1 Timothy 1:1 Pastoral Authority Grounded in the Supremacy of Christ

Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ κατʼ ἐπιταγὴν θεοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν

The standard format in ancient letters was succinct: name of author, name of recipient, and greetings.ⁱ ) For example: Paul, to Timothy, greetings.ⁱⁱ Paul's greeting, as is typical of his writing provides an indication of what is to follow.ⁱⁱⁱ

On the very first day of any college level course the students are handed a Syllabus and are more or less told they will be responsible to live according to what it contains. Of course frequently they are reminded that the teacher is the supreme authority in the room and he overrides the syllabus. No pastor can override the authority of scriptures - but in terms of helping the church live according to the Scriptures the pastor needs authority. Not to Lord it over his congregation, but authority to guide them to Christ, even when they don't like it. Timothy was no different. If he was going to stay in Ephesus and correct error.

That's why looking at the start of Paul's "Church 101" letter to Timothy the first inferred subject is that of pastoral authority.

"Pastoral Authority"

Paul starts by claiming a specific apostleship. To be an "apostle" means to be sent as a representative of someone with a specific purpose. To be an apostle of Christ Jesus then clearly means that Paul has been sent to represent Jesus in an official capacity bearing his message. Being an apostle is the highest office available. It means he has all the authority of representing Christ. The greeting here is meant to convey Paul's authority upon Timothy.

Paul doesn't have to say , "Timothy must be in charge". There is more significance in saying that his apostleship is "by the commandment of God our savior and of Christ Jesus who is our hope...". Timothy is listed in the third verse in direct lineage to Paul; a lineage with starts with God. Timothy is in Ephesus because Paul told him to be there. Since God has installed Paul, Paul then has the authority to install Timothy. Therefore Timothy, as Paul's representative, has the authority to lead the Ephesian church.

Paul's word for "command" is ?p?ta??????? (epitages); used in formula this way with "according to" (?at? ?p?ta???) it takes on a meaning consistent with a royal decree as in "By order of the king!"^iv

The effect is that our attention is drawn not merely to the word "command" or even the substance of the command -- our attention is pulled to the commander. Because of this, I would say that Paul is an apostle not because God _told_ him to be one, but because _GOD_ told him to be one. The authority of God alone has made Paul an Apostle, therefore to reject or neglect Paul or Timothy for that matter is to reject the lineage of Authority that God has established.

The opening salvo in the battle for the holiness of the Ephesian church has been fired. The heretics were busy discussing worthless topics and Paul takes immediate action to publicly arm Timothy with the authority he needs to make it stop and provide an adequate mid course correction.^v When it comes to the church being the church; pastoral authority is necessary for the church to function properly.

Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the rejection of Pastoral Authority is very well near universal in the church -- at least the American church-- today. The pastor's task is to train the saints to do ministry rather than to do all the ministry.^vi The pastor's task is to rebuke, correct, teach and train with the scriptures^vii. But because pastors are denied authority in what are often unspoken ways they risk becoming fearful of losing their jobs if they dare to actually do their job.

Most people don't mind if the pastor teaches theology --providing of course that they agree with the theology, it's another story if they don't -- but a biblical rebuke is out of the question. In fact the very vital task of correction is sometimes perceived as out of bounds.

When I worked as a zone manager at Wal-Mart I made decisions worth lots of someone else's money every day. Some decisions were good and some were bad, but at the end of the day - everything was on my shoulders. The behavior of my employees rested on my shoulders. And you can bet if I was going to answer for them, I was going to hold them accountable -- and they had no right to take exception to it. In fact it was expedient for them to listen to what I had to say.

Some of the most sobering words in the Scriptures for me are found in Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." (NASB)

That tells me among other things that on the day of Christ's appearing I will have to explain your behavior to Jesus. Therefore as your pastor, I must tell you that it behooves you to heed my position of authority, especially when I have to rebuke or correct --not for my sake-- but for yours. That level of Pastoral Authority is mandatory if the church is going to be the church.

The authority of the pastor does not rest in himself but rests instead in the authority of his superior. The identity of that superior then becomes important. So if Pastoral authority is a basic principle of being the church; the identity of Christ is superior to that. The specific branch of theology concerned with the person and work of Jesus is called "Christology".

"Christology"

The Father's Role in our Salvation

Paul starts with the designation of God as our savior. Throughout the New Testament it is clear that Jesus Christ is our savior. The significance, however, of Paul frequently describing God as savior in the Pastoral letters comes from the Old Testament usage. Throughout the Old Testament you'll find more than two dozen times where God is called our Savior, especially in Isaiah^viii.

For Timothy, who was very familiar with Paul's teachings, and because his mother brought him up with the Hebrew scriptures, he was familiar with the concept of God as savior. For the church who was hearing this letter for the first time, we need to understand that in Ephesus, as well as in the rest of the Roman Empire, the Emperor was honored and even worshiped as "savior"^ix. It's a significant statement then to declare to a Gentile church that instead God is our Savior.

Since most American Christians are almost exclusively familiar with the New Testament only, we are used to calling Jesus our savior. But the Old Testament usage demands that we think of God the Father as our savior because he is the initiator of our salvation. God the father is the one who sent Jesus to be the Savior. In fact, Jude 1:25 states: "...to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."^x God the Father is our savior because he sent Jesus to be our savior. It is primarily in that sense that the Old and New Testaments come together with God the father being the initiator of salvation by sending his son Jesus to become the savior. But there is also a second nuance that shouldn't be missed.

The Deity of Christ.

By Calling God "Our Savior" Paul intentionally forces the issue of the doctrine of the deity (or God-ness) of Jesus Christ. One of the chief markers of a cult from the Evangelical perspective is the answer to the question "What do they say about Jesus?" That's the litmus test in 1 John 4 for determining the Spiritual root of a given teaching.

It doesn't have to be a question of "Who is our savior, God or Jesus?" It's both and only one at the same time - Jesus is our Savior and, being the son of God, Jesus is God in the flesh. Titus 2:13 reads that "...we wait for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,..." (Emphasis added.) There Jesus is called our great God as well as our savior.

In fact it is possible in this verse to translate the word for "and" with "even". The result of such a translation would read: "...by the command of God our savior even Christ Jesus our hope."^xi

Within just a very short time in this letter Paul is going to declare that accurate doctrine is only that doctrine which conforms to the gospel (1 Timothy 1:10b-11a "...whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel...":) and he'll allude to that that sentiment in the fourth^xii and sixth^xiii chapters. Primary to the essence of the gospel is the deity of Jesus, and good doctrine (or teaching) is only that doctrine which conforms to that truth.

So the Deity of Jesus is emphasized as well as denoting that God the Father is the initiator of our Salvation by sending Jesus.^xiv

The Hope of Christ

And Jesus, Paul says is our Hope. "Jesus is "not merely the object of [our hope] . . . or the author of it . . . but its very substance and foundation"... Unlike secular apathy and pessimism, Christian hope is sure. It is never a fearful dreading of what lies ahead; rather it is an eager and confident anticipation of what God has in store for believers. It is not so much a subjective emotion as an objective fact."^xv

In Ephesians 2:2 Paul reminds the Ephesians that there was a time outside of Christ that they were "without Hope".

