Open your Bibles, if you would, with me to 1 Timothy chapter 6.
We'll be finishing off our time this morning in this letter, as Paul kind of provides his concluding statements and his call to Timothy in terms of directives and how to lead and love this church.
1 Timothy chapter 6. If you're using your pew Bible, it's on page 993.
We're going to find in this passage two verses, one in verse 14 of chapter 6, which says,
Keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach.
That word for keep is the word for guard, to protect, to preserve.
And then in verse 20, where he says, O Timothy, guard the good deposit.
What do you think of when you hear about guarding, protecting information?
What do you hear, what do you think about when you think about preserving the identity that you might have?
Well, even this morning, as I was getting ready to print notes and to set up my computer,
there was a verification process that happened in order to protect my identity.
I'm on my computer and I'm logging into my email and I have to provide my password.
And then the authentication notice that then comes to my phone.
And I've got to give it the right number because that number comes up.
I put the number in there and then I have to hit yes to say, yes, it's me.
And then I have to use my fingerprint to make sure that yes, it's me is a really yes, it's me.
And it's coming from the number that I got from a totally different device.
All of the steps we go to protect identity, to protect information.
I'm wondering at some point I might have to provide like a saliva sample or an eye retina scan or a DNA,
you know, all of those things that may be coming at some time in the future.
We understand something about protecting information, don't we?
We recognize that software companies, they use these password protections.
They use these multi-layered verification statements.
Even Amazon, if you're logging into your Amazon account, it will send that notification to a different device.
You have to say, yes, it's me.
You can finally get in and order your stuff that you want to order.
Museums keep valuable artifacts in that secure vault set away, set aside from the passer buyer to make sure that it is preserved.
And so any of you who might go to like Washington, D.C., you're looking at those special, the Declaration of Independence or whatever it is,
and it's under a certain glass and it's protected in a certain way.
The lighting is just right.
Or a researcher that's storing sensitive data on a secure server with limited access.
And here we are, we're kind of moving into the holidays.
And I know, I know some of you ladies have those special recipes that are protected.
You know, they're passed down from one generation to the other,
and you're not going to let anybody know that secret recipe if they want to know it
or enjoy the benefits of that recipe that you have.
They have to come over to your house.
It's not going to be disseminated.
Those kinds of things that we do to protect information.
But here in this final bit of directives that the Apostle Paul is giving Timothy,
he wants Timothy to preserve information, but not like the way we preserve our information.
The way that Timothy is going to guard and protect this entrustment that he's been given,
the way he's going to guard and keep the commandments is not to hold them to himself,
but to disseminate them in a way that is consistent and clear and unadulterated and uncorrupted, undefiled.
That message that he's going to continue to communicate and to help compete against
and provide a contrast to that message that we've been hearing about all along in 1 Timothy,
that false teaching, that different doctrine, those endless genealogies,
those statements that lead to division.
Timothy is going to help preserve the faith and preserve sound teaching by communicating the truth,
not by holding it back, not by keeping it to himself.
So as we come to this passage this morning,
recognize that all of us, because of the word of God that we have,
have the distinct privilege, along with Timothy, of guarding the deposit that we've been entrusted to,
of keeping the commandments.
And it doesn't mean keeping it to yourself.
As a matter of fact, the best way for us to guard and to keep the commands is to share them,
is to convey them from one generation to the next.
To impart the gospel, the right words of God from the scriptures to the people that you love
and to the people in your circles.
Guard it by sharing it.
And that's what we're going to see this morning.
It's a struggle that Paul will describe throughout our text today.
It's a struggle for faith.
A struggle to ensure that this church that is the pillar and buttress of the truth,
as he describes there in chapter 3,
remains true to the scriptures that it's been entrusted with.
So fight for faith.
That's what we're going to see this morning in our time together.
So if you're there, let me read for you verse 11 and 12,
and we'll get started this morning.
We're going to see, first of all, a fight for faith personally.
Notice that as I read.
As for you, O man of God, flee these things.
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith.
Take hold of eternal life to which you were called
and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Timothy, fight the good fight of faith.
And this is something that you need to do for yourself personally, individually.
It begins with you.
If you're ever going to fight this fight of faith,
and it's going to do anybody any good,
first of all, you need to know what the word of God is.
You need to ensure that that word of God is transforming you
and helping you to be a representative for that truth in a pure way.
So fight for faith personally, Timothy.
He begins with several instructions.
