Good morning, church family.
Good morning.
My name is Luke Fawcett.
! Most of you know me by now.
I'm the pastoral intern here at Maranatha.
I've been really grateful to serve here since May.
I am honored and eager to open God's Word together.
The title of the message this morning is
The Priority of Pastoral Ministry.
And the text this morning is 1 Timothy 4.
If you're looking at your pew Bibles in front of you,
you can find our passage on page 992.
Page 992.
Follow along as I read the whole chapter.
Now the Spirit expressly says
that in latter times,
some will depart from the faith
by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits
and teachings of demons.
Through the insincerity of liars
whose consciences are seared,
who forbid marriage
and require abstinence from foods
that God created to be received with thanksgiving
by those who believe and know the truth.
For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected
if it is received with thanksgiving.
For it is made holy
by the word of God and prayer.
If you put these things before the brothers,
you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,
being trained in the words of the faith
and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths.
Rather, train yourself for godliness.
For while bodily training is of some value,
godliness is of value in every way,
as it holds promise for the present life
and also for the light to come.
The saying is trustworthy
and deserving of full acceptance.
For to this end,
we toil and strive
because we have our hope
set on the living God
who is the Savior of all people,
especially of those who believe.
Command and teach these things.
Let no one despise you for your youth,
but set the believers an example
in speech,
in conduct,
in love,
in faith,
in purity.
Until I come,
devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture,
to exhortation,
to teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was given you by prophecy
when the council of elders
laid their hands on you.
Practice these things.
Immerse yourself in them.
So that all may see your progress.
Keep a close watch
on yourself
and on the teaching.
Persist in this.
For by so doing,
you will save both yourself
and your hearers.
our text this morning
sets out to answer
a single question
from many angles.
What does ministry
depend on?
What does ministry depend on?
You see,
up to this point,
the young pastor,
Timothy,
has received a number of charges
from the apostle Paul
concerning the ministry.
Timothy must correct
these teachers
who love to discuss ideas
but don't arrive at the truth.
Stop speculating.
Start stewarding.
Chapter 1,
verses 3-7.
Timothy must maintain
church discipline
of Hymenaeus and Alexander.
Known members of the church.
Chapter 1,
verses 18-20.
Timothy must also
call the men
to stop quarreling
and start praying.
Chapter 2,
verse 8.
Timothy must call
the women likewise
to quit
their spotlighting
of their clothes
and their styles
and start setting
the example
of good works.
Chapter 2,
verses 9-10.
Timothy must instruct
the church
to raise up
men of character,
not popularity,
not persuasion,
who will lead the church
in sound doctrine
and faithfulness
to Jesus.
And then,
at the center
of it all,
Timothy must uphold
the gospel
of Jesus Christ
as this glue
that binds
the church together
as the household
of faith
and as the pillar
of the truth.
Chapter 3,
verses 16-18.
In light of all
of this,
how is Timothy
to fulfill
the ministry?
What does ministry
depend on?
There are a number
of answers
that we could come up with.
Maybe ministry
depends on
a comprehensive
knowledge
of the scripture.
You have to
understand the Bible
to be able
to refute
false teachers.
And certainly,
pastors must know
their Bibles.
Maybe ministry
depends on
doctrinal clarity.
You can't teach
men and women
how to fulfill
their roles
if you don't know
your ecclesiology
and your anthropology.
Certainly,
pastors must be
able to teach.
Maybe ministry
depends on
cultural awareness,
knowing the politics
and the pitfalls
of leadership
and how to avoid them.
And certainly,
pastors must understand
the world
that they live in
and minister in.
Maybe ministry
depends on skill
and counsel
or care for the body.
And later,
Paul will go on
to tell Timothy
how to instruct
elders and widows.
Certainly,
pastors must know
and love
their people.
And there are
many other qualities
that could be added
to the list.
Pastors must have
their families in order.
They should have
a healthy marriage.
And their communication
must be sharp.
On and on,
we could probably
come up with
an endless list
of things
that ministry
could depend on.
And the reality
is that 1 Timothy
commends all these
responsibilities
for pastors.
