(Through The Bible) 1 Timothy by Zac Poonen

[Music] let's turn to God's Word in Paul's first letter to Timothy the two letters to Timothy and Titus are among the closing letters that Paul wrote towards the end of his life and all three of them which were the last letters that he wrote second Timothy being the last hour related to the servant of the Lord the seven in the church and the first letter to Timothy we could say the subject is the church and its Shepherd the attitude that Shepherds and leaders of the church should have the way they should live and the way they should conduct church matters and it's very interesting to see that these last three letters of Paul have this as their theme so Paul sort of sensed that his time on earth was gradually getting over and he was very concerned that the next generation should have the same principles and values that he himself had as a servant of the Lord and in the earlier letters he spoke more about the Christian life but in these last three letters he speaks more about the next generation having the same values giving them warnings prophetic warnings about how things are going to be and to prepare themselves for that future time in and it's very interesting to see that if you see it in that context that Paul is unburdening his heart to Timothy and read this letter with that in mind and you'll see some of the most important things that a servant of the Lord must bear in mind first of all he says in verse 4 verse 3 don't allow people to take teach strange doctrines in your church if you're a leader in your church you have a responsibility to see what type of teaching goes on in your church you must be alert and if somebody gets up you know there was a lot of freedom in the churches in the early days for people to get up and share what's on their heart and some people may have some crazy ideas and those days at least we can say they didn't have the Bible New Testament so they could speak like that but even today with the New Testament people have crazy ideas and they get up and say things in the church and you must not allow that you must not allow any person to teach strange doctrines and don't get involved in arguments and many times he tells Timothy don't get involved in arguments in first letter and second letter it's one of the most important advice bits of advice that he gives to Timothy don't get involved in endless arguments and disputes because that won't help about genealogies and speculation speculation means discussing things which are not written in Scripture who was Cain's wife how did that help you to know the answer to such questions a lot of other questions like that don't get involved in such discussions and the goal in contrast to all that remember that the purpose of all our instruction verse 5 it's a very important verse do you know what's the purpose of all teaching in the church the ultimate goal is to get people to have love the ultimate goal is love and if you if you people in your congregation have not learned to love God with all their heart and love that neighbor as themselves then you haven't succeeded in your ministry if you're just succeeded in getting them to go out and give the gospel to others and not to love God with all their heart and love their neighbor as themselves you're a total failure and I'd like to know how many people who have been preaching the word for so many years in some church such a lot of teaching have led people to love God with all their hearts and love their neighbors themselves we can say such people have been successful in their ministry love from a pure heart and I said the other day how a pure heart is a heart that loves God totally no place in the heart for anybody else or anything else and a good conscience and a sincere faith so it's not just love it's love that comes from a heart that loves God totally love that comes from a good conscience a man living with a clear conscience so important all towards the end of his life stresses this matter of good conscience he said it in acts 23 before the high priest he said it before Felix in acts 24:16 and he says in 2 Timothy in his closing years good conscience good conscience good conscience because he had seen how many Christian workers had destroyed themselves by not keeping a good conscience and so here is a good verse for you to keep in mind when you're trying to build up a church you're a successful minister of the gospel if you have worked in that church to lead people there to have love to God with a heart that is pure love which is God place only for God and you have let the people there to live with a clear conscience at all times and to have a simple sincere faith in the Lord you've got people to trust the Lord not just to believe in him to take them to heaven and forgive their sins but also in the daily trials of life and he says in verse six some people have strayed away from these fundamental things and when you stray away in your teaching from all these fundamental issues and get taken up it's small small matters these are the main issues and in your teaching you don't emphasize these things mainly but you emphasize all these trivial little things which are not so important it ends up in fruitless discussion argument they want to be teachers of the law but they don't understand what they are saying and the matters about which they make confident assertions I've heard a lot of preachers in Christendom today and I have to say a lot of them don't know what they're saying like it says here they don't know what they're saying they just get up and preach out what they've read in some book are studied in some Bible College or heard on some state they haven't allowed that word to become part of their life they haven't come to place where they love God with all their heart themselves how in the world are they gonna need other people