HOW TO BE A MAN OF GOD

1. HOW TO BE A MAN OF GOD Be Faithful 1 Timothy 4 By Warren W. Wiersbe

2. Paul emphasized the character and work of the minister himself • A Good Minister, preaching the Word (4:1-6) • False teachers • They are energized by Satan (1a) • Mystery of iniquity surrounding Satan and his works (2 Thess. 2:7) • Satan is an imitator (2Cor 11:13-15) • Satan seeks to deceive God’s people (2Cor. 11:3) • Satan use professed Christians in the church to accomplish his work • Peter (Matt. 16:21-23); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)

3. They led people astray (1b) • Goal to seduce and get them to depart from faith • Apostasy: a willful turning away from the truth of the Christian faith • The will not build up or relate people to the Lord • They get disciples to follow, join, and promote their program • A difference between a true church and a religion cult: a true church seeking to win converts to Christ and build them up while a cult proselytizes, steal them from others and make them servants of the leaders of the cult • Apostates can be in the church and pulpits

4. They are hypocrites (2) • You shall know them by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-20) • They preach one thing but practice another • They tell them what to do, but they do not do themselves • Satan works “by means of hypocrisy of liars” (2) • One of the true marks of a true servant of God is his honesty and integrity • Seared mean “cauterized” • A person’s conscience becomes deadened • Apostate is wrong doctrinally and wrong morally • His personal life became wrong before his doctrine were changed • Teachings were changed so they can continue sinful living • Believing and behaving go together

5. They deny God’s Word (3-5) • Combined Jewish legalism with eastern asceticism • Colossians • Unmarried life more spiritual • Any teaching that tampers with God’s creation • Food • Those who “believe and know the truth” are not impressed with do’s and don'ts • Food are clean (Mark 7:14-23); Peter (Acts 10); Paul (1Cor. 10:23-33) • Beware of our freedom to eat and drink concerning weaker Christians (Rom. 14:13-23)

6. Food is sanctified (1 Cor. 10:31) • The emphasis in a minister’s life: the Word of God and prayer (1 Tim. 4:5) • A good minister must be “nourished up in the Words of faith (4:6) • Teach the Church the truth (6a) • Warning about the false doctrine and religious apostasy • Minister is obligated to teach “all counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) • Minister shouldn’t ignore the false teaching • He must nourish himself in the Word (6b) • He must preach the Word that he feeds on daily basis, but he must also practice it.

7. A Godly Minister, Practicing the Word (7-12) • The bad – “profane and old wives’ fables” (7a) • No basis in the Scriptures; contradiction to God’s Word • Fables in Titus and 2 Timothy • The temporary – “bodily exercises”(7-8) • Athletic term • Benefit during this life; godly exercise for now and eternity

8. The eternal – “godliness” (7-12) • “the great purpose of life-the shaping of character by truth” ~Phillips Brooks • Devoted to godliness as athletes to sport • Disciplines necessary for godly living • Prayer, meditation, self-examination, fellowship, service, submission to the will of others, witness • “Labor and suffer reproach” (10a) • Strive (NIV) – agonize • Exercising is profitable for Christians as well as for others (11-12); enabling so to be good examples.

9. “in Word” – speech should be honest and loving (Eph. 4:15) • “In conduct” – our lives are controlled by God’s Word; walk, not talk • “In love” – motivation of our lives • “In spirit” – not in most manuscripts, inner enthusiasm and excitement of a child of God • “In faith” – we trust God and are faithful to Him; faith and love go together; faith leads to faithfulness • “In purity” – we live in evil world; Ephesus was the center for sexual impurity. Godly living (exercise) his influence on the lost • “Savior of all men” – not universalism nor force to believe in spite of themselves • “A faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation (9) • Timothy was to “command” • Local church is an unit in God’s Spiritual army and leaders are to pass God’s orders along to the people with authority and discipline

10. Give attendance to; devote yourself to reading; public reading in the local assembly • Exhortations (13) encouragement; applying of God’s Word to the lives of the people • Doctrine: teaching 22 times in pastoral letters • Apt to teach is apt to learn A Growing Minister, Progressing in the Word (13-16) • “That thy profiting (progress, NIV)” meaning pioneer advance • Not growing, going backward • Evidence of spiritual growth in living, teaching, preaching and leading • Emphasize God’s Word (13)

11. Use Your Spiritual Gifts (14) • Gift meaning charisma, a gracious gift of God • Everyone has a gift from God (Rom. 8:9) • Timothy to cultivate the gift necessary to his spiritual progress and ministry • Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands (2 Tim. 1:6) • God who call us will also equip us • We must cultivate God’s gift; use them, and develop them in the ministry • Devote Yourself Fully to Christ (15) • Meditate: give yourself totally to them; sidelines • “This one thing I do” (Phil. 3:13) • “Double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8)

12. Take spiritual inventory (16) • Examine your own heart based on God’s Word • Thyself instead of doctrine • Take heed therefore unto yourselves (Acts 20:28) • Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (I Cor 10:12) • Building up of the saved and winning the lost are the main purpose for our ministry, but God must work in us before He can effectively work through us (Phil 212-13)