They have to know
their Bibles.
They have to be able
to teach.
They have to have
their families in order.
But what does
ministry depend on?
What will make
or break
a pastor,
a leader,
or a parent?
Amid the dangers
and demands
of ministry,
there is one
central concern.
Make progress
in godliness.
That is what
ministry depends on.
Make progress
in godliness.
And that is the main
idea of the message
today.
So beginning
in verse 1,
we see point 1.
perilous departures
in ministry.
Perilous departures
in ministry.
Last week,
Andrew emphasized
the nature
of the church,
this pillar
and buttress
of the truth.
Chapter 3,
verse 15.
And it's in fact
our confession
of scripture
that centers
on the person
and work
of Christ.
He is the center
of our confession.
He is what gives
the church
its shape
and its form.
We must not
move past that
too quickly.
Because there is
no ministry,
there is no
progress
apart from Jesus.
And if we
deviate from Jesus,
we actually
deviate from the
faith.
That's where
we find ourselves
in the outset
of our text.
Verse 1.
Some will
depart
from the faith,
Paul says.
If making
progress
in godliness
is the focus
of our text
in primarily
verses 6 to 16,
then verses 1 to 5
provide the background
for it.
It's the situation
and outcome here
contrast with,
and then they
emphasize the necessity
of godliness.
Just take note
of some of the
stark contrasts
in the language.
Some will depart
from the faith,
verse 1,
is set against
you will save
yourself
and your hearers.
Verse 16.
Devote themselves
to deceitful spirits
and teachings
of demons.
Verse 1.
It's set against
devote yourself,
Timothy,
to the public
reading of scripture,
to exhortation
and to teaching.
Verse 13.
Through the
insincerity of liars
whose consciences
are seared.
Verse 2.
It's set against
you will be
a good servant
of Jesus Christ,
being trained
in the words
of the faith
and of the sound
doctrine.
The danger
of departure
is real.
And the necessity
of godliness
is paramount.
The text says
that those who
have departed
have devoted
themselves
to these teachings.
These teachings
described as
deceptive
and demonic.
And these
descriptive words
indicate that
ideas are not
just conceptual.
Ideas are
intrinsically
spiritual.
You see,
we live in an age
where information
is everything.
It's almost
a gluttony
of information
that we have
access to.
So many ideas
and it's hard
to sift
the tasteful
from the poisonous.
Right?
We have media,
podcasts,
messages,
streaming.
And just one
minute of scrolling
TikTok or
Instagram reels,
we might have
consumed 20
different videos
without really
understanding what
it is that we're
watching or
listening to.
I was actually
in a restaurant
not too long ago,
literally went into
the bathroom
and there was a TV
in front of me.
I was like,
this is the weirdest
thing.
Why am I
watching TV
while I'm
going to
the bathroom?
But the reality
is we cannot
get away from it.
There is this
inundation of
entertainment
and information.
And it's not
that entertainment
or information
is inherently
evil or demonic
or antithetical
to God.
It's that
overconsumption
of information
begins to
dull your mind
and your conscience
away from
discernment.
Our culture
packages ideas
in a way
that makes it
nearly impossible
to think about
what we're watching.
So Timothy,
information
is not just
information.
In our passage,
the teachers
and the listeners
are not just
intellectually deceived.
They are
spiritually
bankrupt.
And here's
what's shocking
to me.
The idea
that they followed
after is not
a denial
of the humanity
of Christ.
It's not a denial
of his resurrection,
even though we see
that in other places.
It's that they
forbid food
and marriage.
This departure
from the faith
is not by
leaving the church.
It's by leaving
the doctrines
that demonstrate
the sufficiency
of Christ
in salvation.
That's where
the departure
has taken place.
You see,
they're promoting
this physical
abstinence,
but the problem
is not in singleness.
It's not in fasting.
Jesus was a single man,
and yet he commended
marriage
as God's design.
Jesus also spent
time fasting,
and yet he went
to dinner parties
and he enjoyed
weddings.
But even so,
food and marriage
are not ends
in themselves.
For Paul will soon
assert that bodily
training is actually
of some value.
