[0:00] Well, good morning, everyone. Welcome to service this morning. And greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[0:14] I too want to put out a Happy Father's Day. And, you know, what else is there to say, right? There is much to say.
[0:27] There is a big responsibility on fathers. And so this morning I want to share a message, maybe more for the fathers or for the men.
[0:43] And yet, you know, our wives are here too. There's ladies here. And, you know, maybe they're here just to take that in and to keep us accountable maybe.
[0:57] I trust the Lord will have a blessing for all of us this morning. Thank you, Igor, for sharing that text.
[1:08] I do have a different text this morning. But that one is a pretty nice example both ways of, you know, what I wanted to share on how Peter is, there's a fault there.
[1:23] And Paul stands up and corrects him. So it is good nonetheless. Thank you for sharing that. I will be speaking out of 1 Timothy this morning.
[1:37] 1 Timothy chapter 6. And the main verse that I will be looking at is verse 11.
[1:58] It reads, It reads, So focusing on that verse, I'll be looking at a lot of scripture this morning, a lot of verses.
[2:20] I know with preparing a message to be focused on a passage and not all over the place. And yet I trust that going through these different verses and so on, they fit together with the text and it flows smoothly.
[2:36] So looking at 1 Timothy 6.11. And I picked up on the words there, O man of God.
[2:53] And so as I was thinking of, you know, Father's Day this weekend and what's a good message to bring. And we have this, you know, Paul addressing, he's addressing Timothy.
[3:11] He says, O man of God. And so I thought it would be good to look at that. And so three things that I wanted to pull out of this verse then is, who is a man of God?
[3:25] And also, what is he to flee? It talks about fleeing. So what is he to flee? And if he's fleeing some things, what should a man of God pursue?
[3:40] So these three things to look at this morning. And so just to start that off, the context here with our text, it is Paul writing to Timothy.
[3:54] And Paul is addressing Timothy as a man of God. And, you know, but, so Timothy is a man of God, but who else would be a man of God?
[4:11] There's many examples in Scripture as well. I just randomly picked a few that we'll look at a bit. Let's look at Deuteronomy chapter 33, verse 1.
[4:33] Deuteronomy 33, verse 1. Now this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death.
[4:45] And so we see an example here. Moses was called a man of God. As well, a few others who won't turn there. Judges 13, we have the angel of the Lord appearing to Manoah's wife.
[5:01] These are the parents of Samson. And as Manoah's wife is sharing with Manoah her encounter with this angel, she refers to the angel as a man of God.
[5:16] He was the angel of the Lord. And so she refers to him as a man of God. In 1 Samuel, first of all in chapter 2, there's a prophet who is called a man of God there.
[5:33] It doesn't give his name, but says a man of God. So he comes to Eli with the message from God. And he warns Eli, you know, the way that your sons are living, there's consequences.
[5:46] You're not dealing with it. Your lack of discipline with your sons. There's a warning from this prophet who is called a man of God.
[5:56] And then also in 1 Samuel 9, Saul is about to be chosen as Israel's first king.
[6:07] And so he and his servant, Saul and one of his servants, are out seeking Saul's father's runaway donkeys. They've escaped the fence and they're gone.
[6:20] And so they are out looking for them. And they have looked far and wide. They've traveled, covered a lot of ground searching for these donkeys and are unable to find them.
[6:31] And Saul is about to give up. He's, you know, who cares about these donkeys? My father is going to start worrying where I am staying. Maybe we need to go back. And his servant, his servant asks him to consult the man of God in this city where they are.
[6:47] And that man of God is Samuel, a prophet as well who is in the city there. And Samuel is there on a mission.
[7:00] He's there by God's command. He's waiting for Saul to come to him that he might anoint him as Israel's king. So the way that God brought that together. But there, Samuel being called a man of God.
[7:13] And then also, I want us to turn to 1 Kings chapter 17. 1 Kings 17 verse 24.
[7:33] Then the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth. And so this is speaking of the widow that provided Elijah with food when he was fleeing King Ahab.
[7:52] There was a drought in the land and she gives of the, she makes with the last of her ingredients that she has, she makes a loaf of bread to feed Elijah.
[8:05] And, you know, her vessels are again filled with oil and blessing for doing that. But she is, she calls, she calls Elijah a man of God.