to such a life the word that you hear from another man of God you have received second hand all that you're hearing these days is second hand you must take these fruits before God and say Lord convert it to first hand that means make these things real in my life and then you can speak it as your message it's not just a message you've heard from somebody else second half you have converted it to firsthand by applying it to your own life and you come into a living experience with God about these truths that you heard after that it's no longer somebody else's message it's your message but if you have not converted it into your life it's always somebody else's message that you're preaching do you know that you can convert every message I preached into your message very simple apply it in your life many people have asked me brother Zack can I preach your messages I should sure but with one condition live it first and you don't have to quote me you don't have to always say this is what I heard from brother Zack no I don't want any credit for it but live it first if you try to preach it without living it I tell you in Jesus name you'll destroy yourself that's what I've told them and that's what I'm telling it convert it to first and live it and print it as your own message otherwise you'll be like a great teacher of the Lord not knowing what you're talking about and he says about the law we know the law is good if you use it lawfully but the law verse 9 is not made for a righteous man a righteous man doesn't need a law why do you need the law it says don't commit adultery when you are not even sinning in your thoughts in that area why do you need a law which says don't commit murder when you're not even angry with people a righteous man doesn't need these 10 commandments because he's living at a higher level why does he need them this standard is so so much higher and further the law is made for those who are lawless rebellious ungodly sinners and a lot of things like that and anything else is contrary to the glorious gospel of the blessed God this is me consider this earlier how we are free from the law when we walk in the spirit and then he says this is another thing that Paul emphasized much towards the end of his life he says look at my example see how I lived this is always what he tells Timothy you know how I lived you've seen how I lived I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful putting me into the ministry now even though God sovereignly calls people to his ministry this verse tells us that before he puts a man into the ministry he tests him and I think the Apostle Paul was probably tested for a period of 10 years from Acts chapter 9 where he was converted to Acts chapter 13 where he was sent out to the ministry was appeared about 10 years and what was happening in those 10 years God was watching this man to see whether he was faithful in daily life and after he tested him for 10 years and saw his faithfulness this is okay now I'm going to send you the survey and you know when God calls you he tested I know he tested me for nearly 10 years do I'll try quit my job before you opened up the ministry that he really had for me don't think that as soon as you go out you can step out and get an anointed ministry God will test you to see whether you're faithful in the little things and if you're faithful and you humble yourself under authorities God places over you and faithful in the little things faithful to study his word faithful with money people with your time upright honest faithful in purity it may take 10 years but in 10 years God will put you into a ministry when God puts you into ministry you can do more in one year than if you go 10 years trying to do something yourself he says he put me into the ministry it wasn't any man even though I was a blasphemer a persecutor you know God doesn't put only holy people in ministry he puts people who are outright sinners in their past life he makes them holy but they could have been terrible sinners in their previous life and that's an encouragement to anybody sitting here who's lived a very wicked life of sin in the past there is a second-century writing in which it says that Jesus Christ in order to show that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance picked up some of the worst sinners of his time to become his apostles of which was Paul but he says in verse 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am number one he says among all the sinners of the whole world I'm the greatest and Jesus picked me and he became the greatest apostle so God doesn't necessarily pick people who've been brought up in very god-fearing homes and who live very godly lives all through he does sometimes but he also picks up people who have lived in the depths of sin he can pick up adulterers and thieves and drunkards and drug addicts and transform them and make them apostles to prove that sin doesn't disqualify a person from becoming an even an apostle the greatest sinner became the greatest apostle as an encouragement to all people who have lived in sin who feel oh I've sinned so much God can't do much truly God can do a lot through you if you will trust him and repent of your sin I want you to notice a progression in the Apostle Paul's attitude towards his own I mean understanding of his own sinfulness many people they think the closer they get to God they will be less aware of sin in their life it's not true any godly person would say the closer he gets to God the more he is aware of sin in his life because God is so holy i SIA saw the holiness of God and said Lord I'm a sinful man job said that Peter said that John said that and Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 9 about 10 years before he wrote this letter he says I am what I am the grace by the grace of God I am the least of the Apostles he thought of himself