Month: March 2017

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If you’ve been here at the Gathering (or if you’ve been following along online) you know that we are working our way through the Pastoral Epistles as a family of churches. So Mid-cities & West County are in the same text as you are every weekend as we study 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

With the exception of this weekend, we’ve moved a couple of things around here @ The Gathering to accommodate for the installation this morning of Jinson Thomas as an elder.

So the text that we we’re scheduled to study this morning (1 Timothy 2:8-15) will be pushed back 2 weeks so that we can talk about “The Qualifications of an Elder” and then next weekend we can look at “What an Elder Is & Does“.

We felt like that adjustment was most appropriate given the weight & importance of installing a new elder. This is no small thing!!! And we want to celebrate that together as a family.

Alright let’s get to our text this morning- 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Before we read our text and begin the discussion of qualifications for elders let’s go to the Lord in prayer together.

So my aim this morning is simply to work through & explain the Qualifications for an Elder. What are the things that qualify a man for this position in the church? We’re going to talk about that and then save some time at the end to actually lay hands on & pray over & commission Jinson to this work.

And I should probably tell you up front that this might feel a little bit like a Bible Study at times I’m just going to be reading & explaining each verse. That’s sort of the nature of this text and I want to be as faithful as possible to the text.

Having said that let me make a few foundational statements that will help us navigate these qualifications. I remind my church all the time as I remind myself that the gospel is the set of lenses through which we’re able to understand & apply the Scriptures.

Without the gospel, without a high view of the glory of God, without an understanding that Jesus Christ is preeminent in everything, we tend to read Scripture in a way that just provides information. And that can quickly lead us to pride. And that’s the last thing we want.

So I want to take just a moment and set the stage for us. With a few foundational statements that will help us navigate a discussion about Elders in a way that most glorifies God & magnifies Jesus as the head of the church.

And that’s actually MY FIRST STATEMENT. When it comes to a discussion about church government we must understand that JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH. This is clear & undisputed in Scripture.

Colossians 1:18: “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.“

Ephesians 4:15: “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.“

Ephesians 5:23: “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.“

Elders serve as under-shepherds to THE CHIEF SHEPHERD Jesus Christ. And elders are in fact sheep themselves. That’s important to remember because humans have a long history of trying to usurp God’s leadership don’t they? And by “long history” I mean since the garden.

We tend to do things in a way that puts our hope in men & not in God. That’s how we define idolatry. And if you want a case study on that, just look at the Nation of Israel rejecting the direct leadership that God provided them as they clamored for a king. Didn’t go very well and in fact it never goes very well.

Many of you know Francis Chan he’s an author & a pastor that I respect greatly. He has an amazing quote that reminds us of the futility of being an elder specifically in the role of teaching & preaching. He said, “Preaching is like a piece of clay trying to explain to other pieces of clay what the potter is like.“

As a preaching piece of clay, I would agree with that statement. So let’s remember that Christ is the head of HIS CHURCH. But He has called certain men to bring leadership to the church under His direct leadership in a way that creates deep & abiding dependence upon Him for EVERYTHING. We have to remember that!

Here’s the SECOND STATEMENT Every member of Christ’s body(the church) are priests & ministers. This is also clear in Scripture:

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.“

Revelation 1:5-6 “Jesus Christ to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.“

Now why is it important that we highlight this? It’s important because here’s what tends to happen as the leadership of a church develops.

The body (which is all of us) can easily forget that we are all called to the work of ministry. We are all ministers. We are all His ambassadors. We are all called to love & serve & proclaim the excellencies of Jesus.

When we don’t remember that, the body will increasingly sit back and expect the “professionals” to do the work of the ministry. And then the body becomes lethargic & slow & it atrophies over time. It’s basically what has happened to me physically since I turned 40 (But that’s another topic).

Now we’re going to get into this subject more fully next weekend but a big part of an elder’s role is to equip the body (that’s you) for the work of ministry. Paul says that in Ephesians 4:11-12 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.“

So when you install another elder the attitude isn’t, “Oh good we’re installing another elder so that’s less we have to do.” No the attitude is, “Great we’re installing another elder so that’s more equipping of the body that can take place for the ministry to which God has called The Gathering Church!” Are you all with me on that?

THIRD STATEMENT (and I want to say this as clearly as I can) even though there is a special calling placed on the life of an elder (to lead & equip) there is equality before God as children as heirs as priests as ministers. There’s EQUALITY in worth EQUALITY in value. EQUALITY IN DIGNITY & EQUALITY as image bearers of God.

This call to eldership is not a call to authoritarianism. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the way many churches have set up their elders (in an unhealthy way) has led to abuse. It’s led to a domineering attitude & a damaging of the body of Christ.

We must understand that Elders are given by God as a gift to the body for its benefit. They are not given to dominate or belittle or to stand above anyone else. Listen to the gravity of these texts:

Hebrews 13:17: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.“

Acts 20:28: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.“

A call to eldership is not a call to dominate & bully. It’s a call to love & feed & nurture & care for. IT’S A CALL TO GREAT HUMILITY. And it helps us stay humble when we realize just how dependent we are upon Jesus Christ for absolutely everything!!!!