[8:22] First of all, in verse 18, she calls him a son of God. And then again, here in verse 24, you know, this is after Elijah has prayed over her son who has passed away, who has died.
[8:35] and he prays, he prays over, over this boy and he is raised to life. God raises him to life and, and so, she, she confessed this.
[8:49] Now I know, now by this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth. second kings, we have Elisha is, who comes after Elijah.
[9:05] He is trained up by Elijah and takes, takes over as one of the major prophets. After Elijah is gone, he is often referred to as a man of God.
[9:17] In second chronicles, chapter 8, verse 14, David, King David, is referred to as a man of God. And we have, and then in, in 1 Samuel 13, verse 14, and again in Acts chapter 13, verse 22, you know, speaking again of David, the Lord says of David that he is a man after my own heart.
[9:44] So King David referred to as a man of God and, and God saying that he is a man after my own heart. And we'll, we'll turn to, to Acts 13, in a moment here.
[10:00] So we've referenced several Old Testament scriptures. You know, the phrase man of God, when I did a search on it, it comes up 71 times in the Old Testament.
[10:12] And the common theme there is that the prophets were called men of God. God. And so, what are, what are the prophets or who were the prophets?
[10:23] God spoke to the people through prophets in Old Testament times. They were his messengers. And so when God had a message for a specific person, for a group of people, he would send these prophets to share that message with them.
[10:42] And so, these prophets, they did the will of God. They were speaking his truths to those that God sent them to. And yet, not all the men of God listed in the Old Testament there were prophets.
[11:02] And we have King David as one example. He's not, not a prophet, but the leader of the nation of Israel. And, so just looking at King David a little bit, as a youth, he loved the Lord and God was with him.
[11:20] You know, he shares the stories of how, how God was with him and strengthened him to defend his father's sheep from the bear and the lion. You know, in the name of the Lord, he conquers the Philistine giant Goliath.
[11:39] And then, when the Lord gives David the throne as king over Israel, David sought the Lord's counsel in leading his people.
[11:54] And so, let's turn to Acts 13 verse 22. Acts 13 22.
[12:06] Acts 13 22. And when he had removed him, he raised up for them David as king to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart who will do all my will.
[12:27] And so, we can see by David's character why he was called a man of God. He loved the Lord. He wanted to do his will. God says here, you know, this is what God had said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart who will do all my will.
[12:49] So, he sought the Lord in all his ways. Yes, David did have his shortcomings. He sinned and after all, he was human just like you and I.
[13:03] And with the example that he gives, each time that he did wrong, he did repent and he was genuinely sorrowful for what he had done. And so, just overall, his life was characterized by his love for the Lord.
[13:21] So, a little bit of, you know, men of God in the Old Testament. So, what about the New Testament? Where do we read of men of God in the New Testament?
[13:35] It is only mentioned twice in the New Testament, that phrase. once here in our text in 1 Timothy and again in 2 Timothy.
[13:52] A little bit of a cold this morning, but trust my voice will hold out. So, here in our text in 1 Timothy 6.11 and then 2 Timothy 3.17 and we will look at that a little bit as well yet.
[14:10] And so, just a little bit to look at, a little bit of an overview on 1 and 2 Timothy. The author is Paul and he is writing to Timothy, who is a young man who is pastoring in the church at Ephesus.
[14:32] You know, Paul has sent Timothy to Ephesus to deal with false doctrine that was being taught there and as well to go and to develop mature leadership within the church.
[14:48] And so, with that, with that task that Timothy has, we can see why Paul would call Timothy a man of God. God, you know, in the New Testament, prophets were no longer as common as they were in the Old Testament.
[15:05] And so, how do the people, how did the people hear from God? It was the elders or the pastors who were working in the church. They were preaching and teaching the Word of God and caring for His flock.
[15:19] You know, they didn't have the title as prophets and they didn't necessarily prophesy but they were doing the Lord's work. So, men of God.
[15:33] And so, if Timothy, as a leader of the church here in Ephesus, is called a man of God, who else could be called a man of God?
[15:47] What about other leaders? You know, who sent them there? Paul. Would he be considered a man of God? Barnabas, another one, the apostles, Stephen, you know, the list could go on.
[16:02] Would they be considered men of God? I believe they would. Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy to instruct Timothy on his own conduct as a minister and as well as instruction on developing these mature leadership within the church.
