need to repent and pursue contentment in Christ.

Along those lines of our call to be content, next, #12, the mark of a properly-functioning church is, “The Church Focuses On The Future.” We’re going to get into this in a lot more depth in our final week in this series where I’ll preach on the future of the church. But it’s worth noting here today that Paul modeled this future-oriented focus right here in the Pastoral Letters, in one place, 2 Timothy 4:7, where he says: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” He also models that future-oriented focus in Titus 2:11: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” May we all, as a church, a church that seeks to function faithfully, have that future oriented mindset. Not looking to store up riches or accolades here in this life and on this earth. But instead, running the race in pursuit of that crown of glory.

#13, the properly-functioning church, “The Church Submits With Supplication.” Turn with me to 1 Timothy 2:1: “First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.” Every pastor, every preacher, has kind of the big issue of his day that he has to contend with, as he stands on truth. One that I’m becoming more convinced of, that I and others here will have to contend with, is that whole spate of tough-talking Christian “keyboard warriors,” who think that our focus today as Christians is to conquer the unholy rulers of the world. And to Christianize our country. To take over this godless nation for Christ. And in doing so, to outlaw atheism. And adopt the bible as our new constitution. And to put on trial and convict those who reject the gospel. And to install Christian princes and rulers here in our republic. It’s called Christian Nationalism, by the way. Of course, there is a day coming when Christ is going to return to this earth. And He will rule. And He will strike down His enemies. And we will be there with Him for it as we rule and reign with Him. But that day isn’t now. That’s called over-realized eschatology. That’s later. When Christ returns.

In the meantime as we await His return, it’s inevitable that we’re going to live under godless rulers and we’re going to live under unholy regimes. That has been the witness of all of church history. And though we may not like them. And though we may fundamentally disagree with them, there is not a single scripture that says that we’re to topple or conquer those rulers.
Instead, what we’re called to do, is pray for them. To pray for them as we see here in 1 Timothy 2, recognizing that God has sovereignly placed them there. Pray for them, recognizing that some of them, in the eyes of the world, are virtuous. And some of them, in the eyes of the world, are wicked. But the common denominator is, God has placed them there. To pray for them, knowing that God, Proverbs 21:1, directs their minds and their hearts. And to pray for them, ultimately knowing that what it says in Titus 3:1-2, that we are called to submit to them.
Titus 3:1, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” The church that is functioning according to God’s design is not looking to stage a coup or to revolt. No. We pray for our leaders. Knowing that their greatest need is Christ. And we submit to them.

Now, as we wrap up here. And lest we think that the Pastoral Epistles that we just ripped through, is all about this lengthy punch list of things we’re supposed to do and the type of people we’re supposed to be -- let’s not lose sight of what we’re trying to sketch out with this whole series. And what we even looked at last week. Which is that Christ is the foundation of the church. And that ties into our 14th and final point this morning. The 14th mark of a properly-functioning church is that “It’s A Church That Keeps Christ Central.” For this one, I’m going to give you two scriptures, very briefly. First, is 2 Timothy 1:10, which speaks of: “Our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Second, is 2 Timothy 2:8, which says: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel.”

So, we strive. We serve. We teach. We proclaim. Prepare. We focus. But let’s not lose sight of those profound words from 2 Timothy 2:8, “Remember Jesus Christ.”

Let’s pray. God, thank You so much for our time in God’s Word this morning. Thank You for the clarity of Your Word. The sufficiency of Your Word. The timelessness of Your Word. And I know that we have been flipping all over these three letters. I pray that the central idea though, is what has landed, as we’ve looked at these marvelous truths, about the type of church that we’re supposed to be, the type of people we’re supposed to be as the individuals who make up the church. God, I pray that we would continually search the scriptures for answers to questions like these. What type of people are we to be? What type of church are we to be? How are we to function as a church? I pray that we would never fall sway to outside opinions or influence. But rather, would go, always back to Your perfect Word, for light and for guidance. God, thank You for the church. Thank You for the marvelous plan and outline that You’ve given us in Your Word for what the church is to be. May we be found faithful for Your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.