Let me ask you this: "Are you hoping in Jesus?" I don't mean the moment by moment emotional-directional pull towards Christ. That emotion will fluctuate like the changing tides. What I mean is this: is your future staked upon Christ or upon Something else? Do you consider Jesus to be your only hope? If you can't sign your name at the bottom line saying, "If Jesus doesn't save me - no body can or will." Than you're not truly trusting in Jesus as your hope; you're trusting yourself - and that's not even a risky hope, it's a baseless and foolish hope which will not pay off.

Yet, if Christ is your hope --indeed if the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ is your ONLY hope of heaven-- then there is in that statement a foundation of certitude. Your destiny is secure and even amidst today's struggles - we can look to the future to that time when our hope - our steadfast assurance of deliverance, salvation, redemption, and perfection in Christ will come to fruition.

Jesus Christ, and Christ alone is our hope. If we could attain hope by our own godliness or actions, then Jesus died for nothing.

Romans 5:1-2, 5-6 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. ... ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For the church to be the church, there must be a recognized Pastoral authority rooted in the supremacy of Christ. Christ must be Lord of this church -- this local body.

1 Timothy 1:4-7 The Measure of A Church

As we turn back into the first Timothy this morning we finally get to the first major heading for "Church 101" It has to deal with the focus or purpose of teaching. What should be happening when I step into the pulpit? Or what should be the end goal of Sunday school, Sunday night, or anytime there is doctrine being taught? Paul answers that question in the first Chapter of Timothy verses 4-7. Since we're still close the start of the book, I'd like to read some extra for context let's read verses 1-11.
<Read 1 Timothy 1:1-11>.

Prior to this point we've built the foundation themes of the book around pastoral authority, Pastoral longevity, Pastoral correction, and good Christology as the four essentials from which everything else is derived.

The first major personal application for us to live the Christian life is answering the question,
"what is the goal of the church's teaching" or phrased from every believer's perspective: "What should I come to church expecting to take home with me?" Should the goal be a good feeling? Should the goal be good friends or great fellowship or something else? Any goal, however, which falls short of that which is in this passage, is a faulty goal.

Sometimes the goal of the teacher and the goal of the student don't exactly line up. Paul warns that in the last days people will try to find teachers who only say what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). The problem is that there are only too many ways to get just precisely that: Teachers who will tell you what you want to hear.

False teachers may have a thousand options as their goal. They may desire that people will follow them. They might desire to be well thought of. They might even have relatively pure motives of wanting to teach God's word - but they don't know it and yet think they do. I would almost dare say that this last group is among the most dangerous because pride is likely to stop them from learning.

As you look at verses 4 and 6 you quickly discover that whatever the goal of a false teacher might be invariably it results in a lack of positive Christian action even though it may generate a lot of theological speculation and lots of warm fuzzy discussions. The contrast is the goal of Godly teaching which answers the question, "What should I come to church expecting to take home with me?"

The answers are simple and they are briefly listed in the fifth verse.
1. Love from a pure heart / 2. A good conscience / 3. A sincere faith

Love from a pure heart:

There are many different types of love in this world. We use the same word to describe favorite foods (I love pizza), fancy new clothing, (I love that shirt!), vehicles, (I love that new truck) and don't forget your spouse. "I love you!"

That last phrase is easy to say but hard to do. I love you might mean anything from "you make my liver quiver" to "I've grown so used to you that I can't imagine something else." Or it could mean that "I'm willing to sacrifice everything for you." You get the point I'm sure.

"This love may be described as a personal delight in God, a grateful outgoing of the entire personality to him, a deep yearning for the prosperity of his redeemed, and an earnest desire for the temporal and eternal welfare of his creatures. Far better, however, is Paul's own description of its meaning in I Cor. 13."¹

Here, however, there is a differentiation in the way that Christians are supposed to express love. Not from selfish motives or impure goals. The only love acceptable is love from a pure heart. The heart is purified when under conviction of sin; we turn to God and are cleansed by the Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:10).² When once the heart is cleansed by God the automatic result is to rush headlong into loving others. 1 Peter 1:22.

When in Sunday School, or in the Sermon, or even in individual Bible study it comes time to teach - the goal of that instruction, my goal in speaking and teaching has got to include training myself and everyone here to love and for that love to generate from a pure heart. Throughout the week as I prepare the lessons I share your responsibility as students of God's word to seek to walk away from the lesson having learned how to love.

Moreover when we enter into the study of God's word be it at the desk or in the pew on Sunday Morning - we ought to eagerly expect the teaching we receive to purify our hearts, making them a suitable spring from which the love of Christ may overflow both towards God and also towards others. The Goal of our instruction is Love from a pure heart and a good conscience.

A Good Conscience

When we come to Christ for the first time, we come guilty. There is no way around it. Our guilt is as certain as the boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. But when we come to Jesus we are cleansed.

Do you remember Isaiah's encounter with God? He spends the first five chapters proclaiming "Woe to those people, woe to the other people, and woe to them people!" Suddenly when he's confronted with the very presence of God he comes completely unglued and cries, "Woe is me! I have unclean lips and I live among people of unclean lips!" For Isaiah - the realization of his own guilt is overwhelming. But God dispatches the angel to heal Isaiah's confessed sin; and taking a live coal from the altar touches it to Isaiah's lips and God pronounces him clean. The immediate action for Isaiah is to volunteer to serve the very God who had cleansed him. When we come to God in Christ, he cleanses us from all sin and we receive a good conscience.

I drove into a gas station and began filling up the tank and depleting my life savings at the same time. While I was standing there (in warmer weather) my eyes wandered over to the little squeegee. So I began to clean the windows. It wasn't long before I started seeing fingers pointed on the inside of the glass to some spot on the windshield declaring "You missed a spot." So I'd run over and get that one. Immediately a new spot would be located with a pointed finger and "You missed a spot," would be repeated. So I'd run and get that one too. It started out with one or two real spots that needed cleansed and then turned into a game that could have continued for a long time if I hadn't recognized the joke and gone on doing what I came in for.

Listen, Satan is a master at "You missed a spot" accusations. When we come to Christ our lives are cleansed - there are of course going to be legitimate spots which God will lovingly point to and cleanse in us. But Satan is a master at twisting the truth and using it - not to facilitate cleansing but to tie us up in knots over real or imagined imperfections; and the tool he often uses is the very church which is supposed to be confounding his work!

Too much teaching and leeway is given to the development of guilt. Despite the fact that guilt is a notoriously terrible motivator it's the easiest motivation to create. I think one of the reasons that guilt is so easy to generate is that we all too often walk around with the uneasy feeling that we somehow have to earn God's favor - and yet we're always mindful somehow that we're not quite perfect. It's a disturbing thought to us and we walk around with guilty consciences. The result is that we're too often hamstrung by our own falsely guilty conscience.

But there's a decidedly unchristian element to a guilty conscience. If I recall correctly Jesus died for our sin and eliminated it's consequence by paying the consequence on behalf of all who would believe in the Son-Of-God. So our consciences are supposed to be clear. Fostering guilt in the church is like bringing a case of booze to an A.A. meeting.