AND that’s where I want our hearts to go this morning. I want this discussion to drive all of us to deeper & deeper dependence upon Jesus Christ for everything. Because that’s exactly where a discussion about human leadership has to take us.

Because we are weak but He is strong. We are insufficient but He is infinitely sufficient. Where we were dead & hopeless & blind, He is THE ONE who has brought us back to life and given us sight.

You see this discussion should serve to cast a spotlight on the power & sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the beauty of His provision for us. How can it not when we’re talking about man doing something that man is not capable of doing? That must be designed by God to create greater dependency on Him.

So as I go through these qualifications for eldership let’s not for one second say in our hearts, “Man look at how awesome Jinson is!” or “Look at how awesome Saju is!” or “Look how awesome any other elder is!” Let’s instead be wowed at how awesome Jesus is!!!!! Are you guys tracking with me?

Here are the qualifications that Paul lays out for an elder in our text. There are 6 of them and I’m going to just list these up front and then I’ll go through and unpack them one-by-one.

1) Desire
2) Character
3) Ability
4) Family Leadership
5) Maturity
6) Reputation.

First Paul says that the man must ASPIRE or have a DESIRE for the office of elder. Look again at verse 1: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.“

Now we need to be really careful to define the type of desire that Paul’s talking about. Because throughout the history of the church there have been men who have desired the wrong things and have been primarily concerned with authority and not hard work & care of the body.

I think that’s why Paul uses the language he does here. He doesn’t describe an elder in terms of office (or status) but in terms of work.

“If a man desires this TASK (this work)“. That’s really important for us to understand. Because serving in the capacity of elder isn’t about status It’s about hard work that’s fueled by a passion for the care of God’s people. It’s a passion to contend for the faith of those in your care.

That’s what Paul is pointing to here. That an elder desires to do the spiritual work of a shepherd in the church. It’s not about being esteemed or thought highly of or achieving some rank. It’s about deep humility that drives hard work.

Now I would suggest that you’ll be able to see if that type of desire is in a man. You’ll see it in the way he studies the Word You’ll see it in the way he desires to teach the Word You’ll see it in the way he commits himself to the life of a church family You’ll see it reflected in a passion for the mission of God and a passion for making disciples It will be unmistakable over time.

So that’s the FIRST QUALIFICATION. There must be a godly aspiration: a desire for the office of elder.

THE SECOND QUALIFICATION deals with a man’s CHARACTER. Now if I had to summarize this area I’d say that an elder must be characterized by a degree of godliness (or holiness in the Lord).

So the question is what does godliness look like? Well thankfully Paul gives us a really practical description of what this looks like. Look again at verses 2 & 3: “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.“

This is a pretty straightforward list. If I had to paraphrase these things I would say that: The man must be free from scandalous sins & offensive habits that would open him up to public criticism – that’s what being above reproach looks like.

He’s marked by fidelity in marriage. I would say more specifically that his marriage is biblical: heterosexual, monogamous & pure.

He is a temperate or sober-minded man. He has a wakeful mind. He’s alert, vigilant & opposed to all kinds of excess in his life. He has self-control. That is, he has some mastery over his natural reactions.

He’s hospitable to those within and those outside of the church. He’s free from being controlled by alcohol or for that matter. He’s free from being controlled by anything other than the love of Christ.

He’s not violent but temperate. He’s not given to quarreling but is a peace-maker. He is increasingly gentle and meek and humble. And his heart is free from the love of money. In other words he understands that God owns everything and he is merely a steward of what God has entrusted to him.

Can I tell you what I love about this type of list and where it should bring our hearts? This list should drive us into deep dependence upon Jesus Christ. Because there’s no way we can do these things perfectly all the time!!!

But that’s the beauty of the gospel. And the reason why an elder must be rooted in the gospel. You see this type of lifestyle is progressive in nature. It grows over time and its growth is completely dependent upon us abiding in Jesus Christ.

You see when we look at a list like this and just try harder to live up to these standards or when we put on a mask and pretend like we have these things figured out or when we do both of those things at the same time it will only lead us further away from the heart of God.

That’s why an elder’s life cannot be marked by performing or pretending. And elder’s life MUST BE MARKED by radical dependence upon Jesus Christ to cultivate these things in his heart.

Put more plainly an elder must be defined by & saturated in & fueled by the gospel. And with every passing day he is to be marked more & more & more not by what he can do but by resting in what Jesus has done for him.

And by the way this is not just true of elders. This principle is true for all of our lives. We are (all of us) called to be increasingly “gospel fluent“.

So first is a desire, second is godly character, THE THIRD QUALIFICATION is ability. This is also found in verse 2:”An overseer must be able to teach“

Now I find it absolutely fascinating that Paul only singles out one ability for an elder in this text. He must be able to teach. Notice how he doesn’t say, “He has to be an amazing leader or he has to come from a certain class of people or be in a position of prominence in culture.” He says that he must to be able to teach.

