Commands For Carrying Out the Ministry

Transcript

GR 1770
6/22/2014
Commands for Carrying out the Ministry
I Timothy 4:13-16
Gil Rugh

I invite you to turn in your Bibles to I Timothy and the 4th chapter, I Timothy chapter 4 and if you are with us both in our morning and evening studies you are aware of the overlap there is as we move through two different portions of the New Testament, two different books and yet very similar emphasis are often brought to our attention and that’s true in this letter to Timothy.

Timothy is at the church at Ephesus, a place of importance in the New Testament ministry of Paul. He spent three years of his life ministering there. He has left Timothy there to help deal with issues that Paul was not able to personally be there and deal with. Paul would later write a letter to the Ephesians. Jesus Christ would address a letter to the Ephesians in Revelation chapter 2, an important church, a strong Biblical church but a church that also had to deal with issues of one kind or another.

Later in the last book of the New Testament when Christ addresses them He commends them that He has to rebuke them. Here Paul has many good things to say, not the church of Ephesus, but there are things that have to be dealt with and Timothy has a difficult ministry. It’s always difficult to be sent into a situation where you have to correct problems and that’s what Timothy has to do. False teaching has made its way into the church. Timothy has to bring correction and some of the things that Paul says to Timothy are said to Timothy for Timothy’s benefit but also for the benefit of the church which we will have the opportunity to hear this letter from Paul.

Chapter 4 opened up warning about false teaching that would come. It was already present in the church at Ephesus. In chapter 1 we have seen a number of times as we started there and then gone back that Paul had told Timothy you have to command certain men not to teach strange doctrines. Somehow influential teachers had gotten established in the church at Ephesus but they were teaching things contrary to the truth that God had revealed and then in chapter 4 Paul said this would be a characteristic of the latter days. Those who had professed allegiance to the faith of Christ will fall away and they will pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. You realize how serious the influence of error is in the church.

He talked about that and then he encouraged them in verse 6 in pointing out these things to the brethren you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the Words of the faith, sound doctrine which you have been following. Don’t have anything to do with these worldly fables. They are just like the tales that grandmothers would tell to kids, Alice in Wonderful, Brier Rabbit or whatever they tell today but they are just fables. They come in the guise of spiritual truth with insight and understanding and help but they are just made up by men and promoted by the devil.

So Paul is going to give to Timothy a series of exhortations and commands. We have been looking at those down beginning in verse 11. There are really going to be ten commands given in verses 11 – 16 and we have looked at the first four of these commands and they are given to Timothy but keep in mind they are given to Timothy so that the church at Ephesus will understand what is to be true of a godly person and his ministry because Paul has talked about the need for godly leaders in the church at Ephesus in chapter 3 of this letter, the elders and the deacons. So it’s not just Timothy who is to benefit from this but the church at Ephesus and of course it has been preserved as part of God’s Word so that we could benefit from it as well.

In verse 11 and we looked at verses 11 and 12 where you had four commands given and obviously they are very brief because you have ten of them as I said in verses 11-16. They are sharp, to the point beginning with prescribe these things and teach these things. Two commands, the first, prescribe, it’s the word to command, translated prescribe here but as we saw when we looked at this in detail back in chapter 1, verse 3: “You were left at Ephesus that you may instruct,” the word literally is command; down in verse 18 of chapter 1: “This command I entrust to you.” It is the same basic word we are talking about, translated instruct, translated command, translated prescribe. It carries the idea of giving a command, being authoritative. This is something required. It’s to be commanded. Timothy is to act with authority here, not coming out of his person, specifically but because it is the Word of God. He is acting as God’s representative with God’s truth. So you be authoritative, command in these things.

The second command here is to be teach; teach them. So you are commanding this is the truth that must be believed. You are commanding that anything contrary to this truth must not be tolerated and you are to be teaching these things, giving instruction regarding these matters so that God’s people understand His truth and have a grasp of it.

