By: Dale Weckbacher
1 Timothy 4:10
For to this end we
both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the
Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
NKJV
Leaders are big picture individuals who have learned to
focus on that big picture and surround themselves with people who can work out
the details of how to achieve the vision of the leader. This is why when we hear a leader expressing
his or her vision, it often lacks details on how they intend to achieve that
vision. Instead, we must examine their
ability to surround themselves with individuals having the ability to work out
the details.
The books of 1 and 2 Timothy are letters to young Timothy
containing instructions on how he is to continue leading the church after Paul
is martyred for his faith. Paul has a
vision of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles and wants to see his vision come
to a reality through his young student Timothy.
His Godly inspired advice continues to be useful today for those of us
involved in continuing the work started by the Apostles, spreading the Gospel
around the world. Paul’s instructions
encourage Timothy to,
1)
Instruct the brethren in these things (1 Timothy4:6) – Taking this verse in the context of we have previously learned in 1
Timothy leads us to interpret the ‘these things’ referenced in this verse to be
the sound teaching of the letter. It is
therefore an exhortation for Timothy to focus his teaching on the truths of
Scripture and not be deceived by false teaching. Today’s PC world bombards churches with calls
for it to soften its stance on social issues like abortion or gay marriage in
the interest of attracting more members.
However, attracting more members is not to be the mission of the church,
but the mission of the Church is to be declaring the truth of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ even if it offends some.
2)
Reject irreverent speech and old wives’ fables
(1 Timothy 4:7) – Timothy is about to embark on continuing the high calling of
God to spread the Gospel to all people before the return of Jesus Christ (1Peter 3:9). As such, Timothy must learn
to reject false teaching for it not only goes against the truth of the
teachings of the Bible, but also acts as a distraction from focus on the
mission of the Gospel.
3)
Exercise Godliness (1 Timothy 4:8) – To exercise
Godliness we must first gain an understanding of what it is. In this verse Paul begins touting the
benefits of bodily exercise for our health.
He goes on to tout that whereas bodily exercise benefits us some by
making us healthy, Godliness benefits us in all things and therefore is a
better goal for which to strive. 1Timothy 3:16 teaches us that Godliness consists of the belief that,
a.
God was manifested in the flesh
b.
Justified in the Spirit
c.
Seen by angels
d.
Preached among the Gentiles
e.
Believed on in the world
f.
Received up in glory.
Godliness is therefore a belief in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ strengthened by the acquisition of knowledge of the
Word of God. Therefore, to exercise more
godliness in our lives, we must spend time with our trainer in the gym of the study
of God’s Word.
Soldiers in Spiritual Warfare therefore must be warriors
continually studying to acquire more Godly wisdom from the Word of God who
continually reject false teaching and live Godly lives serving Jesus Christ (1Timothy 4:9-11).
Paul then goes on to exhort Timothy to
1)
Let no one discourage him because of his young
age (1 Timothy 4:12) – Whether it is our youth, educational background, family
heritage, race, gender or anything else, we must not allow these things to
discourage us from fulfilling the calling God has on our lives. God made every one of us unique, with unique
abilities. As such, He has a unique
calling and plan for our lives. However,
other, well-meaning individuals may discourage us, believing they know what is
best for our lives. While these
individuals have good intentions, we as believers in Jesus Christ must learn to
follow God and His calling on our lives.
2)
Giving attention to reading, exhortation, and
doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13) – This verse refers to public reading and teaching of
the sound doctrine of the Bible. For
teachers and pastors this means a devotion to study and preaching the
Word. For those of us who are not
pastors or teachers, this means regular church attendance in a church preaching
sound doctrine.
3)
Determining and working within the gift God has
given us (1 Timothy 4:14) – Timothy’s gift that dwelt within him was revealed
to him through prophecy. 1 Corinthians12:1-11 lists the gifts given to believers for ministry. We each possess one of these gifts and when
we discover what that gift is, we can know what area of ministry in which God
has equipped us to serve. In fact,
working as a unified body using the gift God has imparted to each of us
individually makes us an unbeatable spiritual force.
4)
Meditating and dedicating his life entirely to
God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:15) – When we spend time meditating on the Word of God
and dedicate our lives to following its principles, the change in our lives
will become evident to those around us. This
evident change in our lives serves as the greatest witness of what Jesus has
done in our lives. Jesus encourages us
to let our light shine before men that they would see our good works and
glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).
It is meditation in the Word, spending time with the Lord in prayer,
living a life dedicated to the Word of God, and carrying out His will in our
lives that causes this light to shine brightly.
Paul then once again urges Timothy to continue in the doctrine of divine
truth for it is what not only will save him, but also those that hear him (1Timothy 4:16).
Good soldiers in spiritual battle must not allow themselves
to become distracted by false teaching or allow them to creep into our
churches. We must instead be focused
following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dedicate our lives to learning
and living by the principles taught in the Bible.
Next Wednesday we will look at how we are to treat other
members of the church body.
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