So what are we
to make of this
departure?
What is Paul's
point here?
It's that abstinence
and enjoyment
are not the point.
Treasuring Christ
is.
To abstain
or to enjoy
means little
if Jesus is not
the reason.
And we can think
about endless examples
in our own culture,
our own context
for this.
Why set the alarm
earlier
versus sleep in?
Why eat at McDonald's
versus choose
the salad bar?
Why sit with your
friends versus
pursue the friend list?
Why read John Piper
versus watching
your favorite TV show?
Or serve on a Sunday
versus spending it
with your family?
You see,
we may look spiritual
and feel spiritual
if that is all
the substance
of our action.
If we're just
pursuing another thing
without making
any progress
in godliness.
godliness.
So what is going
to get you
right with God?
And what is going
to keep you
right with God?
How do we make
progress
in godliness?
The answer is that
the same thing
that gets you
right with God
is the same thing
that keeps you
right with God.
It's faith
in the sufficiency
of Christ.
It's not a form.
It's not a regulation.
It's not a goal.
It's not even
progress itself.
The problem was
that these people
were promoting
this performance-based
kind of spiritual life.
Disciplining the body
was,
disciplining the body
by denying it pleasure
had become
the main strategy
for gaining favor
with God.
And in doing so,
they had departed
from Jesus.
There is much,
I think,
in this small
section of Scripture
for sinners
and saints
who struggle
with embodiment.
Many of us,
I think,
want a different image.
Food
and mirrors
and pleasure
have just lost
their taste.
Many of us
struggle with
the decay
of the body.
even while we live
and our bodies
seem to betray
every effort we make
at working
to sustain them.
So what are we
to do
with the corruption
of our bodies?
Is it better
to eat
or not to eat?
What are we
to do
with body image
and the decay
of everything?
Jesus
understands
the difficult.
Jesus understands
the difficulty
of embodiment.
When Hebrews
says that he
became like us
in every way,
it wasn't a figure
of speech.
That was
Jesus'
life.
Matthew says
that foxes
have holes
and birds
have nests,
but the Son of Man
has nowhere
to lay his head.
Jesus hungered.
Jesus felt
exhausted
from the constant
demands of the crowd.
He understood
pressure.
Pressure from enemies.
Pressure from authorities.
Pressure from family.
Pressure from friends.
Pressure from his disciples.
Pressure from temptation.
And pressure from success.
And always
the unrelenting
pressure
of this journey
to Jerusalem
where he would
break his body
and spill his blood
for our forgiveness
and redemption.
But here's
the good news.
Jesus is alive.
His bodily
resurrection
ensures
our bodily
resurrection.
Very soon
we will meet
Jesus
or he will
meet us.
And this is how
Paul says it.
We shall not all sleep,
that is,
die,
but
we shall all
be changed.
In a moment,
in the twinkling
of an eye,
at the last trumpet,
for the trumpet
will sound
and the dead
will be raised
imperishable
and we
shall be changed.
For this
perishable body
must put on
the imperishable
and this mortal
body
must put on
immortality.
that is
good news
for saints
and sinners
who struggle
with the body.
We've observed
perilous departures
in ministry,
now let's turn
to the private
life and the
public activity
of faithful
ministry.
So point number
two,
private life
in ministry.
Private life
in ministry.
Let's look again
at verse six.
Paul says this,
If you put
these things
before the
brothers,
you will be
a good servant
of Christ Jesus,
being trained
in the words
of the faith
and of the good
doctrine
that you have
followed.
This conditional
statement hinges
on what these
things are.
Whatever these
things are,
that's the condition.
And it's repeated
again in verse
11.
Paul says,
Command and teach
these things.
So what does
these things
refer to?
I would argue
that the things
that Paul tells
Timothy to shepherd
the church in
are the same
things that he's
been instructing
him with all
along.
It's the whole
of the letter,
which this previous
section illustrates.
It's this relationship
between doctrine
and godliness,
or doctrine
and the gospel
that leads to
this Christian life
and this devotion
to Jesus.
Look again
at the purpose
statement in 314.