Verse 12: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness.” I have put that command as be confident. You are young but your confidence isn’t in yourself. You represent the Lord. You represent Jesus Christ. I am old but when I began my ministry I was young and I had to be confident because God’s Word is true. That’s where the confidence comes from. So you don’t be intimidated and back off because you are younger than many of those you have to minister to. The confidence for your ministry as does the authority comes from the truth that you are conveying. So don’t back off. There will be those who will say you are too young. You know we are not going to respect you here. You be confident, Timothy, don’t let anybody look down on your youthfulness and the balance to that even though you are young, you be an example and several areas of him being an example here in verse 12, in speech, conduct, love, faith, purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. They have to be careful. Even though you are young show godly maturity in all these areas: speech, conduct, love, faith, purity, and you be an example of what a godly man should be. Then you can be confident. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be maturing and growing but the ministry is not limited to men over 60 years of age in spite of what I tell some of the younger men but they are young men, they know the truth. They have godly lives. They are committed to proclaim the truth and defend the truth. They are to do that authoritatively. They are to do that with confidence and that’s what Timothy is. That they have to be careful that their lives are an example of the Word working in and through them and their life conforms to that.

He continues the commands picking up with verse 13 where we begin our study now. Six more commands. We have had four. That would be authoritative, be instructed, be confident, and be an example. Now he picks up with the fifth command. To keep these, be this, be this, be this, I have called this be focused in verse 13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture to exhortation and teaching.” Paul anticipates coming to Ephesus himself. Back in chapter 3, verse 14: “I am writing these things to you hoping to come to you before long.” Then he will be there with Timothy and together they can carry on that ministry but for now you act in my absence and you give attention, be focused. It means to have your mind applied to this. Occupy yourself with this. You know, focus your attention on these areas until I come give attention to the reading of Scripture, the public reading of Scripture.

Keep in mind everybody didn’t have the blessing that we have. You know, you probably select from several Bibles. You have the opportunity to think, “Well, I will carry my bigger Bible or my reference Bible or I am just going to take my smaller one. It is a little easier to carry tonight.” We are so blessed. Some of you have the electronic devices and you can take out your phone and you have a copy of the Bible there to read. You have other electronic devices. I mean understand – in this day everybody didn’t have their copy. They come to church and they had a portion of the Scripture. It was read to them and that’s how they became familiar with it. You know how your mind can wonder but here they had to be listening, paying attention because when they got home they had to have taken in some of this truth and be committing it to their minds. “Give attention to the public reading of Scripture.” This letter to Timothy would probably be read to the church at Ephesus. He would say, “I have a letter that Paul has addressed to me that I want to share with you” because this becomes part of Scripture.

Look back to I Thessalonians just before I Timothy you have Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, his two letters. Look at I Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 27: “I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.” So he is writing it to the church at Thessalonica but it’s to be read to the believers and other believers have opportunity to be passed around and they make sure portions of the letter would be copied perhaps the whole letter on occasion would be copied so they could pass it along, circulate it around to other churches in Greece for example since Thessalonica is in Greece, Ephesus over in Asia Minor.

Keep going towards the front of your Bible just before Thessalonians you come to Colossians and look on Colossians chapter 4 and this is written to the church at Colossae. This would be in the region of Asia Minor where Ephesus was at Laodicea and the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3 but note verse 16 of Colossians chapter 4: “When this letter is read among you have it also read in the churches of the Laodiceans and you for your part read my letter coming from Laodicea.” Paul had written a letter to the church at Laodicea. The Spirit of God did not see fit to have that preserved for us. We don’t know why. Perhaps because the material in it was material that would be covered in these other letters like the letter to the Colossians, the letter to the Ephesians but you see what they were to do. They were to circulate these letters around, pass it on. Read this in the church at Colossae and then have it read in the church of the Laodiceans and then take the letter that went to Laodicea and read it in Colossae so their concentration and focus is to be on the Scripture, of the Old Testament Scriptures and the Scriptures that were being given now through the apostles that God had given to church. Crucial Timothy, give attention to the reading of Scripture. This has to be a focus, the Word of God, the Word of God.

Back in I Timothy: “Give attention to the reading of Scripture, to exhortation” and this followed the pattern that was followed in the synagogues of New Testament time where they would read a portion of the Old Testament then someone would speak on that portion, exhortation to encourage them to respond to that portion of the Scripture, to obey what God has said.

