1 Timothy, lesson 7
Date: 25 October, 2021
Introduction:
ill. Applecross, Scotland - fun day out - Osprey....
- double rotors off either side
- ab sailing out of the chopper
- meanwhile other forces are storming the beach in landing craft, launched from a ship
- a destroyer sits out in the water.
exp. It's fun to watcht them practice - but it isn't for our amusement. They are a lethal battle unit who are preparin for war.
In war they will take the lives of their enemies at the risk of losing their own life.
FOR OUR SAKES AND THE NATION - WE WANT THEM BATTLE READY.
NOTE: our text tonight is about being battle ready.
18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
exp. Paul in his writing used a fighting, warfare analogy for the Christian life.
THE END OF THIS LETTER.... HE COMES BACK TO WARFARE.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
In his second epistle to Timothy....
2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
exp. The enemy whom we war against is Satan and his fallen angels.
- Paul's armour of God passage written to the church where Timothy laboured.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
- Peter's warning.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
ill. Jesus identified Satan as an active enemy to God's work.
Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
ill. Jesus is our captain - Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
def. captain - chief leader
exp. Satan is the enemy - Jesus is our commander.
app. We need to be ready to follow our commander into battle against the great enemy.
PRAYER
note: back to our text for this evening - v.18 - two reminders for Timothy as he got ready for battle.
1). Keep your charge.
18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy,
def. Like a commander giving duty papers to a subordinate, Paul commits the battle to Timothy.
exp. Timothy was in Ephesus. Paul was not. Timothy needed to....
- Hold ground for God and His church in Ephesus.
- And take ground for God and His church in Ephesus.
ill. Do you remember some of your first duties as a child? Charges given to you.
ill. When I was 10 or 11, my family was in San Leandro, CA - large church and school property.
- My dad hired us to sweep and clean the property.
- My job was to sweep the courtyard. That was my area. I was given a trust.
- I wanted to make a nice job of it to please my father.
exp. Jesus has given us a CHARGE as Christian soldiers. WE NEED TO MAKE A GOOD JOB OF IT AND BE REAL SOLDIERS FOR JESUS.
ill. chocolate soldiers - C. T. Studd - "Every true soldier is a hero! A SOLDIER WITHOUT HEROISM IS A CHOCOLATE SOLDIER! Who has not been stirred to scorn and mirth at the very thought of a Chocolate Soldier? In peace true soldiers are captive lions, fretting in their cages. War gives them their liberty and sends them, like boys bounding out of school, to obtain their heart's desire or perish in the attempt. Battle is the soldier's vital breath! Peace turns him into a stooping asthmatic. War makes him a whole man again, and gives him the heart, strength, and vigour of a hero.
EVERY TRUE CHRISTIAN IS A SOLDIER—of Christ—a hero "par excellence!" Braver than the bravest—scorning the soft seductions of peace and her oft-repeated warnings against hardship, disease, danger, and death, whom he counts among his bosom friends.
THE OTHERWISE CHRISTIAN IS A CHOCOLATE CHRISTIAN! Dissolving in water and melting at the smell of fire. "Sweeties" they are! Bonbons, lollipops! Living their lives on a glass dish or in a cardboard box, each clad in his soft clothing, a little frilled white paper to preserve his dear little delicate constitution."
app. Do you realize that you have a charge today for God and the Gospel? How well are you striving to fulfil your charge?
2). Remember your commission.
....according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
exp. When Timothy was chosen Godly men had prophesied of God's blessing upon Timothy. Paul knew Timothy was called of God and EQUIPPED to do what God wanted him to do.
1 Thesallonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
note: When Jesus commanded us to go into the world, HE ALSO EQUIPPED US TO GO.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
app. Keep your charge - God has commissioned you and He has/is/will equip you to fight.
note: That was the introduction - here is the focus of our thoughts for the next two weeks....
You need to war a good warfare. (Are you a good soldier for Jesus Christ, fighting a good battle?)
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
note: In Sunday School we looked at three important elements of true Christianity....
(Doctrine, practice, evangelism.)
exp. We'll see all three again in our study tonight.
I. Get ready to fight for your faith.
19 Holding faith,
exp. The faith - is the body of truth which God has given us to keep.
Act 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Act 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Act 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Act 24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
Rom 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
exp. The faith is "the TRUTH" FOR WHICH WE FIGHT.
Ill. Remember our commander's name is TRUTH - "I am the way, the truth and the life!"
PAUL SAYS - "HOLD IT."
ill. One of the jobs of a best man is to hold the ring - many is the best man that has pretended to lose the ring. That's all fun and games - but if he really lost the ring - at best he's going to severely disappoint the bridegroom. (He's been charged to HOLD THE RING, he should hold it seriously.)
app. God has given us the RESPONSABILITY TO HOLD THE FAITH. We ought to take it seriously.
