Stay on the Job

1. Stay on the Job BE FAITHFUL I Timothy 1 By Warren W. Wiersbe

2. Advertisement • Timothy • One of Paul’s special assistants • Brought up in a religious home (II Tim. 1) • Led to Christ by Paul • “my own son in the faith” (I Tim. 1:2) • Born of mixed parentage: Jewish mother & Greek father • Devoted to Christ that the local church recommended him to Paul (Acts 16:1-5) • Reminded that he was chosen for the ministry (I Tim. 1:18, 4:14) • Faithful to the Lord (I Cor. 4:17) • Deep concern for God’s people (Phil. 2:20-22) • Took some tough assignments in the churches Paul founded • Was easily discouraged regardless of spiritual gifts and clos association with Paul • Had physical problems (I Tim. 5:23) • Not receiving proper respect form some of the church members (I Tim. 4:12, II Tim 2:6-8)

3. Ephesus • Devoted to the worship of Diana, the goddess of sexual instincts • Promoted sexual immortality of all kinds (Acts 19) • Paul’s work for three years (Acts 19:10) • Satanic obstacles (I Cor. 16:8-9) • Letter • Paul wrote to encourage Timothy, explain how a local church should be managed, and enforce his own authority as a servant of God Teach Sound Doctrine (1:1-11) • Paul affirmed his authority as a servant of God • An apostleship came by “commandment” from Jesus Christ • Commandment: royal commission • An apostle, one whom God sent with a special commission • “Savior”, a title used 10 times in Pastoral Epistles (I Tim. 1:1; 2:3: 4:10: II Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:3-4; 2:10, 13; 3:4,6) • “Our hope” (I Tim. 1:1) • Knowing that Jesus Christ is coming for us encourages us to serve Him faithfully

4. Reason to stay on the job: false teachers are busy trying to capture Christians • False teachers have no good news for lost sinners • False teachers seek to lead Christians away • “Charge”, a military term meaning “to give strict orders from a superior officer” • Eight times (command, commandments) in KJV in two letters (I Tim. 1:3,5,18; 4:11; 5:7; 6:13,17; II Tim. 4:1) • Christian soldiers, not just a pastor, from the King • Orders “Do not teach different doctrines from those taught by Paul” • 32 references to “doctrine”, “teach”, “teacher, “teaches”, and “teaching” • People were taught the Word of God and the meaning of the basic truths of Christianity. • God committed the truth to Paul (I Tim. 1:11) who committed it to Timothy (I Tim. 6:20) • Timothy’s responsibility to guard the truth (II Tim. 1:14) and pass it along (II Tim. 2:2)

5. False teaching: “fables and endless genealogies” (I Tim. 1:4) • False teachers used the Old Testament law and especially the genealogies to manufacture novelties • False teachers were raising more questions, not answering them • False teachers were not promoting “God’s saving plan” • False teachers were leading people away from the truth • Their doctrines caused divisions, hypocrisy, and other problems • Conscience: to know with • Twenty-one times in his letters and six times in pastoral letters (I Tim. 1:5, 19: 3:9; 4:2; II Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:15) • The inner judge that accuses us when we do wrong and approves when we do right (Rom. 2:14-15) • Possible to sin against the conscience so it become “defiled” (Titus 1:15) • Repeated sinning hardens the conscience and it becomes “seared” like scar tissues (I Tim. 4:2)

6. Doctrines • “healthy doctrine” (sound doctrine) I Tim. 1:10) • “the doctrine…according to godliness” (I Tim. 6:3) • “sound words” (II Tim. 1:13) • “sound doctrine” (II Tim. 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1) • “faith” (Titus 1:13; 2:2) • “sound speech” (Titus 2:8) • Vain jangling: in NIV, meaningless talk • In preaching, teaching , and music • Many songs: no doctrine and false doctrine • Reason for false teaching • Misuse of the Old Testament law • False teachers didn’t understand the purpose of God’s law • Leading believers out of liberty of grace (Gal. 5:1ff) • Into the bondage of legalism • Flesh loves religious legalism because rules and regulations enable a person to appear holy without changing his heart • Fourteen kinds of people listed by Paul (I Tim.1: 9-11)