as the least of the Apostles 5 years later in Ephesians 3:8 he goes still further down he says I'm not just the least of the Apostles I am the least of all the believers 5 years later when he writes 1 Timothy he goes to further down and says I'm the worst of all the sinners so what is spiritual growth spiritual growth is a greater awareness of your littleness and your nothingness how you are the least of the Apostles and the least of the Saints and the worst of sinners is that the way you're growing then you're growing in the right direction that means that you're coming closer and closer to God now a lot of people think that there'll be no consciousness of sin in my life if I come close to God I got victory over sin no it's not like that as we come closer we discover sins that we never knew existed in us before okay he tells him in verse 18 onwards to fight a good fight wage war fight a good fight keeping faith and a good conscience verse 19 which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck he says there are people who did not keep a good conscience and you know what happened they made shipwreck of their lives they lost their faith how do you lose your faith you sometimes read of believers losing their faith how do they lose their faith sometimes you I've heard stories of some child of God really born-again loves the Lord and goes to some liberal Bible seminary or something and he loses his faith after he hears all that is taught there but how did he lose his faith he need not have lost his faith or tall he shouldn't have run there secondly if he had kept a good conscience we lose our faith when we don't keep a good conscience when we say things which are not true when we don't stand up for our convictions supposing young a person made the mistake of going to a liberal seminary for getting a degree and if you have kept a good conscience you know stood up to his professors and say I'm sorry sir that's wrong that's not according to God's Word of course you'd have been thrown out in the first month but he wouldn't have lost his faith now a lot of people don't keep a good conscience they just keep quiet the Lord is being Dishonored left right and center in their classroom they keep quiet but such people deserve to lose their faith they deserve to go to hell because hell is made for the cowardly people it says in revelation 21:7 it's made for those who don't have the guts to stand up for the truth if you're like that you deserve to go to hell definitely but heaven is made for those who stand up for their convictions if you don't keep your conscience pure you make shipwreck of your faith that's what the Bible says among them are he names them hi my name is Alexander you know Paul was not afraid of naming people some people say we must never mention any names Paul said I'm not afraid of naming people I've got to warn you about this man this man they are leading people astray and I have delivered hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan so that they may not they may learn not to blaspheme okay chapter 2 verse 1 here he says I want you to pray and give thanks for all men now in previous passages we saw we have to give thanks at all times and in everything always give thanks in everything at all times and here we find another amazing works not only at all times not only in all things give thanks here it says give thanks for all men have you read that verse have you learned to give thanks for all men does your Bible say I want Thanksgivings to be made on behalf of all men last part of verse 1 it says that that means I say Lord I'm thankful for everybody the ones who harmed me the ones who do me good everybody is working for my good you can't do that unless you believe in Romans 8:28 and he says especially you must pray for Kings those in authority and do you know who was the emperor in Rome when Paul wrote this Nero one of the worst emperors well man who persecuted Christians like anything anew later on chopped off Paul's head he says we gotta pray for them so we don't pray only for people who are in authority who are godly even if it's the most ungodly person like Nero who persecutes Christians and chops off the heads of apostles prefer pray what pray that God will restrain the forces of darkness from hindering and prevent them from hindering his purposes on earth what should we pray in India we're not expecting believers to get an authority in the central government no that's not what I printed let them be unbelievers they will never know believers in authority in all time but we pray because we have the power to influence Almighty God who is the greatest superpower in the universe to influence governments in every country I have believed that for many years in our church we have always prayed at election time and at other times that God will control the decisions taken by the government and we believe God does that if you don't have faith of course don't pray if you think God Almighty in heaven is unable to control some small government in some country then don't pray it's no use praying if you don't have faith but I hope we have faith that a few people who live godly lives with a good car agents can pray and influence a country's government in a way that fulfills God's purposes in that country now God's purpose may be persecution it was persecution for nearly 200 years of Christendom the early first 200 years okay that's fine it may be persecution in India and so I'm not praying against that when Jesus himself said all men will hate you in the last days I'm not praying Lord don't let all men hate me how can I pray against what Jesus himself will happen when Jesus said in the last days that we famines earthquakes and Wars I can't pray Lord don't let they have any famines or earthquakes or work there will be so we can't pray against what Jesus said it will be I accepted but