A Good Conscience is Priceless

“A Good Conscience is Priceless”

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:

Paul gave a third responsibility for the local church to fulfill besides teaching sound doctrine and proclaiming the Gospel.

MESSAGE:

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

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

B.  ON THE BASIS OF FAITH AND GOOD CONSCIENCE. (1Tim. 1:19-20)

Paul changed the illustration from army to navy (1 Tim 1:19). He warned Timothy that the only way to succeed was to hold fast to "faith and a good conscience."

1. Hold Firmly to the Christian Faith. (1Tim. 1:19)

A. The First “faith” Is Subjective And Means Continuing To Believe The Truth.

 

B. The Second Is “faith” Objective, Referring To The Content Of The Christian Gospel.

 

C. But, It Is Not Enough Just To Be Doctrinally Accurate As To The Christian Faith. One might be ever so orthodox, and yet not have a good conscience.

2. Hold on Tight to a Good Conscience. (1 Tim 1:19)

A. It Is Not Enough to Proclaim the Faith With Our Lips; We Must Practice the Faith In Our Daily Lives.

·       One man said of his hypocritical pastor, "He is such a good preacher, he should never get out of the pulpit; but he is such a poor Christian, he should never get into the pulpit!"

·       Hamilton Smith writes:

“Those who are gifted, and much before the public eye, have to beware, lest amid constant engagements, constant preaching, and public work before men, they neglect the secret life of godliness before God. Does not Scripture warn us that it is possible to preach with all the eloquence of men and angels, and yet be nothing? That which bears fruit for God, and will have its bright reward in the day to come, is the life of godliness from which all true service must flow.”  

B. A Good Conscience Is Important to a Good Warfare and a Good Ministry.

·       The magazine editor H. L. Mencken defined conscience as "the inner voice which warns us that somebody may be looking."

·       But a man with a good conscience will do the will of God in spite of who is watching or what people may say.

·       Like Martin Luther, he will say, "Here I stand; I can do no other, so help me God! "

C. One's Faith and One's Morals Cannot Be Separated.

·       To hold tightly to the Christian faith, and live by it, results in a good (peaceful) conscience.

·       Faith and good conscience are like armor for the Christian. They keep us from giving in to temptation and to debilitating spiritual and moral sidetracks.

·       How can you hold on to a good conscience?

1.    Treasure your faith in Christ more than anything else and do what you know is right. Each time you deliberately ignore your conscience, you are hardening your heart. Over a period of time your capacity to tell right from wrong will diminish.

2.    As you walk with God, he will speak to you through your conscience, letting you know the difference between right and wrong.

3.    Be sure to act on those inner tugs so that you do what is right -- then your conscience will remain clear.

4.    “Moral collapse follows upon spiritual collapse.” -- C. S. Lewis

3. Avoid Spiritual Shipwreck.  (1 Tim 1:20)

·       Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Rejecting the faith and refusing to listen to one's conscience will end in destroyed faith. This deliberate action reflects heresy, not just backsliding. 

·       Professed Christians who make “shipwreck" of their faith do so by sinning against their consciences. Bad doctrine usually starts with bad conduct, and usually with secret sin.

A. A Good Conscience Serves as the Rudder That Steers the Believer Through the Rocks And Reefs of Sin and Error.

·       The false teachers ignored their consciences and the truth, and as a result, suffered shipwreck of the Christian faith (the true doctrine of the gospel), which implies severe spiritual catastrophe.

·       This does not imply loss of salvation of a true believer (see Rom. 8:31–39), but likely indicates the tragic loss that comes to the apostate. They had been in the church, heard the gospel and rejected it in favor of the false doctrine defined in vv. 3–7. Apostasy is a turning away from the gospel, having once known it. See notes on Heb. 2:3,4; 3:12–15; 6:1–8; 10:26–31.

B.  Two Examples of Spiritual Shipwreck.

·       Hymenaeus and Alexander. Apparently these two men had been members of the church (because Paul had put them out of the church). We don't know who Alexander was -- he may have been an associate of Hymenaeus, or the coppersmith mentioned in 2 Tim 4:14 who hurt Paul. But he was not the Alexander mentioned in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:33). Hymenaeus's error is explained in 2 Tim 2:17-18. He weakened people's faith by teaching that the resurrection had already occurred.