[16:25] And so, today, today we look at these two epistles, you know, first and foremost as such. They are instructions for church leadership for their development.
[16:39] But I don't think that it, I don't believe that it ends there. here. It's Father's Day, we're speaking to fathers. As fathers, are we not called to be leaders?
[16:56] Ephesians 6, 4, fathers are given the command to train up their children, to teach them the ways of the Lord. We are given that responsibility as fathers.
[17:09] ours. We must take the lead. You know, going back to Genesis chapter 3, you know, after Adam has sinned and punishment is being handed out, the Lord says to the woman, your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you.
[17:29] our wives look to us for leadership. They want us to lead our families. And as Christians, we should be seeking to lead our families in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
[17:49] And so, as fathers, as men, we are leaders. It is what God has called us to be. It is what he expects of us.
[18:04] And so, if we are to be leaders in our homes, how different is that really than even, say, church leadership?
[18:16] Is there a big difference there? Do we not all have souls within our care? Do we not all have souls within our care?
[18:27] You know, when we look at 1 Timothy chapter 3, we read the qualifications for overseers or bishops, and as well, it follows up with deacons as well.
[18:42] You know, what do we think? Do we think, that's not me, I don't need to meet those qualifications, I have no desire to be a pastor or a deacon?
[18:52] or do we see them as a challenge? If I'm going to be a godly man, the kind of leader in the home that God expects me to be, this is the standard I should be striving for.
[19:07] as Christian men, husbands and fathers, we are called to lead, and if we will lead well, we must submit to God, we must seek His will, and walk in His ways.
[19:27] And so, like the Old Testament prophets, like the church leaders in the New Testament, the early church, and to this day, we must all be men of God.
[19:47] Okay, so moving on, so what is the man of God to flee? It's written here, but you, O man of God, flee these things.
[20:00] So what is Paul instructing Timothy to flee from? Going back to the preceding verses, we have a warning against the desiring to be rich and the grief that it can bring, but I think we can maybe even back up as far as verse 3.
[20:22] And so, there's two different things that I'll pick out here, first section in verses 3 to 5 and then 6 through 10. So we'll look at verses 3 to 5 first of all.
[20:45] Verse 3, 2 to envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
[21:15] From such withdraw yourself. So this section, it's speaking against, guarding against false teachers, you know, and how do we recognize them?
[21:28] Well, we can recognize them by their teaching. They're teaching something that is contrary to or not agreeing with sound teaching, sound biblical teaching.
[21:40] It says that they are proud and also that they are obsessed with arguing over words. And so these arguments then, they have the list there, it leads to envy or jealousy, strife, which is discord and quarreling, reviling, which is to abuse or to attack with evil words, to slander.
[22:07] Evil suspicions. Believing something wicked about someone without having actual proof. And useless wranglings or arguments between men who are morally corrupt, void of truth, thinking godly, thinking godliness is a way to benefit financially.
[22:29] So the signs of a false teacher and how we identify them, the things that they're caught up in.
[22:44] Arguing and, you know, especially, yeah, arguing over words. You know, this means this. Well, no, it means this. It's just a back and forth, right?
[22:56] Useless wranglings, it says. For some reason, it popped into my mind. It's not a spiritual application, but just an example of useless wrangling.
[23:08] Put two guys together who drive different trucks. You know, the argument between Ford and Dodge and GM, right? Useless wranglings, right?
[23:19] Just a simple example of that. Maybe something more on the spiritual lines. Useless wranglings. Arguing over what day we keep as the Sabbath.
[23:34] Do we hold to Saturdays? Do we do it Sundays? Do we do it another day? You know, and just going on and on and arguing about that. Those are useless wranglings.
[23:45] There's no point in that. And so the man of God is warned to stay away from such people, to stay away from false teachers.
[23:56] There's always the danger of believing their lies and becoming like them, participating in their arguments, tearing down rather than building up.
[24:10] Getting caught up in false teaching, it doesn't only affect us then either. But we turn around and we teach these same things, these same falsehoods to our families.
[24:24] We lead them further away from God. You know, and all who do so will have to answer to God for that. And so the warning, beware of false teachers.