Why would Paul single out that one thing? Well I think it has a lot to do with what I just said about the necessity of gospel fluency. You see what Paul is pointing to here is that an elder must be able to disciple other believers.

Which means that he has to be so fluent in the gospel that he’s able to give that away to others. This is why we see so many church contexts that are defined by a performance mentality it’s because they are led by elders who are rooted in performance and not gospel.

This is why we see so many churches that are marked by pretending it’s because they are led by elders who are rooted in pretending and not in the gospel.

This is why we have so many churches that are gospel light & spiritually anemic. It’s because they are not being led by men who are radically dependent upon Jesus Christ and whose hearts are being progressively transformed by the gospel. God is calling men to the office of elder who are able to teach the gospel to others.

You see when you understand that Paul is talking about the ability to disciple and teach the gospel (in all kinds of settings. Not just in the form of a sermon at a worship gathering). It makes sense why he would list this as the only ability.

Because this is the primary task that Jesus has given to the Church. “To go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, and to teach them obedience to everything that Jesus commanded.“

SO it makes perfect sense that the elder must be able to do that effectively because the elders help set the pace for the rest of the body in carrying out the mission that God has given the church.

So desire, character, ability. FOURTH IS FAMILY LEADERSHIP. Look again at verses 4 & 5: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?“

Paul’s point here is very clear. If you want to know whether a man will be a good shepherd in the church, start by looking at the way he shepherd’s his family. If he’s a good leader at home chances are he’s going to be a good leader in the church.

And so how a man leads & serves his wife is very important. How a man loves his children & points them to Jesus is very important. Does he lead his family from the gospel from grace or is he harsh with them and domineering?

This cannot be understated. If a man is not pastoring his family well he’s disqualified from pastoring a church. That’s something that the church overlooks all too often. And it’s damaging to churches & it’s damaging to families.

Now I know that a common question that’s raised is, “Does an elder have to have a family in order to serve in that office?” I don’t believe he does. However, I believe that extra scrutiny should be given in these other areas for someone who is single. That’s because of how revealing this one area is.

So desire, character, ability, family leadership. And then FIFTH Maturity. Look again at verse 6: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.“

Now it makes good sense that an elder must be mature. But to what kind of maturity is Paul referring here? Does he mean that men must be older or does he mean that they must be older in the faith?

Well I believe that it’s clear when you take into account the rest of Paul’s writings. That he is referring to spiritual maturity. I’ve met some guys in their 20’s who are incredibly mature spiritually. And I’ve met some guys in their 60’s & 70’s that I wouldn’t trust to talk to my kids about spiritual things because they have no grasp of the gospel.

The point that Paul’s making is that we cannot install a recent convert into the role of elder no matter what other abilities or qualities they have. There must be a period of testing that takes place. And that happens over time.

SO desire, character, ability, family leadership, maturity. And then FINALLY they must have a good reputation. Look again at verse 7: “Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.“

Simply put Elders must be men of integrity and that should be obvious to those outside (as well as inside) the church. Again the primary call of the church is to make disciples. To show the world what God’s love is like. And elders are to lead that charge.

And they are to lead that charge with their lives. If a man is going to shepherd the church he must do so with a life of integrity & reputation that communicates something even to the unbelieving world around him.

Even where people don’t like you because of the message you’re sharing. They cannot bring a charge against your reputation & your character.

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Paul has spent the whole of the first chapter rebutting the false doctrine and contrasting it with glorious gospel. The gospel produces sound doctrine and a sound lifestyle. And now he’s showing how the gospel should infuse into the life of the church. What does that look like? We are a family that prays together! Last week as we went through the first two verses of 1 Tim 2, Saju reminded us about the importance of prayer. Prayer is meant to be the first response and not the last response when we confronted with trouble times and our own sin struggles. We learnt how:

a) The peace of God guards our hearts and minds in Christ when we pray
b) God gives us wisdom to deal with circumstances, people and sin when we pray
c) God performs miracles when we pray
d) God brings healing and deliverance when we pray.

Prayer is so essential. One other definition of prayer I thought really helped me understand and grasp the privilege we have is “Prayer is a powerful vehicle by which God accomplishes His purposes in & through our lives”. God is Sovereign and will do as He has decreed but isn’t it a great privilege to join him and participate in God’s purposes through prayer. Being adopted into God’s family, now we have the unique privilege of making requests to God and see Him answer them in His perfect way and timing. It’s personally been a good reminder for me to focus on prayer in all things.

