Amen. If you have a Bible, let me invite you to turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 11 through 16. We want to welcome you again to Redeemer. Each week at Redeemer we work through a passage of Scripture.
We've been in 1 Timothy now for some months, last week we had a guest with us. So we're picking up from a couple of weeks ago where Paul, the Apostle Paul is teaching about Christian ministry. Two weeks ago we looked at verses 6 through 10 and tonight's a continuation of that. We'll look at verses 11 through 16 but we'll actually read the whole of it together.
But we want to ask this question, what should a minister be and do? What kind of man should he be and what should he be committed to in ministry? If I should hear God's answer to that from 1 Timothy chapter 4. We'll pick up the reading at verse 6.
Here now, the word of God. If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths. Rather, train yourself for godliness.
For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it will promise for the present life. It also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive because we have our hope set on the living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth. But set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the counsel of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things. Defote yourself to them so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.
Persist in this. For by so doing, you will save both yourself and your hearers. Amen. This is God's word that he write it on our hearts.
Let's look at him in prayer. And our Father in heaven, who is efficient for these things, we pray that our good shepherd, the chief shepherd of the sheet would train and instruct us tonight. Pray that you be a shepherd to us. Pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts would be acceptable in your sight of Lord our rock and our redeemer for we ask it in Jesus name.
Amen. This is as we said a couple of weeks ago, a very personal word from Paul to Timothy, but it is a public word about Christian ministry. Paul says to Timothy, here's how to be a good servant of Jesus. Not a mediocre servant, not a bad servant, certainly not a false teacher.
We said, but Paul says, here's how to be a good servant. This is what we want. What does that look like? I was reading about pastoring this week, and I read of a pastor's search committee of a church and its report to a congregation.
Now, clearly, this was written by somebody who was having a little bit of fun. It went like this. We've not been able to find a suitable candidate for this church that we have one promising one promising prospect. We've followed up on each one for interviews and we've done three calls with their references and the following is our confidential report.
Adam, not very experienced and has problems with his wife. One reference told us how he and his wife enjoyed walking nude in the woods. Noah, prone to unrealistic building projects. Joseph, a big thinker, but a bragger.
And you know, he has a prison record. Moses, a modest man, certainly, but a poor communicator, even prone to stuttering. He's been known to be rash at business meetings, and some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge. David, the most promising leader we've found until we discovered that affair that he had with his neighbor's wife.
Solomon, great preacher, but a serious woman problem there. Josiah, a tender and loving pastor. But our people could never handle his wife's occupation. Jonah, he told us he'd been swallowed by a fish.
And the fish spit him up on the shore. We hung up on that phone call. Amos, too much of a country hick, really backward, unpolished. Seems to have a hang up with wealthy people.
John, he says he's a Baptist, but he doesn't trust like one. Sleeps at the outdoors and has a weird diet and he provokes denominational leaders. Peter, too blue collar for us, really. He speaks his mind, but he so often speaks without thinking.
And Paul, brilliant, but sometimes short on tact, it seems, and you know, he's been known to preach all night. People fall asleep when he preaches. Jesus, very popular at one time, he's churchmured over 5,000. And then he managed to offend them all.
And it went all downhill from there until he dwindled them down to 12, who left him in his last days. But then there was this name, Judas. You know, his references are solid, steady plotter, conservative, good connections, knows how to handle money. We even invited him to preach this Sunday in view of a call.
Yes, very, somebody having a little fun, I think, but it opens up the question, who's really qualified to do this job? And of course, nobody is in themselves. And what is this job? What does the minister to be and to do?
Just about everybody studying the church today agrees that ministers are expected to do more things now than they've ever been expected to do in the history of the church. And historically, the Christian church has basically said what pastors are supposed to do is to preach, they're supposed to lead in worship and they're supposed to pray and they're supposed to pastor people, you know, preach the gospel, provide the worship, pray down heaven and pastor souls. Today, ministers are expected to be jack of all trades, salesmen, fundraisers, leaders, counselors, therapists, cheerleaders, coaches, program directors. And if you've got a little time on the side, community service providers and somewhere in there, you ought to squeeze in a sermon or two a month.
And well, guess certainly, disciple people and ministers for them, especially in their times of great need. The expectations of our day are different than historically in the church. Now, Paul is talking about what a minister ought to be and do. And before we get to what he actually says, let me again ask this question, why should you bother paying attention to this?