Of course the other element of that is that Christian instruction out of the Bible is intended to direct us towards right living so that our consciences are not soiled along the way. Past cleansing and good living are inseparable. John tells us "no one who is born of God sins" but then he also tells us that "when we do sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ." 1 John 3:6; 5:18/ 1 John 2:1

Finally a good conscience is best described in terms of a working conscience. Elsewhere Paul writes about false teachers who have had their consciences seared so that they don't tell the truth to their owners anymore. We've all known people who seemed to have no conscience or whose conscience was so warped that they saw no wrong in what they were doing even when what they were doing was a direct and obvious violation of scripture.

The goal of quality Christian learning and teaching is to train your conscience into being a good conscience; properly recognizing both sin and righteousness and pursuing that righteousness. A good conscience isn't going to jump on whatever bandwagon of the soul happens to be passing through but it will make right judgments about everything in your life including your wavering emotions. A good conscience, Like Pinocchio's Jiminy Cricket, has the capacity to guide you correctly.

That is the goal of Biblical teaching. That is what you should expect when you come to church.

A Sincere Faith

A sincere faith is best described in James' terms as faith that works. A sincere faith is a faith that isn't disguised. The Greek word here for "sincere" is avnupokri,tou "unhypocritical". What's in mind here is authentic change-the-way-you-live-faith.

True Christian teaching doesn't focus on mere knowledge. Knowledge is the fuel of faith. The teaching of the church, my teaching - Sunday school teaching, personal Bible study and the teaching of children by their parents must bend itself towards establishing a sincere faith.

That's the goal of good Biblical instruction. Anything less is from the evil one. Anything less is unworthy of our attention. Love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere life-transforming faith.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 The Role Of Law

We live in a free country right? So what's with all the laws? It turns out our founding fathers understood that freedom is not the same as Anarchy. And the same is true in the Christian life. We've been set free of the law's condemnation but that does not mean we devolve into lawlessness.

It's usually not too long before Christians manage to slip into legalism. And it's easy to understand how it happens, at least in some cases. We want to make sure that we live a life pleasing to God so we create some personal guidelines that help keep us walking straight. Eventually the guidelines become the rule of law rather than the path of holiness. And not long after that the rules we set for ourselves become standards we begin to apply and even to teach to others. Voila! Another Pharisee is born.

But there's more than the self manufactured rules that tend to get us into trouble. The Old Testament law code if not correctly understood readily becomes a straight jacket of condemnation rather than a guide post to holiness. This is precisely the problem Paul deals with next in line in his first letter to Timothy. Take a look at chapter 1 verses eight to eleven with me as we ask the question: "What is the Function of the Law?"
<Read 1 Timothy 1:8-11>.

Point 2 of Church 101 Then is simply "The Role of Law".

So why does Paul bring up the issue of the Law here? Because he has just verbally "roasted" the false teachers who desire to teach the law but who themselves do not understand what they teach nor do they comprehend the subject matter they dare to teach on. In other words, they're teaching the law but they don't know what they're even saying about it, and they don't understand the relationship of the law and the gospel.

Based on what Paul has just said, one might be inclined to say, "Since the law is subject to such misinterpretation stop talking about it and focus on the gospel, that's all that really matters after all, isn't it?"

Paul would disagree, as would I. The law has a place in Christianity; in fact the law itself is holy ( Romans 7:12) and the law is Good; as long as it is used lawfully.

So what does it mean to use the law "lawfully"? First of all it means that there is a way to use the law "lawlessly"; that is, to use the law against its intent and meaning.

If you look into the following verse you discover that using it lawlessly means applying the law to righteous people. There we discover the all important distinction. The function and the purpose of the law is to convict sinners, not to constrain saints.

Constraining saints with the law is a constant marker of Paul's enemies throughout the New Testament era. Remember the Council in Jerusalem in Acts 15. The discussion at hand was whether or not Gentiles had to become subject to the Mosaic Law Code - exemplified by Circumcision in order to be saved. The answer of the council was a resounding no - adherence to the law code offered no "Salvation bonus" to the mix. At the same time a very short subset of the Mosaic Law code was passed on to the Gentile believers together with the acknowledgement or encouragement that the Mosaic Law code was taught in every synagogue in every city.

The understanding therefore is that the Law of Moses is not a component of salvation but as a statement of righteousness it makes the goal of post-salvation righteous living quantifiable. If being made holy means obeying the commands of Christ then knowing the commands of Christ becomes necessary.

At the same time the problem in Ephesus is that you had some teachers who were teaching the Law of Moses unlawfully. Using the law lawfully means applying it to the lawless - that is to those who are under its dominion, and who are by definition law breakers. It is unrepentant sinners for whom the law is written.

The Function of the law is to indict and convict and assign punishment for sinful people because of their sin. But not merely in order to crush - the function of the law is supposed to be a surgeon's scalpel cutting so that it can heal. Paul explains in the letter to the Galatian church that the law is supposed to lead people to the only cure for its being broken by them: Jesus the Christ! He is the cure, he is the fulfillment, he kept it all perfectly, and his perfect fulfillment becomes our own when we in humble faith fall at his feet and trusting in his mercy cry out for forgiveness!

If you look at verses nine and ten you see that Paul gives a list of a number of sins - every form of murder, sex outside of God ordained marriage, godlessness, and so forth. It is not intended to be exhaustive it's only meant to be representative.

There are dozens - hundreds or thousands of events that the scripture does not name as either virtue or vice. But it becomes necessary to understand the broader teaching of scripture in order to determine what is good and evil.

Please notice the final measuring line: "whatever else is contrary to ...the... gospel." It is impossible to list every vice in the pages of the scripture (After all scripture is supposed to be a testimony concerning our breaking of the image of God and the Lord's gracious restoration of the same. So rather than post a complete "avoid these things list" it is much more efficient to simply identify sound teaching and hold to it.

Sound teaching is defined in verse eleven as that which matches up with the gospel. If it doesn't agree with the gospel it is false doctrine and should be avoided. By extension this does impress ever more the necessity to get the gospel right because it is the foundational meaning of scripture.

If the golden rule of interpretation is that "Scripture interprets scripture" then we need to comprehend the gospel as the foundation of scripture interpretation. For everything else must be measured against it.

These "wannabe" teachers of the law were preaching legalism to the Christians in Corinth. The problem is the law isn't given simply to provide us with a compressive list of do's and don'ts. The law's primary intent is to point out our sinfulness and God's righteous judgment. The law is supposed to point the sinner to it's fulfillment in Christ, and ultimately towards salvation.

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill."

The fulfillment of the law in Jesus Christ means far more than just that he did everything that the law required. It also means that he paid the penalty of the broken law - even though he didn't break it. It is only in fulfilling the law in these two ways that Jesus was able to save us. He took our punishment when we broke the law and he transfers to us His intrinsic righteousness and his external righteousness in the keeping of all the law.

So what role does law play in your life?

