July 29, 2007 - Letters To My Son- Pursue Righteousness

Scripture Meditation: 1 Timothy 6

INTRODUCTION

• Pam left on the youth mission trip earlier this morning with a flurry of final instructions.
• Be sure to check the e-mail every day
• Save today's newspaper coupons for Rebecca
• Don't forget to program the computer for next Sunday's worship service
• Be on the lookout for the bench I ordered for the living room- it should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday
• Go by the thrift store on Oakdale Road a couple of times to see if they have a mattress and boxspring for Stephanie's apartment
• I'm expecting my writer's package from Lifeway- let my editor know when it comes
• If you get a chance to wash clothes- and buy groceries before I get home- I'd really appreciate it
• Remember to find out when Rebecca needs you to keep Vivian
• Would you please get on the bus and leave already!
• I'm mean if one more thing had popped into her mind
• I think my head would have exploded
• In the 6th chapter of 1 Timothy Paul is doing his version of 'Pam's thing'
• He knows his letter is almost finished
• So he tries to hit on as many subjects as he can think of
• If you're trying to find some common theme that runs through the chapter- you'll have a hard time doing it
• But nevertheless Paul says some important things
• Things we want to think about this morning
• So with that in mind- let's turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6

CONCERNING SLAVES

1 Timothy 6:1

• Slavery is a filthy, dirty word
• The idea of one person owning another is a great moral evil- an assault on human freedom and dignity
• And yet-
• In verse 1 Paul seems to be condoning it
• If not endorsing it
• Well here's one of those places where context is everything
• In Paul's world slavery was an everyday fact of life
• It's estimated that at that time almost 50% of the people living in the Roman Empire were slaves
• Now- put yourself in Paul's shoes
• As a missionary-evangelist Paul's primary purpose is to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Church
• He knows he can't change the world overnight- so he proceeds to do something very subtle
• Notice what he says:

1 Timothy 6:2

• Paul's point is that believing masters- and believing slaves- are brothers in Christ
• As such- they share an intimate, family tie
• Slave owners...
• Can no longer view their slaves as pieces of property to be exploited
• They MUST consider their slaves brothers and sisters in Christ!
• If people ever grasp this fundamental Biblical principle all forms of racial hatred and prejudice will disappear in the world
• You can't hate a person you recognize as a brother or sister in Christ just because their skin color is different from yours
• You can't claim moral and spiritual superiority over another person simply because they don't look like you
• Remember: The ground at the foot of the Cross is perfectly level
• All peoples- of all races- come before Jesus as sinners in desperate need of God's grace
• All peoples- of all races- who receive Jesus as their personal Savior are covered by the blood He shed on the Cross of Calvary
• All people- of all races- who have Christ as their Savior have been adopted into God's family
• Which means that all peoples- of all races- must come to view one another as brothers and sisters in Christ
• And don't say: Well- I can't help the way I feel. I was born that way
• You may have been born in to one set of attitudes and behaviors
• But you were BORN AGAIN to a new way of thinking and behaving!
• My grandfather was born at the turn of the 20th century to a mill-worker living in Concord, North Carolina
• Not a time or a place where racial attitudes were very enlightened
• And yet there wasn't a prejudiced bone in my grandfather's body.
• My uncle tells me that as early as the 1930's
• Paw Paw forbade the use of racial epithets or slurs in his home
• What enabled my grandfather to overcome the attitudes and hatreds of his childhood?
• The indwelling, transforming power of the Holy Spirit
• Who gave him the ability to see Christians of all races as equal members of the family of God
• By the way- if you want the final word on this matter listen to what the Bible says in Galatians 3:26-29

IF ANYONE TEACHES FALSE DOCTRINES...

• Let's read on. 1 Timothy 5:3...
• During our series on 1 & 2 Timothy we've spent time talking about the false teaching going on in the Ephesian church
• If you remember Paul left Timothy in Ephesus for the express purpose of dealing with these problems
• Now I'm not going to rehash the specifics of this false teaching this morning
• If you want to learn more about it you can go to the church's website- sunsetroadbaptistchurch.com
• Where you can download podcasts of previous sermons in this series
• With that said- I do want to make the following observation:
• People who are fixated on theological controversies and disputes- are still out there
• And many of them make a lot of money appearing on television- writing books- producing tapes- and running websites
• Now I want you to notice that here in verse 4 Paul describes these people as having an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes
• The Greek word translated as unhealthy interest is noson. Noson literally means mentally ill
• In other words: People who obsess over these things are mentally ill
• As a Christian you should be very careful to avoid being contaminated by their dangerous obsessions
• How do you do that?
• You need to do three things
• First- ground yourself in the Word!
• If you know what's in this Book
• You won't be vulnerable to the crackpots who are out there peddling this spiritual nonsense
• When they claim to have a word from God
• You'll be able to evaluate it in the light of the Word of God
• Second- know what you believe
• As a Christian you should be able to articulate:
• WHAT you believe
• And WHY you believe it
• And the best way to learn how to do that is to get involved in a Sunday School class
• Sunday School is a place to learn Scripture and the great truths of our faith
• What's more- you can trust the Sunday School literature we use here at Sunset Road
• It's been written and edited by dedicated men and women of God
• Who are fully committed to the absolute truth of the Bible
• And third- if someone claims to have received some insight or revelation that no one else in the history of the church has ever had before
• Turn tail and run!
• Because I can assure you they are not teaching the genuine truth of God!
• Most of you know who T.V. preacher Kenneth Copeland is
• Copeland is one of those guys who regularly claims to have received new 'revelation knowledge'
• I'm quoting from the transcript from one of his television shows

The Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, 'Son, realize this and don't let your tradition trip you up'
Christianity in Crisis^®, Hannegraff page 172

• The 'tradition' Copeland refers to is the 2000 year history of the church
• Essentially he's saying: 'The Holy Spirit told me something vitally important- something He's hidden from every other Christian who's ever lived'
• Folks- if it were that important
• The Holy Spirit wouldn't have hidden it for 2000 years
• You can rest assured He would have included it in the pages of the Bible

1 Timothy 6:3-4

• Remember that folks!

GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN

1 Timothy 6:6-8

• According to The Business Journal^® the average American is exposed to almost 600 advertising messages per day
• If you're keeping score- that's 219,000 ads per year
• And no matter what they're selling- or how they're selling it- the fundamental message of advertising never changes: Don't be content with what you've got
• Think about it:
• Advertisers want you to think that real happiness can only be found in buying their product
• And just in case you do buy it- they'll come out with something 'new and improved' next year to make your life even better!
• Folks- thinking happiness and contentment can be found in things is a rat trap
• In Matthew 6:19 Jesus warns: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
• Paul drives this point home here in 1 Timothy 6:6 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
• So-
• If you can't buy happiness and contentment
• Where's it going to come from?
• God's Word says it can be found in the pursuit of godliness
• The Greek word that's used here literally means piety
• In the New Testament godliness expresses itself in:
• The faith you possess in Christ
• The worship you offer to the Lord
• And the service you render to others in Jesus' name
• And notice what the Bible is saying here: Genuine godliness results in the benefit of contentment
• The Greek word translated as contentment is autarkeria
• It literally means a sufficiency for the necessities of life
• A sufficiency which results in a mind satisfied with its lot or condition
• Now I'll admit that if every person in the United States achieved that level of contentment
• Pretty soon the national economy would be in shambles
• But on the other hand- we'd experience lower stress- less pressure- more peace- genuine happiness and a greater sense of well-being
• In Matthew 6:33 Jesus puts it this way: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL

1 Timothy 6:9-10

• This is a twenty dollar bill
• It's really nothing more than a piece of paper with some words, numbers, pictures and symbols printed on it
• And yet a vast percentage of the human race-
• Worships this piece of paper
• Will do almost anything to possess this piece of paper
• Determines the value of their life by how many of these pieces of paper they have
• And THAT is a sin against God
• The Bible says the love- the all-consuming lust for money is not only a root of all kinds of evil
• It ultimately leads to pain, a lack of faith in God and all sorts of self-destructive behaviors
• As for having money itself- there's no problem with that
• Some of the great men of the Bible- Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Solomon- were incredibly wealthy people
• As long as money is honestly gained- thankfully received- and joyfully shared the Word of God has no problem with having money- or the things money can buy
• BUT- the Bible's warning is very clear:
• Don't let this piece of paper become your god
• Look at what Paul goes on to say in verses 17- 19

PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

• Now let's continue with verse 11
• It's interesting- and not coincidental- that:
• Immediately after warning of the dangers of a life devoted to the all-consuming lust for personal gain
• Paul encourages Timothy to pursue the Christian virtues of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
• The Greek word translated as pursue is dioke
• It literally means keep on pursuing
• Or make this the constant focus of your life
• Folks- it's not easy to live a life that is pleasing to God
• The default setting for human beings is sin
• It's not that we're prone to sin
• The Bible says we're sinners by nature
• Without a daily commitment to live your life according to God's Will and purpose- you will inevitably fall into sin
• In my own life I want to be the man many of you think I already am
• Each morning I pray for God's strength to help me live a life that's characterized by righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
• Now even when I pray that prayer
• I don't always succeed- sin's lure is that powerful
• But I've discovered that if I don't pray that prayer
• I INEVITABLY fall into sin
• It's not a question of 'if'- it's a matter of when, where and how
• I once heard John Maxwell preach a sermon titled Finishing Well
• His main point was that living a Christian life-
• Is not a sprint- filled with sudden starts and stops
• Is a marathon- a long, daily commitment to become the person Jesus saved you to be
• Folks- if you want to finish well
• Set your eyes on Jesus
• And earnestly pursue a life of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

GRACE BE WITH YOU

1 Timothy 6:13-21

• These final nine verses of 1 Timothy are something of a summary of everything Paul has already said
• Continue to be faithful in all you say and do
• Boldly preach and teach the truth of God- even in the face of opposition
• Guard your reputation as a witness to your faith in Christ
• But then- just when it's getting a little redundant- Paul concludes his letter by saying: Grace be with you
• Grace be with you
• Grace- God's grace- be with you
• Grace- God's gift of unmerited favor- be with you
• Grace- God's unlimited love and protection and care- be with you
• Grace- God's assurance of salvation in the name of Jesus the Christ- be with you
• Grace- God's indwelling presence and power- be with you
• Grace- God's promise of life with Him in a heaven He has prepared as your eternal home- be with you
• Grace- God's amazing grace activated by faith in Christ- be with you
• Grace- God's grace- be with you
• Let us pray

July 22, 2007 - Letters To My Son: How To Treat Others

Scripture Meditation: 1 Timothy 5

INTRODUCTION

• Well folks...a miracle has happened!
• Somehow this sermon series on 1 & 2 Timothy is back on schedule!
• As Kramer would say on Seinfeld: I don’t know what happened!
• Here I was-
• Plodding along- thinking we were about 3 weeks behind schedule
• When suddenly ‘WHAM!’- we’re right were God wanted us to be all along
• Why does that surprise me?
• God always knows exactly what He’s doing!
• This morning we’re going to be focusing on 1 Timothy 5- which is going to be something of a challenge
• As a preacher I want to make this message relevant to your life
• I want you to walk away from here thinking: Now I know more about the way God wants me to live my life
• Unfortunately- the 5th chapter of 1 Timothy doesn’t lend itself to that type of interpretation
• The fact is Paul is giving Timothy specific instructions about:
• The way he- as a pastor- should treat people in his church
• And the way he should handle specific problems in the church at Ephesus
• Which means some of it is kind of tedious
• But folks- I’m telling you:
• God has something He wants YOU to learn in this message
• So with that in mind- let’s get started