I mean, it seems like he's preaching to me and I should be preaching to me and I am. But, but why should you pay close attention to what he says here? If you're not a pastor, or you're not an elder, don't expect ever to be called one. Well, why should we pay attention?
Number one, because you ought to know what I'm supposed to be and do. And then I would say at the very least, you can help me in that. Just as hopefully I encourage you to grow as a Christian, where God has placed you, you can encourage me to grow where God has placed me. Secondly, when and if or if and when someday you leave this place and go to a new church, maybe you pick a new one, maybe you move, maybe you're in school and then you're going off to start your life elsewhere, you ought to look for a church and a minister, you are committed to being and doing what God says.
And this is one of those passages that will help you. Also, some of you may in fact be called to be a minister, preacher, elder, missionary, and y'all don't know what you're getting into ahead of time. And that's what this text will do. And then one more reason, most directly, as Paul says in this text, at Timothy, beginning at verse 11, if a minister is to be and do these certain things as an example for others, well, then what are you supposed to do?
You're to follow the example. And so these words, while they may apply directly, most especially to Timothy and to ministers, they apply to people who ought to be following the example of ministers. So in all these ways, these things matter and not to matter to you. Now, two weeks ago, we highlighted three things that Paul says, if verse 10 to 16, and I want to just remind you of those, then we'll look ahead to the six thing.
This is, I can't, we want to see that he says today. Two weeks ago, we said, Paul says, here's what a minister is to do. He is to teach, he is to train, and he is to toil. He is in verses six and seven, he is to teach sound doctrine, as he says, you were to set before the people these good things, like a waiter who brings out a platter of food and sets it before the nose and under the face and eyes and tongue of his people.
So we are to set before the people of God, the milk and the honey and the meat and potatoes of God's very nutritious word. That's one job. Secondly, verse 7 and 8, he said, you are to train yourself for godliness, Paul says, or to be Godward or God oriented in your mind and heart and affections and life, you're to be oriented toward God. Physical exercises of some value, it's great to be strong and healthy in your body.
But Paul says that is just of some value and value for here and now. But godliness, godwardness has value both for now and forever. And so we need to train ourselves for godliness. And then thirdly, he said, you are to toil.
We are to to toil. We are to be hardworking, Paul says, while we look for God to actually save people, we set our hopes on the living God versus nine and 10. But Paul says, we do that, and we get up every day and we work and we thrive, we coil and we chip away at the ministry, looking to God to do what only God can do. So those are the three things he said to us previously.
And tonight, we consider verses 11 to 16. And let me highlight six other things a minister is to be and do. And they really follow verse by verse 11, he says you are to speak with authority, command and teach. Verse 12, set an example for the believers.
Be an example. The third thing, verse 13, you're a minister, God's word read it, exhort and teach, he says, fourth, use your gifts, verse 14, don't neglect the gifts that God has given you. Verse 15, that's the fifth thing, show your progress, commit yourself be in these things and let your progress be known all. And then in the sixth place, verse 16, watch your life and your doctrine closely.
So these are the six things we want to consider tonight, let me invite you to give your attention to them. We'll start with the first one, verse 11, speak with authority, he says, command and teach these things. Sometimes we simply need to be winsome with people with that I was more winsome. Sometimes we need to persuade people who just don't agree with us and persuasion can take time and effort.
And that's fine. It's sometimes what we just really need to do. And Redeemer wants to be all about this. We want to be patient with people.
We don't believe we've arrived. We don't believe we ever fully arrive at this life. God is thoroughly patient with us as we grow. And we want to be patient with others who don't have perhaps the same understanding that we do.
We want to give time for people to to to marinate in the truth so that it can soak into them over time. You've got to let a good roast beef stew spend a lot of time on the stove to blend the flavors. We want to do that with people. Sometimes we need to do that with people.
But sometimes Paul says, you simply need to command and teach certain things. You need to call people to obedience to certain things. It's a military word is using command or prescribed your translations may have it. It's a military word that is used of the command of a superior officer to an inferior officer.
And in God's household, we are certainly all welcome to a great variety of opinions, not at least of which are things like what's the proper color of church carpeting or whether to have carpeting at all. And churches have split over these issues. There's no church carpeting decisions ahead in our future. I tried to say, not any time we read this facility.
Whether he burgers a broth, the church picnic, whether to, okay, more substation, whether to buy a building, whether to collectively pull our resources and purchase something for our gathered worship or whether to continue to rad the facility. We can all have different opinions about these things. We can all express our opinions about these things. Eventually, you got to make a decision together.
