1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,600 Let's open our Bibles together please to 1 Timothy chapter 4. 2 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:22,340 We must never miscalculate the cleverness of our spiritual foe, the devil, nor his tenacity 3 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:27,880 in his attempts to sidetrack us from serving God. 4 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:35,640 Always the devil is seeking to cause the church to compromise the message. 5 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:42,160 In chapter 1, Paul instructs Timothy that a church to be an authentic church must stay 6 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:46,440 on track with its message. 7 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:54,480 Always our enemy is seeking to get us to forsake our God-given priorities. 8 00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:01,720 In chapter 2, the Apostle Paul tells Pastor Timothy, here are the priorities of ministry. 9 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,080 Be sure you include them in the order of your church. 10 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:14,600 Always the devil is seeking to get us to diminish the role of leadership in the church. 11 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,960 In chapter 3, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and says, here are the qualifications for 12 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:20,960 leaders. 13 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:22,840 Here's what leaders are to do. 14 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:28,880 And by the way, don't forget the important central role the church has in the plan of 15 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,880 God. 16 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:39,160 As we come to chapter 4, we see the Satan seeks to infiltrate the church with false 17 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,800 teaching, false ideas. 18 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:46,400 And we've been learning about the importance of guarding against this attack. 19 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:53,440 Especially in the later times, says the Holy Spirit, an apostasy or a falling away will 20 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,480 take place. 21 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:01,440 As professing Christians, pay attention to deceitful spirits spewing out their false 22 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,800 ideas. 23 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:12,320 While true believers will not apostatize, we are nonetheless warned of the danger of 24 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,280 false teaching. 25 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:22,240 Last week we learned that we can build walls of defense to protect ourselves against false 26 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,520 ideas. 27 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:31,940 The walls of defense are to nourish ourselves with a healthy spiritual diet, to commit ourselves 28 00:02:31,940 --> 00:02:39,000 to regular spiritual discipline, and thirdly, to involve ourselves in rigorous spiritual 29 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,000 duty. 30 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:45,040 If we do those three things, we will have three walls built in our lives to protect 31 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,920 us from false thinking. 32 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:54,720 But there is yet another line of defense to protect a church from false teaching and false 33 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,100 teachers. 34 00:02:57,100 --> 00:03:04,240 That line of defense is its leadership, whose qualifications and roles have already been 35 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,800 discussed by Paul. 36 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:14,240 And now these people, like Timothy, the pastor at Ephesus, are given to understand the crucial 37 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,040 role in the church's defense and safety. 38 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:26,360 In the text we are looking at today, there are ten commands given by Paul to this pastor. 39 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:33,440 These ten commands are all given in a continuous, ongoing, progressive sense. 40 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:39,880 In other words, you never get to the place that you've finally done this one. 41 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:47,440 He says, always as an ongoing practice of life, do these ten things. 42 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:54,080 You may want to underline the verbs as we read through the text beginning in 1 Timothy 43 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,440 4.11. 44 00:03:56,440 --> 00:04:01,160 Prescribe and teach these things. 45 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:06,680 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in your speech, conduct, love, 46 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:13,320 faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 47 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:19,000 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of the scripture, to exhortation and 48 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,680 teaching. 49 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,120 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic 50 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,600 utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 51 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,160 Take pains with these things. 52 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,760 Be absorbed in them so that your progress may be evident to all. 53 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,440 Pay close attention to yourself and your teaching. 54 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,360 Persevere in these things. 55 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:51,280 Now notice the last sentence, for as you do this, you will ensure salvation both for yourself 56 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:54,960 and for those who hear you. 57 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,880 Whenever you see the word salvation or the verb save, you always need to look at the 58 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:05,800 context to see what kind of salvation is involved here. 59 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:13,760 In this particular text, I don't believe he is talking primarily about our eternal salvation 60 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:20,520 that we receive by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, which is kept for us, and we are kept 61 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,320 for it. 62 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,120 But he is talking about being saved from what he is warning us about in this chapter, false 63 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,000 teaching. 