Come back to Acts chapter 13, Acts chapter 13. Paul, of course, being converted from Judaism and in Judaism he was a Pharisee and he is familiar and had carried out this practice now on his first missionary journey. He takes opportunity to go into synagogues because there he can make contact with Jews and he is well established in Judaism with a background that he can address them from their Old Testament Scriptures. So in Acts chapter 13 come down to verse 15 and he is at the city of Antioch and it’s the Sabbath Day, verse 14 and in verse 15 we are told: “After the reading of the law and the prophets the synagogue officials sent to them saying, ‘brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.’” This was often the pattern. Here they have in their midst some traveling teachers. They read the portion of the Old Testament and now they ask Paul and those with him as traveling teachers visiting this synagogue, “Do you have any word of exhortation, any challenge for us from the Scripture regarding our conduct?” So he starts out, “Paul stood up, ‘men of Israel, you who fear God listen’” and then he goes on to reiterate the Scripture and what God has done and review some of the history of the Scripture. Carries that up to the time of Christ and what took place with Christ.

Verse 29: “Pilate responded to their desire to crucify Christ. He was crucified. They buried Him in a tomb. God raised Him from the dead,” verse 30. Verse 31: “He appeared.” Down in verse 38: “Therefore let it be known to you brethren that through Him forgiveness is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses so be careful that you don’t become guilty of the very things the prophets warned about.” Verse 41: “Behold you scoffers marvel and perish. I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe though someone should describe it to you.”

You see how they apply that and drive home the necessity of obeying the truth that has been presented to them. It’s a word of exhortation. You must submit yourself. Obey what the Scripture is saying. Timothy is to give attention to the reading of Scripture and then to exhort people to respond in obedience to the Scripture.

Come back to I Timothy. Three things Timothy is to do: he’s to have the reading of the Scripture because that is the exposure they have to God’s truth; he’s to exhort them, encourage and challenge them to respond in obedience to the Scripture and he is to give attention to the teaching and the explanation in making clear of the Word of God so that they have a foundation that is solid and sure. It explains the truth. It clarifies what is contrary to the truth as he has done here. We have been working through that in the letter to the Hebrews; that serious teaching that has to be given to God’s people so they can discern and understand more fully and clearly what God has said.

Go down, when we get to chapter 6, verse 2 you will note the end of that verse: “Teach and preach these principles.” That word translated “preach” is the word we have translated “exhortation” in the portion before us in chapter 4 verse 13. Give attention to exhortation. In chapter 6, verse 2: “Teach and exhort these principles.” I appreciate the variety that they use but sometimes in the English we miss the connection there is. There is a variation in the meaning of the word and preaching is not necessarily wrong but the focus of this preaching is exhortation. I wish they had, you know, sometimes used the same translations so we get the connection. But at any rate, this is Timothy’s responsibility, to teach and preach the truth that he is reading, giving to the people. We don’t spend as much time on just reading extensive portions of the Scripture because you all are privileged to have a copy and you can sit and look at what we are studying together and have it fixed in your mind.

There is an Old Testament pattern for this we often go back to. Come back to Nehemiah. Now Nehemiah, the best way to get to Nehemiah is go to about the middle. Go to Psalms and just before Psalms you will be about in Nehemiah. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job and then you will be to Psalms so Job is a big book before Psalms then you hit smaller books, Nehemiah and Esther will be fit in there but it gives you an idea where it is; Nehemiah chapter 8.

This has always been God’s plan. Now we talk about the message and the methods and we’ve mentioned that in our study earlier today that you have to be careful you get deceived into thinking, “well the message is the same but the methods change.” The methods have been the same for thousands of years. This is how God works. Give out His Word and explain it.

So in Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 1: “All the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the water gate. They ask Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel.” So that’s the portion of the Word of God they had. “Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of the people, men, women and all could listen with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which is in front of the water gate from early morning to midday.” You think my sermons are long? This is a long reading. You understand the people here as they are getting to hear the Word of God for themselves and so they take an extensive time for reading the Word of God. “It was read in the presence of men and women and those who could understand and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. Ezra the scribe stood in a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose” and others are standing there will him.