We're all in it together. But that's the way things are. But there are some things about God's ministry that we don't get to just hold our own opinion about and and force that opinion on others. There are some things that are God's opinion, view, and we are simply to embrace those things.
And that's what Paul is saying here, the pattern of ministry I have told you about in chapters one, two, three, and up to this point in four. This you are a command. And so Timothy wasn't to say to people, you know, how do you really think about it? Should we do this, that or the other?
What doctrine should we teach around here? We are to seek the best we know how to embrace God's view of what we are to teach, for instance. So that's the first thing. Command and teach.
Speak with authority. The second is this. We are to be an example. Verse 12, let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct and love and faith and impurity.
Don't let Paul says to me, don't let anybody treat you with contempt or look down on you because you are a young man. Timothy was young by the standards of his day. He was still a youth. The word itself was used for people of military age up to the age of 40.
And so in that day, you'll be glad to know some of you that in that day, those people would consider you still a youth though you are feeling your age. I'm past that now. Many in Timothy's day would have been older than him in this congregation. He was as best we know somewhere in his 30s.
And so some would have wanted to dismiss the young man as high minded and zealous. That's all fine and good to him. But you don't really have the kind of experience, the kind of long term training that we need around here. Just be quiet, Timothy.
We'll handle this. Some would have said. And Paul says, listen, deflect the accusations of a youthfulness by your good example. Don't let people say we don't need to listen to him.
I mean, what does he know? He's just a young. Make them listen to you, Paul says, but make them listen to you and unable to ignore you. How?
By your example. In other words, don't go to war in some big debate about what's the right age for a man to become a minister, you know, and contradict everybody. Don't throw your weight around. Don't drop my name, Timothy.
Don't go around, well, you know, Paul, he's my disciple. You know, you ought to be touching me. Don't force your will on people in this way, but demonstrate by your life that you are wise beyond your years. And to set such a good example, they can't turn away from you.
And in saying that, Paul is certainly speaking counter to our own modern day and our very, we might say, ridiculous notions that we cannot and must not connect a person's private life to their public life, that you can't live like the devil behind closed doors, but be fit to lead like an angel from heaven in public. Americans may prefer that in our politicians and to our own danger as a society, but Christians must never prefer that in our purchase. And so Paul says, you've set an example for the believers in your speech and in your life and in faith and in love and in purity. Paul begins with speech.
It begins there of course because Christians sin more readily with their tongue than perhaps with any other part of their body. And at the same time, the tongue is capable of the greatest good for all the members of the body. Timothy, speak in such a way as they can't. They can't turn away from you.
And set an example for them and your conduct, he says, is a Nobel prize winning writer William Golding in his novel Free Fall, which I, it readily admit I've not read, but Pastor Jeff Thomas of Everest with Wales tells the story of, it's the story of the life of an artist named Sammy Mount Joy. And when he was in school, there were two teachers who initially attracted him. There was the religious instruction teacher, Miss Pringle, and the science teacher, Mr. Shales.
Her world, Miss Pringle, was the world of the burning bush and the Bible. His world was of a rational universe. Sammy felt pulled in two directions by these two teachers until he felt victim to Miss Pringle. She discovered that he had been adopted by the minister she had hoped to marry, but he had not married her.
And she took revenge on the boy and put her knife to him at every opportunity. Sammy says to himself, quote, but how could she crucify a small boy and then tell the story of the other crucifixion with every evidence in her voice of sorrow, for human cruelty and wickedness? I can understand how she hated, but not how she kept on such apparent terms of intimacy with heaven while she did it. How different was Nick the science teacher?
Quote, Nick persuaded me to his natural scientific universe by what he was, not by what he said. I hung for an instant between two pictures of the universe. And then the ripple passed over the burning bush and I ran towards my friend. In that moment, a door closed behind me.
I slammed it shut on Moses and Jehovah. Paul here was telling Timothy, don't demolish by your living from Monday to Saturday. What you built up with your speech on Sunday. And so that's true.
Send an example for the believers in your conduct. And so be an example, he says in love. It doesn't necessarily mean that this is a good, that every minister needs to be an outgoing extrovert, hand shaker, back slapper and baby kisser, right? Though all that's fine.
And some of that's great. When we talk about love, you're not talking about one fuzzy feelings that we have when we get together and enjoy fellowship together. Although sometimes we have those two. But Paul is saying, show about your conduct of biblical love in self-sacrificing service or others that you love God and love people.
And send an example for the believers in that. And oh, oh, how we need more love in this pulpit. Be an example, he says in faith. And faith here, this is taking one of two ways.