We're going to find throughout our time this morning,
this succession of imperatives,
these commands that Paul will begin to just issue out to Timothy.
These are the things I want you to do.
These are the directives for your life.
This is the way you're going to fight for the faith
in your life and also in the lives of those that you are directed to lead.
He begins with flee from spiritual danger.
Flee from spiritual danger.
That's our first command this morning.
Flee these things, he says.
With this opening phrase, Paul provides this sharp contrast.
He uses this contrastive word, but,
that helps draw out the difference between Timothy and these teachers
that he's just spoken about in verses 2 to verse 10.
This contrast that will shine its way through the life of Timothy
and provide this set-apartness,
this gospel life that's been transformed.
Timothy, live this way, and you do this, first of all,
by fleeing these things.
He begins not only with this contrastive word,
but also with this unique identity.
Oh, man of God, he says.
A title that only shows up twice in the New Testament,
but a title that is used, this man of God,
68 times in the Old Testament.
It's used as a title for Moses,
for David, for the prophets,
for Elijah, for Elisha.
This man of God,
which was this identity
for men who represented the word of God.
Not just men who were godly,
but men who were men of God.
They derived their identity,
their mission,
their purpose.
They derived it from God himself.
As men of God,
they were on mission for God.
They represented God.
They spoke for God
with the words of God.
Timothy, you are such a man.
You are a man of God.
You derive your identity from him,
your purpose from him.
And as men and women of God,
there are certain commitments.
There are certain behaviors
that will drive us,
that will shape our lives.
That is, they will help us
to be the kind of person
that will make us effective
in this fight for the gospel.
They will help to stabilize us
and will help us represent
this pure word of God
that has been given to us.
2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17
is the only other time
in the New Testament
where we see this phrase,
man of God.
All scripture is breathed out by God
and is profitable
for teaching,
for reproof,
for correction,
and training in righteousness
that the man of God
may be complete,
equipped for every good work.
By the way,
this is not just for men.
This is for men and women.
We can be men and women of God.
We derive our purpose.
We derive our mission.
We derive our authority
from God himself
and his words.
We represent him
by speaking his words.
And thus,
by speaking God's words,
we represent this pure gospel.
If Timothy was to be faithful,
a man of God,
he needed to begin
by fleeing these things.
Flee is this present imperative,
this command for the present day,
but continuing on from day to day
until he was to be with Jesus.
This ever-present reality of Timothy,
be a man who flees,
who runs away,
who escapes,
who avoids danger.
This word,
to flee,
is the word
from which we get
the word fugitive,
this one who is running.
Timothy,
don't linger.
Don't be complacent,
but run away
as fast as you can.
Put as much distance
between yourself
and the danger
that exists for you spiritually.
Let running away
from spiritual danger
be this ongoing pattern
of your life.
Now,
by the way,
running from danger
is not running
from every danger
because you can see
from the Apostle Paul
that at times
he's running headlong
into danger,
that physical danger
that he was willing
to embrace
for the sake of the gospel,
but this spiritual danger
that he avoided
in his own life
that would shipwreck his faith.
That's what we're talking about.
What are those
specific things
that the Apostle Paul
is referring to?
This word,
these things,
refers to
those things
that are represented
in chapter 6,
verses 3
to verse 10.
Those things
that were in the way.
Those things
that represented
the life and character
of these false teachers.
We saw in verse 3
those words
that don't agree
with sound teaching.
Avoid those things,
Timothy.
Steer clear
of those words
that don't represent
Christ faithfully.
In verse 4,
steer clear
from those
who are proud
and confused.
Steer clear
from their teaching
that leaves
a trail of controversy
and quarreling
and envy
and dissension
and slander
and constant friction
among the brothers.
Steer clear
of those things,
Timothy,
those spiritual dangers.
In verse 5,
steer clear
of those
who are preoccupied
with financial gain.
That they're identifying
the things
that are truly
in their heart.
What their motivations are.
What their affections are.
Verse 6,
steer clear
of those who have
no concept
of contentment.
They haven't learned
that godliness
with contentment
is great gain.
In verse 9,
steer clear
of those
who fall
into temptation
and lead others
into temptation
as well.
In verse 10,
steer clear
of those
who have wandered
away from the faith.
Timothy,
steer clear
of danger.
Steer clear
of the spiritual
danger
that will shipwreck
your own soul
and will lead
to a fight
that is not
a fight
for the gospel.