64 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:35,680 He says if leaders will do these things, then you, he says to Timothy, and those who hear 65 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:44,280 you, the church, will be kept saved. 66 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:48,600 That is, saved from false teaching. 67 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,600 Now notice the ten verbs. 68 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:59,320 Describe, teach, let no one look down, show yourself, give attention, do not neglect, 69 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:04,240 take pains, be absorbed, pay close attention, persevere. 70 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:12,240 Pithy, short, right to the point, in your face kind of commands. 71 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,800 We are not going to look at all ten of them separately, but we are going to summarize 72 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,440 them in four directives. 73 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:28,800 Four statements of responsibility, four directives given to church leaders. 74 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,440 My point this morning is that a church will be saved from the persistent peril of false 75 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:39,440 teaching if its leaders follow God's directions. 76 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:46,000 Now by way of application, we can say so will a small church, so will a Sunday school class, 77 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:53,480 so will a cell group, so will that parachurch ministry, so will that Christian school that 78 00:06:53,480 --> 00:07:01,440 you are involved in, so will the home schooling situation. 79 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:09,400 If leaders will pay attention to what Paul says here, the leaders themselves and those 80 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:16,400 in their charge, be it two people or two thousand people, will be kept from the error of false 81 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,480 teaching. 82 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:26,720 Directive number one is found in verses 11 and 13 and in the verbs connected with this. 83 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,200 I'm summarizing it this way. 84 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:33,600 Paul says to Timothy, carry out your public ministry. 85 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:39,800 In other words, do for that group following you what you've been called to do. 86 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:45,920 You're a leader and it's important that as a leader you do what you're supposed to do 87 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:50,720 because that means the growth of the body. 88 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:58,400 Timothy's work, like the work of all elders, was primarily to convey God's message to his 89 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,960 people. 90 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:07,680 In doing this, he is commanded by Paul to prescribe these things. 91 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,960 Sounds almost medical, doesn't it? 92 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:11,960 Prescribe these things. 93 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:18,960 It really means to charge these things to them, command them, order them. 94 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:23,840 Paul is here implying that Timothy has the authority to do that. 95 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:30,920 Timothy's authority as a pastor was not exactly the same authority that Paul had as an apostle. 96 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:37,800 Pastoral authority and apostolic authority are two different kinds of authority. 97 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:45,080 But notice that there is authority here that is given to Timothy to command the people 98 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,720 of God regarding these things. 99 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:57,080 We're in a day when authority is undermined overtly and covertly. 100 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:03,520 It's a tough day to be in leadership, be it in the church or be it in the world. 101 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:10,080 I think of those who are trying to lead us governmentally, either through appointed offices 102 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:15,880 or elected offices, and the tough job they have of trying to lead people in a day when 103 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:17,240 people don't want to be led. 104 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,780 They don't want to be told what to do. 105 00:09:21,780 --> 00:09:25,200 You see there is authority given to those who are in leadership. 106 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,000 God gives authority to leaders. 107 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,840 Timothy is told here, you are to command, you are to order the people of God about these 108 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:33,840 things. 109 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,520 Then he is to teach. 110 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,480 Twice this verb is used. 111 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:46,280 To teach means to lay out truth in an orderly fashion so that others can grasp it. 112 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,440 Someone who has the gift of teaching is able to do that. 113 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:55,480 They are able to explain the truth in such a way that other people are able to understand, 114 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,440 oh, that's what that means. 115 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:06,280 And not only that, they assimilate it into themselves so that they experience life change. 116 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,160 You see teaching is more than dumping truth on people. 117 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,900 It's more than giving people an outline. 118 00:10:13,900 --> 00:10:22,520 Teaching means to communicate truth persuasively so that people are led to change their lives 119 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:27,640 as a result of the teaching. 120 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:29,040 That's what Timothy is to do. 121 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,440 That's his public ministry. 122 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:36,360 That's what many of us are doing in leadership roles. 123 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:41,080 And in fact, in a sense, all of us are in leadership roles because there's somebody 124 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:46,400 following us that we can teach and should teach. 