[24:38] Get away from such people. All right, and then looking at verses 6 through 10. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
[24:48] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
[25:02] But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
[25:25] So here we have a warning against greed. The love of money. How many of us have had the discussion with our spouse or with someone else, you know, what if we won the lottery?
[25:40] You know, the dreaming begins, right? We pay off our mortgage. Maybe we go and build a new house. No more car payments. Maybe we'd even go buy a new truck.
[25:53] And while we're at it, you know, there's a nice jet boat sitting at the dealership. We may as well tow that thing home as well. You know, new side-by-side would be nice. Sorry, ladies, I'm thinking as a man.
[26:05] I'm pretty sure that dream kitchen will end up in the house as well. But so, you know, these dreams of having money for everything that we desire, right?
[26:19] The question is then, how long will we be satisfied with those things? You know, the reality is it's not easy as winning the lottery.
[26:34] So what do many do to compensate? Because these dreams are real for many people. What do these people do to compensate?
[26:45] They're not winning the lottery, right? How do we get that money? They work, work, work. 28 days, 28 hours a day, 8 days a week, right?
[26:57] They're always working. They're getting the income, you know, they're building that new house, they're buying the trucks and the toys, you know, and for others, seeing them prosper, they're doing well, right?
[27:13] But are they? How happy is that man's wife? What do his children have to say about him?
[27:26] Where is the family life? It's not there, is it? He's not at home. He's gone at work. You know, all these things that I brought up, they're material possessions.
[27:42] They don't bring joy or peace. They can provide temporary happiness, but it doesn't last. The new wears off.
[27:54] You know, verse 9 here calls those things, they're foolish and harmful lusts. You know, once a taste of wealth has been had, one always wants more.
[28:07] There's always something new coming out that one has to have. Before you know it, greed is the new normal. And the caution here, you know, that greed will cause some to stray from the faith.
[28:27] They won't heed the warnings. They won't listen to others' advice. They're too busy with work to make it to church. You know, their children are missing Sunday school.
[28:39] Just like that, they stop going to church altogether. And so we see a whole generation wandering away from God. What about those children's children?
[28:52] Will they ever go to church? You know, do we see the danger there? It says here, And pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
[29:08] You know, how many broken marriages are the result of chasing that almighty dollar? You know, I suspect that we'd be surprised at the numbers.
[29:21] You know, that slaving away for that extra dollar, how many marriages has that destroyed? And the man of God is called to flee these dangers.
[29:39] If he lingers there for only a moment, it may be too much, and he is drawn into those traps. So recognize false teachers for what they are.
[29:51] If their teachings don't line up with Scripture, withdraw from them. Don't listen to their teaching any longer. Don't let the love of money overtake you.
[30:04] It says that godliness with contentment is great gain, not godliness with great possessions. Be content with what you have.
[30:14] So things that we are to flee. So what direction are we to go? What should we pursue then? Again, our verse here in verse 11, So what makes a godly man?
[30:45] What are the characteristics that he should pursue after and possess? We have six qualities listed in this verse here.
[30:57] And it's going to take a little bit of time to look at each one of them individually. So first off, we have righteousness.
[31:09] We are to pursue righteousness. What is righteousness? It is practical correctness. You know, conforming to God's will in one's thinking and acting.
[31:22] Purity of heart. Righteousness, it lines up very closely with holiness. And so, simply put, it's living right. Seeking God's will in our life and doing it.
[31:37] Living the way the Bible says a Christian ought to live. You know, our walk should match our talk. And so for each one of these, I went through a number of different verses and there's lots out there.
[31:55] There's lots of verses on each of these qualities. I figured I'd pick on a couple of verses for each one just to bring out some examples.
[32:07] And so, for righteousness, first of all, in Matthew chapter 5, we have the Beatitudes. Matthew 5 verse 6.
[32:25] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
[32:40] A promise here. You know, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Things, something to desire, right? We hunger and thirst for righteousness.
[32:52] And the promise there, they shall be filled. If we are seeking righteousness, if we hunger and thirst for it, is what we desire, we will be filled with righteousness.
[33:09] As well, in 2 Timothy, as I mentioned before, it talks about the man of God as well. So 2 Timothy 3.16.
[33:27] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
[33:41] So, where do we get our instruction on righteousness? In Scripture. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for instruction in righteousness.
[33:56] I had one more in 1 Samuel. So, a little bit in the New Testament and the Old Testament as well.