Fight the fight
of faith
by running away.
So,
if you're going to
fight this fight
of faith,
run from spiritual
dangers,
Timothy.
Identify them.
Separate yourself
from them.
Abandon yourself
like a refugee
from those things
that will trip you up
and to catch you up
away from God.
But your running,
Timothy,
is not an aimless running.
It's a purposeful running.
And that's where we come
to the second command.
So,
flee from spiritual danger
but pursue spiritual life.
Pursue spiritual life.
And that's where he goes next.
Pursue righteousness,
godliness,
faith,
love,
steadfastness,
and gentleness.
Again,
this word pursue
is this present imperative,
this command
for the everyday.
day.
It's a repeated command
that Paul will even
share with Timothy
in his second letter,
2 Timothy 2.22.
He says much the same thing.
So flee
youthful passions
and pursue
righteousness,
faith,
love,
and peace
along with those
who call on the Lord
from a pure heart.
youths
repeated statements
to flee
and pursue
helps us to understand
the purposefulness
of our running.
Not just running away
from spiritual danger
but running
to the only source
of security.
Running to God
himself.
In God's economy,
there is only
one road.
And that road
only has
two directions.
A direction
to God
and a direction
away from God.
Where are you
on that road?
Are you
on the road
that is fleeing
spiritual danger
and pursuing
spiritual life?
Are you
chasing the things
that are going to
help build you
up in spiritual
things?
The kinds of things
that will
demonstrate
the work
of the gospel
in your life?
These things
that he points to.
Righteousness,
godliness,
faith,
love,
steadfastness,
and gentleness.
The consistent
theme throughout
the New Testament
is that you can't
just leave a vacuum.
You can't just say
I'm going to stop
doing bad things.
That the vacuum
in that empty space
just exposes you
to more danger.
Rather,
you replace
the emptiness
in your life,
the resistance
or reluctance
to sin,
you replace
with righteousness.
You replace
with holiness.
You replace
with activity
that helps
lead you to God.
Ephesians 4,
22-24,
in Paul's letter
to the church
of Ephesus,
he writes this,
put off
your old self
which belongs
to your former
manner of life
and is corrupt
through deceitful
desires,
and be renewed
in the spirit
of your mind
and to put on
the new self,
created after
the likeness
of God
in true
righteousness
in holiness.
Timothy,
show that there
is a work
of God
in your life.
Show the gospel
has changed you
from the inside out.
This work
of righteousness
and godliness
are two statements
that help to
demonstrate
that very point.
The godliness
that's happening
and shaping you
on the inside
and showing up
through righteousness
on the outside.
Make sure,
Timothy,
that you're living
your life
in such a way
that God has placed.
Make sure
that your motivations,
make sure
that your pursuits
are things
that represent
a life
that is motivated
by God.
This work
of faith
and love,
the second pair
of words
that kind of
come together,
this natural
outflow
of godliness
that pours out
in our responses
to others.
Not only
in our response
to God
and how we
live for Him,
but now
how that life
shows up
on the outside
to others.
This work
of faith
and trusting
God
for everything,
which we'll see
as we continue
along in
this passage.
A work
of faith
that helps
to secure
Timothy's obedience.
I trust
that God's
work
and will
for me
is better.
That I can
grab hold
of the pleasures
of this life
on my own
or I can trust
God
to give me
those good things
in His good time
and in the way
that He has
prescribed
through His word.
I'm going
to trust Him.
Not to fill out
my fleshly pursuits
on my own,
but to wait
patiently
for God
to answer
the deepest
needs of my heart
and to do it
in a way
that represents
my faith in Him.
And love,
this word for love
is a love
of volition
and choice.
It's a love
of decision.
This volition
and that love
that's voluntary,
choosing to love.
You will be marked
by an affection
for God's people.
One who loves
the Lord their God
with all their heart,
soul,
mind,
and strength
and loves their neighbor
as themselves.
That two-dimensional
kind of love
that is not only
love for God
but expresses itself
in love
for people.
Timothy,
demonstrate
that the work
of faith
in your life
has changed you
from the inside out.
This steadfastness
and this gentleness,
there's a perseverance
about you.
There's a willingness
to go the distance
and a gentleness here.
This word for gentleness
is a rare word
in the New Testament
and it's a word
of the normal word
for gentle
coupled with the word
for suffering.
It's gentleness
in the midst
of hard things.