HOW TO RELATE TO OTHERS IN THE CHURCH

1 Timothy 5:1-2

• As a pastor Timothy would be dealing with four categories of adults:
• Older men
• Younger men
• Older women
• And younger women
• Paul’s advice is to treat these types of people as members of his immediate family:
• Older men were to be treated like his father
• They should be given honor and respect
• And on those rare occasions when he might need to correct them- Timothy should do so with courtesy and tact
• Younger men were to be treated like his brothers
• The Bible has a lot to say about the love and mutual respect that brothers should have for one another
• Psalm 133:1-3
• Paul goes on to say Timothy should treat older women like his own mother
• Which implies affection, gentleness
• Respect and a desire to guard and protect
• Finally- Timothy is to treat younger women as sisters in Christ
• This means younger women aren’t supposed to become objects of lust and desire
• But are to be treated with Christian courtesy, respect, affection and an absolute commitment to sexual purity
• The common denominator in all of these things is respect
• Above all- Christians are to respect one another as brothers and sisters in Christ
• You might say respect is the outward expression of genuine agape-love
• If you don’t believe it- read the way the dictionary (Webster’s II ‘New Riverside’^®) defines ‘respect’
• To feel or show deferential regard for: (to) esteem
• To avoid violation or interference with
• To relate to: concern
• Willingness to show consideration or appreciation
• Polite expressions of consideration or deference
• Now read the familiar words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
• You’ve heard me say this many times:
• 1 Corinthians 13 doesn’t talk about what love ‘feels’ like
• 1 Corinthians 13 talks about what love DOES
• Folks- as the family of God that meets at 2317 Sunset Road we are to show love and respect towards one another at all times
• That doesn’t mean we have to agree on every thing
• It means that we MUST agree on the main things:
• That each person in our church is a uniquely-created child of God
• That every believer in our church has been covered with the blood of Jesus Christ- and saved by God’s amazing grace
• That every man, woman and child in our church should be valued and accepted and loved as a brother or sister in Christ!
• Will we-
• Get on one another’s nerves from time-to-time?
• Do stupid things and hurt one another’s feelings?
• Occasionally forget to express genuine Christian love and respect?
• ABSOLUTELY!
• We aren’t perfect people
• We imperfect sinners saved by a perfect Savior!
• But here’s the thing:
• When we fail to love and respect one another as we should
• We’ll:
• Do EVERYTHING in our power to be reconciled to one another in the name of Jesus!
• And then make a new commitment to showing one another the love and respect we desire for ourselves

CONCERNING WIDOWS

• Now let’s look at what Paul goes on to say in 1 Timothy 5:3-16
• This passage of Scripture deals with a specific practice that no longer exists in today’s church
• As such- it’s tempting to just read it quickly and move on to other things
• But- there are some important principles here that apply to Christians in all times and in all places
• Now:
• Before we get into the lasting principles
• Let me describe the specific practice Paul is talking about
• In those days widowed women usually found themselves in dire straights
• The culture in which they lived-
• Didn’t permit them to go out and get a job
• And things like life insurance policies, Social Security and 401K programs didn’t exist
• The bottom line was that widowed women were usually condemned to an absolute state of hunger and poverty
• The early church saw this sad state of affairs and decided to do something about it:
• Widowed women in the church would be placed on a special roll
• In turn- their local church would:
• Provide a daily meal called the agape-feast
• And support them financially
• Here in 1 Timothy 5 Paul is giving Timothy guidelines to follow when enrolling these women
• First of all- the women had to be true widows. This meant they ...
• Had to be at least 60 years old- or beyond the age where they could reasonably expect to get remarried
• Couldn’t have any children or grandchildren who should provide their primary means of support
• To be well-known for their acts of genuine Christian love and devotion to others
• As for younger widows Paul encourages them to:
• Remarry
• Have more children
• And manage their household well
• That takes care of the specific practice- now let’s talk about the lasting principles found in this passage of Scripture
• The first principle applies to the church: As the body of Christ we’re supposed to care for one another
• By in large we’re a middle-class church- there aren’t many of us going to bed hungry at night
• But- when we discover genuine needs in our church family we should do everything in our power to help
• Sometimes that involves:
• Taking up a special love-offering to provide short-term financial assistance to a Christian brother or sister
• Getting a work crew together to help with repairs or chores around the house
• Bringing in food when there’s been a death in the family- or a baby’s been born- or when someone is sick or been in the hospital
• Making a visit or contact just to let folks know you care
• Oh- by the way:
• If you’re ever in a situation where you need help or assistance- please let us know
• You have NOTHING to be ashamed or embarrassed about
• Life can be tough- bad things can happen- financial situations can change
• Remember- we’re family here
• We love you- and want to help
• And I promise you: We’ll do everything in our power to guard your dignity and pride as we help out
• What can I say?
• We’re family- we’re sons and daughters of the Living God
• It is our privilege- our responsibility- and our joy to care for one another!
• A second principle found in 1 Timothy 5 deals with family
• It’s very simple: Christian families love, care for and protect one another
• Notice what it says in verse 8
• Don’t miss what this is saying folks:
• People who abuse or neglect members of their own family have fallen into apostasy
• They have denied Christ
• And abandoned the truth of God
• In fact- their situation is even worse than an unbeliever
• See- a Christian knows Jesus. They know what genuine, sacrificial love means.
• And God will hold them accountable for refusing to show that love to others
• The final lasting principle in 1 Timothy 5:3-16 is found in verse 14
• The Greek word translated as ‘slander’ is lodoria
• It’s a strong word which literally means abusing or railing against someone or something
• It carries the idea of someone getting a perverse pleasure out of ripping- or tearing down another person or institution
• As a member of God’s family you should NEVER do anything which might:
• Undermine the cause of Christ
• Or damage the good reputation and witness of the church