The role of law for those who do not have saving faith in Jesus is to convict of sin. In Galatians Paul uses the analogy of a nanny. A nanny has jurisdiction over the children in her care until they are no longer children. The law has jurisdiction over the unsaved until they become Christians.

If the role of law in your life is primarily conviction than your greatest need isn't to become more law abiding - your greatest need is to recognize that the law is holy, righteous and good - and it is true in it's declaration that you are a sinner.

Armed with that knowledge the law then points you to the savior - who alone of all men perfectly kept every nuance of the law on your behalf. If you believe in Jesus - that he was crucified for you and that God raised him from the dead, and if you will name Jesus as your forever Lord and master than you will be saved.

The debt wiped clean, and the law code rendered powerless as Jesus' perfection is counted towards you. That is the testimony of God's love for you.

Having come to know Christ as Lord the law takes on new meaning. No longer is the law code of God a relentless set of rules which you must keep or die. Instead of a nanny the law becomes your friend. It describes the righteous character of God. It illustrates all that Christ has done for you. It stands as a permanent testimony of your forgiveness and a permanent reason to praise him.

If you know Christ, don't let the law be your straight jacket. All of the law is summed up in the command to love. Love God. Love people. That's all there is to it.

Amen.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 Spotlighting the Grace of God

I had a gentleman come into my office this week and we talked for awhile. And as we talked he shared with me his testimony. Now your testimony can be long or short, involved or to the point. But always your testimony is simply the story of your life. Evangelistically your testimony probably details life before you knew Jesus then moves on to that time when you became a believing follower of Jesus Christ and then moves on again to a short summary of what has changed because of your knowing Jesus. But if you're talking to Christians your testimony may skip the former life and you'll just focus on what God's been doing in your life lately.

Either way you look at it your testimony is more than a segment of your life's story. Your testimony is a tool; an opportunity if you wish to not only correct and encourage someone else but by design your testimony is a springboard for worshiping God with greater passion and authenticity.

I'm willing to bet that you can't tell me the story of what God has done for you without spontaneously erupting in praise and adoration towards him.

And that is exactly what happens with Paul in our text today in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
<Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17>

If Point number one of Church 101 is having the proper goal in your teaching (Love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith)
Point number two is proper use of the Law, then
Point Three is Worship Springing from the Grace of God.

Remembering the definition of grace: Getting what you don't deserve. From Paul's perspective, and rightly so, he has received something that he indeed did not deserve: in the words of John Bunyan "Grace abounding to the chief of sinners"!

I am occasionally surprised at the number of people who simply don't "get" grace. They don't understand it or comprehend it. You know the folks of whom I speak. There are the obvious ones that make jokes about the church walls collapsing on them if they came to church. And then there are their more subtle cousins. They just avoid God and the Bible altogether. Belief or unbelief isn't so much the issue as just an uneasy silence whenever the subject of God is brought up.

And then there's another group. Struggling Christians who for whatever reason have a hard time coming to grips with the grace God has granted them.

For all of these, God's grace is unimaginable. But it is that elusive but wonderful grace which leads us to greater and more authentic worship of a God who so richly deserves it.

Paul's comments beginning in the twelfth verse are certainly not disjointed from the prior verse. He closes the prior section by stating that true doctrine is that doctrine which is in keeping with the glorious gospel with which he has been entrusted. Now he continues that thought acknowledging his own unworthiness to be a servant of this glorious gospel and effectively spotlighting the incredible mercy and grace of our God as a testimony and example given in Paul's own life.

For Paul, as it should be for us the transformation that God has performed in us is more than an academic knowledge. The transformation from Sinner to saint is real and significant and it capitalized Paul's doctrine and life.

The transformation in Paul was so dramatic you should recall, that right after his conversion the people in town all thought that he was baiting them with a trap. It took Barnabas to accept him with open arms before even the 12 apostles would trust him.

But in the transformation that the Lord had made in Paul's life he who before would have been unworthy of being trusted with the gospel was made worthy!

Note that it is God and not Paul who has enabled Paul to carry the gospel to the nations. The prior verse is a bit startling when you first read that Paul has been "Entrusted" with the gospel. That is a significant amount of trust placed in Paul. But it is not Paul's capacity to bear that trust it is God who has "strengthened" Paul to bear it. There again is grace unimaginable .

God's mercy is coupled with His grace in Paul as it is in your own testimony. Paul says here that he is the ultimate example of whom he was talking about previously in verses nine and ten.

Look at how Paul describes himself. He wasn't merely deluded. He wasn't merely "mistaken" he was a blasphemer! He spoke vigorously against God. He called Jesus a fraud and his followers he named as traitors. He was a violent aggressor. He didn't merely disagree with followers of Jesus, he chased after them - he imprisoned or murdered them. He wasn't always Paul the apostle he started out as Saul the Pharisee who persecuted believers everywhere.

But God looked at him and gave mercy!

The reason for God's mercy is that Paul acted the way he did as a sinful, ignorant unbeliever, rather than with intentional malice towards God. Mind you that ignorance is never an excuse before God. Paul mentions his ignorance because of "a special Jewish law ( Lev. 5:15-9 ; Num. 15:22-1 ). If a person sinned knowingly "with a high hand" in Israel, he was cut off from the people. But if he sinned in ignorance, he was permitted to bring the proper sacrifices to atone for his sins. Jesus recognized this principle when He prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" ( Luke 23:34 ). Their ignorance did not save them, nor did Christ' prayer save them; but the combination of the two postponed God' judgment, giving them an opportunity to be saved." ¹

It is the utter sinfulness of Paul that highlights the mighty mercy of God. This too is grace unimaginable. The reason for God's mercy is never that God saw something good in Paul. The reason for God's mercy is that he didn't. The reason for God's mercy is that God saw Paul was an ignorant unbeliever. It's hardly flattering but the only reason God has had mercy on us is strictly because we don't deserve it.

You don't show mercy to someone who doesn't need it, or who can do without it. Mercy by definition is not getting what you deserve. So there can be no deserving it.

There is not one of us that have drawn near to God of our own accord, Jesus said, " No one comes to me unless the father draws him. " ( John 6:65 ) If we know God it is because of His mercy - to the praise of his glorious grace. This too is Mercy unimaginable.

With unimaginable Grace and unimaginable Mercy comes an abundant torrent of Faith and Love flowing into our hearts. Our faith is not our own, it is a gift of God given by his grace to us. And the Spirit of God dwelling in us trains us to love.

With unimaginable Grace and unimaginable Mercy comes Unimaginable change.

Unimaginable Change

Paul moves from his enormous sins to God's great mercy and grace now he recounts the transformation - Paul underwent incredible change because of the grace and mercy of the Lord.

He makes reference to it in Galatians 1:22-24 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." And they were glorifying God because of me.

Now all of this meandering has a point and it is this:
The purpose of Christ's visit was salvation - not discussion! And certainly not to enslave men to the law!

The primary focus of Jesus' coming was the saving of sinners. He didn't come just to teach or heal, or to turn water in to wine. He came to save, and Paul's point is clear. "If Jesus can save me, he can save anybody" He came here to save!