what we can pray is that the forces of darkness will be restrained seen 2nd Thessalonians 2 he speaks about a restraining influence and that restraining influence of the church restraining and then one day a time comes when that restraint is taken away in the Antichrist comes in but until then we must pray for those in authority and influence them by prayer that is the best way not by joining politics there's far more power in influencing them by prayer than by joining politics and says this is good and acceptable our prayer is not that we won't be persecuted our prayer is that we can live a quiet life in godliness and dignity and if it pleases God for us to be persecuted that's fine and then it says here in verse 4 God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth it's a wonderful verse which says that God wants every single person in all the 6 billion people in the world to be saved don't let anybody tell you anything other than that God's will is that every single person in this universe in this world should be saved he did not he did not predestined anybody to go to hell this verse teaches that very clearly and not only do me save he wants everybody after they are saved to come to the full knowledge of the truth of God not just be safe once you have saved a person that's not enough God's next part of his will is that they must come to the full knowledge that's the meaning here the full knowledge of the truth of God and it says further here because there is one God and one mediator between God and men that is the man Christ Jesus isn't it interesting thirty years after 35 years after Jesus ascended to heaven the Holy Spirit still calls him the man Christ Jesus not the God man He is God but he has taken our nature so completely that he's still called the man even today after 2,000 years he is the man Christ Jesus you see Jesus came and took our nature and he has taken it to heaven to represent us and He has given us his nature to represent him on earth that's the picture he has taken our nature to represent us in heaven and he has given us his nature to represent him on earth what a wonderful exchange he's doing that job faithfully with our nature our human nature he's representing us before the father he's given us the divine nature to represent him in the same way on earth just like he stands before the Father we understand before people on his behalf because he stands on our behalf before the father this is a mediator okay in verse nine onwards till the end he talks about the way women should dress and conduct themselves he says I want the women to adorn themselves with proper clothing modestly discreetly that means a woman's a woman should be careful that the way she dresses should not provoke others to lust a lot of women follow the fashions of the world which are designed to provoke others to lust and you got to make sure when you tell the tailor how to stitch your clothes that you don't want the fashions that other people are having if that fashion involves immodest exposure of your body or anything which is provocative to other people how woman must be dressed modestly that doesn't mean she should be shabby I believe it's good for brothers and sisters to be dressed neatly smartly decently and a woman especially you should try to make herself as attractive as possible but not in a provocative way to provoke men to lust it's very practical and it says here in verse 9 further not with fancy hairstyles and not with gold not with pearls and not with expensive clothes I find that a lot of churches which emphasize not with gold do not emphasize not with expensive clothes I don't know why they tell that poor sister to take off her 1000 rupee earring but she wears a 10,000 rupees re see what's the difference it's in the same worse well I'm not here to decide about those things I say you take God's word he says the main thing is it's not the main emphasis here is don't make yourself attractive on the outside but by good works in a way that's fitting for a godly woman and then it says about how a woman should behave in the church remember the subject of Timothy is the church and its Shepherd he says later on in chapter 3 verse 15 I'm writing these things I may be delayed I'm writing these things so that you know you must know how you ought to conduct yourself in the church especially when you come to a meeting in the church be modestly dressed don't make yourself attractive of course we should be like that all the time and in the church that's the theme of Timothy 1 Timothy 2:11 a woman must quietly receive instruction now that doesn't mean that she cannot teach her children at home she cannot teach Sunday school that doesn't mean she cannot be an evangelist and go and preach the gospel even to men who are unconverted she can always do that but in the church 1 timothy 3:15 this is speaking about in the church 1 timothy 3:15 makes that clear in the church he must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness and in the church verse 12 i do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man but must be quiet he doesn't mean that she cannot pray or prophesy because we read in 1 corinthians 11 she can pray and prophesy she can sing but quiet in the sense that she must not teach men in the church she must not stand up as a teacher she can get up and give a testimony she can get up and share some word that has been a blessing to earth but she must not teach and she must not have authority she must not be a an elder in a church see remember you read Romans chapter 16 you find at least 5 women they're mentioned who were co-workers of the Apostle Paul they were workers and they were not just cooking the food they were actually serving the Lord evangelism other things they were doing so women had a tremendous part in the ministry of the early church think of a country like India