125 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,000 And then he talks to Timothy about the public reading of the Scriptures and the importance 126 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,080 of that. 127 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:56,400 We do that every Sunday, at least before the message. 128 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:00,900 I'm not so sure that there shouldn't be other planned times in our services when we do nothing 129 00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:04,000 but just read the Word of God. 130 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,900 Now remember the context of that day. 131 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:10,880 They did not have their own personal copies of the Scripture. 132 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,480 And so the public reading was all that they had. 133 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,440 So they were to read it every week. 134 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,840 But we also are to read the Scripture, though our context is different. 135 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:28,600 I think there's benefit in hearing the Word of God read in a congregational setting. 136 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,880 And then the word exhortation is used in verse 13. 137 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,080 The word here is to admonish somebody. 138 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:42,360 The verb means to call someone alongside of you to give them encouragement. 139 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:48,120 It's the picture of the coach again who calls the player out of the game over to his side. 140 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:53,440 He tells him what he wants him to do and then he pats him and sends him back into the game. 141 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:57,160 That is the role also of a leader. 142 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,760 Here we derive the concept of counseling. 143 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,840 The word is not here, but that's what biblical spiritual counseling is. 144 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,720 It means that someone comes aside, you help them understand what God says regarding that 145 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:14,320 problem and you send them back into the game. 146 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:19,080 So Paul says to Timothy, look the best thing you can do to guard the church against false 147 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:23,000 teaching is to do your job. 148 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:30,180 That's the best thing every one of us can do in the sense of teaching those in our charge 149 00:12:30,180 --> 00:12:32,360 what God has to say. 150 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:38,920 And as we teach them the truth they become alert then when error approaches. 151 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:48,260 There's no greater protection against false ideas than the teaching of true ideas. 152 00:12:48,260 --> 00:12:52,280 There's a second command that I believe Paul gives to Timothy. 153 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:56,440 It's found in verse 12 and though there are two verbs here I'm summarizing it in this 154 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,920 one statement or directive. 155 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:07,560 He says to Timothy, cast your life a respected pattern. 156 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:14,420 All of us are casting out from our lives a pattern to other people. 157 00:13:14,420 --> 00:13:21,200 And what he says to Timothy is cast your life a respected pattern. 158 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,360 Don't let people look down upon you he says because of your youthfulness. 159 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,720 Now Timothy was a man of 40 years of age. 160 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:34,080 If that's any consolation to those of you who think you're old at 40 so be it. 161 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:40,760 But he says to Timothy, don't let other people despise your youth but cast your life 162 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:45,200 as an example of what believers are like. 163 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,480 And he gives five specific areas. 164 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,400 First he says in speech. 165 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,240 All of us surely understand the importance of words. 166 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,280 Even Napoleon Bonaparte saw that. 167 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:03,480 He says it is astonishing what power words have over man. 168 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:09,680 Words have tremendous power because words mean something. 169 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:14,120 Words communicate ideas. 170 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:20,760 You look at films as some of us have in the last few days in this anniversary of Auschwitz. 171 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:27,440 You look at films of the Nazi multitudes and Hitler speaking to them and you see the trance 172 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,000 that is there. 173 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:37,800 I believe there was spiritual power being exploited there. 174 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,160 That it was demonic what was taking place. 175 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:48,260 But words with his oratory, his words, he changed the course of a nation and led the 176 00:14:48,260 --> 00:14:56,120 world to the very brink of terrible, terrible disaster. 177 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,160 We are to be an example in the good sense of words. 178 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,360 Words can bless, words can curse. 179 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:06,840 And so we are to use our mouths for good. 180 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,440 James says that the tongue is small but it's powerful. 181 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:16,400 He compares it to a bit that turns a horse, a rudder that turns a ship, a spark that kindles 182 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,920 a fire. 183 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,840 So as we think about leading others, be it our children, be it a small Bible study, be 184 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:30,520 it a church, we are to remember that we are to be an example of what a believer is like 185 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,840 with our words, our speech. 186 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:38,400 And then he talks about conduct or lifestyle. 