CONCERNING ELDERS

• Let’s continue with the 17th verse
• I feel somewhat awkward in dealing with this passage of Scripture
• After all- I’m a full-time pastor. This is how I make my living
• So I admit I’ve got something of a conflict of interest here- but I’ll do the best I can
• 1 Timothy 5:17-18 is dealing with the issue of pastoral pay
• Notice what it says: Pastors- and other ministers- who serve faithfully are worthy of double honor
• The Greek word-
• Translated as ‘honor’ means two things: Respect and pay
• Translated as ‘worthy’ carries the dual ideas of meriting or deserving something
• So let me paraphrase what Paul is saying: Pastors who faithfully preach and teach the Gospel deserve twice the respect and salary they get
• Now I want you to understand something: He’s not talking about a specific sum of money
• In other words:
• He isn’t saying: Sunset Road Baptist Church- you currently pay Steve Bass twice as much as you pay him now.
• Not that I would have a problem with that- mind you
• What he’s saying is that churches should:
• Value what their pastors do
• And treat them fairly- with love and respect
• Look- I’m not going to plead poverty here
• God has always provided for all my needs- and many of my wants as well
• I deeply appreciate your commitment to providing fair compensation for Jackie, Pam and me
• But I can’t tell you how much your expressions of love and support mean to me
• They keep me going- they are such a source of encouragement
• I guess what I’m saying is that after all these years-
• It’s nice to know you’re still glad to have me as your pastor
• Because I still love being your pastor!

1 Timothy 5:19-20

• The Greek word translated as ‘entertain’ is paradechou
• It means to receive, accept or acknowledge something
• So notice what the Bible is saying here: Don’t even acknowledge an accusation of wrong-doing against a faithful minister unless it can be confirmed by two or three other people
• Here’s the thing: The two most valuable assets a pastor has are his credibility and personal integrity
• If someone has proved him or herself over many years of faithful service
• One malcontent shouldn’t be allowed to destroy their sterling reputation
• But what happens if the charges have merit- and can be confirmed by two or three additional witnesses
• Then the minister should be rebuked- or chastised- or corrected before everyone in the church
• Not to destroy the pastor- but so that other church members will be challenged to live a more faithful life before God

REMEMBER- KEEP YOURSELF PURE

1 Timothy 5:21-22

• Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure
• You know- the easiest thing to do is go along with the crowd
• Especially when it comes to sin
• I can’t help but think of the True Love Waits commitments many of you have made over the years
• The pressure to have premarital sex can be overwhelming at times.
• Some people look at you like you’re an idiot if you not doing it- if you’re still a virgin
• Sometimes a boyfriend or girlfriend can threaten to break-up with you if you won’t have sex with them
• And from time-to-time Satan will use your God-given sex drive to induce you to sin against God
• At moments like these it’s important to keep yourself pure
• In this case pure simply means being faithful to God
• To make pleasing Him the highest goal in your life
• To do what’s right-
• Even if it’s not easy
• ESPECIALLY if it’s not easy
• See here’s the thing:
• God will honor and bless you when you obey Him
• And He will hold you accountable when you don’t
• I’m convinced one of the reasons many people are so quick to reject Jesus is because of impure Christians they know
• Look- if they don’t see Jesus making any difference in your life
• Why should they think He’s going to make any difference in their life?
• The same thing is true for the church
• If people don’t see Jesus’ love expressed within the family of God
• Why should they believe He might have the power to change the dynamics of their own family?
• Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure
• That should be more than an abstract challenge
• That should be the guiding light of your life
• Is it? Let us pray

July 15, 2007 - Letters To My Son: Command and Teach These Things

Scripture Meditation: 1 Timothy 4

INTRODUCTION

• I would have never been able to cut it as a priest in the Roman Catholic church
• It's that celibacy thing
• The idea of going through your whole life and never being able to marry
• I couldn't handle it!
• Under ANY circumstances!
• I mean...who would fill my pill trays?
• You know those plastic containers which have little compartments for each day of the week?
• Every week Pam faithfully fills them up with my morning meds
• Not to mention all the vitamins and nutritional supplements she has me on
• Here's the thing: she knows there's no point in letting me die at an early age
• My life insurance policy isn't worth that much money
• The bottom line is: She wants to keep me healthy and strong
• And I'm glad she does- because I love being married to her
• Can't imagine not being married
• Don't understand why priests aren't allowed to be married
• Particularly when the Bible is so pro-marriage!
• Let's turn to 1 Timothy 4.
• We'll begin with the first verse
.

FOR EVERYTHING GOD CREATED IS GOOD...

