Protecting God-Centered Beliefs

 

“Protecting God-Centered Beliefs”

Spiritual Leadership in the Church Series

1 Tim 1:18-20

THEME: Faithfully fulfill the ministry committed to your charge.

RELEVANCE: discouraging and difficult tasks should not be permitted to force us to abandon the ministry committed to us.  We must be steadfast and faithful to our charge to keep the faith by teaching sound doctrine, proclaiming the Gospel, and defending the Faith.

INTRODUCTION:

In 1 Tim 1 Paul explained the three responsibilities of a pastor and people in a local church. Accordingly, he gave Timothy a third responsibility to fulfill besides teaching sound doctrine and proclaiming the Gospel…defending the Christian Faith.

MESSAGE:

Defend the Faith (1 Tim. 1:18-20).

·       From the high point of praise to God, Paul turned his attention back to Timothy. This young preacher faced a difficult challenge in the church at Ephesus, but Paul knew he could handle the situation. What Timothy needed in the meantime was encouragement and wise instructions.

·       Like a coach preparing his eager young fighter for the match of his life, Paul put an imaginary arm around Timothy's shoulders and passed on a few last-minute instructions.

A.  ON THE BASIS OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT. (1Tim. 1:18)

1. A Reminder that He Was Under Orders.  “This charge I commit unto thee son Timothy”

                    a. A Charge for the Soldier.

·       Again, Paul used military language to enforce his statement, for the word "charge" (1 Tim 1:18) means "an urgent command handed down from a superior officer" (1 Tim 1:3).

·       These instructions (see 1Tim.1:3,5) refer to the job Timothy was sent to do in Ephesus -- that is, quieting the false teachers.

·       Paul was expressing again his confidence in entrusting Timothy with an important ministry. Further instruction for Timothy's work in the church is given in the remainder of this letter.

·       How Important Is Trust When Encouraging Others?

1.    “A key to empowering others is high belief in people. …The truth is that empowerment is powerful—not only for the person being developed, but also for the mentor. Enlarging others makes you larger. Dan has made me better than I am, not just because he helped me achieve much more than I could have done on my own, but also because the whole process made me a better leader. That is the impact of the Law of Empowerment.” ---Maxwell, J. C.

2.    What Motivates People? 

o   Significant contributions. People want to join in a group or pursue a cause that will have lasting impact. They need to see that what they are doing is not merely wasted effort but is making a significant contribution. People must see value in what they are doing. Motivation comes not by activity alone, but by the desire to reach the results.

o   Goal participation. People support what they create. Being part of the goal-setting process is motivating and it allows people to feel needed. They like to feel they are making a difference. When people have given input, they have a stake in the issue. They own it and support it. Seeing goals become reality and helping to shape the future is fulfilling. Goal participation builds team spirit, enhances morale, and helps everyone feel important.

o   Positive Dissatisfaction. Someone said that dissatisfaction is the one-word definition for motivation. Dissatisfied people are highly motivated people, for they see the need for immediate change. They know something is wrong and often know what needs to be done. Dissatisfaction can inspire change or it can lead to a critical spirit. It can lead to apathy or stir one to action. The key is harnessing this energy toward effective change.

o   Recognition. People want to be noticed. They want credit for personal achievements and appreciation for their contributions. Often giving recognition is another way of saying thanks. Personal accomplishment is motivating, but it is much more so when someone notices the accomplishment and gives worth to it. Recognition is one way to give meaning to a person’s existence. 

o   Clear expectations. People are motivated when they know exactly what they are to do and have the confidence that they can do it successfully. No one wants to jump into a task that is vague or a job whose description is uncertain. Motivation rises in a job when the goals, expectations, and responsibilities are clearly understood. When delegating responsibility, be sure to give the necessary authority to carry out the task. People perform better when they have some control over their work and their time.

                    b. Some Care for the Son. (1 Tim 1:18) “my son Timothy”

1.    Paul kept in mind the relationship he shared with Timothy and assured young Timothy that the elder's instructions were based on his love for him.

2.    Fred Smith says, “Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” That will only happen when you climb to the second level of influence.

o   “In my book, Be a People Person, I continually emphasize that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

o   Leadership begins with the heart, not the head. It flourishes with a meaningful relationship, not more regulations.”  –J. Maxwell

3.    Leaders on the “position” level often lead by intimidation.

·       They are like the chickens that Norwegian psychologist T. Schjelderup-Ebbe studied in developing the “pecking order” principle that today is used to describe all types of social gatherings.

o   Schjelderup-Ebbe found that in any flock one hen usually dominates all the others. She can peck any other without being pecked in return. Second comes a hen that pecks all but the top hen, and the rest are arranged in a descending hierarchy, ending in one hapless hen that is pecked by all and can peck no one. Cocks do not normally peck hens, but they have their own pecking order. So a breeding flock usually has two hierarchies, one for each sex.

4.    In contrast this is a person on the “permission” level will lead by interrelationships. The agenda is not the pecking order but people development.

·       On this level, time, energy, and focus are placed on the individual’s needs and desires. A wonderful illustration of this truth is found in the story of Henry Ford in Amitai Etzioni’s book, Modern Organizations: “He made a perfect car, the Model T, that ended the need for any other car. He was totally product-oriented. He wanted to fill the world with Model T cars. But when people started coming to him and saying, ‘Mr. Ford, we’d like a different color car,’ he remarked, ‘You can have any color you want as long as it’s black.’ And that’s when the decline started.”