Either he means entrusting in Jesus or he means faithfulness. It can really, it can go either way. In which case, he means show by your example that you are, you know, loyal and steadfast to Christ. And then he says, show by example your purity or be an example in purity.
And the word here used one other place in the New Testament really especially means sexual purity. He's really talking about the minister having a pure relationship with his sisters, especially in Christ, but even his neighbors. A seminary professor walked into class and drew a line down the middle of the chalkboard. And on one side of that, he wrote your ministry, your marriage, your children, your reputation, your possessions, your hopes, your dreams.
And on the other side, he read 30 minutes of pleasure. And then he turned to the class and said, Satan has a trade he wants to make with you. And how true it is, friends. I was flying to General Assembly in Chattanooga last week and got introduced to the new minister at our sister PCA Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Oklahoma State University is.
And we were getting another talking about the ministry of Oklahoma and how things were going. And we got into conversation about different things that had gone on in Oklahoma the last couple decades. And we acknowledged together that a PCA minister in Tulsa decades ago fell in this area of life. A campus minister, an R UF campus minister at Tulsa University fell in this way with a student.
And most recently, an R UF campus minister at Oklahoma State fell in this way with a student. It happens. And they all needed to be removed from ministry and were. But it's a serious temptation.
It's a trade that every Christian leader, 30 minutes of pleasure for your life, your family, your marriage, your children, your reputation, your possessions, the honor and glory of Jesus, it is a trade that every Christian leader and every Christian is susceptible to. You may be in your past and invited to make this trade. You may one day be in your future invited to make this trade. You may on a regular basis for the rest of your life be invited to make this trade until Jesus comes back or you greet him when you die.
Paul knew that Timothy was not immune from this trade. And so he said to him, he warned him, in fact, that he would be exposed to it and that he must set an example for the brothers and sisters even in this way. Don't undo with your life what you preach with your lips, he says to Timothy. So that's the second thing.
Set an example for the believers. The third is this. What is a young minister to be and do? He is to minister God's word, verse 13.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture and to exhortation and to teaching. First, read the Bible. Read it out loud to people because God gave it to us in such a way that people can understand it when it's read out loud. When they hear it, they can hear the voice of God speaking to them because by this word, God speaks to people.
So read the word. This is why it would be based on just this one text that we read a significant portion of the Bible and every worship service. Paul says, go on and exhort, tell people not just to be hearers, but to be doers of the word. Tell them to obey what they've heard.
And teach, explain where able, clear up the difficult parts so that people aren't confused. Help them to really know what's being said if they're not sure about it. But before you teach people and before you command people, read the word. Show them, in other words, that the authority by which you teach and command is not your own authority as a minister or as an influential person or as a spiritually minded person, but show them that your authority is the very word of God.
Read the word. Explain and apply the word and call them to trust in what God is saying, not what you are saying. This is the heart of gospel ministry. Don't just pay lip service to the Bible as you have perhaps seen so often on Christian television.
A man will hold up a Bible and say, this is the word of God. We believe this. And he'll set it aside and talk about anything but the word of God for the next 20, 30 or 40 minutes. It happens all the time.
And Paul says, don't do that. There is always a temptation in ministry for alternate methods of ministry. We want to get things done around here. We want to see good things happen in people's lives.
How do we do that? People will often say, well, what you need to do is find something else to minister here. The Bible won't work. It's old.
It's outdated. People won't pay attention to it. People will say, it makes people feel uncomfortable. You know, let's find some program of ministry, apart from the word.
And Paul is saying, remember God works through and with the word. And if he talks to people, in it, he teaches people, by it he changes people. And so we are to give ourselves to the ministry of this word. If you have to afflict to the comfortable with this word, do so but comfortably afflicted with this same word.
Now that's the third thing. The fourth thing Paul says is use your gifts. Do not, verse 14, he says, do not neglect the gift you have, which was given to you by prophecy when the council elders lay their hands on you. Timothy had been given some kind of extraordinary gift.
That gift was to be used in service of the Lord in ministry to others. That gift had been given to him by prophecy. And it had come to him when the body of elders had laid their hands on him and ordained him to gospel ministry. And Timothy was not to neglect that gift.
But right there, you're seeing that Paul is saying, it's terribly possible to waste the gifts that you have been given. And we are not to do so. And it is pride and self-reliance, at least in some measure that causes that to happen. Don't be proud and self-reliant.