What an incredible lesson and what an incredible hope for anyone who is haunted by their former sins. The saying is trustworthy. It deserves full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..."

Isn't that a beautiful statement?

There is an olive branch of sorts here; a saving grace is offered to the unnamed false teachers in Ephesus. Up in verse seven we see that they don't know what they're talking about. These are not the men who come later with consciences seared as with a hot iron. They are ignorant, but Jesus came for their salvation.

Paul found mercy because it was in him that God could demonstrate just how great his patience and mercy and grace were in Paul. Saul the murderer, Saul the blasphemer, Saul the violent aggressor who himself persecuted the flesh of Jesus as he pursued his followers. That man, the sinful brutish man of self righteousness found mercy because God could use him as an example.

Your life is also an example.

Your testimony is one of the most beautiful tools the Lord has created in order for you to minister with it.

It is the retelling of your salvation that floods your heart with a renewed vigor when it lags. Your testimony is exhibit A when talking to people about God's grace. "Always be prepared to give an answer...." ( 1 Peter 3:15

When faced with so great a grace the only natural response to God's salvation is praise of his glorious grace!

If you haven't thought through or worked through your testimony lately, let me encourage you to get out a sheet of paper this afternoon and write it out. Write out what God has done for you, and then… share it with someone.

The end result may be the salvation of another soul and the writing of a new testimony. And that would be to the praise of His grace, a grace that is unimaginable in its magnitude.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 Fight The Good Fight

I'm sure most of you remember Rodney King's infamous question "Can we get along here? Can we all get along?"¹ In an ideal world we could. But this world is no longer ideal; it's broken. It's scarred by sin as a matter of fact it is scarred by our sin thus we ourselves are also broken and scarred. The effects of the scar are deep and painful. In terms of human relationships - selfishness, greed, idolatry, pride and a hundred other sins sneak in to destroy what we have.

The result in the church is that sometimes false teachers will come in, and they must be corrected. And the damage they cause has to be repaired. Paul's exhortation to Timothy is that he "fights the good fight".
Open your Bibles if you will to first Timothy 1:18-20 and read that with me:

Normally we tend to envision the church's responsibility as keeping the peace at whatever cost. Indeed a great many church's today are losing their distinction altogether because they choose to elevate getting along way above truth. Truth - immutable truth is an unpopular subject. But truth by its very nature has to be unchangeable. As soon as you allow for truth with wiggle room you open the doorway to situational truth that can contradict itself at another time. In that kind of environment - where truth is what you want it to be - salvation which relies upon truth becomes not only elusive but untrustworthy.

Paul recognizes that and he knows that there are some men in Ephesus who have been teaching just that kind of false teaching. The solution is not to flex and bend with the times so that truth fits what the culture demands. Neither is the solution to ignore the consequences as long as peace is maintained. Sometimes a soldier has fight and Paul's mandate to Timothy Is simply that: Fight the good fight!

Fight the good fight

Paul gives Timothy a charge to Oppose and correct false teaching. In order to get a grasp on what the good fight is you have to look back over the whole chapter. The "Command" that Paul gives him refers back to the earlier command to stay put in Ephesus in order to instruct certain men not to teach junk. Fighting the good fight is embodied in the corrective instruction of the erring teachers and the discipline of those like Hymenaeus and Alexander who have made a shipwreck of the faith.

Timothy then is required to fight the good fight while keeping faith and a good conscience. Timothy is called to instruct certain men not to corrupt the church while simultaneously repairing the damage caused and - if need continues - administering church discipline on the heretics, in short: Fight for the purity of the gospel! Fight the good fight!

Paul offers three ways for Timothy to go about fighting this good fight. The phrase is literally "war a good warfare". We're not talking about a boxing match; we're talking about open warfare. And Timothy is going to need a little help. He has to fight this fight over the long haul and that means staying motivated"¦

Motivated by the memory of God's call.

Look there at verse 18 "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight" (1 Timothy 1:18)

I can't help but believe that in a battle, every soldier wonders for a split second why he's there. Every once in awhile you'll hear a report on the news of a soldier writing home and somewhere in the letter he says something like, "I'm fighting this battle to keep you safe and free." It's in those moments of difficulty that he finds solace in the reason he's there.

Timothy's fight shouldn't come as a surprise to him, When God called him to this task there was apparently a prophecy (or several) given to him that revealed his task would be fighting against heretics. When the going gets tough on Timothy he has to remember that it is God that has called him for the job, and not Timothy's ego or heartburn.

Can you say that you know you are doing what God wants you to do? I can guarantee you that there are going to be difficulties which we all must face and the strength to face the battle comes from knowing that this is what God has called you to.

When you are in the midst of a struggle, or when God has called you to a task that is bigger than yourself; reflecting on prior words of God are sometimes just the ticket to making you strong enough to make it through. Remember the word of God, and then you have something to keep you going.
Not only does Timothy need to fight the fight, but he has to protect himself"¦

Concentrated on keeping a good conscience

There is something in human nature that causes us to slip towards the lowest common denominator which is why in the nineteenth verse Paul counsels Timothy to guard himself from the errors of his enemies who themselves have wrecked the faith.

I want you to note that I use the words "THE FAITH" not "THEIR FAITH" as so many translations do. Most translators use the possessive "their" to describe faith as if it were a faith which the offenders possessed, but that word is merely the word "the". They have made a shipwreck of "the faith". That is that they don't have it, and because they've rejected faith and a good conscience they have rendered faith worthless as a vessel to carry them too often this text is used to bolster the error of lost salvation; when indeed this is about salvation never achieved by men who intentionally reject what they otherwise know to be true.

They have chosen intentionally to ignore their conscience when it told them that what they were teaching was wrong. The result of doing so is that faith is also lost. ²

This is how the good fight is fought: With faith and a good conscience. Faith as the primary ingredient of salvation is the core of the good fight; and a good conscience is the result of living in accordance with the truth which is the basis of that faith.

The darker tone of the text now points out the seriousness of Timothy's call - some have rejected these foundations. They have rejected a clean conscience and this has had the result of rendering their faith unable to carry them.

You have to understand that the word here for "rejection" is intentional and flamboyant. This is not a mere accidental misunderstanding of Gospel truth - these are men who have -as it were- heard the voice of God in their conscience and have pridefully and stubbornly refused to heed it! It is an intentional rejection of what they know to be true! This is the very substance of the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31 where the Pharisees know that God is working there and yet still declare it the work of Satan.

In effect these men had walked up to the gates of heaven and rejected the freedom to enter by deliberate violation of their own conscience. Having known what God wanted they had adamantly demanded that they would not obey his prompting in their soul - they would rather have it their own way. Having pushed thus hard against their own conscience the capacity of saving faith to carry them over the ocean of judgment is ruined - faith cannot and will not carry the unwilling.

You stand on unsteady ground when you deny what you feel is truth. You stand on unsteady ground when your conscience demands some holy action, faith or obedience and you reject your conscience for the pleasure of the moment or the notoriety of the praise of men rather than the praise of God!