I don't know,
have you found
as I have
in my life
that when the pressure
is pressing in,
when my day is long,
when I'm feeling raw
and I'm feeling like
I'm missing out
on sleep,
those are the times
where I'm most vulnerable
and most agitated
and least gentle.
You find yourself to be,
is that true
about yourself?
There's something
about the gospel
that shapes
the way we live.
especially in the moments
where we're most vulnerable.
There's a gentleness
about you,
Timothy.
There's a sweetness
about you.
There's a change,
the fruit of the Spirit
that is working
in your life,
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness
in self-control.
God is helping
to show up
in your life
and so the faith
of your life
is showing through
in how you live.
recognize,
though,
that this is not
going to be easy.
Fleeing from
spiritual danger
and pursuing
spiritual life
is not going to be
an easy thing.
So,
that's why he gives
this next command
that we find
in verse 12.
Fight the good fight
of faith.
Fight the good fight
of faith.
He says,
take hold
of eternal life
to which you were called
and about which
you made
the good confession
in the presence
of many witnesses.
This word for fight,
again,
is a present imperative.
It's the third one
in line.
This competition,
this fight,
this struggle.
The Greek word
is agonizomai.
Do you hear the word
agony in there?
This is a verb
that describes
fighting.
This military
or athletic
kind of word
that's used
in those two areas.
The concentration
and discipline
and conviction
that's required
in that kind of struggle
that grits it out
when things are hard.
Faith
has been a major theme
throughout the
letter of Timothy.
It's used 21 times
from start to finish.
And if you add the verb,
so the noun
for faith
and then coupled
with the verbs
for faith,
which is the word
to believe,
it's used 29 times
throughout this letter.
Right at the outset,
Paul describes Timothy
as his true son
in the faith.
Recognize Timothy
as a man of faith,
as a man of God.
Faith needs to show up
in your life
and it's a battle.
You must struggle
for faith
so that it's a reality
in your life.
And he charges Timothy
to confront
the false teachers
that promote speculation
instead of the stewardship
from God
that is by faith
there in chapter 1,
verse 5.
Paul goes on
to describe
his own experience
of faith
later on
in chapter 1,
verse 14.
He says,
And then,
of Timothy's responsibility,
he says in verse 19,
Hold faith
and a good conscience.
And if you don't,
here's the consequences.
By rejecting this,
some have made
a shipwreck
of their faith.
So,
this ministry,
Timothy,
must be marked
by faith.
both personally
and in how
you communicate
faith to others.
As we find
in chapter 4,
verse 6,
he says,
If you put
these things
before the brothers,
you will be
a good servant
of Christ Jesus
being trained,
listen,
in the words
of faith
and the good doctrine
that you have followed.
Fight the good fight
of faith.
It is a good fight.
Not an arbitrary fight
but a fight
that is oriented
around good things.
The good things
of the gospel.
Faith that leads
to God.
That's where
true goodness
comes from.
That's where
true godliness
comes from.
Have the kind
of faith
that points
people to God.
Faith that refers
to this body
of Christian truth.
The contents
of the word of God.
Recognize,
Timothy.
All that,
the instruction
that's in the word
and how that will help
to undergird
faith.
And if you do this well,
Timothy,
Paul says
in 2 Timothy 4
verses 7 and 8,
I have fought
the good fight.
I have finished
the race.
I have kept
the faith.
Henceforth,
there is laid up
for me the crown
of righteousness
which the Lord,
the righteous judge,
will award to me
on that day
and not only to me
but also to all
who have loved
his appearing.
There is a reward
for fighting
the good fight
of faith
and that reward
of course
is this future joy
we'll experience
with God himself
in glory.
When that fight
seems more
than you can bear,
then Timothy,
do this next thing,
live for eternity.
We see that in verse 12.
Live for eternity.
Really,
I'm taking the phrase,
take hold
of eternal life
and summarizing that
as live for eternity.
This word,
take hold,
is another imperative,
another command.
Understand the destination,
Timothy.
Understand the whole purpose
for which you exist.
Take hold
of this eternal life.
Don't live
for the here and now,
Timothy.
Live for what is coming
or understand
the accountability
of the God
that you serve.
Understand the great mission
that you've been set for.
Recognize the idea
of the identity
that he's given to you.
There is this new reality,
this new objective,
this new destination,
Timothy.
Keep that in mind.
Keep that in view.
He admonishes Timothy
to get a grip.
Take hold.