Neglecting the gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit, Paul says but depending upon yourself, your natural abilities, your personality, your eloquence, don't do that. Why? Because God has called us to do what no man can do. God has called us to raise the dead by speaking words of life.
And no man can raise the dead. None of us can do that. We've got to rely upon God to do what God can do and God works by and through his word. And he uses people in accordance with their gifts to do what he wants done.
So don't rely on your own strength. Paul says to Timothy, rely on your own abilities but cultivate the gift God has given you and use that gift. Then the fifth thing is show your progress. Practice these things verse 15, immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress.
In other words, Timothy, give yourself. Actually, he says, be in them is what he says to him. This should be an all-consuming passion for him and practice what you preach. Don't be a hypocrite here, Timothy.
But also, recognize Paul is also saying you will never be perfect. The success of your ministry isn't based on your being perfect. Show people the gospel is true not by pretending you are perfect but by growing as a Christian. In other words, the possibility of people seeing Timothy progress as a minister in Christian is evidence for his need for that progress.
And Timothy is to continue to show that he is the sinner that he is. He's not to pretend that he never struggles and he never fails. That he's not to pretend that he knows everything or is all wise. But these things will only be seen if Timothy is transparent enough with his people that they can see into his life and then see the way that God over time is changing him.
But what an encouraging word for every minister here. We are to help people see that we haven't arrived just as we remind them that they haven't arrived. But the important thing is to be growing. Lasiness is always a temptation, stagnation, is always a danger.
However, the problem that's deadly is that dead plants don't grow. They dry up, shrivel up and are blown away by the wind. But living plants do grow and the roots over time go deeper and the canopy spreads wider. And the life that is in it produces more and more leaves and fruit and flowers.
And we are to let people see our progress as a minister. And so we need to progress. And the last thing is this, watch your life and doctrine closely. That's number six.
Watch your life and doctrine closely verse 16. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Don't neglect your own soul while you aim at the well-being of other souls. And that is so easy to do.
It is the easiest thing for me week in and week out to get up and read the Bible for you. Okay, let's admit it. So that you'll respect me, think highly of me, trust what I'm saying, you know, so it makes me look good as I feed you. And to do all of that without ever reading the Bible for me.
And I'm not saying that's easy to do one day a week or five. That's easy to do a month of a year. That's easy to do half a year of a year. That's easy to do time and again to read and study and write and preach for your soul's sake and how miserable the minister who's always trying to make everybody else happy in the gospel.
And he's never made his own soul happy in Jesus. How miserable the people whose minister isn't happy in Jesus. And Paul says, you watch out for you, your life and your doctrine. And you will save not only yourself, but your heroes.
And Paul is just not robbing God of the glory of saving people here. That's not what he means. But he is acknowledging that God is grace and his generosity and his delight, loves to share the work of his kingdom with his kingdom servants. And it is by those who have feet, blessed feet, beautiful feet, who bring good news to others that others hear the gospel.
And Paul is saying, look, it is an occupational hazard when you talk to God and talk to others about God and talk about loving God and talking about trusting God and talk about knowing the grace of Jesus. And you can talk yourself into thinking that you're doing those very things when you're not. Don't do that. But live in such a way and believe in such a way and teach in such a way as if salvation depended upon you believing these things.
So Paul looks here at our salvation, not just as a past event, you are saved. Though that is true of every question. You have been saved. And salvation is a future event.
You will be saved, but you are also being saved. And you need to persist in the path of being saved, persistence or perseverance is part of true saving faith. And so Paul is saying this to Timothy and he is saying it to Timothy's hearers. And so Paul is affirming this beautiful sovereign truth that God sovereignly saves his people and God sovereignly uses secondary means and makes full use of human instruments in the work of propagating the gospel that saves people.
He chooses to partner with his people in that work. So Paul says to Timothy, your life matters. Your choices are real. And the choices that you make matter to other people, he says.
And who among us couldn't say that there hasn't been some Christian whose life and love and godliness and and mouth of grace and truth hasn't benefited our soul tremendously because we knew it was real in them. And how many of us couldn't say that we haven't known somebody who has so utterly fallen flat on their face and dropped into the pit of degradation while they professed Christ that somebody somebody looked at that and said, no way, no how. There's nothing true about Jesus and Christian. Our lives, Paul says, matter.
So he says, here's what you need to be and do, not because in being and doing you will be forgiven by Christ, but because you are forgiven by Christ, you'll want to be a good servant of your gracious Savior. Let's pray together. Father, have mercy upon us, upon me, upon this ministry and this church now and forevermore. In Jesus name, amen.