Sermon Extras

SERMON NOTES

“Pillar of Truth” Series: 1 Timothy 1:1-2 4/16/2023

INTRO> We begin a brand new book of the Bible today! Hold those Bibles up! Back during the dreaded “quarantine” time in 2020 I found myself at the house with another day of finding projects to do. The Kids had gotten a trampoline for Christmas and I hadn’t put it together yet because of it being so cold. So this was the day! As I started the process, I Youtube it and all of that but as I got further into it, I really needed that instruction manual to put it together. All of it went great, all but one part, and that’s the part I didn’t use the instructions on.

CONTEXT> 1 and 2nd Timothy and Titus are known as the pastoral epistles and I want you to think of them, just like that instruction manual but for us, the church:

Big Idea: 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are the manual for managing ministry in the local church.

Background on 1st Timothy:

• Author: The Apostle Paul (Acts 9)
• Date: 62-63 AD
• Written to: Timothy (Pastor in Ephesus) (Acts 16)
• Purpose: “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:14-15 So just to quickly recap, Paul a seasoned veteran is writing to a young pastor probably in his 30’s and teaching him how to structure a church God’s way in an ever changing culture… wow… I wish the Bible was relevant! lol THIS IS SO TIMLEY FOR US!

APP> What we believe about the Church determines our behavior towards the Church.

Wrong Beliefs About The Church:

• The Church as a Business
• The Church as a Country Club
• The Church as a Family Heirloom
• The Church as a Fast Food Restaurant

*ILL> What all these boil down to really is one concept of church, church like a bus. Bad concept, church is like a row boat. APP> We don’t just want you sitting in a row with us, we want you to ROW with us.

The word “church” that’s used there in 1 timothy 3, is the most common word used for church in the NT. It’s the greek word ἐκκλησία ekklēsia that means “an assembly or gathering of specific people” The Church is the gathering of God’s people to give God glory through their God given gifts.

CONTEXT> Here in these 2 opening verses, the greeting we see a quick preview about what Paul will be writing about, in a way, what he values:

• • “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God…” Paul is stating his authority when he introduces himself as an “apostle” The Apostles where commissioned by the resurrected Jesus, they could do miracles on demand and spoke with the same authority as Jesus! WOW!
  • “by command of God” this is the only time in scripture that he says this though! This word “command” that’s used here is a military term, and is even used stronger to mean “a divine call”

APP> So is Paul just flexing here? Saying that whatever he says is law? Well not really. What’s he getting ready to do in the letter? He himself is getting ready to give commands to the church but he is showing that even though he gives commands, he himself obeys commands given to him. APP> When it comes to leadership, you never put somone in authority who isn’t under authority. “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.” Colossians 1:17-18

2) Multiplication.

• “my true child in the faith…” Again, this is the only time Paul describes Timothy this way but Paul is also showing us what the goal of the church is. A child is an offspring, right?

APP> The mission of the church is to make disciples who make disciples. How is this done?

• “my fellow worker” Romans 16:21
• “ my son whom I love” 1 Corinth 4:17
• “ my true child in the faith” 1 Tim 1:2

APP> Discipleship demands relationship. **Walk through Discipleship Graphic.

 APP> Relationship + Discipleship = Leadership

APP> Everyone is leading somone.

APP> All leaders need a leader.

*ILL> In 1879 Lt George De long set sail for the North Pole in the USS Jeannette, he and his crew were going to claim the north pole for the United States. He believed that there was a passage that lead through the ice cap, straight to the top, so much so, that he sought out a map maker who believed the same thing and made him a map. Well, later that year, their boat got trapped in the ice, there was no passage way, their map was wrong. He wrote, “we now must replace our wrongheaded ideas with a reckoning of the way the Arctic truly is.” They crew had to separate and in 1881, he died of starvation.

APP> You see, what if we have a preconceived notion of what the church and church leadership is suppose to be, will we allow ourselves to be humbled by the word of God and have a reckoning, with the way to church is suppose to be?

Application:

• Who are you leading?
• Who is leading you?
• Are my expectations of church from the wrong map?