Hang on, Timothy.
Don't lose your grip.
And then he reminds him
of this holding on
which happens
because he was called
to this.
This work of God
in his life.
You were called
to this,
Timothy.
Recognize the grace
of God
in calling you
to himself.
He's the one
who drew you.
Remember him.
Press on.
And then also remember
the future joy
of what you have
to anticipate
and look forward to.
Take hold
of eternal life.
Don't live for the moment.
Live for the eternity.
And remember,
Timothy,
that this good confession.
You've been called
by God
and remember
that good confession
that you had.
That confession
in the presence
of many witnesses.
I imagine
that what Paul
is referring to
is that
that moment
where Timothy
was publicly
confessing his faith
before his home church
perhaps.
Maybe it was
the day
that he got baptized.
We don't know
for sure
but that good confession.
And those of you
who have come
to faith in Christ,
I wonder
perhaps for you
if you can remember
the experience
of the moment
where you came
to Christ yourself.
For me,
it was when I was
five years old.
And even as a
five year old,
I can appreciate
in my own
innocent little way
the sin
that I brought
to the table
and the great
mercy of God
in drawing me
to himself,
forgiving me
of sin
and making me
his own.
Maybe there were
experiences
or even feelings
that you have
that maybe burdens
that were lifted
and maybe even
the presence
of God
in your life.
I think
that Paul
may be referring
to this good confession.
Remember how fresh
and new
it seemed.
Remember how excited
you were
that great
and good
confession
that you had
publicly.
Don't let
that disappear.
Know what
that purchased
for you,
this future
in heaven.
Don't allow
the hardships
that you're going
through
to erase
your memory
of that good
day,
that good
confession
where you've
been called
to be his own.
In verse 13,
the apostle Paul
moves,
remember your
ultimate motivation.
Remember your
ultimate motivation,
he says.
In verse 13,
I charge you
in the presence
of God
who gives life
to all things
and of Christ Jesus
who in his testimony
before Pontius Pilate
made the good
confession
to keep the commandments
!
The commandments
unstained and free
from reproach
until the appearing
of our Lord Jesus Christ
which he will
display at the
proper time.
He who is blessed
and only sovereign,
the King of kings
and Lord of lords
who alone
has immortality,
who dwells
in unapproachable light,
whom no one
has ever seen
or can see.
To him be glory
and eternal dominion.
Amen.
Timothy,
keep the commandments.
Why?
You're keeping
these commandments
because you know
who you are living for.
I'm charging you
in the presence
of God.
Recognize that you live
in the presence
of God himself.
God is not distant,
Timothy.
God is present.
God is active.
God is near.
God is accessible.
He's not far away.
He is present
with you.
Not like the
old song
from the 1990s,
Bette Midler.
Maybe you have heard
this song or not.
From a distance,
God is watching us
from a distance.
Ever heard that song?
Well, that's not
the kind of God
of the Bible.
The God of the Bible
is a present God.
The God of the Bible
is a near God.
The God of the Bible
is an engaged God.
He's not a distant God.
And so,
Timothy,
keep it in mind
that God is near you.
He's present with you.
And that should change
everything about
how you live.
Towards the end
of Paul's
second letter
to Timothy,
he repeats
this similar statement
in 2 Timothy 4,
verses 1 and 2,
he says this,
I charge you
in the presence
of God
and of Christ Jesus,
who is the judge
of the living
and the dead
and by his appearing
and his kingdom
preach the word.
Be ready
in season
and out of season.
Reprove,
rebuke,
exhort
with complete
patience
and teaching.
You see,
Timothy,
if you understand
that God is there,
you understand
that the work
that you do
does not depend
on you,
it depends on God.
And if you understand
that God is there,
Timothy,
you know that
whatever circumstances
that you're going through
are circumstances
that God is allowed
to happen
because of
his sovereignty.
His presence
is there,
his power
is represented,
you can trust him
just like Jesus
trusted the Father
by giving the good
confession
in the presence
of Pontius Pilate.
In the moment
where from a human
standpoint,
life hung
in the balance,
where Jesus
was giving testimony
before an earthly
judge,
Pilate,
who had the
sentence of death
or life
and Jesus
was faithful
and true
to God himself.
He entrusted
himself
to him
who judges
justly,
not Pilate,
but God.
Jesus gave
the good confession.
We find from
John chapter 18,
37,
Pilate asks
Jesus,
so,
are you a king?