1 Timothy 4:1-2

• The technical term for someone who abandons their faith in Christ is apostasy
• To be in a state of apostasy is to move away from the absolute, infallible, inerrant truth of the Bible
• And accept as true false teachings about the things of God
• Which raises the question: If a Christian falls into apostasy can they lose their salvation?
• Or to put it another way: If you reject God
• He is going to reject you?
• Well- it depends on whether that person ever made a genuine profession of faith in Christ
• There are people who think they're a Christian who are as lost as a...radical Islamic cleric
• It's like we talked about last week:
• Knowing facts about Jesus- and having your name on a church roll doesn't save you
• You're saved by receiving Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. PERIOD!
• Assuming that a person has made a sincere and genuine profession of faith at some point in their life
• They're as saved as...Billy Graham
• Regardless of what they do with the remainder of their life
• Remember:
• A person is saved BECAUSE of God's amazing grace- not what they've said or done in their life
• And the Bible says God's grace will be found eternally faithful and true
• Turn with me to Romans 3:3-4
• I don't know about you
• But I'm eternally grateful my salvation is in the hands of a loving and faithful heavenly Father
• With all that in mind- let's get back to 1 Timothy chapter 4
• Remember- Paul had left Timothy behind to handle problems that had arisen in the church in Ephesus
• The biggest problem he faced was the heresy known as asceticism
• Asceticism is a theory that says salvation- and spiritual growth
• Is dependent on severe forms of self-denial
• Verse 3 tells us what these ascetics were teaching. Paul says they...
• Here was the problem with marriage...according to the Ephesian ascetics
• Part of being married means you get to enjoy the physical pleasures of sex
• And that was a problem for the ascetics
• They claimed that spiritual things were the only things human beings ought to be interested in
• That anything of the flesh was a sin and had to be ignored or rejected
• Which explains why the Ephesian ascetics also-
.

..order (people) to abstain from certain foods,

• Eating is not only a pleasure- it nourishes the physical body
• Again- that's a problem if you're an ascetic
• They practiced something called mortification of the flesh
• They thought that by denying the flesh- in this case by starving themselves
• They were going to win brownie points with God
• Which is absolutely ridiculous. You don't get extra credit with God by:
• Robbing yourself- and your spouse- of the blessings of marital sex
• Or by starving yourself to the point of looking like some pasty-faced, glassy-eyed, anorexic fashion model
• That's why Paul reminds Timothy to teach the Ephesians that God's good gifts like marriage, marital sex and nourishing food are...

1 Timothy 4:3-5

• I don't want you to miss what the Bible is saying here:
• Not only are pleasures like marriage- marital sex and food to be enjoyed by Christians
• They become a source of worship and spiritual growth when they're received with thanksgiving and prayer
• This is such an important truth that Paul goes on to tell Timothy: 1 Timothy 4:6

GODLINESS HAS VALUE FOR ALL THINGS

• Let's read on in 1 Timothy 4:7-8
• I want you to really focus on verse 8
• Notice that Paul begins by saying: physical training is of some value
• Folks- Paul isn't diminishing the importance of physical exercise
• The last thing evangelical Christians need today is an invitation to be a bunch of coach potatoes
• The Bible says your physical body is the temple of God
• As such you need to take care of it by:
• Eating good food
• Getting proper amounts of rest
• And exercising to keep it healthy and strong
• Having said all that- the key to understanding 1 Timothy 4:8 is the contrast Paul is making between physical training and godliness (or spiritual training)
• The Greek phrase used to describe the value of physical training is pros oligon
• It literally means for a time
• Or in this life
• On the other hand the spiritual exercise of godliness has value for all things or more literally for all time- eternity
• So let me paraphrase what verse 8 is saying:
• Physical training and exercise is important because it keeps your body healthy and strong throughout your lifetime
• But practicing genuine godliness- growing in the Lord daily- developing the mind of Christ has benefits that stretch throughout all of this life into eternity.
• You know- it's really ironic
• Paul emphasized the absolute importance of spiritual growth and godliness
• Just after he's finished bashing the people in the Ephesian church who seemed to be most interested in- and dedicated to- spiritual growth: Namely the ascetics
• This demonstrates an important principle of spiritual growth
• You don't grow in the Lord by:
• Practicing rigid self-denial
• Or obeying legalistic rules and regulations
• Or withdrawing from society to go live in a cave
• You grow in the Lord by:
• Worshiping together with God's people
• Praying
• Studying the Bible
• Participating in the life of the church
• And actively serving others in Christian mission and ministry
• That's it. There is no other way

1 Timothy 4:9-11

SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS...

• Let's keep on going - 1 Timothy 4:12
• Last Sunday I mentioned I was celebrating my 25th anniversary as a pastor
• As most of you know- I'm 50 years old
• You do the math.
• I was 25 years old when I became pastor of New Sandy Creek Baptist Church
• I was a rookie- a greenhorn
• I was still wet behind the ears- and I was scared to death
• Here I'm supposed to be the spiritual leader of a church made up of people who'd been a Christian longer than I'd been alive
• At that time 1 Timothy 4:12 provided a lot of comfort and encouragement: Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young...
• I figured Timothy was like me- in his early to mid-twenties- totally over his head
• Imagine my surprise to recently discover that Timothy wasn't all that young at the time Paul wrote this letter
• The Greek word translated as young- or youth in the King James Version is neotes
• It carries the idea of someone of grown-up military age (‘Locke' p. 374 The Expositor's Bible Commentary- vol. 11)
• In other words: Timothy was probably in his mid-to-late thirties at the time
• Oh well- it helped me back then
• And I gotta admit- after all these years it's still cool to learn new things about the Bible!

1 Timothy 4:12

• The word translated as example means an image- an example or a pattern
• The idea is that Timothy was supposed to present the proper image of a godly life
• Which would- in turn- serve as a pattern for other Christians to follow
• As a Baptist preacher I don't wear one of those clerical collars worn by ministers in other denominations
• Frankly- they give me the creeps
• It looks like you're walking around with a knife at your throat
• BUT- I always try to remember that I'm supposed to present the proper image of a godly life to others
• Now heaven knows I don't always succeed
• But my goal is to have people see Jesus in me
• You should have the same purpose
• You might not be a pastor
• But as a born-again child of God you need to remember that other people are watching- and listening to- you
• What's the old saying? You're the only Jesus someone will ever know
• Folks- it's true!
• People are judging Jesus by what they...
• Hear you saying
• See you doing
• Notice about your way of living
• Experience in the way you demonstrate God's love
• As a the body of Christ that meets at 2317 Sunset Road we need to make sure people are seeing Jesus revealed in us!