you know how difficult it is for a man to speak to an unconverted woman in India who's going to reach all these 50% of India which is women sisters so I believe that women have a great ministry in counseling young regulars of men reaching out to half of India and we must not suppress that ministry and it but as terms of authority it says Adam was created first and then Eve and second reason is Adam was not deceived the woman was deceived that's why a woman should not teach because she's more prone to deception than the man a lot of cults have come up through women but it says a woman's ministry can be bearing children and that's a ministry to don't think that's not a ministry and I'm sure Timothy who got this letter believed that because he became an apostle because he had a godly mother and he could understand that very well if it were not for my mother he would have said I would never have been an apostle many people don't realize that disciple in your children at home is primarily the work of a mother in a sense because she's there with them most of the time I met a family a mother who had 12 children and she said you know like Jesus I'm also training 12 disciples absolutely right so she shall be preserved through the bearing of children there was a curse on the ground and the Lord told Eve in Genesis 3 that you'll bear children through a lot of pain so when he refers to Adam and Eve here Paul says a woman doesn't have to fear God will take care of her when she's delivering children let her continue and create and love in chapter 3 he talks about the qualifications for elders and deacons and deaconesses that means men and women servants of the church who have certain ministries in verses 1 to 7 he deals with the qualifications for elders they must have a good testimony they must not have more than one wife you know in those days there were people who were married to two wives or three wives and supposing the man and all three wives got converted what do you do well he said they can all be converted they can come to the church I think the man must live with one wife and if the other is away and support them but such a man cannot be an elder even though he can be a good brother in the church but he must not be given a responsibility as an elder an algorithmic it's good for an elder of a church usually to be a married man because he has to counsel married people and he must be temperate why is respectable hospitable able to teach not one who loves wine and comfortable life and now the argumentative type who is always arguing with people and gentle not controversial in terms of being argumentative free from the love of money very important qualification notice how much emphasis the New Testament places on freedom from the love of money which is never found in the Old Testament you noticed when you warned about the danger well but here its emphasis on free from the love of money and then it says one who can control his own children well if a man cannot keep his children in his home under control how can he take care of the house of God if he cannot take care of three children at home how can he take care of 300 people in the church impossible so the way a man brings up this house and controls his house and keeps his home in order is one of the qualifications to be able to have responsibility in the church which teaches us our home life is very important if we are to be servants of the Lord the way we bring up our children children sometimes you see in some churches the children of the preacher or some of the worst behaved children in that church isn't very sad such a man should never be an elder and further he should not be a new convert verse 6 because he can fall into pride he must have a good testimony with those outside the church and then deacons also verse 8 to 10 they must not be double tongue that means they must not say one thing to one person another to another person you must be sincere and upright see deacons are those who look after the practical affairs the elders are the spiritual leaders of the church the overseers and the Deacons are the ones who look after the lake the finances the treasurer and various practical aspects for looking after the widows and so many things distribution of food there are many many practical things like that those are the Deacons and they also must be people who hold the mystery of the faith I've got a good conscience and many things like that and then in verse 11 it speaks about deaconesses the women who have a ministry in the church must not be malicious gossips and I want to tell you the word for malicious gossips here is the same word which is used for the devil in other places Davalos and so what he's saying is women should not be little devils that means always you know speaking evil gossips gossips top suppose men shouldn't be little devils also but women have a tendency to gossip more than men you know because the men are out at work and the women are sitting at home nothing to do and they decide to visit some other woman and they sit and if they sit for half an hour it's okay beyond half an hour for a minute they begin to talk about other people so women must not be malicious gossips will be self-control faithful then only they must be given in a ministry in the church and the Deacons must be husbands again a one wife and so on who can manage their own children even the people who are responsible for practical details in their church must also be able to manage their families well and then he says you know I'm writing all this so that you know how to conduct yourself in the church verse 16 he moves on to another subject well I believe this is really the subject that goes on to about later in chapter 4 this is the great mystery of godliness I told you yesterday two great mysteries one is Christ's coming in the flesh here in verse 16 and