Coming to this week’s passage, we’re going to know what to pray for and whom to pray for. We’ve learnt a great deal on what prayer is and how important it is for the Christian life. Now the next level is whom do you pray for and what do you pray for them?\

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1 Tim 2:3-7)

1. Gospel root in prayer

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

This week’s passage starts of with v3. When I read this verse, the first question that we should ask is “what is good and pleasing in the sight of God?” I really want to know. I want to know what’s beautiful and acceptable in the presence of God. For that we need to see the previous two verses.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Supplications are requests made to God, prayers are earnest prayers we make for ourselves and others, intercession is coming together with other believers to make a request for God (like a conference) and thanksgiving is grateful language used for God. What he has described here is all sorts of prayers to made for whom? All people! You mean each and every type of person? Yes and yes.

He goes on to specify for whom?

for kings and all who are in high positions (v2)

Pray for the leaders, people who are in commanding positions in your life, authorities. It made me ask, who was the King at that point of time? Probably that will help in understanding this passage.

Nero was the Emperor of Rome at the time. People considered him to be a compulsive and corrupt ruler. He murdered his way to the throne. During his lifetime he executed his mother and also probably poisoned his step brother. In AD 64, most of Rome was destroyed by the Great Fire of Rome. Historians write that many Romans believed that Nero himself started the fire, in order to clear the land for his planned palatial complex.

How was he toward Christians? Very brutal. He was rumoured to have had captured Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden at night as a source of light.

Now think over what the church was urged to do? Pray for Nero! And what kind of prayer was supposed to be made for kings and other authorities?

V4: who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The prayer for Nero and other such rulers was that they may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. What? Shouldn’t the prayer be for the protection of believers from Nero? Shouldn’t the prayers instead ask God to bring down His wrath on Nero for oppressing and brutally killing Christians?

Instead the call is that all kinds of prayers be made for Nero and the like so that they may be saved from the wrath of God that comes upon all who rebel against Him. Prayers need to be made so that they come to a full discernment of the truth about God! Doesn’t this change everything we think about whom to pray for and how to pray for them?

Why would God want us to pray this? Why does God delight in this and find pleasure in prayers made for “people like them”?

I think there are two reasons:

i) The gospel is exalted when we pray for their salvation

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Every time we pray for the salvation of the authorities in our lives, we re-affirm in the power of the gospel to save anybody! There is a certain conviction with which you will pray if you understood that Christ is the only one who can restore your broken relationship with God. There is “one God” not multiple gods. This list of multiple “gods” also include money, people, family, entertainment, comfort, jobs, relationships, your religious life…anything that demands more of your affection and the preoccupation of your mind is a “god”. And the Bible clearly says…there is only One God and one mediator. There is only absolutely one person who can intervene between you and God and restore that friendship – the man Christ Jesus! The Son of God (fully God), who fully became man to identify with you and then die for you to be reconciled to God. V6 says that “who gave himself as a ransom for all”. It was a willing handover of himself over to be crucified. Why did he do that? Rom 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death”. He willingly gave himself on the cross to pay for your sins and your rebellion toward God! He died because you and I had made up these little “gods” for ourselves. We worshiped them every single day. Our thoughts would always come back to these “gods”. Our affections were turned on every time we indulged in these idols. And the heap of judgment reserved for betrayal and dishonoring of God was taken upon by the Son of God…the only person who could perfectly pay the price. The word “ransom” is used there for a reason. Ransom is something that is given in exchange for the price of freedom. Christ died so that you could be free! Set free from your slavery to sin! Slavery to these non-gods. Family, if there’s any of you who finds themselves struggling with sin, thinking there is no hope…let me remind you that Christ did not die for nothing. He died to set you completely free from the bondage to sin. So that you could worship no one or nothing else but the One true God Himself! And so when you pray for these authorities in your life…could be your parents, your boss, the PM ruling the land or anyone else, anyone who is unlike you, anyone who is cruel and harsh toward you, anyone who has done a lot of harm to you….when you pray for these individuals so that they get saved, you also with certainty affirm that Christ is powerful to save them too! And it is a true fact!

ii) God is glorified because we reflect the heart and attitude of God

who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (v4)

God intends that all people get saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. People sometimes say “Go to hell!” when they are really frustrated with someone and given up on that person. But guess what? God never says that.

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ez 18:23)

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” (Ez 18:32)

That’s the heart of God! No matter how wicked, cruel and rebellious we are, God doesn’t delight in destroying us. He wants us to turn and repent. Does this mean that all people in the world will be saved? No, the Bible says that God has chosen people for Himself. He has elected and pre-destined people to love, worship and reflect Him. You might say “Isn’t God unjust then? Isn’t He partial?” Let me ask you, can you ever be partial to your enemy? The bible says we are “enemies of God” (Rom 5:10). None of us deserve to be saved. All of us deserve to be condemned, so who are we to say that God is being unfair?

Here’s how Wayne Grudem puts it “If God decided to save only 5 human beings out of the entire human race, it would have been a great demonstration of mercy and grace. If he had decided to save only 100 out of the entire human race, it would have been an amazing demonstration of mercy and love. But God in fact has chosen to do much more than that. He has decided to redeem out of a sinful mankind a great multitude, whom no man can number, “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation”. (Rev 5:9) This is incalculable mercy and grace, far beyond our comprehension.”