DEVOTE YOURSELF TO...PREACHING AND TEACHING

1 Timothy 4:13

Someone once said I read too many passages of Scripture when I preach

• I think they meant it as a criticism
• I took it as a compliment

When I stand in this pulpit my responsibility is to preach and teach the absolute truth of God's Word

• The purpose of preaching is not for you to know what I think
• The purpose of preaching is for you to discover what GOD thinks!

Here's how I see my role as your preacher/teacher

• As a preacher my job is to proclaim the Word of God in such a way that you will be encouraged to:
• Accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord- if you've never done so
• And if you're a Christian- to obey what it says
• As a teacher my job is to explain the Bible so that you-
• Will understand its truths
• And know how to live a more Christ-like life

If I accomplish those things-

• Then I'm satisfied
• Because I've done what God has called me to do

DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR GIFT

1 Timothy 4:14-15

• Paul warns Timothy not to neglect the gift he has received from the Holy Spirit
• The word he uses here is charismatos
• It literally means a gift of grace
• The Biblical teaching concerning spiritual gifts is very clear:
• Every born-again believer has been given a gift of the Holy Spirit
• 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
• If you're a Christian you have a gift of the Spirit
• And don't think- or claim- that you don't
• The fact is- you received a spiritual gift when you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord
• And here's the thing: EVERY gift of the Spirit is necessary for the church to accomplish its work
• In 1 Corinthians 12:14-25 the Bible uses the analogy of a body to emphasize the importance of every Christian's gift of the Spirit
• Now let's get back to 1 Timothy 4. In verse 14 Paul specifically warns Timothy not to neglect his gift of the Spirit
• The Greek word he uses means to be careless or to disregard something
• So here's the point Paul is making:
• If you're not using your God-given spiritual gift in the church
• You are sinning against God!
• Let me repeat that so you understand what I just said
• If you're not using your God-given spiritual gift in the church
• You are sinning against God!
• But Steve- wait a minute! I love God- and I give my money to the church- but...but...
• The church doesn't really need my puny little spiritual gift- it's not that important
• Besides that- I'm too shy to do anything in the church...Not to mention the fact that I just don't have the time!
• If you choose to neglect your gift of the Holy Spirit
• You are sinning against God
• And you'd better understand that God is going to hold you accountable for that sin!

CONCLUSION

• In my office I have a copy of a devotion written by Steven Cole posted on my wall.
• The devotion is titled The Other Spurgeon
• I want to share it with you
• The Other Spurgeon- Steven J. Cole - Leadership . Vol 7 no. 3

One day I was jogging in the forest near my house when a question popped into my mind: What about John Spurgeon?I admit, not many people are losing sleep over that question, but I had been reading the autobiography of the famous British preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I was asking the Lord to bless my ministry like his. And then that question hit me, and I began thinking about John Spurgeon.Ever heard of him? Until my recent reading, I never had. He was the father of Charles. He was himself a pastor and the son of a pastor. Yet if his son had no achieved such fame as a preacher, John Spurgeon would have served the Lord faithfully, gone to his grave, and we never would have heard of him.Hundreds of pastors like him have walked with God, shepherded his flock for a lifetime, and gone to their reward without any notice in the sight of the world. As I jogged, I thought, Would I be willing to serve God faithfully and raise my children up to serve him, even if I never achieved any recognition? Even if no one but my own small congregation knew my name?The more I thought about it, the more I realized, ‘Yes!' That's really what I want: to be faithful to the Lord in my personal walk, in my family, and in my shepherding of God's flock.The Lord never says, ‘Well done, good and famous servant', but He does say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'If God makes me as famous as Charles Spurgeon, that's His business. My business is to be as faithful as John Spurgeon.

• God's question for Sunset Road Baptist Church is simple:
• Will you be faithful to Me?
• Will you serve me with the gift I've given you?
• Will you let Me use you as I see fit?
• Will you? Let us pray

July 8, 2007 - Letters To My Son: The Mystery Of Godliness

INTRODUCTION

• OK trivia buffs- let’s see how many questions you can answer about the year 1982:
• What show won the Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series? Barney Miller^®
• What was the Grammy-winning song of the year?
• Bette Davis Eyes^® by some one-hit wonder named Kim Carnes
• More proof that the Grammies are a joke
• What movie won the Academy Award for ‘Picture of the Year'? Chariots of Fire^®
• What was the top-grossing movie for the year? ET- The Extra Terrestrial^®
• You guys aren’t doing so well. Let me make this a little easier:
• Who was president of the United States? Ronald Reagan
• Which team won the NCAA^® basketball championship? THE University of North Carolina Tar Heels^®
• Who released the album Thriller^®?
• Michael Jackson
• Still looked like a normal person in those days
• And finally- who became pastor of New Sandy Creek Baptist Church on July 6, 1982?
• Your’s truly- Steve Bass
• That’s right. This weekend marks my 25th anniversary as a pastor