7. The lawful use of the law: expose, restrain, and convict the lawless • The law only reveals their need for the Savior • Upon believing he is free from the curse of the law • The righteous demands are met by the indwelling Holy Spirit as a believer yields to God (Rom. 8:1-4) • Five commandment (Ex. 20) • #5 “Honor thy Fathers and mothers” – “murderers of fathers and mothers • #6 “Thou shalt not kill” - ”murderer of fathers and mothers…manslayers” • #7 “Thou shalt not commit adultery” - ”whoremonger (fornicators)…them that defiles themselves with mankind (sodomites)” • #8 “Thou shalt not steal” - ”menstealers (kidnappers)” • #9 “Thou shalt not bear false witness” – “liars…perjured persons”

8. “Glorious gospel” • Law and gospel go together • Law without the gospel is diagnosis without remedy • Gospel without the law is the only good news • The law is not gospel Proclaim the Gospel (1:12-17) • What Paul used to be (v. 13a) • Blasphemer for he denied the deity of Jesus Christ • Persecutor using physical power to destroy the church • Murderous threats (Acts 9:1) • Consented to the stoning of Stephen and made havoc of the church (Acts 8:1-4) • Injurious; proud and insolent; bully • Basic causes of his godless behavior: ignorance and unbelief • His back ground • He was well-educated and brilliant (Acts 22:3; Gal. 1:13-14) • Religious man

9. How Paul was saved (13b-15) • Mercy and grace • God in His mercy did not give Paul what he deserve • God in His grace gave Paul what he did not deserve (Eph. 2:8-9) • Ignorance related to Lev. 5:15-10 and Num. 15:22-31: he was permitted to bring sacrifice to atone for sin • Also “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” • “exceedingly abundant” grace • Greek huper- ; English prefix hype • Superincrease of faith (II Thess. 1:3) • Superbounding power (Eph. 1:19) • Superconqueror (Rom. 8:37) • Salvation for all who receive Jesus Christ (I Tim. 1:15) • If Jesus could save Paul who was the chief of sinners, He can save anybody • “Least of the apostles” (I Cor. 15:9) • “Least of the saints” (Eph. 3:8)

10. What Paul became (12,16) • Persecutor into a preacher • Murderer into a minister and missionary • Called and commissioned by Christ • Maintained a good conscience • Was entrusted the gospel • Was enabled to minister the gospel • Became an example (1:16) • Proof that the grace of God can change any sinner • “born out of due time” (I Cor. 15:8): beginning of the church age Defend the Faith (1:18-20) • charge (1:18): an urgent command handed down from a superior officer • Toughto serve God in pagan Ephesus • Soldier’s task is to “please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier (II Tim 2:4) • Army to navy (I Tim. 1:19) • Hold fast to “faith and a good conscience”

11. A good conscience is important to a good warfare and a good ministry • “Inner voice which warns us that somebody may be looking” H.L.Mencken • Professed Christians who “make shipwreck” of their faith by sinning against their consciences • Bad doctrine starts with bad conduct and secret sin • Hymenaeus and Alexander rejected their good conscience to defend their ungodly lives • “Delivered unto Satan” (20) implies an apostolic discipline and disassociation from the local church • “learn”: learn by discipline • Refusal to repent • The local church should exercise discipline • The fellowship of the local church gives a believer spiritual protection • The local church is in constant battle against the forces of evil • Satan is the originator of false doctrine (John 8:44) • Defend the faith by exposing the lies and opposing the doctrines of demons (I Tim. 4:1)

12. The Ministry must be balanced • Preaching the gospel, teaching the truths of the Christianity and opposing the false doctrines • Constant battle • Timothy’s job: winning the lost to Christ, teaching the saved, and defending the faith • Problem with some local church: pastors and leaders are involved in too many extracurricular activities and not doing the tasks God has called them to do • Spiritual inventory