A. Hold fast to the doctrine. "holding faith"
1. Put on the belt of truth.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
exp. The truth is what holds everything together. It is the Christians belt. If it is a queston of truth, we ought to fight.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
question: If the church doesn't stand for truth - who will stand for truth?
ill. I was listening to the book of Jeremiah - Jeremiah stood against false prophets and fought for the truth. Jer 20:6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
app. The world is speaking lies - they ought to hear the church REFUTING their lies. Hold fast to the faith by fighting for truth.
2. Put on the shield of faith.
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
note: A shield is a defensive weapon which protects you from the enemy.
exp. Satan does not just want to stop you from standing for truth - he wants you to believe his lies.
ill. Have you ever been building something (following instructions) and it suddenly does not look right? What do you do? Go back to the instructions and make sure you did it right. The manual assures you of truth AND TAKES YOUR DOUBT AWAY allowing you to move forward.
app. Satan is going to come and say - you are assembling your life, your family, your church wrong. All we need to do is go to the manual - and say - you are wrong - I'm doing what God says.
LIFT UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
3. Grip the sword of God's Word.
...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
exp. The sword is offensive. It allows us to cut our way through and overcome an adversary.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
note: You can move FORWARD with the sword of God's Word.
app. Satan is seeking to paralyze believers into not speaking up against falsehood. (Keep quiet because nobody agrees with God's Word anymore.)
- If you share your pro-life views....
- If you share your views on marriage....
- If you share your views on the Gospel....
app. If I'm a soldier, I am to take the truth and use it AGAINST the enemy. This is what God says and we are going to be VOCAL with God's truth.
B. Hold fast to the truth that saves souls.
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
exp. True doctrine is the only thing that will save a sinful man.
ill. Our world is big on "tolerance." Is tolerance really a good thing?
- tolerance of criminality leads to abuse.
- tolerance of radicalization leads to terrorism.
- tolerance of infectious disease leads to pandemics.
note: A falsehood in religion - leads to damnation in Hell.
ill. Jesus didn't tolerate it - Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
exp. Satan touts - tolerance - not because he cares about people's feelings, but desires truth to be silenced.
app. If we are going to hold the faith, we must hold to the ABSOLUTE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL and share it with the world.
conclusion:
Do you think about being a Christian soldier? (You need to war a good warfare.)
Are you keeping your charge?
Are you fighting for truth?
- Holding the faith.
doctrine (belt, shield, sword....) Speaking up for the truth.
the Gospel (speaking up for the only way of salvation.
II. Get ready to fight for your spiritual life. (Doctrine and Practice are vital.)
19 ...and a good conscience; - HOLD .... a good conscience.
ill. 10,000 police officers are getting ready for COP 26. More than the population of Loanhead. They are getting ready to do battle with protestors and provide security for heads of State.
A. A conscience that is assured in battle.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,
exp. If your conscience questions the reality of your profession, you are vulnerable to the attack of the enemy.
app. We need believers with their helmets on. You need to be able to say, "I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have received Jesus Christ as my Saviour." (An assured conscience.)
B. A conscience that is unashamed in battle.
1. Unashamed by cleansing.
Ephesians 6:14.... Having on the breastplate of righteousness.)
exp. There is boldness in the heart of a believer who knows that they are right with God.
Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2. Unashamed by effort.
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
exp. Feet are what a soldier
III. Get ready to fight on despite losses.
ill. Gideon's 300 - God trimmed out those who were afraid.
Judges 7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
exp. It is hard for the morale of your fighting unit when men do not pull their weight or worse when they quit the battle.
note: In our Christian life - we will see some who not only quit but who turn to the enemy.
- We need to be prepared mentally for that to happen.
- We need to be on guard spiritually that it does not happen to us.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
exp. Nevertheless - some will face discipline because they turn away from GOD'S cause.
A. Some will fail in the battle.
....which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander;
B. Those who fail will need to be disciplined.
a. Since they like the enemy, they can see how he treats them.
...whom I have delivered unto Satan,
b. Discipline will teach them not to be irreverant towards God.
...that they may learn not to blaspheme.
(To be continued....)
D. Get ready to fight and pray.
1. Pray over all men.
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2. Pray over all legislators.
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3. Pray for all to be saved.
a. GOD, OUR SAVIOUR wants us to intercede for others.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
b. God wants to deliver mankind.
1. He wants them to believe and be saved.
4 Who will have all men to be saved,
2. He wants them to repent and be saved.
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