But we don’t get to decide who are the elect and who are not. That is God’s secret will that He hasn’t revealed to us. His revealed will is that “we pray for the salvation of those who are in authority”. And this is convicting to me because I would pray for the salvation for my family or friends but would hardly pray for those that oppose me. Recently I’ve been having a tough time with a client. The last thing I would want to do is pray for his salvation. I think he’s caused a lot of problems, why should I intercede for him? In my mind, I probably think he doesn’t deserve it. But that reveals the sin in my heart. In my pride and bitterness, I’m unable to see my unworthiness. What good did I ever do to deserve God? Nothing. Family, if we were to just lay bare our thought life before others, we would be totally ashamed and guilty as someone you consider to be the worst. That’s who we are. We are saturated with sin. But Christ showed us grace…abundant grace! When we pray for the salvation of those unlike us and probably who oppress us, we humbly acknowledge how God in His grace has saved us from our worthless state and anticipate that transformation in the lives of our authorities as well.

So that’s key in prayer! The gospel root in prayer. The best prayer you can pray for those in authority is not just that they govern the country well and prosper so that we will also prosper. We earnestly pray that they may come to the knowledge of truth. We make all kinds of prayers so that they repent and embrace Jesus as Lord. The best prayer you can make for PM Modi is not that he ends us being a fantastic leader or that he allows us to live in peace but that he comes to know Jesus. The best prayer I can make for my client is that he comes to the knowledge of truth.

2. Glorious fruit of prayer

For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (v7)

In those days, tensions between Jews and Gentiles were quite bad. Jews had traditions where they wouldn’t even eat with Gentiles. Socially unacceptable! And here, Paul is appointed as a preacher and apostle to them. The point here is that Gentiles were at polar ends with respect to Jews. So unlike them, so different and yet Paul goes to them with the gospel.

Prayer drives us to action. Over a period of time as you pray for these authorities, God will create a burden for you to reach out to them. I don’t think this list is only restricted to the PM and other rulers of the state. I think it applies to authorities in your life that you don’t want to hang out with because they harm you or are against you. Preaching the gospel to them is probably the last thing on your mind. But again, prayer is a vehicle that God uses to accomplish His purposes in and through your life. So eventually if you are intensely praying for that authority, God will also open opportunities to connect with them and present this wonderful gospel. That’s where the gospel way of life is radically different from what we learn from culture or our hearts of selfishness and comfort. Selfishness and comfort will always tell us to be safe, avoid hard situations and different people. But the gospel tells us to pray and go to those who are unlike us, people who oppose us and probably harm us. And that’s when the gospel is put on display. People will want to know why we do this. Why do we love, pray and reach out to those who persecute us? We’ll get to tell them why as we share our story and His story (the gospel).

Would you pray? Would you reach out? Who is God challenging you to pray for today? Personally for you who is it hardest to pray for?

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/170312_1127.mp3″]

We are doing a series called “God Alive Church” – A journey through 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

Last Sunday we ended on 1 Timothy chapter one and learned how important it is to hold on to our faith and have a good conscience to protect God’s promises and the prophecies made over our lives.

In 1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy is instructed by Paul to wage the good warfare holding faith and a good conscience. Paul deliberately uses a military language to remind us that it’s a war that we are fighting to fulfill God’s purposes in our lives and also to protect the gospel message.

Just as it is in a war – As a child of God no matter where we are in life, God desires a single minded focus from his children – And the goal is to glorify Him.

And to fulfill that goal we need to be doing something – and that something is so simple to do but we often fail because the devil is constantly putting obstacles and distractions in way and we fail to see the simplicity of the gospel and its power to transform our lives.

Let me give an example – A lot of times the enemy makes us look so ugly because of our sinfulness, failures and inability to relate with God and the church, he make us think that all other Christians are better than us.
But if we’ve truly understood the gospel than we should know that in comparison to God’s standard of holiness we all are worst of sinners, no matter whether I’m the pastor of the church or some saint who’s given away everything to become a godly man. Imagine Paul the Apostle of Jesus in 1 Timothy 1:15 calls himself the chief of all sinners.

The grace of God views all of us in the same manner.

What matters is how each individual respond to it.
If our response to this glorious gospel is positive than it will set us free – give clarity to our thoughts and bring us out of our miserable position.

But, If our response is negative where we are continuously listening to all the lies that the devil presents us than we will never see the victories God has in stored for us.

I believe today’s passage from 1 Timothy 2:1-2 is a good reminded to us on what a good response looks like when we hit a difficult spot in life.

In 1 Timothy 1 Paul points out to the sad state of the church and the sad state of the people in the church. He mentions how people are devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies, promoting speculations instead of trusting God & serving Him.

People having vain and fruitless discussions leading them nowhere. Listening and teaching a different doctrine other than the true doctrine of the Gospel of Christ and making a shipwreck of their faith.