Verse 5: “And he opened the book in the sight of the people for he was standing above the people.” So it is an elevated similar to what we would have, elevated above so they can see and hear better. “He opened it and all the people stood up.” That’s where the practice sometimes. We had an older preacher years ago here and if you were here in those days when he did the Scripture reading he would say, “We will all stand for the reading of Scripture.” And some places that is a practice. Not so much anymore but it is drawn from a passage like this. Ezra had them stand in honor and respect for the Scripture that was to be read. “Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. All the people answered, ‘amen.’ They bowed and worshiped” and then you see happened. “Those associated with Ezra helped now in explaining” at the end of verse 7, “the law to the people while the people remained in their place. They read from the book from the Law of God translating (or explaining it) to give the sense so they understood the reading.” That’s what we do down to today. Isn’t it amazing what is going on here? Hundreds of years before Christ, a couple thousand years after, the plan is still the same. We go, we read the Scripture and we explain it. That’s been God’s plan. That’s the method. The focus is on God’s Word and helping people to understand it as clearly as possible so they can obey it and live by it. That’s what Timothy is to be doing.

Come back to I Timothy. “Give attention. Turn your mind and focus on this, the reading of Scripture, exhortation and teaching.” We are back in chapter 4 of I Timothy. Pick up verse 14. The next command I have called, “be faithful.” It is number 6 in this list of 10. “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you. That word translated “neglect, command.” Don’t neglect the spiritual gift within you, the gift of God’s grace. We get the word “charismatic, charismatos here, charismatic. Charis is the Greek word for grace. These gifts of God’s grace given to us so that we might function as God would have us function and build one another up. Don’t neglect it. Don’t be careless about it. This word is used in Matthew 22:5. We won’t go there for time. Remember in the parable of the wedding feast. An invitation went out from the king inviting people to his feast but we are told people didn’t pay attention. They didn’t neglect it. You know how it is. Sometimes you get an invitation to something. Sometimes you set it aside and you don’t pay attention, you sort of forget about it. “Timothy, don’t neglect your spiritual gift. Don’t be careless about it. Don’t fail to give it your attention. God has given you a gift. It’s a gift within you.”

Every believer has a gift. I Corinthians 12 – 14 are the most extensive passage of this but Ephesians 4 talks about it; Romans 12. Let’s go to Romans 12. Come back to Romans 12. I know every believer has a spiritual gift because that is one of the manifestations of the presence of the Spirit of God in the life of the child of God. It’s what enables us to function as part of the body of Christ, the church. So when He saves us the Spirit of God takes up residence within us and He provides a special ability for us to contribute to the proper functioning of the body. That’s why the analogy is the physical body with all its various parts working as they should enable the body to function and be healthy. That’s what the spiritual picture is.

So in Romans chapter 12 pick-up with verse 6 and in the context he is talking about the body and the analogy. Verse 4 for the context: “We have many members in one body. All members don’t have the same function so we who are many are one body in Christ individually members of one another.” So the picture is with our physical body, so in the spiritual body, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given us.” The word “grace, charis, charismatic gifts, gifts of grace. Grace is given to us. You don’t earn a gift. They are not just a pile there. Pick the one that you would like for yourself. God sovereignly determines the gift that He bestows and that is necessary. What kind of body would we have where two-thirds of the people might decide to be eyes, well we wouldn’t have any big toes and we wouldn’t have any parts of the body, well you know we need ears too. But there is something about the eyes. I look into your eyes. That’s wonderful. We have songs about the eyes. You don’t say, “I want to look into your ears.” It is just not the same, not the same. Not that ears are not important, they are. So God decides so that every part in His spiritual body is provided for. We don’t all have the same prominence. We don’t have maybe you get the same attention but we are all important.

“So we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Each of us is to exercise them accordingly. If prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; he who teaches in his teaching; he who exhorts in his exhortation, who gives with liberality, who leads with diligence and he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.” In other words, the focal point of our lives will be on the gifts God has given us. That doesn’t mean we don’t do other things. My gift may not be mercy but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be a merciful person but the greatest contribution to the body will be in the area that God has gifted me. How do I know? Well one of the ways is begin to function, it becomes clear how God uses me and we have talked about this on other occasions. You know, what do other people see, what do they encourage? That’s why we want to encourage one another. God uses you in this area. You examine yourself. Where am I effective?