Jesus answered,
you say that I'm a king.
For this purpose
I was born
and for this purpose
I have come
into the world
to bear witness
to the truth.
Everyone who is
of the truth
listens to
my voice.
Jesus kept
the commandments.
Jesus spoke
the truth.
Jesus gave
the good confession.
Jesus,
of course,
was the man
of God.
Keep Jesus
in view,
Timothy.
Don't lose
sight of his presence.
Recognize
that he's there.
Trust him.
So keep
those commandments,
Timothy.
Do it faithfully.
Trust the word
of God.
Be faithful
to the calling
that you've been given
and do it
in a way
that's unstained,
that's spotless,
without defect.
Do it in a way
that's untarnished
so you can
communicate
the commandments
and the gospel
purely
and well.
Preserve
the gospel
through your life
and through
your witness.
Timothy,
keep it pure
because God
is pure
and thus
his word
is pure.
And what will
help Timothy
as he's engaged
in the various
situations,
this doxology
that we find here
towards the end
of verse 15,
he who is blessed
and only sovereign,
the king of kings,
the lord of lords,
who alone
has immortality,
who dwells
in unapproachable light,
whom no one
has ever seen
or can see,
to him be honor
and eternal dominion.
Amen.
Timothy,
if you remember
and you set your sights
on God,
you'll remember
who is really
in control.
He is the blessed
and only sovereign God.
He is the king of kings
and lord of lords,
which means
no one can do anything
outside of his permission.
He is in control.
You can trust him,
Timothy.
He alone dwells
with immortality.
He alone is eternal.
He is the unchanging God.
You can trust him.
He's been in existence
for all of time.
He dwells
in unapproachable light
whom no eye has seen.
God is preeminent.
He is ultimate.
He is supreme.
Timothy,
you can trust him.
And everything you do
is meant
to bring him honor
and glory
because he exists
in eternal dominion.
So, Timothy,
fight the good fight
of faith
for yourself personally.
And then,
the apostle Paul
turns in verses 17 to 19
to now distribute
this responsibility.
Now, Timothy,
you have a responsibility
for yourself,
but you also have
a responsibility
for others.
Fight for faith
in others too,
Timothy.
He says in verse 17,
As for the rich
in this present age,
charge them
not to be haughty,
nor to set their hopes
on the uncertainty
of riches,
but on God,
who richly provides us
with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good,
to be rich in good works,
to be generous
and ready to share.
Thus,
storing up treasure
for themselves
as a good foundation
for the future
so that they may
take hold of that
which is truly life.
Timothy,
help those who are wealthy
to set their hope
on God.
Help the wealthy
to set their hope
on God.
This should sound
really familiar,
by the way.
The apostle Paul
has just encouraged
Timothy in the same way.
So,
now it's transferable
what Timothy
is incorporating
into his own life
in helping him
fight the fight of faith.
He is now encouraging
those who are rich
to do the same.
Keep God in focus.
Understand the purpose
for your riches
in laying up treasures
in heaven,
in establishing
and amplifying
the witness
that you have
in depending on God.
Not setting your hopes
on the uncertainty
of riches,
but setting your hopes
on the certainty
of God.
Trusting in him
because he's the one
who provides richly.
Paul wants Timothy
to understand
that those who are wealthy
have an obligation.
They have an obligation
to demonstrate
their confidence
in God.
And I want you
to understand
that those of us
in this room,
those of us living
in America,
are in the top
80% of the wealthiest
of the wealthy
in the world.
So every one of us,
regardless of your station
in life
and regardless
of the occupation
that you have,
this text applies to us.
And it's not that
we can't have wealth,
but it's that we use
our wealth in a way
that shows our confidence
in God.
We're setting our hopes
on him.
We're using our wealth
in a way
that demonstrates
that we believe
that God is the one
who provides
for our needs,
not ourselves.
Paul ends this letter
where he began.
1 Timothy 1, verse 1,
says,
Paul, an apostle of Christ,
Jesus,
by the command of God,
our Savior,
and of Christ,
Jesus,
our hope.
Timothy,
help those who are wealthy
to set their hope
on God,
not to set their hope
on the things
of this life.
Charge them,
Timothy,
command them,
and come beside
the most vulnerable.
And we've seen
Paul describe
the vulnerability
of wealth
in the previous section
in verses 6 to 10.
He talks about
godliness with contentment
as great gain.
He talks about
the fact that we brought
nothing into the world.