He says that
I hope to come
to you soon,
but I am writing
these things
to you so that
if I delay,
you may know
how one ought
to behave
in the household
of God,
which is the
church of the
living God,
a pillar and
a buttress
of the truth.
And that truth
that the church
upholds is the
gospel.
That's the next
confession that
you hear in
verse 16.
You see,
it's Christ
that makes
teaching Christian.
That's why
the servant
imagery for
Christian ministry
I think is
so helpful.
We often
think of a
servant as
someone who
completes the
right tasks.
So you help
your mom with
the dishes,
or you shovel
the driveway
for your neighbor.
But being a
servant is not
just a responsibility.
It is an
identity.
It is who
you are.
The metaphor
might be more
clear if we
exchange servant
for slave.
It's not a
popular connotation
for modern
ears, but
this is the
meaning in
biblical language.
And the
language communicates
at least two
realities.
First, there
is a master,
Christ Jesus,
who directs our
life and our
practice.
And second,
there is this
stewardship that
we have received
and that we're
entrusted with to
multiply.
And that
stewardship, I
think, is the
words of Christ
itself.
It is the
gospel.
And that we
multiply in
relationships.
I think these
realities are at
the heart of
ministry.
And that's why
the next command
is so important.
Have nothing to
do with irreverent
silly myths.
Rather, train
yourself for
godliness.
Honestly, I'm
not sure what
these myths
refer to.
But notice how
it contrasts with
godliness.
not sound
doctrine.
Whatever these
myths are, they're
promoting this
speculation, this
love of ideas, but
not a stewardship of
what they've
received.
Paul calls these
vain discussions
because they're
characterized by this
self-promotion, this
building up of
self.
I want to be a
teacher, and so I'll
discuss these
things.
Knowing the right
things is what
seems to get you
into the inner
circle.
people.
Or having the
right heritage and
the right family
background gives you
status with God's
people.
But that is not how
a good steward
thinks.
A steward doesn't
sit around discussing
how to most
effectively run the
master's business.
He gets to work
running it.
He does the work.
He invests and he
risks so that his
master can get a
reward.
He's not concerned
about himself.
His main concern is
the commendation of
his master.
Godly people find
their worth in God,
not in their success,
not in their growth,
not in their heritage,
or their position,
or their knowledge.
But in fact,
godliness is not an
end to itself.
Look at verse 10.
For to this end we
toil and strive.
Why?
Because we have our
hope set on godliness?
No, on the living
God who is the
savior of all people,
especially of those
who believe.
Souls are at stake
in ministry.
We work for a
particular end,
the salvation and
preservation of the
people of God.
And is there a
better thing to work
for?
What does money,
position,
and status mean
if it's not moving
us in the direction
of knowing God
and making him
known?
This end of
salvation and
preservation.
And the promise
and hope of salvation
requires us to keep
our eyes up
and to look ahead
to the goal of
eternal life.
when I was first
learning how to
drive,
straight roads were
pretty easy,
but curves were
tough.
Just a little
kind of adjustment,
teens, you probably
know this, you're
driving.
A little adjustment
makes a big
difference, right?
It's not like those
arcade games that you're
like spinning the
wheel, right?
for a while I could
not make a smooth
turn for the life
of me.
But it was because I
was like this,
looking in between the
lines and trying to
stay centered.
And there was
something that my
mom, who was
helping me drive,
used to repeat to me
that made the
difference.
She said,
keep your eyes
ahead of the curve.
Keep your eyes
ahead of the curve.
Now that's pretty
counterintuitive,
right?
I had to look
ahead to stay
centered.
But the Christian
life is essentially
that.
It's staying centered
on Jesus despite
the curves of our
flesh, the curves
of the world, the
curves of false
teaching.
And you actually,
here's the
counterintuitive
reality.
You have to look
ahead to stay
centered.
You have to keep
your eyes on
eternity.
to live well in
the present.
That is how we
make progress in
godliness.
But the picture of
progress isn't a
perfect image.
I don't want to
give you this rosy
picture.
We have an
eternal enduring
hope.
But life in this
age is not easy.
And I think that's
why Paul gives
this comparison to
bodily training.