TRANSITIONAL REMARKS

• That’s a long time. Over the last quarter century I’ve preached more than 3000 sermons
• And you know what I’ve learned?
• I really enjoy preaching sermon series
• It doesn’t matter whether it’s a series on...
• The life of a Biblical character like Jacob or Joseph
• Some of the important doctrines of our faith
• Or a particular book of the Bible
• Sermon series are...
• A challenge to prepare- a joy to preach
• And- best of all- you seem to like them too
• As far as I can tell there’s only one problem with a sermon series:
• They take up a lot of time. I think the longest series I preached took something like 14 or 15 weeks
• All of which means they inevitably get interrupted by some other event on the church calendar
• Take last Sunday for an example. It was the first Sunday in July- which means we celebrate the Lord’s Supper
• Which is great-
• Nothing we do in worship is more important than taking communion
• BUT it did interrupt the flow of our sermon series on 1 & 2 Timothy
• So to bring us back up to speed-
• We’re going to begin by re-examining 1 Timothy 3:2-7
• What we’ve got here is a description of the character and qualifications for someone who feels lead to serve the church as a pastor-overseer

DEACONS LIKEWISE

• Now let’s continue on with verse 8
• The word deacon is a translation of the Greek word diakonos
• Diakonos means servant or house slave
• Which is an accurate description of what deacons were originally called to do
• Please read Acts 6:1-5
• In the months and years that followed the Day of Pentecost the Jerusalem church experienced explosive growth
• Now church growth is a great thing- but it does present a few challenges
• Sometimes you have to build bigger buildings
• Sometimes you have to hire more staff
• Sometimes you have to find ways to incorporate new members into the life of the church
• In the case of the Jerusalem church rapid growth resulted in a bitter conflict between some of the women in the church
• The source of the conflict was the daily distribution of food
• In those days there weren’t any public welfare programs
• Since society didn’t let women go out and get a job
• Widows- particularly widows with young children- were often destitute
• The Jerusalem church tried to meet that need by providing a daily meal- called the agape-feast- for these widows and their families
• Which was a fantastic ministry- until the dispute reared its ugly head
• The Greek-speaking widows in the church felt their families weren’t being given as much food as the Hebrew-speaking widows
• We’re victims of discrimination. We’re being treated like second-class members of the church- just because we speak a different language.
• It’s not right! It’s not fair!
• We thought the people of God were supposed to be different!
• Folks- if you want to tear a church apart
• Create cliques- show favoritism- ignore certain people- act as if some members are more important than others
• And pretty soon you’ll have a divided, dying church
• The apostles realized I had a crisis on their hands-
• So they prayed about it
• And then gathered the church together

Acts 6:2-5

• These seven men became the first diakonos
• Their job was to make sure that everyone was treated with love and fairness in the church
• Suffice it to say- the deacons more than fulfilled their responsibility
• The crisis soon faded- and the church grew
• Read what Acts 6:7 goes on to say.
• By the time Paul wrote his letter to Timothy- the diakonos had evolved into a particular office in the church
• The deacons’ responsibility was to work with the pastor-overseer in guarding the spiritual health and welfare of the church
• Because this is such an important job- Paul talks about the kind of person who is eligible to serve as a deacon
• Essentially the qualifications are the same ones that apply to the pastor-overseer
• Notice what it says: Deacons, likewise...
• This means that all the things that apply to pastor-overseers
• Also apply to potential deacons
• But- there are a couple of important differences
• First of all the Bible says deacons are to be men worthy of respect
• This means deacons must have a seriousness of purpose and self-respect in conduct (Moule)
• In other words: Deacons have to understand that they’ve been called to be spiritual leaders in the church
• As such/spiritual leaders deacons...
• Aren’t supposed to be a board of directors running the day-to-day business of the church
• I’ve been in churches where deacons functioned like that
• And I can tell you- it’s NOT a good thing
• Are supposed to be involved in maintaining and strengthening the spiritual welfare of the church
• How do they do that? Primarily they’ve got to do three things. They must...
• Prayerfully seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit- asking Him to provide the wisdom they need to serve as deacons
• Work cooperatively with the Pastor and staff to build a healthy church that seeks to love, worship, serve and proclaim Jesus as the Christ- the Son of the Living God
• Lovingly care for the families of the church- ministering to each one in the name of Jesus
• It’s a tough job- it isn’t for the faint of heart
• But I want you to notice the promise God makes to those believers who serve faithfully as deacons
• Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
• The idea of gaining an excellent standing means two things:
• One- faithful deacons will earn the love and respect of their brothers and sisters in Christ
• And two- and most importantly- God looks on them with favor: Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things- come and I will make you ruler over many things!
• Finally- faithful deacons are promised great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
• This means they become more confident in their relationship with Christ
• Not because.../ They become more confident in their faith because...
• They’ve done something that earns extra brownie points with God
• They’ve learned to depend on God more than they ever have in their life
• Funny thing about being a Christian:
• The best way to grow your faith is to test your faith
• And the best way to test your faith is to let God put you in situations where...
• You know you can’t possibly do it on your own
• You have to learn to lean on the Lord- depending on His power and grace and mercy for everything!
• If you feel like you’ve been floundering in your faith-walk with the Lord
• Let Him yank you out of your comfort zone-
• Put you in a place of ministry you can’t POSSIBLY accomplish
• Learn to trust solely in His power and grace and strength
• And your faith will be strengthened- and you will be blessed! I guarantee it!