187 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,420 In the past our lifestyle was patterned after the world. 188 00:15:42,420 --> 00:15:46,760 We walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power 189 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:55,760 of the air, writes Paul to this same church, Ephesians 2 verse 2. 190 00:15:55,760 --> 00:16:01,140 But now believers have been rescued from that old pattern and we are to have a new pattern. 191 00:16:01,140 --> 00:16:06,120 And this pastor is told pattern your life in a respectable way so that other people 192 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:12,440 will understand what a lifestyle as a Christian ought to be about. 193 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:19,440 What about the people watching us in our place of work? 194 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:24,000 What about our children looking at our lives, evaluating what we do and what we say and 195 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,440 trying to put them together? 196 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:33,120 We also need to cast our lives a respected pattern in lifestyle and conduct. 197 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,040 And then he uses the word love. 198 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:40,680 Here's the word agape and what he's saying is that leaders are to show genuine concern 199 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,800 for the welfare of their followers, including those who don't even deserve it. 200 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:52,080 We're to show God's kind of love and cast our lives with a pattern of love that people 201 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,320 may understand that that's what a believer in God does. 202 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:04,880 Dwight L. Moody wanted to start a Sunday school for street urchins in Chicago in the 1850s. 203 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:10,760 But he was not allowed to start a Sunday school class in any of the organized churches. 204 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:18,160 They looked at him and saw who he wanted to bring to church and they said forget it. 205 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:23,280 And so he went out onto the streets and got boys and girls together and rented a room 206 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:27,280 and began a Sunday school class. 207 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:33,040 Eventually hundreds of street children in Chicago in the 1860s came to Moody's Sunday 208 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:34,160 school. 209 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:41,840 He became so famous that Abraham Lincoln visited the Sunday school on one occasion. 210 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,440 One little boy was asked, why do you go to Moody's Sunday school when there's a church 211 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:46,440 right here? 212 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:57,320 And the little boy just simply said, because they love a fellow over there. 213 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:05,200 I would hope that people sense the love of God in our hearts as we lead them. 214 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,200 And then the area of faith. 215 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:14,780 He says we're to cast our lives in a respected pattern of faith, both in the sense of believing 216 00:18:14,780 --> 00:18:20,520 God and of being faithful to God. 217 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,400 Someone has said a church will rise no higher than its leaders. 218 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,560 It's true of every group. 219 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:32,640 And so whatever role of leadership we have, we must cast our lives in a respected pattern 220 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:39,920 of faith so that those following us will understand what it means to trust God, what it means 221 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:44,200 to be faithful to God. 222 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,000 William Carey did so. 223 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:53,000 His great missionary work in India, that part of the world. 224 00:18:53,000 --> 00:19:01,760 One of his statements was, attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. 225 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,440 He not only made that statement, he lived it. 226 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,480 He lived it and cast his life a pattern of faith. 227 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:15,120 And finally he talks about the area of purity. 228 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:20,400 Purity of mind, purity of motive, purity of message. 229 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,640 Keeping our hands and our hearts clean in a very dirty world. 230 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:33,080 And in so doing, casting an example of what believers are like, a pattern of purity. 231 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:39,800 Leaders casting their lives into such a pattern will inevitably influence others and will 232 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:47,720 help protect those following them from false thinking and false living. 233 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:54,480 What great protection for a church, for a Sunday school class, for a Bible study group, 234 00:19:54,480 --> 00:20:02,320 for a ministry, and having leaders that set an example. 235 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:08,760 Number three he says to Timothy, verse 14, cultivate your personal gift. 236 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:12,440 Timothy had a charisma from God. 237 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,000 That's the word here for gift. 238 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,240 In one sense all of us are charismatics. 239 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,160 It comes from this word charisma. 240 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:32,520 A charisma refers to that blend, that custom designed blend of spirit endowed abilities 241 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,640 that God gives to us. 242 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:41,560 He knows who we are, he knows our background, he knows our purpose in the world, and therefore 243 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:48,540 he gives to each believer a gift, a charisma, a grace gift. 244 00:20:48,540 --> 00:20:56,520 We don't choose it, we don't ask for it, he gives us charisma to us. 245 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:02,040 And Paul tells Timothy now do not neglect that gift. 246 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,880 The implication being that he was what? 247 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,400 Neglecting the gift. 248 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:17,160 Are you neglecting your gift? 249 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:23,040 Elsewhere Paul says to Timothy stir up the gift of God that is in you. 250 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:29,600 He's talking about developing, cultivating the gift that God has given us to serve him. 251 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,440 What is your gift? 252 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:39,280 What he is telling us here is that as leaders grow, as leaders stay on the cutting edge 253 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:45,640 there is a protection for those who follow them. 254 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:54,560 But when leaders become complacent, become content, when the fire goes out then the followers 255 00:21:54,560 --> 00:22:00,520 are left vulnerable to false thinking. 