the other is the church being one flesh with Christ now think of this mystery it's it's mystery means you can't explain it how can God be a man I don't know I can't explain but I believe it he God was revealed in the flesh he came like us believe it it's a very important thing to believe it's the secret of godliness mystery means secret what is the secret of godliness what is the secret of living a godly life living by the appearances like that what is the secret of living a godly life the answer lies in Christ who came to earth as a man there is the secret of living a godly life there was one man who walked on earth as a man who lived a godly life and that's why you and I can live a godly life he is the proof that a man can live a godly life he's the proof that a man can overcome the lust of the eyes he is the proof that a man can control his temper that a man need never be jealous and never be bitter etc so the secret of a godly life lies in Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and was vindicated in the spirit that means the Holy Spirit examined every area of his life and said 100% pure beheld by angels angels watched this great mystery of God becoming flesh and walking as a man being tempted and overcoming and this is what we proclaim in all the nations of the world and people believed on him in the world when he was here also and he was taken up to glory this is the secret of darkness and this is the way we bar to go - today we are in the flesh the Holy Spirit examines our life to see whether we are pure angels are watching us we saw that in Ephesians 3:10 our life is a proclamation to the nation's about what the gospel is and people believe and one day we will be taken up to glory as well if we are faithful but in contrast to this God's method of holiness the Holy Spirit says in the last days people are going to preach some other method of holiness in contrast to this chapter 4 verse 1 and they are going to listen to deceitful spirits law deceiving spirits are going to come into the world in the last days they're going to listen to doctrines of demons now you when you read doctrines of demons you think some horrible thing doctrines of demons what's that you know what a doctrine of a demon is things like where's 3 don't get married does that sound like a doctrine of a demon don't get married Alston's there are some people who teach don't get married as a way to godliness the secret of godliness is don't get married that's the doctrine of a demon the secret of godliness is verse 3 don't eat certain types of food fasting is the secret of godliness that's a doctrine of a demon it's things which appear good discipline yourself that's the secret of godliness Paul says rubbish the secret of governments is Jesus came in the flesh look at him and followed him the secret of godliness is not in avoiding marriage or giving up your job or in fasting or in discipline of the body know the secret of godliness is seeing Jesus who came in our flesh and live like us looking unto Him make him your example and let the Holy Spirit transform you into his likeness that is the secret of godliness that is what we must proclaim in the church and that's why in every church we must lift up Jesus who came in the flesh as an example for everybody to follow otherwise you'll produce a church with a bunch of rules and regulations brother we must fast we must pray we must read the Bible all of these things are good but they can end up as doctrines of demons if you don't lift up Jesus Christ as your as an example for everyone if somebody doesn't want to get married like Paul that's fine but don't preach that as the doctrine of as a secret of holiness if somebody wants to fast that's fine but that's not the secret of godliness no and he says the reason why many of these people are deceived is because they've got hypocrisy verse 2 in their life they are liars they are not honest and their conscience is bad if there's hypocrisy in your life acting if there's lying in your life and you don't keep a good conscience you are a perfect candidate for doctrines of demons to deceive you ok and that is tells Timothy if you point out these things to the brothers verse 6 if you point out to the brothers the secret of godless is not in all these things but in Christ who came in the flesh you will be an excellent servant of Christ Jesus you want to be a good servant of Christ Jesus point out these things to others and you will be an excellent servant of Christ Jesus constantly nourished on the words of faith but he says don't waste your time listening to all these worldly stories which are fit only for old women you know old women about nothing else to do see the dark stories to each other it says Timothy don't waste your time listening to all these fancy stories on the other hand discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness so he's not against discipline there is a need for discipline in our life there is a need for fasting need for prayer need for discipline but the secret of godliness is Christ come in the flesh in the holy spirit making us like him but you must discipline yourself he says bodily discipline physical exercise has got little value but godliness is profitable even in this life and in the next life that means if you live a godly life it will improve even your physical health that's what it means I can be physically healthier if I live a godly life if I I'm free from jealousy free from bitterness free from anxiety I don't get acidity problems I don't get awesome I don't get arthritis I don't get migraine headaches so many things I'm saved from and I live a godly life I'm not saying that these sicknesses may not come due to other reasons but a lot of cases these sicknesses come because of a lot of a lot of sin in a person's life so it's a value in this life and in the life to come and it is