He also reminds them of the simple and the glorious gospel in verses 12 to 17. He writes in verse 15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

After reminding them of their sad state and the truth of the Gospel, in chapter 2 he begins by saying “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

What Paul is saying is that our first response when we hit a difficult situation in life, whether in church or in our personal lives should always be Prayer & Thanksgiving.

Our First Response.

In Philippians 4:6 Paul is writing again to the church in Philippi and says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Sadly, our very first response is always either self-pity, or judgmental. Prayer is always the last resort for us. But what Paul is saying here is that Prayer and Thanksgiving should always be our first resort.

Even though Paul is upset with the fact that people are making a shipwreck of their faith, following a wrong doctrine and talking rubbish in the church. His first reaction before dealing with it is to go on his knees and pray for them.

We too are living in times where wrong doctrine is corrupting the church, people use their position to speak whatever they want about God and the church – Some leaders have become corrupt and make unwise decisions whether in church or in the government – And we all have our own opinions about what is right and what is wrong.

The question I want to ask is how do we deal with it in our hearts? Is our very first reaction talking about them badly in front of others, pointing their mistakes and making fun of them? Or is it a genuine love that leads us to first go on your knees and pray for them.

I think it’s best to refrain from pointing fingers at others until you have genuinely spent time praying for them. Remember, that in comparison to God’s standard of holiness we are equally bad as the brother or the leader we are talking about even if we have all the checkbox clicked right. We might have got all the doctrine and theological framework right but we still are the worst of sinners and desperately in need of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.

If God had to react in his anger and deal with us as our sins deserve we will all be dead by now. Not just those bad politicians or dishonest leaders – We all sitting here deserve the same punishment.

And therefore Paul writes “First of all, then, I urge that supplications , prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Here’s why Paul is urging us to pray first.

1. When we pray the peace of God & His understanding guards our hearts & minds.

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It is so easy for us to lose our peace and react in anger, self-pity or a heated disagreement when we face a difficult situation in our lives, whether it is at home with our wife and children, or it is at work with our boss and colleagues or in church with the leaders of fellow brothers and sisters.

Think of how wisely the Devil distorts our understanding of the gospel, our identity, the fallen state of mankind and the grace and mercy of God corrupting our hearts and minds.

We forget Romans 14:1 which says “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

We forget 1 John 1:9 which says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”

When we pray – it allow the peace of God and his understanding to guard our hearts and minds. Pray leads us to see our own sinfulness of the heart and sets the tone right with the right understanding of the gospel.

2. When we pray God gives us the right wisdom to deal with our circumstances and people.

James 1:5-7

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord”

The tendency of our heart is always to apply our wisdom to sort the differences, address the difficult circumstances and deal with the people in our own strength and understanding even though we know that the bible teaches us in Proverbs 3:5 not to lean on our own understanding but rather trust in the Lord.

In Ephesians 6:12 Paul writes “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

All our battles are spiritual and therefore we need to go to God in pray and ask for his wisdom who gives generously to all without reproach.

In 1Timothy 2:1 Paul urges us to first pray is because he knows God will give us the right wisdom to deal with our circumstances.

We may be in a situation where we are trying to fight our battles on our own strength – Trying to prove our position right at our workplace, trying to put across our point of view to another believer, trying to manipulate others with our words to get our thing done.

Instead of trying all these we simply have to God in prayer and ask and believe that he will give us the right wisdom to deal with people and situations.

3. When we pray God performs miracle

Acts 16:25-26

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.”

James 5:17-18

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”

If we think we are in a situation where only a miracle can save us then it will only happen when we go on our knees and pray to God.

I deliberately used these two verses to remind you that God has control over everything; he can go to the extent of even shaking the earth and its foundations to perform a miracle for his children. Just as he is able to shake the foundations of the prison he is able to shake the foundations of your workplace, foundations of your home.

He is a God who is able to open the closed doors, close the open doors.

Yes, he is able to change people hearts and perform a miracle in each other’s lives but only when we are sincerely praying and plead with God.

Yes, he is able to change the political environment of our nation and others nations.

And there is only one reason why won’t see those miracles happen

James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

We need to reason with ourselves and ask what is it that we are asking and why is it that we are asking. Is it with a wrong motive? Is it to spend on our won pleasures? Is it to feed our self-ego?

In that case our prayer won’t be answered.

Our prayers should be sincere, pleasing to God and in accordance with his word and his purpose. If God has chosen a particular leader because that fits his overall purpose of bringing the nations to him than we are nobody to question that. All we can do is pray for peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness as Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2.

4. When we pray God brings healing & deliverance

James 5:16

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. “

Psalm 50:15

“And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

God not only heals the physically sick but he also heals our broken hearts, our disfigured, distorted and good for nothing lives. But it happens when we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another.

Remember, we can never win our battles in isolation – We need our brothers and sisters to stand with us and pray for our broken lives, broken hearts, sinful patterns, bad habits etc

James 5:16 says The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. A righteous man is not someone who is righteous in their own strength but it is someone who understood the gospel rightly. It is someone who’ve understood Romans 3:22 which says “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

Deliverance is not just deliverance from evil spirits but deliverance from sin, from sin patterns, from anxiety, from depression, from lack of faith, for feelings of failure, from hopelessness, from a weak conscience, from anger issues etc.