256 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:07,720 General William Booth gathered some of his soldiers together in the organization he started, 257 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:16,240 the Salvation Army, and he said to them, young men, take heed to the fire in your own hearts, 258 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:21,640 for it has a tendency to go out. 259 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:28,340 Is the fire burning brightly inside of you? 260 00:22:28,340 --> 00:22:34,160 Is there a fire of intensity and fervency about serving God and developing and growing 261 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:40,520 as a person and that gift inside of you that God has given you to be cultivated? 262 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,800 Are you making the most of it? 263 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:51,080 If you are, then you are a defense to your children. 264 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,560 You are protecting them from false ideas. 265 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:59,720 You are a defense to that Sunday school class or the people in that small church. 266 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,540 You are a defense to that cell group. 267 00:23:02,540 --> 00:23:13,120 If you as a leader are cultivating your own giftedness and growing, stretching. 268 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:25,320 Fourthly, verses 15 and 16, he says to Timothy, concentrate on your primary priorities. 269 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:29,080 Trying to figure out priorities is always a challenge, isn't it? 270 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,240 What is most important to do? 271 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:40,080 I believe that he lays out before us here four critical priorities for every leader. 272 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:46,320 I don't care what role you may have, be it a parent, a husband, a wife, a pastor, an 273 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:55,240 elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, four critical priorities. 274 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:56,920 Concentrate on these. 275 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:03,560 The first one is in verse 15 when he says, take pains with these things, be absorbed 276 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:04,560 in them. 277 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:10,400 If there is anything un-American, it is taking pains with something. 278 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,000 We do everything we can to avoid pain. 279 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,920 We will take pills and shots. 280 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,480 We will do anything we can to avoid pain. 281 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:26,600 He says here that in a spiritual sense, we are not even to be afraid of pain. 282 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,360 We are to give it our very best. 283 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:30,680 What? 284 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:31,680 Our calling. 285 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,600 That's what he's talking to Timothy about. 286 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,480 When he says, take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, he's talking about his 287 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,020 calling. 288 00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:43,140 What he's supposed to do. 289 00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:51,400 One priority that you have is to be the very best leader you can be in your home, your 290 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:57,640 small group, your church, your ministry, where God has placed you. 291 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,720 Priority number one that he points to is our calling. 292 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:06,320 He says, be absorbed in it. 293 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,440 Take pains with it. 294 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:14,440 Make progress so that others can see that progress. 295 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,440 In verse 16 he gives a second priority. 296 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:23,600 He says, pay close attention to yourself. 297 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,900 Here he talks about character. 298 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:30,600 The second priority for a leader is character. 299 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,940 Our reputation is of course what people think we are. 300 00:25:34,940 --> 00:25:40,600 Our character is what God knows we are. 301 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:47,000 Too often we pay attention to the reputation and forget the character because it's not 302 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,120 so easily seen. 303 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:55,160 But character is critical for a leader. 304 00:25:55,160 --> 00:26:03,800 One may have the ability to take his cause or his movement to the top, but it's his 305 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:08,200 character that will keep it there on the cutting edge. 306 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:12,540 Ability and character are not the same thing. 307 00:26:12,540 --> 00:26:15,120 To be a leader you have to have both. 308 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,040 He says here that we are to pay close attention to our character. 309 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:26,440 People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do. 310 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,760 What you do reveals your character. 311 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:36,360 Third, he says, pay close attention to your teaching. 312 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,440 The third priority is creed. 313 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,080 What do you believe? 