I always wanted to be an evangelist. I can still do the work of an evangelist but I don’t think my gift is evangelism. As I had to make a decision I thought “Lord that doesn’t seem to be the area You use me the most effectively.” I never wanted to be a pastor. I never wanted to be stuck with the same group of people or have the stuck with me. That seemed like that would be boring, the same people week after week. I want to go and talk to new people who haven’t heard and then I had to look and examine. So the gift where? God’s grace had gifted us so that we help one another find that spot. We are looking to God for how You use me and then function in that area. Don’t neglect it. We get by when parts of our body aren’t functioning correctly but it causes problems. The body is affected when every part is not functioning as it should just like our physical body. So it is important.

Come back to I Timothy, verse 14 of chapter 4. “Don’t neglect the spiritual gift within you.” You’re not saying Timothy is neglecting it but we always need that reminder. Use it. Be faithful. That’s why I’ve titled that command, be faithful. Don’t neglect the gift. It’s in you. “It was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” This gift was confirmed in Timothy by prophetic utterance. In the new days of the church they didn’t have the completed revelation like we do. We can take up and open to I Timothy and speak, “Here’s what God says.” And we have the authority of the completed revelation. So you had prophets in New Testament time and they could confirm that Timothy had been called and gifted by God for this ministry of being associated with Paul and helping to establish the truth of God’s revelation in the churches that God was establishing. So there was prophetic utterance.

Back in chapter 1, verse 18, Paul said: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy my son in accordance with the prophecies previous made concerning you.” So the reminder to Timothy, remember you began your ministry and the prophets that were there spoke with the authority of God confirming that this would be your ministry and you were specially set apart by God by it. In connection of that there was the laying on of hands of the presbytery, a word we have in the elders. The overseers we have talked about in chapter 3 of I Timothy, same group as we would have as the pastors. They joined in recognizing Timothy as one set apart for this ministry by God, confirmation. He’s reminding Timothy but he is also reminding the church of Timothy’s authority for this ministry. So Timothy, you be focused on this and be faithful but at the same time the church, what, recognizing this is a man raised up by God. He has authority here in the church at Ephesus.

Come over to Acts chapter 13. You will see a similar setting when Paul and Barnabas were set apart for the ministry. Keep in mind in these early days of the church without a New Testament you have men who are going to be entrusted with revelation from God. There needs to be clear definite appointment by God so these men are recognized, their authority as God’s spokesman is confirmed. It will be further established by miraculous gifts as Paul said in II Corinthians. In Acts chapter 13 the chapter begins: “Now there were at Antioch in the church that was there prophets and teachers.” And you have “Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” So evidently we are told in verse 1 there were prophets there along with teachers. The Holy Spirit spoke through those who were prophets and at that time prophets were those who had received direct revelation from God. So there was the recognition this was the Holy Spirit of God speaking through the prophets. “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them.” And then what did they do? They fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them. Similar to what Timothy had. The word of prophecy confirmed that God had called and set him apart for the special ministry and then the leaders joined together in putting their hands on him and confirming. They were recognizing his call and giftedness for the ministry.

These men come out with this authority. It was necessary and now we have the letter to Timothy. But keep in mind the letter to Timothy was just as many would claim and as Paul had to deal with in churches like Corinth just a letter Paul wrote. You have to recognize Paul has authority. He is an apostle. Timothy has special authority. He has been set apart by God for this ministry. He is not an apostle. He comes with authority from God and from the Apostle Paul. Important that follows through on his gift. I mean what makes our church affective is the body of Christ. So many people involved in so many ways. I get more of the attention with my gift and the way it functions with everybody but the ministry wouldn’t go on without all the gifts functioning; so many people serving in so many ways. They may not get the recognition now but there will be a time when they stand before the Bema Seat and get recognized, well done good and faithful servant. So Timothy must be faithful with the gifts God has given him.