REPENT! Turn now from fighting against your conscience. If you have battled long and hard in your heart over whether or not you are sinning against God in a certain matter; you are already acting outside of faith - and whatever is not of faith is sin! (Romans 14:23)

In context we have to consider that Paul is speaking about false teachers - perhaps the very ones Timothy is called to correct. But they are shipwrecked and as a result Paul turns them over into Satan's kingdom. As an Apostle he removes God's protective hand and Satan now has free reign in their lives. And he does it for the best reason imaginable, not to destroy them, but to redeem them!

Strive for the redemption of your opponents.

As Paul instructs Timothy in fighting the good fight - motivated by God's call and carefully guarding his own soul, he gives the final instruction in Church discipline: It is never the goal to kill the human adversary but rather to strive for their redemption.
Look at verse twenty

"Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."

The closest parallel to this passage is found in 1 Corinthians 5:5 where Paul prescribes church discipline on a man who has brought a terrible sin into the church. He says, "I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Corinthians 5:5)

Likewise the goal for these two men is not punitive but remedial. Paul's hope is that the lesson these men gain will be not to blaspheme. That is: Not to teach false doctrine. The redemption of the shipwrecked is possible; but difficult. Paul is clearly hopping that their misery will drive them to repentance and thus restoration.

The Pastor's task - indeed the church's task is to keep the gospel pure and unspoiled. Too many these days are willing to sacrifice a pure gospel on the altar of political correctness. They water the gospel down or fail to speak it because it's offensive to tell people they are sinners condemned without Christ.

 

We've got to fight the good fight.

There are people who would claim that it doesn't matter how you live as long as you believe the right things. But they fail to realize that if you don't keep a good conscience if you outright ignore God's word - faith has no power. Remember the letter of James. True faith- real faith will be life changing faith.

 

 

We've got to keep a good conscience

- live in pursuit of holy living. We've got to keep the faith firmly grasped in hand, ready for any purpose.

 

And when enemies come; Or when false teachers arise. We are not called to obliterate them but to

redeem them at any cost.

That's what Jesus did. And this is the proof of God's love. While we were still sinners and enemies God the father sent his beloved son to die for us.

 

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King#fn_1
² Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, A. R. Fausset et al. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary., 1 Ti 1:19. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

 

1 Timothy 1:2 God Meets Our Greatest Need

The letter of 1 Timothy is really a very practical letter addressing for us what life in the local church should look like. I've titled my study of 1 Timothy "Church 101" because it's so practical and so basic. You might be tempted to look at the pastoral Epistles as letters that the pastor might find pertinent to himself but not so the rest of us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In writing a series of instructions and commands in a personal letter to Timothy - Paul reveals many basics of what the church should look like, what it should do, and how it's people should act towards leadership and towards one another. And the final closing of the letter "Grace be with you" is plural indicating clearly enough that Paul intended for this personal letter to Timothy to be publicly read in the entire church.

So when we come to the second verse and discover the greeting to Timothy, don't skip past it and miss the blessing. The simple introduction is significant in that it introduces to us the knowledge that God never demands that we meet him half way- he comes running towards us. He doesn't require us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, He lifts us out of the pit. When Paul writes this letter to Timothy under the guidance of God's Spirit, he offers to Timothy exactly what he needs. Just as God does for Timothy, God meets you and I right where we are, right at our point of need - for He is a loving Father.

Paul writes then in the second Verse:
"To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." ^{(1 Timothy 1:2 NASB95)}

The introduction brings to mind the special relationship between a Spiritual father and Son. Some of which is understood by looking quickly through what the scriptures say elsewhere about Timothy.

Paul and Timothy had been through thick and thin. Apparently on Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13-14) Timothy was one of the converts in the region. On the Second missionary journey Paul (re)encounters Timothy in either Derbe or Lystra. All of the other believers spoke very highly of Timothy and that was enough for Paul, he asked Timothy to join him. However, in a move that appears odd for Paul, Timothy undergoes circumcision "Because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek." Apparently the Jews would have held great offense at a "half-breed" and Paul and Timothy both sought to smooth the way for the gospel's transmission. (Because it was well-known that Timothy's father was a Greek, so that the young man's influence among the Jews would be reduced to almost zero unless something were done to bring out clearly his own devotion to the sacred writings of the covenant people, he was, accordingly, circumcised (Acts 16:3).¹

The Character of Timothy therefore comes out as a man who was willing to do anything to keep the gospel palatable to the people around him. Note that palatable does not mean watered down - it means tearing down even the opportunity to build a fence, even at great personal cost.

From This point forward Paul and Timothy are virtually inseperable. Anytime there was a dangerous or sensitive job - if Paul couldn't go himself, he sent Timothy. Paul sent him To Corinth, Berea, Thessalonica and Ephesus. Each time Timothy returned to Paul they would together sit down and write letters to the churches. Many of Paul's letter include Timothy in the Salutation.²

Timothy's history shows that he was a capable teacher and guide well suited to the unique problems that arise in Ephesus. The problems in Ephesus are symptomatic of an established church unlike so many of the problems in other NT churches which are problems of immaturity - the Ephesian problems seem to center around issues like power struggles and an over developed sense of independence. Timothy's faith was not only sincere but strong and sure and his worth in ministry was inestimable.

Being young -- yet by no means inexperienced -- and serving not as a pastor but as an apostolic delegate³ Timothy had been called to do what he did so often, stand in the gap - to repair and build up a church seemingly overshadowed by Satan's grip in the city of Ephesus. Because Paul knew him, and because God knows Him - Paul issues a blessing that helps to brace Timothy what he needs the most for the task ahead.

Grace, Mercy and Peace...

The threefold greeting is particular in that it describes for us what Timothy's needs were. These are the very same needs we all have need of as we attempt to be servants of Christ. In fact the more you serve God, and the closer you grow to Him the more you will realize how you must continually lean on these three gifts from God. So let's look at them briefly.

GRACE

Grace is Paul's clarion call throughout the new testament, he mentions grace far more often than the rest of the New Testament writers. Simply defined grace is getting what we don't deserve. In Paul's thought that always amounted to a one word summary of God's redemptive work in us through Christ Jesus, namely: salvation.⁴ For, as it says in Ephesians 2:8 "we are saved by Grace Through Faith..." Oftimes I have heard Christians repeat that verse sideways as if we were saved by Faith through Grace. But the distinction is important. And let me tell you, as one who has been tried in Satan's fire - there is nothing so dear to me as God's gracious offering to me of free salvation.

I don't deserve it, you don't deserve it, but in the heat of serving God - the devil likes to come in and whisper the most vile lies imaginable in an attempt to derail your ministry. But God is gracious. And I want to encourage you this morning, if you are struggling with being accepted by God, or if you are struggling with feelings of inferiority or guilt or shame that holds you down to a past you wish you had never experienced - let me tell you, God is gracious and he extends his grace to you.

You don't have to struggle underneath a load of Guilt or shame. You don't have to continually struggle underneath a load of rules and regulations that you feel you have to keep in order to get saved or stay saved. Jesus said, "Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."⁵

This morning I invite you to rest in the grace of God. And I invite you to revel in the absence of struggling with God as well - that is, I invite you into his peace.