He says in verse
eight, for while
bodily training is of
some value,
godliness is of
value in every
way.
Anyone who
understands or
has tried to
exercise and
train their body
knows that it
requires strenuous
effort over time.
Strenuous effort
over time.
Just the daily
effort to get up
and go to the
gym or get on
your cycle or go
jog around the
block is not
easy.
And literally,
when you're
working out,
you're tearing
your muscles so
that they can
build themselves
back up.
I mean, who
wants to do
that?
Maybe some weird
people, but they
enjoy the tearing.
But no, it's the
goal of growth.
It's the goal of
getting better.
better.
And the thing
is that over
time, you
actually see your
muscles grow.
You actually see
them get toned.
And then those
things that you
don't really want to
talk about, they
lessen.
And I think it's
the same with
making progress in
godliness.
It requires us to
take our hearts
and our habits
to Jesus
again and
again in
repentance and
faith, saying,
Lord, help me
to please you.
But this is the
good news, that
over time, Jesus
actually becomes
better in our
hearts.
We actually want
it because we're
growing.
Our muscles, our
spiritual muscles are
getting better, and
we say, you know
what?
The flesh, that's
not even worth it.
Anger, that's
destructive.
Lust, it's
damaging.
I don't want it.
Jesus is better.
So this effort at
godliness in the
private life will
inevitably shape the
ministry activity in
public.
And that's the
third point, public
activity and
ministry.
Public activity and
ministry.
Paul here is
essentially giving
two commands.
don't get
discouraged, but
set the example.
And don't
neglect the gift, but
devote yourself to
teaching.
It's these two
responsibilities that
I think make up
ministry.
This imitation and
instruction.
Imitation and
instruction.
The question isn't
will people watch
you?
The question is
what kind of
example will they
see?
What kind of
example are we
setting?
Pastor Bobby
Jameson in his
book, The Path to
Being a Pastor, puts
it this way.
I think it's both
true and kind of
funny.
The day you start
serving as pastor
is the day that
everyone starts
watching you.
And that's true.
If you've been in
any kind of
leadership role, you
know that imitation
is inevitable.
We cannot get
away from setting
an example.
people.
And parents
probably know this
better than most.
Right?
Children do what
they see more than
what they hear.
We think, man, why
is this kid so angry
and selfish?
And he's just using
his words like
weapons?
And I'm like,
that must be me.
Oh no.
I need to change.
I had this problem
with my younger
brother.
I wasn't a parent
obviously, but I
grew up in a big
family.
There's a lot of
imitation between
siblings.
And occasionally
as a kid, I would
get into a freezer
because we had
chocolate chip cookie
dough ice cream
that was just
amazing.
And I was like,
you know, what's
the harm in a few
scoops, a few
spoonfuls here and
there?
But one day I
noticed my younger
brother opening the
freezer and taking
out the ice cream
and starting to eat
it right as my mom
is cooking dinner.
I'm like, bro, you
can't get into the
ice cream right now.
Don't you know
that you're about to
eat dinner and we
need that for later?
And you know what
he said?
You did it.
I hate that.
But it was true,
right?
Like, I did it.
He was right.
See, imitation is
inevitable.
It is inevitable.
So Timothy must set an
example instead of just
telling the church what
to do.
And it's not actually
man-centered for
Timothy to say,
follow me.
This is how God has
designed relationships,
that we imitate those
that we trust, those
that we see their lives
and we say, I want to
be like that.
You know, I'm not
sure where this person
is going astray,
where this, I can't
articulate what the
scripture says about
this nuance, but it
doesn't jive with the
person that I've
learned from.
I trust my parents
and I don't know if I
agree with what this
person is saying.
Sometimes the greatest
defense against false
doctrine and misplaced
devotion is a godly
example.
A godly example.
But imitation must be
coupled with instruction.
So Paul says in verse
13, until I come,
devote yourself to
public reading of
scripture.
to exhortation and
to teaching.
What do these three
things have in common?
It's that they're
centered on scripture.
Read it, preach it,
teach it, Timothy.
Those who want to make
progress in godliness
have to be people of
the word.