God promises us saying if we call upon him in the day of trouble he will deliver us and we will glorify him.
In the light of what we heard today here’s some quick applications for us to take home

No 1. Let’s pray at all times – in good times, in bad times, in happy times in sad times, in lack in abundance, in success in failure, for ourselves for our family, for our brothers for our sisters, for our leaders, for our collegues etc

No 2. Let’s refrain from talking about anyone or anything uncles we have genuinely prayed for that person or for that situation

No 3. Let’s connect and be honest with one another, sharing our struggles, confessing our sins so that we know what to pray for and how to encourage each other.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/holding-christian-faith.mp3″]

How many of us would like to be more effective in ministry? How many of us would like to be competent soldiers in spiritual battle? You might think that this is probably something only meant for pastors and other people in ministry but as we’ll see in today’s passage this is something that’s so significant for all of us.

Just coming to the context of this passage…right before this very passage we see Paul sharing his testimony and the gospel. Why does he do that?

You remember earlier in the chapter he talks about some people preaching a false doctrine and some others using the law unlawfully. And in v10-11 he says “sound[c] doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.” In other words, sounds doctrine flows out of the gospel. And in v12-17 he goes on to define the gospel. The gospel is so critical to teaching the right doctrine. So what’s the gospel?

V15: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

If there has to be a concise way of sharing the gospel then v15 is the way you do it. Christ Jesus came into the world: he came to us when we couldn’t reach him, to save sinners (not righteous men) of whom I am the foremost…we need to first understand the weight and punishment we deserve for our sins in order to receive the great and amazing sacrifice of Jesus.

We need to understand how we are the worst of sinners not the best of righteous. Understanding that we are the worst makes us to helplessly seek Christ and hold on to His way of salvation which is the only way we can be saved.

He then reminds Timothy about the impact of the gospel. In v12 and 13 how a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent of the gospel was transformed into a faithful servant of Christ. In v16 he continues to say how through the mercy shown to Paul a persecutor of the faith, Christ wanted to display His patience to those who would believe and receive eternal life.

Unbelievers are drawn to Christ when they see the foremost and worst of sinners being saved and used by God. What unfailing love and unending mercy of God!

By doing this Paul is re-affirming the importance of guarding the purity of the gospel! It’s this gospel that saves people! It’s the pure gospel of God that can transform the worst and hardened of hearts and make them righteous, pure and holy! How is God loved and worshipped as He is? When we taste and respond to the pure gospel!

That’s how the previous passages relate to this. The gospel is crucial and critical to everything. Let’s come to today’s passage then:

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

V18: This charge I entrust to you

What charge is he referring to? V3-4 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship[a] from God that is by faith.

The charge was to correct and refute the wrong teaching that was in the Ephesian church. This wrong teaching was causing a lot of harm. People were getting confused and it wasn’t helping anyone’s faith. Paul charges Timothy for specific action against these false teachers.

The reason is because God is magnified and made much of by the pure preaching of the gospel. And the false gospel simply doesn’t do that.

For example: If you consider the prosperity gospel that says “Come to Christ and He’ll make you healthy and wealthy”. And they take twist different verses to fit their understanding. How is God viewed as a result of the prosperity gospel? By this false teaching it appears like God exists for us and our fulfilment. So God isn’t ultimate, we are. God is reduced to merely a genie who does things for us. Firstly, it belittles God glory and then secondly it’s not ultimately leading you to love, trust and obey God more…it’s leading you to love, trust and obey yourself and your desires more.

That’s why it was so important for Timothy to step in there and command the false teachers to stop teaching. A real desire to see the true God being worshipped and loved is what prompted this.

Timothy, my child

Again we see that language of family being used here. We’ll see more of this in the coming chapters. It does seem that Timothy was led to the Lord by Paul during his first missionary journey in Lystra. So in that sense, he has spiritually fathered Timothy. By the second missionary journey, Timothy joins Paul as his co-worker. He’s done the job of raising him, now it’s time for Timothy to lead.

in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you

Let’s tackle two questions here. What were the prophecies made about Timothy?

Not a lot is known about the prophesy except one reference in 1 Timothy 4:14:

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Two observations from this verse are that

• This prophesy had to do with Timothy’s gifting and call to ministry. The call to ministry is symbolized by the laying of hands. A pattern which means “setting apart for the work of the Lord”.
• It was confirmed by a group of elders. It wasn’t a random prophesy in isolation. It was confirmed by the council of elders.

 

Paul says “in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you”, recalling these prophesies made by the council of elders concerning Timothy’s gifting and call to ministry would strengthen him for ministry.

How do we know that?

Because the next phrase says “that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience.”

By recalling and reminding of those prophecies, Timothy could wage the good warfare, hold faith and a good conscience.