The next command; I called it be concerned. Its take pains with these things. Interesting, that word, take pains with these things. It’s the opposite of the word translated negatively, don’t neglect. The don’t neglect is the same word as translated take pains only it has a negative on the front. Don’t neglect so he now takes the positive of that. Rather than neglecting you give your attention to this. You take pains with it. You practice it. You cultivate it. You work on these things. It’s the opposite of neglecting it and it comes out more clearly with the Greek word that is just used in a positive and negative way. Don’t neglect the spiritual gift within you but you give your full attention to it. Be concerned; take pains with this. Practice, take pains with these things.

The next command, be in them. We have the word absorbed inserted in English because you know, be in them but it’s literally be in them. The idea of devoting yourself to something so the word absorbed gives you the idea that’s what it means to be in it, taken up with it. You have complete commitment so you take pains with these things, you’re concerned to function as you should, you are completely absorbed in them so that your progress with be evidence to all.

You know Timothy has to grow mature. He’s a younger person, somewhere under 40. Could be from his early 30’s to mid-30’s. We talked earlier about the word for young referring to him is referring to men under 40 though we could tell he could be anywhere from upper 20’s to mid-30’s. We don’t have a definite time line on his age but he is to evidence growth. He is to show maturity for a man of his age. He has godly character but he’s not done growing. No matter how old we are, how long we have been believers, we are not done in the process. So his progress ought to be evident to all. That is why he is to take pains with these things. He’s being in them so people can see his growth and development. Some people could even say about Timothy, “I’ve seen him grow and I’ve seen the impact of his life and ministry as he’s grown in the Lord.” And the reference here is to Timothy’s development; so that your progress, but we learn from that what? We want our progress, in growth, in Christ and our service to Him to be evident to all. Don’t we want others to recognize, not for pride and selfish reasons but you know we want our growth just like the growth of our children. That’s good. Well our spiritual growth, we want it to be evident to all. That will enhance Timothy’s ministry. That will make it more effective. He’s growing, he’s maturing and your progress is to be evident to all. Other believers ought to see growth in us and if other believers say, “You know, I am concerned. I don’t see you growing as you should.” You shouldn’t be offended at that. We should be maybe hurt but what is there in my life that you think is lacking? Maybe you have slacked off on your spiritual gift. How are you serving? You know it’s easy to stagnate. We all know what it is like and stagnation is simply neglecting the gift God has given us, not being absorbed in what God has called us to do. So our progress ought to be evident to all and that’s what Paul wants for Timothy.

Verse 16, the ninth command – be attentive when you pick up those titles I have given them. He says, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.” Pay close attention. Be attentive to yourself that your own personal spiritual condition and growth. This is the same thing as back in chapter 4, verse 7: “Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” That is what he is saying here. “Pay attention to yourself, discipline yourself.”

You know what Paul wrote to the Corinthians? “I discipline my body. I beat it black and blue and bring it into subjection. I am so committed to being and doing what God has called me to be and to do. I have to exercise discipline over my body so I stay on course as we have talked about. Pay close attention to yourself not because you are selfish and self-focused in the wrong sense but because you are concerned about your spiritual condition. Paul told the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Don’t you know the Spirit of God dwells in those who truly belong to Him?” Look at yourself. Do you see the Spirit of God at work in your life? Pay close attention to yourself. Discipline yourself. Be attentive to your spiritual condition and to your teaching. He’s got to be faithful with the truth. He’s got to be concerned about his own spiritual condition. Not that we are always in doubt and up and down but I ought to pay attention. Am I maturing the growing and developing and functioning as I should? And then I have to pay close attention to my teaching. Am I being faithful with the Word that God has entrusted to me?

Turn over a few pages to II Timothy chapter 2. Paul tells Timothy in the first verse: “Therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 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.” That process, he’s got to give attention to himself. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and then the things that you have heard me teach you teach. You give attention to yourself; you give attention to the teaching. It has to be on track, great responsibility. That’s why James says, “Don’t many of you be teachers. You will be held to stricter accountability. You must be faithful in your teaching not just have good intentions but you must be serious in your study of the truths so you will be accurate. It doesn’t mean you are growing here as well and having a better understanding and a clearer understanding of various areas but I must always be passionate. I pay close attention to what I am teaching that it is accurate. Teachers will give an account for that. That’s why we pray for the teachers that we have and we are blessed with godly men teaching faithfully God’s Word.