PEACE

Peace is more than the product of endless navel gazing from the lotus position, or the absence of noise and distraction. That's the world's sense of peace - the quieting of external turmoil or the self-quieting of the souls internal struggles. But search for the stories of men kept in solitary confinement for even markedly brief periods with nothing to hear but their own breath and nothing to see but the dim light under their cell door in the midst of otherwise pitch darkness and you'll soon discern that the absence of external turmoil is not all that comforting.

No, the peace of the Bible, the peace that Christ leaves with us, the peace that Paul here offers to Timothy as a blessing is of a greater more incomparable sort: peace with God. The gospel of Peace in all of Paul's letters is centered around the concept that we were once at war with God as law-breakers; and being at war with God we were under His condemnation. But in Christ we move from antagonistic warriors to sons both loving and being loved -- fully accepted by the grace of Jesus Christ.

It is this new relationship of loving acceptance rather than strained animosity that ultimately yields the subjective feeling of peace - not the other way around. Peace starts with God and then filters into our souls.

This morning I offer you peace. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a free gift and I'm here to pass it on to you. If you're at all uncertain that you have peace with God - the complete remission of your sins, than this morning I offer you peace in the name of Jesus Christ the Son-Of-God. His death is your pathway to peace. If you will accept his death as the payment for your sin - and if you will humble yourself in front of God and seek his face and his forgiveness, you will receive it - and you will be at peace with God.

Finally, Paul offers to Timothy something new: Mercy.

MERCY

If you walk through Paul's letters in the New Testament you get a whirlwind of very similar opening "blessings" In fact all except for these two Timothy letters merely grant "grace and Peace".

I have to believe that Paul's departure from the normal by adding Mercy to the mix has much to do with his very special relationship with Timothy and his personal knowledge of Timothy's struggles. Timothy, like all of us needed grace and peace - I can't think of one believer I know (self included) that doesn't need to be particularly aware of grace directed towards us, and certainly in the midst of the daily struggles we face we can use the reminder of our peace with God. but there is something significant in the fact that Paul offers him "mercy" in addition to the blessing of grace and peace.

Timothy may have been fighting feelings of condemnation. Later in book two Paul will mention Timothy's tears (1:4) in the context of fear.

I wonder if Timothy was fighting off the feeling of God's rejection - particularly as he was battling in Ephesus a town fraught throughout with Spiritual warfare. One of Satan's schemes has often been to attempt to paralyze a believer by getting him to question his relationship with God. Maybe this is why Paul in his love for Timothy and his intimate knowledge of Timothy's heart - offers him mercy in addition to Grace and peace.

Or more likely he was facing external condemnation from those who opposed him - the very men Paul sent Timothy to Oppose. Either reason serves to explain Paul's sudden addition of this third "blessing". God gives what we we truly need. Whatever the real reason was, we can be assured that Timothy needed Mercy. If your heart towards God is faithful and you need grace - You shall receive it. If your heart towards God is faithful and you need mercy -- you shall receive it.

Mercy in its simplest definition is "not getting what we deserve." It is an undeserved kindness extended to someone in need. Perhaps Timothy was aware of his own failures. Most godly people give thought to their lack of perfection and it drives them closer to the cross of Christ and its redemption in Christ's blood.

This is not just for Timothy. Remember this letter is written to Timothy, but is intended to be read in the church, so the divine offer of Grace, Mercy and Peace extends past Timothy to the entire body of believers in the region of Ephesus, including -- might I add -- the very people with whom Timothy was having trouble.

That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ does. The good news of salvation doesn't condemn people who might be sinners - it offers them a shot at starting over with redemption. Paul didn't write this letter to smack the transgressors in a verbal tirade, he wrote for their redemption. Redemption is always the desire of a Christian when he's at odds with others.

We see that in Philippians 3:15b "...if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;" He doesn't want to kill his opponents, he wants to redeem them. No, the blessing of the gospel offers forgiveness, restoration and redemption to everyone who will repent and believe in Christ Jesus. The character of someone who themselves is a true child of God ought also therefore to be one of forgiveness (peace) , mercy, and grace.

Moreover, just as in the prior verse the issue was not so much that Paul had been commanded to be an apostle but rather the issue was centered there upon the fact that none less than God himself had commanded Paul to be an apostle -- so too here the blessing may be important but the origin of the blessing takes on greater import.

The blessing itself is not from Paul, but through Paul as God's spokesman the blessing comes directly from "God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."

As in the prior verse Paul's Christology bubbles to the surface. The greeting comes conjointly from God and Christ thus in Paul's mind clearly demonstrating his belief in the full deity of Christ; the only Son-of-God the Father.

To you who are loved by God and called according to His Purpose; To you who hear my voice or see my words written on the page; to you who are willing to let these blessings impact and change your lives; to all of you - grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1William, and Simon J. Kistemaker. Vol. 4, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles. Accompanying biblical text is author's translation. New Testament Commentary, Page 35. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001.

2Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Philemon (Phi 1:1; Col 1:1, 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Phm 1:1

3WBC46 Page lvii

4CREF Mounce, William D. Vol. 46, Word Biblical Commentary : Pastoral Epistles. Word Biblical Commentary, Page 10. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002.

5 Matthew 11:28

1 Timothy 1:3 Pastoral Longevity

If you were a counselor in the following situation - what would you're advice be? Say a man comes into your office and says, "I've been married for two years to a woman who has nine children. Her kids do not respect me or my children, and neither does she even seem to trust me. Every move I make she second guesses and every decision - she reverses. Doc I'm this close to leaving, what should I do?"

Now in the current climate the typical advice from Ann Landers types would be "clear out of there" but you happen to hold a biblical view of marriage. After a bit of digging you would discover that she's been married 5 times in the last fifteen years, her husbands have all left her for better looking women and her children are divided in parentage from each of those husbands. In your investigation it becomes clear that not only she but the children as well have all learned that "dad" is expendable - they can and will continue without him; and furthermore - dad is not worthy of trust and incapable of providing the solid guidance and direction needed.

Now, what would your advice be? Undoubtedly you would tell that man to buckle his seat belt and strap on his knee pads - because it's going to be a bumpy ride. He's going to have to earn their trust before he can ever be the father and husband he desires most to be.

The situation I've described is very similar to the church. Pastor's come and go with a ferocious speed, using smaller churches as stepping stones to larger congregations. The average pastoral stay in a given church is up to just over three years¹. Some might be converted to Christ during his brief tenure and then he moves on leaving spiritual orphans in his wake. Over a series of pastor's the message is eventually assumed, "We don't need the pastor, he's going to leave soon anyway - so don't trust him when it comes to change. After all, he's only temporary." What's going on?

I suppose you could attribute it to anything from an actual or even an over realized sense of God's leading, or to greed, or to a hunt for prestige, or a cure for frustration all the way to God's judgment on a church which blatantly refuses to listen to her leadership. Sometimes the move is legitimate, and sometimes it may not be. It's not for us to judge mind you, it is to God that every man will stand or fall. And no gathering of believers is outside of God's loving - gracious care.

Ministry Demands Endurance.