Because it's the word
in which Jesus reveals
himself to us.
It's the word where he
makes himself known.
And then verse 14
gives just the flip
side of verse 13.
Devote yourself to
teaching and do not
neglect the gift you
have, which was given
you by prophecy when the
council of elders laid
their hands on you.
So he's telling
Timothy, don't be
apathetic.
Don't neglect what you've
received, this gift
that's been given.
Now there are a lot of
Bible readers who
differ on what this
gift is.
The New American
Standard Version
actually translates
this spiritual gift.
But most Bible
readers or
translators just
leave it as gift.
And there are two
other places in the
pastoral epistles
where similar language
is used in reference
to Timothy.
1 Timothy 118.
This charge I
entrust to you,
Timothy, my child
in accordance with
the prophecies
previously made about
you, that by them
you may wage the
good warfare.
prayer.
And then 2 Timothy
1.6.
For this reason I
remind you to fan
into flame the gift
of God, which was
given by the laying
on of hands.
So is this gift the
ministry itself, or is
it something that
empowers Timothy for
ministry, like teaching
or confidence in the
face of false
teachers, or a
spiritual gift?
faith?
Honestly, I'm not
certain.
But I lean towards
seeing it as the gift
in reference to
pastoring.
The laying on of
hands seems to
refer to this
pastoral affirmation
from the Ephesian
elders.
Actually, later in
chapter 5, Paul will
tell Timothy, don't be
hasty in the laying
on of hands.
And I think what he's
saying is, do you
see all these
examples of teachers
who are leading
people astray?
Do not be hasty in
affirming pastors and
teachers.
Make sure the
character lines up.
But also the closest
referent is this
ministry of teaching
in verse 13 that he's
supposed to devote
himself to.
Now, kind of in
verse 15, Paul
summarizes all that
he's been saying with
four active commands
and one promise.
Practice, immerse,
keep watch, persist.
For by so doing, you
will save both
yourself and your
hearers.
So point four,
persistent effort in
ministry.
Persistent effort in
ministry.
What must Timothy
practice?
What are these things
referring to this time?
I don't think this
actually refers to the
whole letter or even
necessarily the
substance of the
gospel.
I think this refers to
what Paul has just
said, this imitation
and instruction that
comprises the
ministry.
And notice the
connotation of these
verbs, what it
communicates in it.
He says, practice
these things.
This isn't like
preparing for a play,
high schoolers, where
you rehearse your line
and prep for the main
event.
He's not telling
Timothy to recite his
sermons until they
sound good on Sunday.
The New American
Standard Version says,
take pains.
I think the idea is
something about
diligence.
This ongoing effort
at imitation and
instruction.
And then a different
kind of verb.
Immerse yourself in
them.
Don't just engage with
your head.
Engage with your heart.
Engage with your hands.
This whole person
giving yourself to
imitation and
instruction.
What we think, what
we love, and what we
do must be conformed
to Jesus.
There's no room for
hypocrisy in
pastoring.
And the good news
again is that there
is actually visible
progress.
Christians can
actually grow.
This isn't just an
idea.
It's actually the
expectation if
Timothy gives himself
and we give
ourselves to making
progress in
godliness.
The third verb is
keep watch over
yourself and on the
teaching.
The verb implies
that temptations and
distractions will come.
It's not a matter of
the world and the
flesh and sin
getting in the way.
It's will we be
distracted?
Will we drift from
Jesus?
Persistence.
Persistence requires
stamina.
Ministry is a
marathon.
It's not a
sprint.
A lot of young
Christians in a
good way are very
zealous for God.
They're learning
theology and they're
learning the
scriptures.
But when they hit a
trial, it's like,
where did God go?
But the reality is
that ministry and
the Christian life is
a marathon.
It's not a sprint.
And every trial,
every difficulty is an
opportunity to continue
in growing in
godliness.
the sobering reality.
The sobering reality, I
think, of verse 16 is
that there are two
outcomes in
ministry.
Salvation or
shipwreck.
Salvation or
shipwreck.
I think the quote from
Pastor Paul Tripp puts
it well.