Wage the good warfare

This is totally military language. It’s the way soldiers communicate with each other. Why would Paul use this language?

• He realizes that we are in wartime. We are in the midst of spiritual battle. Eph 6 speaks about it at length but another verse that says it is also 2 Cor 10:4: For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. This is a spiritual battle that is taking place and the weapons to fight are also spiritual. We need to arm ourselves with prayer, the Word, faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s not be deceived into thinking that we are in “safe zone”. If you’re feeling too safe or comfortable, you need to ask yourself if you’re hanging around in the Enemy’s zone. We are always in wartime.

 

• To highlight the importance of having a single minded focus of pleasing God.

2 Tim 2:4: No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

Unlike civilians, a soldier has different goals. Therefore, his desires and decisions are not the same like a civilian. Comfort, safety, pleasure are not in a soldier’s dictionary because he’s concerned about pleasing his commander in charge or the country. The best illustration to use for a Christian. God desires single minded focus from His people and our aim is to please Him. Therefore, it demands a different kind of motivation and attitude toward life. Your passion and goal in life is not to make money, to get a big house, comfortable family life, enjoy and fulfil the pleasures of your heart…it’s to make God known through everything that you do. People should see Christ in the way you look and manage money, see Christ in the way you live in holiness, see Christ in the way you give generously, see Christ in the way you delight in Him and not in your pleasures.

• Persevering in the faith

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Tim 6:12)

Family, this is critical to our understanding of God. We need to fight it out. Something that probably seemed so basic and essential when we first believed. We knew that our relationship with God involved an active participation. Somehow overtime we get lazy and passive in our faith. We cover it up with “Oh, everything is God’s Sovereign will…I don’t want to do it out of self effort”. Yes, don’t do it out of self-effort but depending on His strength to fight the good fight.

It’s like a boxer going through a very rigorous training schedule and diet for his main fight in the ring. He’s fully prepared but once he gets into the ring he just gives up and says “God’s will”. He needs to fight it out after all that preparation and training, right? Otherwise all of that was useless.

Here’s the point…I think Saju described it well last time. As you fight, you’ll realize how helpless and weak you are to do it on your own strength. You’ll run to Christ needing His help to fight through all the struggles of sin and hard circumstances in your life. But you won’t recognize how much you need Christ until you’re in the ring and fighting the fight! I love the way Paul puts it. He’s not just urging Timothy to fight but fight the good fight of faith!

holding faith and a good conscience.

Holding faith means holding on to the gospel as it was taught and not swerving from it. Good conscience comes from understanding the gospel and having a lifestyle consistent with it.

So essentially what Paul is saying is that recalling the prophecies made about Timothy should help him to wage the good war, hold faith and a good conscience. God had called Timothy to ministry and that was affirmed by the council of elders. Every time he recalled the prophecies he would’ve been strengthened to know that God has chosen him to minister. He serves God and ministers as a representative of God. He doesn’t do this all alone…God is there empowering and strengthening him.

Your question might be: “Okay, I don’t have anyone who has prophesied over me. So how can I be strengthened to minister?” Or you may say “I’m not even called to minister. How does this apply to me”?

You might not have had anyone prophesy over you or you may not feel called to ministry but Scripture already has some direct instructions for you and I.

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph 4:11-13)

Prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers have been given to the church for what? To equip the saints for the work of ministry. Wow! We all have been called to ministry.

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24-25)

This is a clear instruction given to members of the church…consider how to stir up one another to love and good works….encouraging one another, and all the more

Let’s draw encouragement and strength from the fact that God has called us to ministry. It might look different for different people according to their gifts but nonetheless we all are called. Just imagine what your day will look like if you woke up reminding yourself of how you’ve been called by God and you have an important role to play in the building up of the church. And this role continues until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.

We are all “professional forgetters” and often the thing we forget is our identity. Our identity as people who have been called on a specific mission. The Enemy is definitely happy if he sees us coming together every week, every Sunday singing songs, listening to messages but forgetting and ignoring the call upon our lives. It’s a great call! If we forget our call, we forget that we’re in wartime, forget the gospel and in turn forget how our lives can be consistent to it.

V19-20

By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

By rejecting this (holding faith & a good conscience) – by rejecting the gospel and having a life inconsistent with the gospel these false teachers have “shipwrecked” their faith.

I think this should be a warning reminder for us. These were people who weren’t repentant and continued in their sin. The issue here wasn’t just their doctrine. It was fuelled by a sinful lifestyle causing them to shipwreck their faith. Just to clarify what happened to Hymenaeus and Alexander. “handed over to Satan” is a phrase that Paul uses to talk about being excommunicated because of persistent sin. When we look at Matt 18:15-17, we see that excommunication is the last thing that is done when the person still continues to persist in sin in spite of being confronted by the whole church. But let’s also look at the last phrase which says “that they may learn not to blaspheme”. The purpose of keeping them out is not out of animosity or any other reason but so that they might repent. There is still hope for them.