Come back to Timothy; a series of commands that pile up. Timothy is to take all of these to heart and he closes the tenth command here. “Be diligent, persevere in these things.” What we have been talking about in Hebrews. You need staying power. You need to stay with it. It is not enough to have done well for several years, not enough to have done well with the first half of the race. It takes endurance. “Persevere in these things.” Part of that persevere, you are willing to live under the pressure. You keep at it. You be diligent.

Paul said in Philippians 4:13: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He doesn’t talk about having finished the course until he is in prison in Rome awaiting execution and there he is not even done he has just written his last portion of Scripture and then he tells them, “Come, hear and bring these things with you.” But he realizes I am almost at the end. I’ve almost crossed the finish line here.

Timothy, pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things. He is going to be constantly reminding in his second letter. He will speak to them of these things that you have to keep at it. He will tell them as we have gone on in II Timothy 2, “Suffer hardship with me.” It’s not easy what God has called us to, to serve Him in a world and all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes and the boastful pride of life to minister the truth of God in the context of the world that hates the God that we serve, that hates the Savior that we proclaim.

I was reading an article, maybe I will share it next week. It was in the morning paper about a Christian in one of the Muslim countries and because he has converted to Christ he has been trying to hide because his family. They’ve got relatives out searching for him to kill him and all of this. What a cost he has. You know we get comfortable and we get a soft easy Christianity and we don’t want it to be too demanding. Timothy to be faithful in the ministry God’s called you to you must persevere in these things. Remember the context of this, chapter 4 began, “The Spirit explicitly says that in the latter days some will fall away from the faith.”

Turn over to chapter 4 of II Timothy, verse 3: “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine and wanting to have their ears tickled. They will accumulate teachers in accordance with their own desires and turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths but you be sober, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.” That is what God has called us to do. That’s what He called Timothy to do and through this letter to Timothy reminding the church at Ephesus what they are to be and to do and as the Spirit has preserved it in the Word of God it is our task as well.

Back and we wrap it up in verse 16 of I Timothy chapter 4: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” This would demonstrate the reality of his salvation. We have seen this in Hebrews. Those who quit manifest they have never experienced the saving grace of God. We are not saved by works but works manifest the reality of the salvation we have received. You will ensure salvation for yourself and those who hear you. God’s work of salvation in the world today is carried out by men, by frail human beings. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “We have this treasure of the Gospel in earthen vessels.” Amazing, you think God might have sent the angels of glory to proclaim the marvel and wonder of His salvation and He takes frail, fragile human beings and entrusts them with His Gospel which is His power for salvation to everyone who believes. You have to persevere. Those ensures and guarantees are the mark of your salvation and it’s what God uses to bring others to His saving grace. These aren’t recommendations. This Spirit of God is giving clear commands through Timothy to the church at Ephesus by His grace to the grace at Indian Hills in Lincoln, Nebraska, can you believe it so they we know how God intends us to function. What greater privilege. Just think of it. You are sitting here. You are going to go up and go out in a variety of places to do a variety of things tomorrow but the most important thing about you, you serve the living God. You are His representative. You are a light in the darkness. You are not just going about tasks. You are about the work of the One who called you by His glory and grace. What a privilege.

Let’s pray together: Thank You Lord for all You’ve done for us in Christ. Thank You for calling us together as the body of Christ in this place. Thank You for the riches of Your Word. May these truths grip our hearts and minds not just as we sit here together but as we get up in the morning and go about our activities that sometimes absorb us, wear us down, distract us. May we keep before us that we belong to You. You are using us wherever You send us, wherever You place us, whatever task You bring to us, whatever situation we find ourselves in. It is imperative that we be faithful to You and we manifest Your grace, Your righteousness, Your character that we share Your truth. Lord that that light might shine into darkness and the Savior might touch lives. We give You praise, in Christ’s name, amen.