[34:06] 1 Samuel chapter 24. 1 Samuel 24 verse 17. We have Saul, King Saul speaking to David, you know, after he's been chasing David for a while and David spares Saul's life when Saul ventures into the cave where David is hiding.
[34:35] And so we have Saul speaking. Then he said to David, you are more righteous than I for you have rewarded me with good whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
[34:46] So, Saul recognizing that David is more righteous than he is. You have rewarded me good where I am rewarding you with evil by chasing after you and wanting to take your life.
[35:02] So, an example of that. Alright, going back to our text, the next characteristic, the next quality, godliness.
[35:15] Godliness is a proper reverence for and obedience to God. It is reverence for His character and His laws. You know, we must respect God for who He is.
[35:30] He is holy, just. He is our Creator. We must lift God up, elevate Him to where He rightly belongs.
[35:42] One thing that this world is trying to do, at least those who acknowledge that there is a God, is that they try to bring Him down down to man's level.
[35:57] God is not the man upstairs. You know, that phrase is growing more and more common these days. We're hearing it more and more. And it is such a loose term for God.
[36:09] And it does not glorify Him in the least. We are to be in awe of God, fearing Him, giving Him proper respect as our Creator.
[36:23] And so some scripture on godliness. First in Psalm chapter 4. Psalm 4 verse 3.
[36:38] So a man of God is called to be godly.
[36:59] It says here, It says here, Know that the Lord has set apart for Himself Him who is godly. He has been set apart for the Lord.
[37:10] And it says, The Lord will hear Him when I call. The Lord will hear when I call to Him. So as a man of God, and we pursue godliness, the Lord will hear us when we call to Him.
[37:29] And then as well, going back to 1 Timothy, a couple more references. We have 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
[37:56] So thinking in the physical, bodily exercise, it profits a little, it is good for our physical health, and yet godliness is profitable for so much more.
[38:09] It says it is profitable for all things. It has a promise of the life that now is. It is good for our life now. It is good for that life which is to come.
[38:24] And then as well, in 2 Timothy again, again in 2 Timothy 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3, we have a lot in there about the man of God as well, but time will not allow to dig deeply into that this morning.
[38:43] But we'll look at some of the verses there. 2 Timothy 3 verse 12, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
[38:55] So, we are to pursue godliness, and yet the, you know, we have to count the cost.
[39:06] It says here very plainly that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. You know, and that is maybe, maybe a mark for us, you know.
[39:19] Am I, am I really pursuing godliness? Am I godly in my character? And well, is there persecution?
[39:31] Is there, are there those who resist us? You know, is a sign that godliness is evident in us? Godliness is evident in us.
[39:43] Alright, going back to our text, looking at the, the next quality. Faith. Faith. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger.
[39:55] It is a reliance upon Him. Faith, it is central to our belief, to Christianity. Our whole belief hinges on Jesus Christ coming to die for our sins and redeeming us back to the Father.
[40:13] It is through His shed blood that He has given us eternal life. faith, we cling to that in faith. And as we mature in our walk with the Lord, our faith in Him increases.
[40:27] As we experience His uprightness, His trustworthiness, His love for us, we surrender to Him more and more, relying more fully on Him, trusting Him when He says He cares for us.
[40:45] So our faith increases. More and more, we appreciate all that the Lord has done and continues to do for us.
[41:01] And so again, some scripture, some scripture on faith. First of all, in Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11 verse 1.
[41:15] Kind of a definition of faith. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
[41:28] We just talked about this this past week in our baptism class. You know, faith has to have an object. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
[41:43] And so, by faith, we trust in God. We know the evidence of God that is out there. We see creation. You know, we discussed that as well.
[41:55] There's, you know, how many explosions have we seen that has actually created something? It's created destruction, but it has never given life or anything like that, right?
[42:07] And so, there's no way that an explosion could create the world and all of creation, right? So, the evidence that God is there. And so, it is the, creation is the, you know, it's the substance, the evidence.
[42:24] You know, we can't see God, but we see the evidence of Him. And so, we put our faith in Him. In Old Testament reference, in Proverbs, Proverbs, Proverbs, chapter 28.
[42:45] And for all of these qualities, Proverbs is a good book to read through. There's a lot in there on all of these qualities.