We're not going to take
anything out of the world.
He says in verse 9,
those who desire
to be rich
will fall into temptation.
We open ourselves up
to the temptations
of this world
being driven away
and walking
the wrong direction
on the path
instead of walking
to God,
walking away from God.
He talks about
the fact that
the rich fall
into temptation
and a snare
into senseless
and harmful desires.
This love of money,
this affection,
if it drives us
and consumes us,
is a love
that takes us
away from God.
The love of money
is the root
of all kinds of evil.
It is through
this craving,
he says in verse 10,
that some
have wandered
from the faith.
Don't be,
don't allow your wealth
to steer you
away from God.
Don't allow
your wealth,
it inclines
the wealthy,
it says,
to do two things.
First,
to be haughty
and then
to be self-sufficient.
Don't allow
your wealth
to do those things
for you,
Timothy.
Don't let wealth
make you feel
like you're better
than the people
around you.
Instruct the wealthy
to be humble,
not to be haughty.
And instruct
the wealthy
not to be self-sufficient,
but to be dependent.
You see,
those who are wealthy,
those who,
who are consumed
with accumulating more,
they fall into
various dangers
where they might say,
I can take care
of this myself.
Or,
I can save enough
and be okay
for the future.
Or,
I can be comfortable
and I can predict
and ensure
that the future
is certain.
Those are the dangers.
The dangers
of self-sufficiency
rather than
the life
and hope
on God.
So don't set
your hope
on riches,
Timothy.
Help them understand
the significance
of a life
that is resting
on God himself.
As Jesus said
to the rich young ruler
in Luke 18,
24 and 25,
spelling out again
the dangers
of wealth,
he says,
Jesus,
seeing that he
had become sad,
speaking of the
rich young ruler,
said,
how difficult
is it
for those
who have wealth
to enter
the kingdom
of God.
For it is easier
for a camel
to go through
the eye
of a needle
than for a rich
person to enter
the kingdom
of God.
Remember,
help them remember
that it is God
who provides
for their enjoyment.
He is the one
they should be
looking to
to fill out
the deepest needs
that they have.
So,
help them
to be those
who are
setting their
hope on God
and help them
to be rich
in good works.
To be rich
in good works.
Again,
this putting off
and putting on
that the Apostle Paul
is so faithful
to give
this practical
instruction.
And in verses
18 and 19,
he gives a series
of verbs
to give
to these wealthy
individuals
to know how
to safeguard
their own faith
and to help
live in a way
that's consistent
with the gospel.
Notice,
they are to do good,
to be rich
in good works,
to be generous
and ready to share,
thus storing up
treasure for themselves
as a good foundation
for the future
so that they may
hold,
take hold
of that
which is truly
life.
Make sure
they're doing good.
Make sure
they're rich
in good works.
Make sure
they're generous.
Make sure
they're willing
and able
to share.
Timothy,
encourage
the church
to live out
the gospel
by showing
their dependence
on God
and help
them to understand
that the resources
that they've been given
are resources
that now they're
entrusted to share,
that there's a stewardship
that's now
that they're responsible
to carry out
and in their stewardship
of giving
in the here
and now.
They are
laying up
treasure
for the future.
Notice,
they're storing
up treasure
that it's not,
help them to understand
the perspective
that it's not
that they're
letting go
of their stuff
but they're
laying up
treasure
for themselves
in heaven.
They're demonstrating
where their true
joy is,
their true
certainty
and hope is.
Help them
to take hold
of that
which is true life.
this word
for taking hold
is the same word
that Paul gave
to Timothy
in verse 12.
The same word
to embrace
and to understand
what they're really
living for.
Take hold
of life,
eternal life.
And then finally,
the apostle Paul
will give some
instruction to Timothy
in helping to lead
this church
generally
in verses 20 and 21
where he says,
fight for faith
in preserving
the message.
Fight for faith
in preserving
the message.
He says,
O Timothy,
guard the deposit
that's entrusted
to you.
Avoid
the irreverent
babble
in contradictions
of what is falsely
called knowledge
for by professing
it
some have
swerved
from the faith.
Grace
be with you.
Paul summarizes
this entire letter
in these two verses
where he wants Timothy
to recognize
his responsibility.
He has a responsibility
not only
to represent
the truth
and to
be transformed
by the truth
but to protect
the truth
by sharing
the truth
in a way
that is unadulterated,
that is pure,
that is dependable,
that is accurate,
full of integrity.