because of this that we labor and now he says in verse 12 just because you're a young man don't let anybody look down on him you see Timothy was a young man in Ephesus and there were people sitting in that church who were much older than him and you know how when you go as a young man to lead a church there are people sitting older than you and you can feel intimidated particularly some of those people are rich people or influential people he says don't allow them to intimidate you be such an example to them in your life by your speech the way you speak there should be a godliness in your speech the way you conduct yourself in your love for them in the way you have faith in the midst of all your trials in the purity you have in your life in every area show yourself as an example now this is the contrast to what we read in verse 1 2 for the false teachers teach true teachers are an example they speak from their life the false teachers just teach certain doctrines don't be a teacher of a doctrine be an example first and study the scriptures teach the scriptures which speaks in verse 13 about the public reading of Scripture because people sitting in the congregation didn't have a Bible those days so they had to read large sections of Scripture because then only people will understand the scriptures today of course we don't need to read it publicly so much because everybody's got a Bible but he says give attention to scripture be an example give attention to scripture and exhort and teach and then another important thing don't neglect the kids of the Holy Spirit don't think that you can serve God just because you studied the scripture and just because your life is a good example those things are good verse 12 be a good example verse 13 give attention to scripture verse 14 you still need the gift of the Holy Spirit seek God for the gift of prophecy you remember Timothy verse 14 I laid hands on you and the other elders laid hands on you and at that moment you receive a spiritual gift when you were anointed with the Holy Spirit and that supernatural gift exercising the Bible says covet to prophesy in 1 Corinthians 14 earnestly longed for the gift of being able to speak in such a way that your word goes home to people's hearts like an air like the words of the prophets in the Old Testament like the word that goes out of God's mouth like it says in Isaiah 55 verse 11 the word that Gaza goes out of God's mouth will never return empty be God's mouth and for that you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit Jesus needed it and you need it and you need it all the time it's not just that you got it once and you have it forever you need to seek always brothers and sisters your sons and daughters will prophesy jesus said seek that there be an anointing and be an example young people be an example don't think you had to wait till you're 40 years before you start serving God I started preaching when I was 21 I was just converted for two years just baptized and I said well I don't know much but the little I know I can teach ABC to the kindergarten people and when I grow up I can teach a little more and grow up a little more I can teach a little more to you a little more when can you start teaching kind of first standard student teach the kindergarten student sure I used to sometimes tell my older boy to teach the younger boy when they were very very small why do you have to wait till you're so old before you start sharing God's Word - that is a moment you're converted start sharing with those who know less than you maybe you can teach people who know more than you but you can certainly teach a whole lot of people who know less than you and always there are people in the world who know less than you first of all the unconverted and if you've grown a little more in the Lord than younger believers always be ready to seek God always be ready to share and seek God for the gifts of the Spirit and he says in verse 15 take pains with these things just like that businessman he takes a lot of pains to make money to establish his business if you're serious about serving the Lord you've got to take a lot of pains studying the scriptures seeking for the gifts of the Spirit cleansing your life of everything that's impure and be absorbed in them what is the meaning of be absorbed in them that's a beautiful translation when you are absorbed in these things your progress will become evident to everybody I'll give you an illustration I heard a story once and I know a family close to where I live who experiences also one evening they were watching a television program into the I don't know what it was a very popular television program the whole family was watching it they were absorbed with the television program and the thieves in Bangalore know when people are absorbed with television programs and that is the time it could be data native and evening say 7 o'clock they know these people are watching television we can quietly go into the house and take anything we want and they went into the house and stole these people were absorbed now that's a sad thing that they were absorbed with that but we can apply that in a good way I've got to be so absorbed you know they were so absorbed with that television that they did not know what is happening the house around them and I can be so absorbed with Jesus Christ and the Word of God that there are many many temptations in the world don't disturb that's what I mean a fight like that if people can be so absorbed with the television program that they are dead to what's happening in the next room why can't we be so absorbed with Jesus Christ and God's Word in our ministry that many things other people are running after in the world don't have tracked us we don't even know this is the meaning of absorb so taken out and if you live like this you will constantly progress every year