[43:01] Proverbs 28, verse 20. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
[43:16] So, one of the things that a man of God was to flee, you know, the desire for riches, here, he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
[43:27] You know, there's consequences. We see that all around us, those who do, the way marriages and families fall apart, and so on. But it says, a faithful man will abound with blessings.
[43:41] A faithful man will be blessed. All right. Ephesians chapter 6.
[43:58] Another example there. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
[44:15] So, what does faith do for us? It is the shield that we take up and with which we will be able to defend against the attacks of the enemy.
[44:28] is only our faith that will, that gives us the strength to stand in those attacks.
[44:39] Faith in our Lord. I had one more here I wanted to look at, and that is in 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1.
[44:49] 1 Peter 1, verse 9. I'll back up to verse 8.
[45:05] You know, it talks about faith as well. Speaking of Jesus, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
[45:27] Also, talking about having faith in Christ, you know, we haven't, we do not now see him, but we have faith that one day we will, and yet believing we rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith.
[45:47] You know, what is the end of our faith? And that last day, you know, is salvation of our souls, you know, the faith or the belief, you know, we will, we will see our Lord and Savior.
[46:05] Okay, back to 1 Timothy 6. The next quality, love. There's many definitions of love.
[46:19] The one that I picked out, a maturing affection for God and man. And so love, it defines our relationship with God.
[46:32] 1 John 4.19 comes to mind. We love him because he first loved us. God demonstrated his love for us first by sending his son to die for us.
[46:49] And so all that we can do is loving, is love him back for having loved us first. And we can also demonstrate God's love to our fellow man by caring for one another, by showing respect, you know, going out of our way to do good unto others.
[47:14] Love is powerful and when it is demonstrated, it speaks volumes. You know, we are to love our spouses and families as well, caring for them and nurturing them.
[47:31] And so some references in scripture again on love, you know, first of all, John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not die but have everlasting life.
[47:47] You know, God so loved the world. God is love. He is the perfect example of love. But also, Mark chapter 12.
[48:05] Mark 12, verses 30 and 31. We have the commandment to love. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
[48:22] This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
[48:36] So to love, first of all, to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. So to love God with all your being, this is the first commandment.
[48:53] And if we love God, we will love His creation. We will love our neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. You know, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
[49:08] You know, show love to those around us, to our neighbor. Another reference I had was in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
[49:29] The greatest gift, all the speaking of love. Read verses 4 through 8. 1 Corinthians 13, 4 through 8.
[49:41] Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
[50:08] Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Where there are tongues, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will vanish away. So, just so, what is love?
[50:21] And we have, you know, the different characteristics of love. Many things that come out. Alright, on to the next quality.
[50:32] We have the fifth quality listed. Patience. Patience is a calm temper which bears evil without murmuring or discontent.
[50:46] It is the act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent. I'll admit it right away.
[50:58] Among these six qualities, this is the one I need to work on the most. I think my family can attest to that. But we're all a work in progress.
[51:09] We all have our areas where we need growth. We need growth in all of these areas that we should continually grow in them. This one stands out to me.
[51:21] You know, how long can we go without complaining? A man of God is called to be patient when he is wronged. Don't take justice into your own hands.
[51:35] justice will come. You don't have to help it along. You're to be patient and to wait for it.
[51:46] It will come. You know, turn the other cheek, the Scriptures say. But that is not so easy to do, is it? We want justice served now, today.
[51:59] If there is wrong done, right away, we want to see justice. God is just.
[52:10] He will repay. Can we be patient enough to allow God to serve justice as he sees fit, you know, in his timing?
[52:25] A couple of examples of justice in Scripture. First, in James chapter 1. James 1, looking at verses 2 to 4.
[52:43] My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
[52:58] So the testing of your faith produces patience. Let patience have its perfect work.
[53:12] Be patient, let things work out. Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
[53:28] One more on patience in Luke chapter 8. Luke 8, verse 15.
[53:50] But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. So we have the parable of the sower, the sower and the seed, you know, the seed that fell on the good ground, the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it.
[54:16] So they hear the word and they keep it. They apply it to their life and they bear fruit with patience. You know, watching, you know, growing fruit, it takes time to grow fruit.
[54:30] We don't plant an apple tree and see apples hanging on it the next day. It takes time. There has to be patience. And the same is here as well, you know, with the parable.