314 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,480 What do you stand for? 315 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:49,880 Do you know? 316 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:53,920 If you don't, you are leaving not only yourself vulnerable, you are leaving your followers 317 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,160 vulnerable to false teaching. 318 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:03,720 He says pay close attention to your teaching, to what you say you believe and what you teach 319 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,520 other people, your creed. 320 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:14,520 Be sure the content of it passes the word of God. 321 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:20,000 Some of us depend upon other people to teach our followers what they ought to believe. 322 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,160 We depend upon the youth pastor to teach our children what they ought to believe. 323 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,600 We depend on the Sunday school teacher to tell our children what they ought to believe. 324 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:34,960 We parents, we are the leaders of our homes. 325 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:41,320 God says pay attention to your creed. 326 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,880 That's true in absolutely every area where we are leaders. 327 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,720 Pay attention to what you believe. 328 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,840 Your followers will be affected by it. 329 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:56,200 And finally he says persevere in these things. 330 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:03,080 The word means abide, remain, hang on to these things. 331 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:04,360 Abide in them. 332 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:08,120 He's talking here, think about conduct again. 333 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:17,200 He's saying let these things that you are professing, let them be the thing that guide 334 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:18,200 your life. 335 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:26,360 One of the most amazing machines in all the world to me is a 747 jet. 336 00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:32,480 I could stand all day at airports and watch 747s take off or land. 337 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,400 Those magnificent machines as they lift off the ground look like they're just floating 338 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:43,040 like a balloon because of the immensity of their size and coming in for landing. 339 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,840 I'll never forget the first time I rode on one. 340 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,080 It's been over 20 years ago now. 341 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:58,520 We were coming back from Europe, flying from Germany to Kennedy Airport. 342 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:04,380 And as we approached Kennedy, began our descent, we entered into heavy clouds, couldn't see 343 00:29:04,380 --> 00:29:09,480 a thing beyond the tip of the wing. 344 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:15,520 And we got lower and lower and lower, still couldn't see anything out the windows. 345 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,120 And finally we broke through the clouds and I don't think it was more than a second or 346 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:24,280 two from the time we came through this low layer of clouds until the wheels touched on 347 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,240 the runway and we were there. 348 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:31,200 And they didn't touch like that, they touched like that. 349 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,440 Just like a feather coming in. 350 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,560 I was absolutely amazed. 351 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:36,920 How can they do that? 352 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:47,800 Well of course we know they have computers on board that give navigation directions to 353 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:50,160 the airplane. 354 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,440 There's a radio signal this plane is following in. 355 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:58,040 They can't see anything out there, the pilots are blind up in the front, but they're following 356 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:03,640 their instruments, which are following a radio signal coming out from that airport. 357 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:06,560 So they can actually land that plane blind. 358 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,720 They don't have to see the runway at all. 359 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:16,360 They can bring the plane in because of the navigational computers on board. 360 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:18,960 I believe that's what he's saying here about our conduct. 361 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:24,480 We are to remain on the signal. 362 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:29,240 We're not to deviate in our flight pattern. 363 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,200 We're to persevere in these things. 364 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:37,200 We're to stay on the signal so that we will arrive safely at the destination. 365 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,760 Persevere, he says in these things. 366 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,760 How do these directions apply to you in your leadership role? 367 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:54,960 As an elder, as a deacon, as a husband, a wife, as a parent, as a teacher of a Sunday 368 00:30:54,960 --> 00:31:01,560 School class, as a leader of a small church, as a Bible study leader, as a cell leader, 369 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:06,600 as a committee member, as a leader in a parachurch ministry. 370 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:13,200 In whatever role in which you stand before others in the name of Christ, will you take 371 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:19,600 seriously, please, what the apostle says to leaders here? 372 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:26,080 Because those who are following you are depending on you. 373 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:32,520 And if you will do what God tells you to do here, as he says, not only will it save you, 374 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:40,520 but it will save those that are following you from a life of ruin because of the influence 375 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:49,960 of false teaching and false thinking that is so prominent in our world. 