Leadership in the
church of Jesus
Christ is not a
battle for theological
faithfulness, or
sorry, not just a
battle for theological
faithfulness, gospel
purity, and
methodological integrity.
It is also always a
war for the heart of
every leader.
Many more leaders
fail because they
have lost the battle
of their heart than
because of shifts in
their theology or view
of the gospel.
people.
And the sobering reality
is that the pastoral
epistles are full of
examples of people who
have lost the battle.
They were likely a part
of the group at one
point, but they became
enamored with something
other than Jesus.
Genealogies or
position or power or
money.
And these same dangers
can shipwreck our
ministry too.
The love of money, the
love of power, the
love of success, pride,
suffering, cynicism.
That seems pretty bleak
to be honest.
So what is our hope?
What does ministry
depend on?
It depends on making
progress in godliness.
It depends on keeping
our eyes up to Jesus,
the one who keeps us.
I want to conclude with
two words of exhortation.
There's two ways to think
about this text.
First, don't pursue
arrival.
Pursue Jesus.
Don't pursue
arrival.
Pursue Jesus.
If you pursue
arrival, goals
rather than godliness
will become the focus.
You'll be so set on
making the next
thing that you'll
miss God in the
process.
But the weird thing is
that if you pursue
Jesus,
you will never
arrive.
You'll be coming to
him again and again
and again in faith
and repentance
and worship.
And isn't that the
Christian life?
It's not arriving.
It's pursuing him.
When I got out of
college, you know,
college is this time
of an insane amount
of information being
thrown at you.
And you're working
50, 60 hours on
homework.
And for me, I was
an RA and I had a
job and I had a
fiance.
And it was like,
man, when I get out
of college, it's
going to be great.
I'm going to have
all this time for
learning.
I'm going to be set.
And it doesn't work
out that way.
There's always more
to do.
And that's actually a
good thing.
It's not a bad thing
necessarily.
It makes us return
to Christ in every
moment and say,
Lord, how can I
please you?
What is the priority?
Help me to honor
you.
Second, create
margin for learning
so that you can
make progress.
Learning isn't
about getting more
busy with books
and articles
and conferences.
It's actually the
opposite.
It's the slowing
down to reflect
and to remember
God.
Time seems to
always be the issue
with priorities.
And we all know
this kind of in
different ways.
there's another
email.
There's another
activity.
There's more
teaching, more
training, more
conversations, more
needs in our
families.
And our culture
provides, ironically,
more ways to
multitask efficiently
in all these
things.
But the reality is
that it doesn't
accelerate godliness.
Godliness happens
through persistent
effort with God
over time.
Persistent
effort with God
over time.
And progress
requires that.
So we don't
microwave spirituality.
We have to
create margin for
learning and
growing.
Let me conclude
with Titus 2,
11 to 14.
This kind of
sums up
really Paul's
message.
And it's a word
of hope for us.
He says this,
For the grace of
God has appeared,
bringing salvation
for all people,
training us to
renounce ungodliness
and worldly
passions, and to
live self-controlled,
upright, and godly
lives in the present
age, waiting for
our blessed hope,
the appearing of
the glory of our
great God and
Savior, Jesus
Christ, who gave
himself for us,
to redeem us from
all lawlessness,
and to purify for
himself a people for
his own possession,
who are zealous
for good works.
Amen.
Let's pray.
Father, how we
need you.
We're so prone to
distraction.
We're so prone to
deviate from Christ,
to make something
else our goal.
Lord, even good
things.
And you know our
hearts.
We want to please
you.
So, Lord, I pray
that you would
recenter us in our
progress and
godliness.
Help us, Lord, to
bring all of our
responsibilities,
all of our cares,
and our concerns to
you, and ask,
Lord, how can we be
pleasing to you?
And thank you, Lord,
that because of
Jesus, we are, in
fact, pleasing to
you.
Lord, because of his
righteousness, we are
made clean.
So, Lord, help these
things to motivate our
growth and godliness.
Make us godly men and
women who love you and
love our neighbor with
all of our hearts.
We ask these things,
Lord, only by your
Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.