·       Hymenaeus is mentioned in 2 Tim. 2:17 in connection with Philetus, another false teacher. Alexander may be the opponent of the faith referred to in 2 Tim. 4:14,15. Nothing else is known about these two men (see note on v. 3).

·       “Hymenaeus and Alexander deliberately rejected their good consciences in order to defend their ungodly lives. Paul did not tell us exactly what they did, except that their sin involved "blaspheming" in some way. Hymenaeus said that the resurrection was already past (2 Tim 2:16-18). Alexander was a popular name in that day, so we cannot be sure that the man named in Paul's next letter to Timothy (2 Tim 4:14) is the same man; but if he is, no doubt he withstood Paul by teaching false doctrine.”---W. W. Wiersbe

C.  What Does It Mean to Be Delivered Unto Satan?  (1Tim. 1:20)

·       "Delivered unto Satan" (1 Tim 1:20) implies an apostolic discipline (see 1 Cor 5:5) and disassociation from the local church.

·       To be delivered to Satan means that Paul removed these men from the fellowship of the church and back into the world -- Satan's domain.

·       Paul did this so that the rebuked would see their error and repent. The ultimate purpose of this punishment was correction. (See also 1 Cor 5:1-5; 2 Cor 2:5-8; 4:4; 2 Thess 3:14-15.)

·       The verb "learn" (1 Tim 1:20) means "to learn by discipline." When a Christian refuses to repent, the local fellowship should exercise discipline, excluding him from the protective fellowship of the saints, making him vulnerable to the attacks of Satan.

·       The fellowship of the local church, in obedience to the will of God, gives a believer spiritual protection. Satan must ask God for permission to attack a believer (see Job 1-2; Luke 22:31-34).

·       Paul put both men out of the church, thus ending their influence and removing them from the protection and insulation of God’s people. They were no longer in the environment of God’s blessing but under Satan’s control. In some instances, God has turned believers over to Satan for positive purposes, such as revealing the genuineness of saving faith, keeping them humble and dependent on Him, enabling them to strengthen others, or offering God praise (cf. Job. 1:1–22; Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 22:31–33; 2 Cor. 12:1–10; Rev. 7:9–15). God hands some people over to Satan for judgment, such as King Saul (1 Sam. 16:12–16; 28:4–20), Judas (John 13:27), and the sinning member in the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 5:1–5).

·       The churches today are often lax in disciplining Christians who deliberately sin. Deliberate disobedience should be responded to quickly and sternly to prevent the entire congregation from being affected. But discipline must be done in a way that tries to bring the offender back to Christ and into the loving embrace of the church. The definition of discipline includes these words: strengthening, purifying, training, correcting, and perfecting. Condemnation, suspicion, withholding of forgiveness, or permanent exile should not be a part of church discipline.

·       “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”  -- C. T. Studd

·       “may learn not to blaspheme.” See v. 13. Paul learned not to blaspheme when confronted by the true understanding of the law and the gospel. That was what those men needed. God, the inspired text seems to indicate, would teach them and show them grace as he had Paul. But that evangelistic work could not go on at the expense of the purity of the church.

D. Each Local Church Is in a Constant Battle Against The Forces of Evil.

·       There are false prophets and false teachers, as well as false ‘Christs’. Satan is the originator of false doctrines, for he is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44). It is not enough for a local church to teach sound doctrine and to proclaim the Gospel. The church must also defend the faith by exposing lies and opposing the doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1).

·       It is important that our ministry be balanced. Some churches only preach the Gospel and seldom teach their converts the truths of the Christian life. Other churches are only opposing false doctrine; they have no positive ministry. We must be teachers of healthy doctrine ("sound doctrine," 1 Tim 1:10) or the believers will not grow. We must preach the Gospel and keep winning the lost to Christ. And we must defend the faith against those who would corrupt the church with false doctrine and godless living. It is a constant battle, but it must be carried on.

CONCLUSION:

Timothy must have been greatly helped and encouraged when he read this first section of Paul's letter.  God had called Timothy, equipped him, and put him into his place of ministry. Timothy's job was not to run all over Ephesus, being involved in a multitude of tasks. His job was to care for the church by winning the lost, ministering to the saved, and defending the faith. Any task that did not relate to these ministries would have to be abandoned. One reason some local churches are having problems is that the pastors and spiritual leaders are involved in too many extracurricular activities and are not doing the tasks God has called them to do. It might be a good idea for our churches to take a spiritual inventory!

 

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)