you'll be a better Christian a more effective servant of the Lord verse 16 it says pay close attention to two things one is your life and the other is your teaching there are two things we must watch always make sure your life is pure make sure your teaching is pure and persevere in these things if you continue to persevere in these things you will save other people and you'll save yourself also first you need to save yourself according to verse 16 then only you can save others in other words if you are not being saved from some they lost how can you save other people from that filthy lot so who has got to be saved first according to verse 16 you if you preach something in an area where you've not been saved yourself you're not gonna be saving other people first be save yourself how to be save yourself be absorbed in these things watch your teaching watch your life Christian life is a very serious thing so I command does business he doesn't play the fool if he plays the fool his business will go to ruin and God's in the same way if you're going to serve the Lord let's do it more wholeheartedly than any businessman does his business in chapter 5 he's talking about how to take care of widows a little worse first of all for young people like Timothy treat the younger men as brothers and treat the older men as father's verse 1 treat the older women as mothers and treat the younger women in your church as your sisters in all purity if you follow this exhortation you will not fall into the danger of impurity and Paul sexually like so many people have done three younger sisters has your sisters who treat the older sisters like mothers then he talks about widows how to care for widows those days many Christians were killed and their widows and he says if they are young widows she'd tell them to get married again if they're older widows the church was supportive if their own family members do not support them practical instructions I just want to point out one thing here in verse 10 it speaks about some of the conditions you don't choose any widow just make sure that she has done things like brought up children the good wing shown hospitality and middle of verse 10 if she has washed the feet of the Saints that's the one verse that teaches us that they did not have the washing of feet as a regular practice in those churches in the first century now some churches practice the washing of feet regularly I'm not against it all I'm saying is that's not what Jesus meant when he said do as I've done unto you what he meant was like this dirty job I did for you you must be willing to do dirty jobs for one another it's not Richard and this verse is the one verse that teaches us that the early church did not practice it because if the early church everybody practiced it there's no need for a verse like this if she has washed the Saints feet what it means is if she's a widow who was willing to do dirty jobs for other people take her that's the meaning and further it says here about how to treat elders those who are elders were 17 must be considered worthy of double honor that means they must be paid properly because it coats that verse 18 you shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn and the labourer is worthy of his wages now that's a quotation from what Jesus said in Luke chapter 10 verse 7 I think the labourer is worthy of his wages and all courts at a scripture that Jesus said a man who works for the Lord deserves to be paid for it nothing wrong in that and we should not become super spiritual and say that those who serve the Lord should not be paid well who they like to call if they support themselves that's fine but otherwise it's perfectly alright to pay an elder who is serving the Lord and don't especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching you must take care of their financial responsibilities they should not go around asking for themselves of course not but Paul tells Timothy you make sure that such people their payment is given then he says don't receive any accusation against such elders unless there are enough witnesses and don't lay hands suddenly on people we're trying to do without making sure that they are really liked by the Lord keep yourself free from sin verse 23 we see how Timothy also had a thorn in the flesh and that was he had frequent stomach things and he could not be cured so even though Paul prayed for him so he said take a little wine take a little medicine and in Chapter six again he comes to the subject of don't get involved with controversial questions verse four and be satisfied with what we have verse 6 to 10 don't get involved in the pursuit of money Paul is telling Timothy is such a good man be content with the measure of money God has given you be if you've got food and clothing be happy it's very easy for a Christian worker to become a covetous covetous long for something else such people he says love of money in verse 10 is the root of all sorts of evil those who want to get rich verse 9 in Christian work especially will ultimately destroy themselves but you verse 9 12 fight the good fight remember the confession Jesus made verse 13 before Pontius Pilate What did he say to Pontius Pilate My Kingdom is not of this world Timothy our kingdom is not of this world let's remember that let's teach the rich people were 17 to share what they have with others money is not the greatest thing one final word verse 20 guard what has been entrusted to you it's a very sacred deposit and one more warning avoid worldly and empty chatter and arguments guard what's entrusted to you preserve it preserve that gospel and that testimony of the Lord till the end let's pray

Channel: SermonIndex.net

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Zac Poonen

Id: Z-vofMfLaEU

Length: 56min 34sec (3394 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 14 2017