5.    “People who are unable to build solid, lasting relationships will soon discover that they are unable to sustain long, effective leadership. … Needless to say, you can love people without leading them, but you cannot lead people without loving them.”  --- J. Maxwell

2. A Reminder of His Supernatural Calling.  “According to the prophecies which went before on thee”

A. Paul Also Reminded Timothy That God Had Chosen Him For this Ministry.

·       Apparently, some of the prophets in the local assemblies had been led by the Spirit to select Timothy for service (see Acts 13:1-3 for an example of this procedure). .

·       The word for “which went before” means “previously made and leading the way to,” implying that a series of prophecies had been given about Timothy in connection with his receiving his spiritual gift (see 1Tim. 4:14). These prophecies specifically and supernaturally called Timothy into God’s service.

                    B.  Other Believers Also Recognized Timothy as God’s Choice for this Ministry!

·       Paul made it clear, however, that his choice of Timothy was not made solely on the basis of their friendship or his hunches about Timothy's abilities.

·       Other believers had noted qualities in Timothy that Paul was happy to affirm and to put to work for the gospel.

·       Some have suggested two possibilities for these previous prophecies about Timothy:

o   (1) These were Old Testament promises prophesied by the prophets, promises that Timothy claimed.

o   (2) These were prophetic utterances at Timothy's ordination (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim 4:14).

o   It seems likely that the "prophecies" refer to Timothy's ordination. Paul highly valued the gift of prophecy (1 Cor 14:1). Through prophecy, important messages of warning and encouragement came to the churches. Timothy had been set apart for ministry when elders laid their hands on him (see 1Tim. 4:14). This was not an ordination service as we think of it today. This was probably a "commissioning" for missionary activity rather than an ordination into a church office.

o   Apparently at Timothy's "commissioning," several believers had prophesied about his gifts and strengths. These words from the Lord must have encouraged Timothy throughout his ministry. We can only guess who gave the prophecies and what they said; in any case, Paul reminded Timothy of these statements to encourage him.

C. The Reminder of Divine Appointment Assures the Servant through the Difficulties.

·       It was not easy to serve God in pagan Ephesus, but Timothy was a man under orders, and he had to obey.

·       The soldier's task is to "please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim 2:4), and not to please himself.

·       Furthermore, Timothy was there by divine appointment: God had chosen him and sent him. It was this fact that could give him assurance in difficult days.

·       If you are God's servant called by the Spirit, obeying His will, then you can "stay with it" and finish the work.

3. A Reminder of His Duty as a Warrior.  “that thou by them mightest war a good warfare”

A. These Assurances Enabled Timothy To War The Good Warfare.

·       By following this charge and these prophecies Timothy would be enabled to fight the good fight. Timothy was to hang on to these two immediate sources of reinforcement as he carried out his tasks: Paul's instructions and the prophecies from other believers.

B. This Warfare is Against the Spiritual Enemies of Christ! (1Tim. 1:18)

·       war a good warfare. Paul urged Timothy to fight the battle against the enemies of Christ and the gospel. Cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:3,4; 4:7.

·       Paul employed a military metaphor to describe Timothy's work in Ephesus; it would indeed be a fight, but victory would achieve the good of the believers and the church -- it was the worthwhile fight of the faith.

·       We are reminded of Paul's words to Timothy as Paul neared death, "I have fought a good fight" (2 Tim 4:7).

·       Paul often used military language to refer to our spiritual struggle (see Eph 6:11-16; 1 Thess 5:8; 2 Tim 2:3).

C. Some Have Forgotten or Forsaken the Fight for the Faith!

·       Now another philosophy has arisen. It was voiced recently by an independent, fundamental Baptist mission leader. The statement was made, "I am a fundamentalist but I am tired of fighting." Which really is to say, "I want to be a passive Fundamentalist. My question is, Has the devil gotten tired of fighting the Church and hindering the work of God? Has Satan and the Church signed a peace treaty? Has the conflict between righteousness and evil been settled? Can we retreat from the field of battle and lay aside our armor?

·       I am told in Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." A close look at the parts of armor described makes one realize that God is not dressing us for a "pajama party." God has conscripted us to stand for His cause and has not given me any mustering out date this side of death or the Rapture.

·       Are the New Testament words that warn of conflict and spiritual warfare obsolete and not applicable for our day? Has Satan ceased his hostility toward the Church?

·       Listen to Paul, "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" (1 Tim. 1:18). "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called" (1 Tim. 6:12). "Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3). "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4).

·       Who is the man who wrote this fighting language? The same man who said, "Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:31). This same man said, "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:2,3). This man Paul was a courageous soldier and at the same time a compassionate soul winner.

·       Are Paul's words just for his day? I think not. I read in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Yes, the battle still goes on.

·       What prompted Isaac Watts to pen those beloved words,

·       "Am I a soldier of the Cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, or blush to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies, on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend of grace, to help me on to God? Surely, I must fight, if I would reign; increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word."

·       A "Passive Fundamentalist" is a contradiction to the Word of God.--- (Allen Dickerson, "Passive Fundamentalism," Maranatha Baptist Watchman)