[54:42] Seed going into the ground and having patience. Allow it, allow it to, to grow and to mature and fruit, good fruit will come of it.
[54:59] All right, the last quality in our list here in 1 Timothy 6, 11, we have gentleness. Gentleness, a softness of manners or a mildness of temper.
[55:15] Meekness is another word for gentleness. tenderness, mild treatment. Gentleness is similar to patience, you know, having that calm temperament, not getting easily excited or angered.
[55:33] And so, someone who is gentle is not one to stir up trouble or cause a scene. You know, going back to, to, fleeing or staying away from false teachers, do they show the characteristic of gentleness?
[55:50] No, they are ready to, to argue over, over words, you know, useless wranglings. The quality of gentleness is missing.
[56:04] Rather, someone who is gentle is not one to stir up trouble or cause a scene. Rather, they take what comes their way without resistance, without retaliating or striking back.
[56:20] Nothing seems to bother them or to get under their skin. And they always seem to be in control of situations. I just, you know, as a perfect example of that, all I can picture is Jesus.
[56:36] He was the perfect example of gentleness. And so, just a few scriptures as examples of that. Matthew chapter 11.
[56:54] Matthew 11, verse 29. Verse 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
[57:13] So, yes, here, the example of Christ. He says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.
[57:24] He is the one to model. We seek Him and we see how He responded and reacted to situations and we learn from that and we will mature the quality of gentleness as we do that.
[57:48] Another one in Galatians chapter 6. Galatians 6, 1 and 2.
[58:08] Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.
[58:20] bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. So, what is gentleness in action?
[58:32] If a man is overtaken in trespass, if we see someone overtaken in sin, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
[58:44] We need to be gentle and as well as patient with them. considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. So, that caution there. So, to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
[59:01] We are to have that proper reverence for God's law. And in being gentle and bearing one another's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ.
[59:13] one more in 2 Timothy. And this one we'll be looking in chapter 20, or chapter 2, not 22, verse 22.
[59:27] Chapter 22 to 25. Chapter 2 verses 22 to 25. Get that right. Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
[59:46] But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.
[60:07] So, this is basically a repeat of what we saw in 1 Timothy 3. We are to flee youthful lusts, but to pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, you know, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes that these false teachers like to go on with, to avoid those.
[60:34] servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach and patient, being humble, humbly in humility, correcting those who are in opposition.
[60:50] So, just some examples of gentleness within Scripture. Scripture. And so, in conclusion, as we celebrate our fathers today, let us, men, and fathers, you know, let us reflect on our character.
[61:11] Who are we really? What do others see in us? And most importantly, what does God see in us? He is all-seeing and all-knowing.
[61:24] No one knows us better than God. He sees our deeds and He knows our thoughts. Are we living up to His standards?
[61:37] Let's focus on walking in God's will, being the man, the husband, the father that He wants us to be, leading our families closer to the Lord.
[61:51] Spend time in prayer. Spend time in the Word. Focus on the truth of God's Word. Share it with our families.
[62:02] And last but not least, let's spend time with our families. Family is a blessing from God and He has placed their souls in our care for a season.
[62:18] to nurture and to raise up more followers of Christ. So my challenge this morning then is to step up and to lead.
[62:30] Be the man of God that you are called to be. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we bow before you this morning.
[62:41] Lord, first of all, we thank you for this day, Lord. We thank you for your great love for us, Lord. Lord, we thank you for the order, for your creation and the order that you have put it in, Lord, that you have called us as men, as husbands, as fathers, to lead, to lead our spouses, to lead our families, families, and even to be leaders within the church, Lord.
[63:13] It is what you have called us to. And maybe not even in the capacity as a pastor, but as men within the church, we are still to be the leaders, to show leadership, to lead by example, Lord, and to lead those that you have put into our care.
[63:34] And so this morning, we pray, we ask that you give us the strength and the qualities to be men of God, to lead as you would have us to lead, to step up and take leadership, to be the head of the home, to be the head of the family, leading our families closer to you, Lord.
[64:00] Just thank you for each one here this morning. May you go with us throughout this week, and give us the strength and help us to put this leadership that you have, you have us, you would have us to exercise, just help us to put that into action.
[64:22] Just ask your blessing as we go from here this morning. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.