It's impossible in a paragraph to try and clarify all the reasons that pastor's move but Timothy was doubtless up against a number of those reasons. In fact if you take the concept of ministry where it belongs - where every member of a church is supposed to be a minister to others thus serving the kingdom of God - then the same pattern develops where people sometimes inexplicably just quit serving the kingdom. Somehow we have forgotten that ministry is certainly difficult work but it is also worthy work.

Take a look with me at 1 Timothy 1:3-4, where we discover that Timothy's desire to move was not the right move for the moment.

^NAU 1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, ⁴ nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

As I have already stated, the necessary foundation for the church being the church has already been laid in Christ Jesus. The church needs ⁽¹⁾Pastoral authority grounded in ⁽²⁾good Christology. The church is established of people who dwell in the grace, mercy and peace that comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the third verse we return to the pastor and establish that the next major necessity for a functioning church is a ⁽³⁾dedicated pastor who will stay the course to teach and instruct in the truth, fighting against falsehood as he will frequently have to. It is these three ingredients that I would suggest make up the proper introduction to the overall concept of church 101.

Either to your disappointment or relative glee I remain dedicated to the principle of Pastoral Longevity. I believe you need a dedicated pastor who will stay the course to teach, fight and instruct in the truth as long as he is able.

When you look at the text, I think perhaps Timothy was considering moving on - which is why Paul reminds him of his task to stay and fix the ills in the church at Ephesus. The false teachers need correction and Timothy is the man for the job. In fact the command, "remain in Ephesus" is emphasized in the Greek text by being split away from the rest of the command and placed before Paul's departure for Macedonia. So that it reads, "Just as I urged you, "Remain in Ephesus," as I was going to Macedonia, "so that you may give strict orders to certain people not to teach different {false} doctrine."

The word "urged" here is the verb form of the same root word used to describe the Holy Spirit as the Comforter: pa?a?a?e´? (Paraclete). Throughout the New testament it is used more than 100 times in a few different ways but very often the concept of comfort has to be somewhere in the mix.² Paul was not merely ordering Timothy to stay put, he was urging him as a friend would passionately urge you to do what you knew was right.

"Timothy, you know you should stay there to finish the work, please be faithful to that post until you have completed it."

A pastor must stay with his church in order to grow it and command it - so that he might protect it. Not leaving when the going gets tough but staying and fighting the good fight of instilling faithfulness. A Good pastor who teaches and corrects is the backbone of a church. I believe strongly that the perceived weaknesses in the American church today can often be traced back to the lack of pastoral longevity. I know there are times when God moves a pastor on, but I think there are also plenty of times when the pastor just believes he sees greener grass somewhere else. Sometimes God moves his ministers to a place where they can be more useful, sometimes for other reasons, but I have a sneaking suspicion that what you - the church- need is not a new pastor but the same one you have known and hopefully grown to trust.

I have been in church with pastors who were hard to get along with. But I have also experienced churches that metaphorically destroyed pastors. The sooner we get it through our minds that imperfections are there, and that we're here to work together rather than against each other we'll be able to get on about the business of building God's kingdom - and quit trying to defend our own!

Ministry Must Endure Through Trials.

I believe Paul had to encourage Timothy because he was serving in a very difficult place and culture.

By looking through the scriptures we can begin to understand the situation that Timothy was in. He had been left in Ephesus as a representative of Paul the Apostle in order to pastor the Ephesian church. A quick read through the Ephesian sections of scriptures would give us a better understanding of this letter. (Acts 16; Acts 18, 20, 21; 1 Co. 15:32; 16:8; Eph. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:18; 4:12; Rev. 1:11; 2:1)

Paul visits Ephesus at least three times (Acts 18:19; 19:19; 20:28) It was during his second visit that some of the Jews became "hardened and disobedient"; which propmted Paul to stay there for two years or more teaching them. During this time some of the most amazing miracles and conversion stories occur in Ephesus; followed by a city wide riot over the deprecation of their temple due to the massive increase in Christian believers.

Later on his way to Jerusalem Paul would warn the Ephesian believers "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock... after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them..." (Acts 20:28-38)

This is the hotbed of Ephesus in which Paul left Timothy with the mandate to teach them and it serves even more to illustrate the importance of a committed pastor; or for that matter you - committed to continuing to serve God where he has put you, even under hostile conditions.

Your service to God's people in the church and to the unsaved around you is always going to be met with resistance - but it is a ministry required by God; and you must not abandon your post until God has sounded the retreat; and primarily the reason to quit a ministry is because you have completed that ministry.

Ministry Must Be Completed.

Take a look now at the purpose statement of Timothy's Ephesian ministry in verses three and four. <read>

SO THAT YOU MAY INSTRUCT CERTAIN MEN NOT TO TEACH STRANGE DOCTRINES...

In most every church there are going to be people who teach error. Some from ignorance and others intentionally because they want people to follow them. The false teaching will come in many flavors, and some of it will simply spring from mindless discussion, arrogant people, or just plain ignorance of the scriptures. While some will come from evil minds and hearts. The danger is the same between them as you see in the fourth verse: God's people cease to produce fruit - because in this case all they ever do is talk - rather than work to expand the kingdom.

It is in this sense that false doctrine, however apparently minor is never innocuous but always detrimental to the life of the church of the Living God. Today, ignorance of the scriptures or a refusal to believe what they say is largely responsible for the fracturing of major denominations on clearly answered topics like homosexuality, marriage, abortion, and even the way to salvation.

Timothy was called to counter and stop the false teachers in Ephesus because they were already stopping the church in it's tracks. He was called to run interference in a place which was typically difficult. To accomplish that task he needed pastoral authority. He needed authority to guide, direct, teach, rebuke and correct the church. Without that authority both stated and recognized the capacity of the church to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Jesus Christ is greatly hampered.

In today's climate especially obtaining that authority is frequently a function of earning trust through longevity. Ministers must endure the ministry, Ministry must Endure the Trials, and Ministry must be continued until it's complete.

Stepping away from Timothy - how do these concepts carry over to each one of you? I believe it passes over in the gentle reminder to continue in your own ministry. You are to remain actively laboring in the master's field. If it is the pastor's Job to train you for ministry (Eph. 4:11-ff) then let me also be the one to urge you either to continue the ministry God has called you to; or else to call you into service.

It is never enough to listen to the word and sing a few songs. God is calling you - to be involved in some ministry that feeds and strengthens the church. As a matter of fact, God has uniquely gifted you to do what otherwise cannot be accomplished among his people. The plain truth is that we need you. God has brought us together in order to strengthen each other, but if only part of us are laboring, then we are lacking in all that God wanted to give us. Are you working to spread the grace of God? We must labor - through many difficulties until we enter the rest which Christ called us to.

Are you ready to take on a ministry to which God has called you? This morning let me close with this call to service - an altar call to service if you will. If you are prepared to serve God in some ministry - be it a specific task you want to do or if you know you should serve but you don't know what you can do - this is the day to publically declare yourself available to the church and to God. I will then ask you about your interests and abilities. We will search out a task that matches your passions and gifts.

But this morning as we close, won't you come?