HOW PEOPLE OUGHT TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD

• Let’s read on: 1 Timothy 3:14-15
• Let me talk about one of the problems with a lot of Christians today
• They don’t know how to conduct themselves in God’s household
• They bring disgrace to the church- and damage the cause of Christ- by acting like spoiled, dysfunctional children
• These are the kinds of people who...
• Want to be catered to all the time- but won’t lift a finger to help out in the church
• Create conflict by thinking they have to speak their mind about every issue that comes up
• I was always told it was sometimes better to remain silent and be thought a fool
• Than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!
• Jump from church-to-church every time their feelings get hurt- or things don’t go the way they want them to go
• Pout and criticize everything and anything that goes on in the church
• Feel free to unload anyone they choose- but get terribly offended if anyone ever says anything to them
• Are so hypersensitive you feel like you’re walking on eggshells whenever they’re around
• To all these Paris Hilton drama-queens the Bible has a word of instruction:
• GROW UP!
• Stop acting like a petulant child and start behaving like a mature man or woman in Christ
• See here’s the thing: The happiest Christians you’ll meet are people...
• Who look to serve- instead of being served
• Who work for peace and harmony in the church
• Will stick it out- and try to be reconciled with people who’ve hurt their feelings
• Who rejoice and celebrate the good things Christ is doing in His church
• Who show Christ’s love to others- even folks who don’t particularly deserve it
• Who have thick-skin- who are low-maintenance and don’t expect the world to revolve around them
• Look- you want to know how you ought to conduct yourself in God’s household?
• Be sure you read 1 Corinthians 13 two or three times a week
• And then be sure to do what it says to do
• Last Sunday’s Life Answers teacher’s guide quoted a wonderful definition of what it means to be a church
• It was taken from Douglas Jacobsen and Rodney Sawatsky’s book Gracious Christianity
• Listen to what it says:

"Church is the group name for being Christian. It refers to all the followers of Jesus who have ever lived...More intimately, and just as importantly, church refers to a local gathering of believers, people who know one another face-to-face, people who put up with one another’s quirks and foibles, people who genuinely try to love one another despite their imperfections. The local community of the church is the social context in which Christianity takes living form. Being church is being Christian together..."

• As Sunset Road Baptist Church- let’s work at being Christian together!

THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS

• With that in mind- let’s read on with verse 16
• You know- Paul was an extremely witty guy
• He frequently uses puns and plays on word to make important points about the truth of God
• 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of those occasions
• It begins with the Greek word translated as Beyond all question
• You can see it on the screen- I’m not even going to try to pronounce it
• But it conveys the idea of common profession
• Or a universal agreement
• In this case Paul is talking about something that every Christian knows and understands
• He then goes on to talk about the mystery of godliness
• The word mystery means something that is hidden- or unknown
• Something that hasn’t been revealed
• So notice what Paul is saying:
• Paraphrase:
• The mystery of godliness is something every Christian knows and understands.
• It’s no secret at all- because it deals with the essential truth about Jesus
• Paul then lists what these truths are
• He (meaning Jesus) appeared in a body
• In other words: The only begotten Son of God- who was pure spirit- took on a body and became a human being
• This is the event we celebrate at Christmas
• The theological term for this event is incarnation- or in fleshment
• Read how John 1:14 puts it.
• He...was vindicated by the Spirit
• The Spirit of the Living God testified to the fact that Jesus was- in fact- God’s only begotten Son
• Read what Matthew 3:16-17 says.
• Paul goes on to say Jesus was seen by angels
• This could refer to the fact that:
• The Bible says angels watched over Him during His time here on Earth
• Or that His Resurrection was first announced by an angel- "He is not here! He is Risen! Come and see the place where He lay"
• But the point is clear: Angels- God’s chosen messengers- had confirmed:
• Who Jesus was
• And what Jesus had done!
• The affirmation that Jesus was preached among the nations means that:
• Jesus was more than the Jewish Messiah
• He was, is and always will be, the Savior of the world
• Then Paul says Jesus was Believed on in the world
• Folks- this is a testimony to the power of the Gospel
• When people hear the Good News of salvation in the name of Jesus
• They can be saved by God’s grace
• Activated by faith in Jesus Christ
• Romans 10:9-10
• Finally Paul says Jesus was taken up in glory
• This is a reference to Jesus’ Ascension into heaven
• The Ascension is one of those things we don’t talk about much as Baptists
• And that’s not good
• Because Jesus’ Ascension into heaven is one of eternity’s most important events
• Please read Acts 1:6-9
• Here’s why Jesus’ Ascension is so important. It...
• Was the climax of Jesus’ earthly ministry
• Testified that Jesus had accomplished everything He’d been sent to do
• Confirmed that Jesus’ death on the Cross and Resurrection from the dead is all-sufficient for salvation
• Was the definitive proof that Jesus is, was and always will be the only begotten Son of God!

1 Timothy 3:16

CONCLUSION

• When Chris Kidd shared his testimony he talked about taking a Confirmation Class when he was 12 years old
• From what I know about them- confirmation classes are good things:
• They teach you a lot of facts about Jesus
• And help you understand many of the important doctrines of the church
• Chris- the way I understand it in the church you grew up in:
• After you take the classes
• Then you can join the church- right?
• And that IS a problem. Because a lot of people think that’s all you need to do in order to be saved:
• Learn some facts about Jesus
• Become a member of a church somewhere
• And you will be saved
• Folks let me tell you something
• Salvation isn’t based on WHAT you know- as important as that is
• Salvation is based on WHO you know
• Take George W. Bush for example
• I know a lot of facts about the President- I’d obviously recognize him if he walked in this room
• But here’s the thing...
• I may know facts ABOUT George Bush
• But we’re strangers to one another- we don’t have a personal relationship with one another
• But I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
• I’d known ABOUT him all my life
• But when I was ten years old I accepted Him as my Savior and came to know Him personally
• Today I can honestly say:
• He’s my friend- He’s my Lord- He’s my King- He’s my Savior- He’s my God!
• I know Him-
• And He knows me
• And someday I’ll see him face-to-face!
• So my question for you this morning is simple:
• Do you know Him- does He know you?
• If you don’t He wants to establish that personal relationship with you today
• Let us pray