Timothy,
guard this
good
entrustment
this word
for deposit
is a banking term
that demotes
a sum
that's deposited,
this large sum
that's been
distributed
and of course
we understand
the value
of the gospel
that we've been given,
this good deposit
of the word
of God
that we enjoy
and we hold
in our hands,
this entrustment
that's been given,
this valuable property
for safe keeping.
Make sure,
Timothy,
that you are
guarding
this good deposit.
Make sure
that you are
communicating
the gospel
in a way
that's faithful
and dependable
and clear.
But in
guarding this deposit,
make sure
that you're also
avoiding the dangers.
This word
also kind of
carries
this
imperatival force,
this command
of avoiding
those dangers.
Don't allow
the message
to be tainted,
Timothy.
Don't get
caught up
in the kinds
of conversations
that those false
teachers are having.
Don't get caught
up in the
distractions
and the
endless
conversations,
the genealogies
and the kinds
of discussions
that would steer
one away
from the truth.
Don't allow
the gospel
to be diluted.
don't allow
it to be
perverted.
Don't allow
in your
communication
of the gospel
for some
to swerve
from the faith
because they're
wrapped up
in all the
things that
will lead
them away
from the
path.
And Timothy,
allow the grace
of God
to adorn
your life.
Be marked
by the work
of God's
grace.
Be driven
by the work
of God's
grace.
Let the
testimony
of God's
grace
guide
your efforts.
Let that
testimony
of God's
grace
inform the
way that
you interact
with others.
God,
allow this
grace,
which is the
evidence
of God's
presence,
to be
sweetly
present
in your
life.
Allow
the Holy
Spirit
to work
mightily
through you
because
only God
will continue
this work
in you,
Timothy.
Only God
will evidence
his power
through you,
Timothy.
And only God
will sustain
you,
Timothy.
So allow
his grace
to carry
you in
the work
that you're
doing.
And allow
the grace
of God
to be
present
in your
conversations
with others.
As we've
been looking
through this
letter
together,
we recognize
the significance
of the
doctrines
that God
has given
to us.
And recognizing
as we've
been working
our way
through,
that it's
not just
a body
of doctrine,
a body
of knowledge
that is
distant
and somehow
external
from us.
But we
recognize
that the
things that
we believe
about God
will shape
the way
we live.
And so
as people
look at
our life,
they'll
recognize
that there's
something,
hopefully,
something that
is uniquely
different from
us.
That we've
been changed
by the
gospel.
It changes
the way
we relate
to people.
It changes
the way
we respond
to problems
and difficulties.
It changes
the way
that we
interact
with those
who may
be treating
us unfairly.
It's the
gospel that
transforms us
as people.
So that we
can be men
and women
of God.
Representatives
for Him,
communicating
His word
and seeing
the gospel
life of
God show
up in
awakening
hearts
for faith
throughout
this world.
May God
help us
to be
faithful
as we
fight this
fight of
faith for
ourselves
and we
seek to
couple
ourselves
with the
body of
Christ
in fighting
this fight
of faith
as a
church
so that
we can
be a
pillar
and buttress
of the
truth.
May God
help us.
Let me
pray.
Lord,
thank You
for Your
work of
grace in
us.
Thank You
for calling
us to
salvation,
helping us
to be aware
of our
sin,
recognizing
we can't
work our
way to
God on
our own.
There is
no
righteousness
that we
can have
of our
own that
will get
us there.
sin has
separated us
from God,
that all
have sinned
and helped
us to fall
short of
the glory
of God.
It's only
through Your
Son,
Jesus,
through His
life of
righteousness,
through His
death on
the cross,
paying for
our sins,
making a
way,
and then
rising again
to offer
new life,
eternal life
for those who
believe.
God, I
pray if
there's anyone
here today
who has
never placed
their trust
in You,
that You
would lead
them to
salvation,
help them
to acknowledge
their sin,
to confess
it before
You,
knowing if
we confess
our sins
that You
are faithful
and just
to forgive
our sins
and to
cleanse us
from all
unrighteousness.
And Lord,
I pray that You
would help
us to
represent You
faithfully,
to embrace
the mission,
to take hold
of eternal
life,
and to live
out this life
in a way
that demonstrates
a commitment
and in
affection
for Jesus.
We pray
in Your
name.
Amen.
God bless you.
Have a great
week.
Amen.
Thank you.