376 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:55,400 What is it that only you can do in your God-given role? 377 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:59,440 I mean there are things that you do that others can do, right? 378 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:05,320 But what is it that only you can do? 379 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:11,740 When you isolate that, carry on. 380 00:32:11,740 --> 00:32:12,740 Carry on with it. 381 00:32:12,740 --> 00:32:14,440 That's your primary task. 382 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:18,220 Carry on with it. 383 00:32:18,220 --> 00:32:24,640 What kind of a pattern is your life leaving for those who are your followers? 384 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,200 Are you growing as a person in what you're doing? 385 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:29,240 Are you developing? 386 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:33,040 Are you cultivating yourself spiritually? 387 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,920 Is that progress evident to others? 388 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:45,600 Are you taking heed of your calling, of your character, your creed, your conduct? 389 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:51,040 To the extent that we do that, we'll be the leaders God wants us to be. 390 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,960 As I said before, leadership has never been easy. 391 00:32:54,960 --> 00:33:02,160 I don't think it's ever been harder than in society as it is today. 392 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:06,120 I read recently about Martin Van Buren, the governor of the state of New York. 393 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:10,320 You may remember his name because he became later the president of the United States. 394 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:15,280 In 1829, he was the governor of the state of New York. 395 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,900 He wrote a letter to the president at that time, which was Andrew Jackson. 396 00:33:18,900 --> 00:33:24,020 He was in his first year of two terms and he served as president. 397 00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:29,540 He wanted to get Jackson's commitment to preserve the canal system. 398 00:33:29,540 --> 00:33:33,280 I don't know if you're familiar with the canal system that was built in America in the early 399 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:41,840 19th century, but it was a vital part of our whole transportation and commerce system. 400 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:51,600 It linked rivers and lakes so that these huge boats could carry goods from one place to 401 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:52,600 another. 402 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,600 Here's where he wrote. 403 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:59,880 Now listen, here's a leader, a governor, writing to the leader of the United States. 404 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:05,480 Here's what he says, the canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread 405 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:11,100 of a new form of transportation known as railroads. 406 00:34:11,100 --> 00:34:17,640 The federal government must preserve the canals for the following reasons. 407 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:24,840 Number one, if canal boats are supplanted by railroads, serious unemployment will result. 408 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:30,560 Captains, cooks, drivers, innkeepers, repairmen, and lock tenders will be left without means 409 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:35,720 of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers now employed in growing hay for the 410 00:34:35,720 --> 00:34:37,080 horses. 411 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:44,840 Two, boat builders would suffer and tow line whip and harness makers would be left destitute. 412 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:51,680 Three, canal boats are absolutely essential to the defense of the United States. 413 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:56,120 In the event of the expected trouble with England, the Erie Canal would be the only 414 00:34:56,120 --> 00:35:02,400 means by which we could ever move the supply so vital to waging modern war. 415 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:08,840 As you may well know, Mr. President, railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed 416 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:15,280 of 15 miles per hour by the engines which, in addition to endangering life and limb of 417 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:22,880 passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring 418 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,440 the livestock, and frightening women and children. 419 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:33,640 The Almighty never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed. 420 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:42,200 Well, suppose Andrew Jackson had said, oh my goodness, this is right, we've got to 421 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,920 do this, we've got to put down the railroads. 422 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:48,600 What would have happened in the development of the United States? 423 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:50,600 You see, leadership is tough. 424 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:55,480 It's a call of decisions that are not always easy to make. 425 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,640 We all make them all the time. 426 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:03,400 May God help us to be the kind of leaders we need to be so that those who are following 427 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:08,600 us will be led in the direction that pleases God. 428 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,320 Let's pray together. 429 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:24,240 Oh Father, I pray that whether we lead as parents, as husband or wife, as deacons or 430 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:33,400 elders, as teachers, as leaders of other kinds of ministries, as leaders of cell groups, 431 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:38,660 whatever we're doing, may we lead well. 432 00:36:38,660 --> 00:36:43,720 May we take to heart what you have said in this text. 433 00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:50,440 Because of the leadership, because of the obedience to your word, may we save ourselves 434 00:36:50,440 --> 00:37:00,920 and others from the potential ruin of false thinking and false living. 435 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:02,040 You are a holy God. 436 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:07,720 May we be your holy people and holy leaders in this world. 437 00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:21,240 In Jesus' name, amen.