Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 1 Timothy 6:11-20 - Foundations of Biblical Leadership

Good morning, family. Please turn to 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. We'll be finishing up the book today.

Before we start there, we're going to do the

catechism reading today from Heidelberg Catechism.

It's question number 21. So I will read the question

and you will read the answer. By God's grace,

I will help to guide you through it because it's

quite long. Okay. What is true faith? True faith

is a sure knowledge whereby I accept as true

all that God has revealed to us in his word.

At the same time, it is a firm confidence that

not only to others, but also to me. God has granted

forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness

and salvation out of mere grace, only for the

sake of Christ's merit. The faith of the Holy

Spirit works in my heart by the gospel. If you

ever get a chance, please take the time to go

through these catechisms, especially with the

kids. There is a... a children's catechism, catechism

for kids. Also, there's an app you can download

called the Reform Companion. I do encourage you

that if you don't have that, do it. There's a

couple of other things we're going to be looking

to work on and implement over this next year.

One of those is family worship as we teach and

train our people to do worship at home. And catechism

reading is part of that process and also song

and prayer. So these things are, I think, that

have been missing in the church for many years

because we've modernized it to the point that...

We miss those opportunities to teach our children

deep theology and the truth about God's scripture

and his doctrine. So these are opportunities

for you to be able to do it at home with your

kids. It also starts to instill in them a reverence

and an awe for the holy places. And I'm excited

about that. Anyway, I've been praying for you

guys, and let's pray as we dig in. Father, I

want to thank you so much for your goodness and

faithfulness. Thank you, Lord, for your word.

Help us to honor and glorify you in all that

we do. full counsel of your word is spoken, that

your word hits upon the heart. Holy Spirit, that

you use it to convict and to prick the soul and

that we would respond in repentance and honor

and glory of you. We thank you for your faithfulness.

We thank you that your word is living and active,

sharper than a double -edged sword. And Lord,

you take out of us everything that is evil and

you put in us all that is good and righteous.

and that this work is a continual work of sanctification

until our one day return to you. Lord, we give

you honor, glory, and praise, and thank you for

your faithful work in and of our lives in which

you have destined us to be completed through

the glory and honor of Christ. Lord, we praise

you and we thank you. In Jesus' name, amen. So

I'm going to start off reading in verse 3, and

I'm going to go through the whole chapter because

it's important that we kind of grasp what Paul's

talking to Timothy about. As you guys know, this

letter was written to a pastor. He was a young

pastor, probably around 19 or 20 years old, as

I said before. And this was really a call and

a charge and a responsibility to Timothy as a

man on how he should live his life as a pastor,

not only as a pastor but at home. And so we've

started this journey this year on biblical manhood,

biblical womanhood, and we're going to continue

this journey through the rest of this year and

maybe even part of next year as we start to really

understand what does it mean to be a man and

what does it mean to be a woman. Because in our

culture today, everything is antithetical to

the Scripture and to the Gospel, and there's

this push among the secular world to continue

to push out. God's standard as a man and a woman

and try to instill or institute a worldview or

a standard that is secular and anti -God. And

it doesn't really help our country at all. It

actually tears it apart. I'm not going to get

into the historicity of all those things, but

we'll one day maybe talk about it in Bible study,

how we've gone from... Adam and Eve, all the

way to a world society that is embracing all

kinds of secularism, humanism, and it's just

really reflecting the reality of their hatred

of God and the hatred of his things. That being

said... Let's see what he says to Timothy in

the rest of this chapter. He says, If anyone

teaches a different doctrine and does not agree

with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching that accords with godliness,

he is puffed up with conceit and understands

nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy

and for quarrels about words, which produce envy

and dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and

constant friction among people who are depraved

in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining

that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness

with contempt is great gain, for we brought nothing

into the world, and we cannot take anything out.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,

steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight

of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which

you were called and about which you have made

a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I charge you in the presence of God who gives

life to all things and of Christ Jesus who in

his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the

good confession to keep the commandment unstained

and free from reproach until the appearing of

our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display

at the proper time. He who is the blessed and

only sovereign and the King of kings and Lord

of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells

in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever

seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal

dominion. Amen. As for the rich in this present

age, charge them not to be haughty. nor to set

their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but

on God, who richly provides us with everything

to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in

good works, to be generous and ready to share,

thus storing up treasures for themselves as a

good foundation for the future, as that they

may take hold of that which is truly life. O

Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.

Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions

of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing

it, some have swerved from the faith. Grace be

with you. It's very important that we understand

the importance of the Word of God in the life

of a believer. Now, As we sit and we look and

we read about what Paul says to Timothy here,

it says, first principle, godly leaders must

pursue godliness, hold to the faith, and live

obediently. Do you hear that, men? Godly men,

godly women, especially the men, should be leaders

that must pursue godliness, hold to the faith,

and live obediently. You don't get the choice

of doing what you think you should do. You have

to do what God says you should do. For this very

reason, make every effort to supplement your

faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

and knowledge with self -control, and self -control

with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly

affection with love. For if these qualities are

yours and are increasing, They keep you from

being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1, 5 -8. Do

you understand that? And what we're going to

read is almost the same list that Paul gives

Timothy. But pay attention to what Peter says

here. For if these qualities are yours and are

increasing, they keep you from being ineffective

and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus

Christ. You want to know why the church is struggling

here in America? Because it doesn't seek holiness,

godliness, righteousness, and truth. It seeks

only that which pleases itself. Whatever feeds

the sinful nature is what we want. Why? Because

we love that momentary feel -goods, right? We

love to be told how awesome we are. 1 Timothy

6, 11 through 16. But as for you, O man of God.

I like how Paul uses this immediately. He reminds

Timothy that, hey, you're a man that belongs

to the living God. You're a man that has a responsibility

to God. Any authority or anything that God has

given you to steward is his and you belong to

him. This word flee, fugo, fugo means to run

from all things abhorrent. Do we run from everything

that's abhorrent? Or do we sit back and just

enjoy things that are abhorrent? This is a difficulty

for each and every one of us, I'm sure. But are

we really thinking through? Do we run from the

things that harm us spiritually? Do we run from

the things that harm and affect our families

as men and as women in the household? Do we really

flee? Do we really run from the abhorrent? Lord

knows we see the abhorrent every day. And then

he gives them this. He says, pursue, diako, means

to seek eagerly or to endeavor to acquire. Are

you endeavoring to acquire God's righteousness,

godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness?

And how do I acquire these things? How do I get

them? There is only one place on all the planet

that God has given you. to grow in righteousness,

to grow in godliness, faith, love, steadfastness,

and gentleness, and that's his word. There is

no other place that you can go in order to grow

and acquire, pursue these things. As a matter

of fact, it says in Psalm 1, it's a psalm that

I memorized, but I'll read it from the ESV because

I memorized it in the NIV. I said that at early

service. Look what it says in Psalm 1. It's actually

bigger than I thought. Here we go. Blessed is

the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in

the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the

law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates

day and night. Does God's Word saturate your

life? Do you think about God, His Word, every

minute of every day? You're like, well, that's

a little bit of a Jesus freak stuff. That's too

much Jesus for me. You can't get enough of Jesus.

One, you have all the Jesus you're going to get.

The question is, how much do you want to know

him? How much do you really want to be changed?

Because you cannot change if you don't change

the mind. We're going to talk about that in a

little bit. So seek God's righteousness, godliness,

faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness in the

word. How can a young man keep his way pure?

By living according to your word. I have hidden

your word in my heart that I might not sin against

you. Psalm 119 verse 11 and I think it's 12.

Psalms 119:11

It is Psalm 119 though. Verse 12 in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6:12

chapter 6 verse 12. Fight. Agonizome. Agonizome

means to contend or struggle with difficulties

and danger. In other words, what this means is

I have to be willing to fight the good fight.

I need to be willing to contend for the faith

through struggles, difficulties, and danger.

In other words, we've gotten comfortable here

in the Church of America because we can come,

gather together, talk about Jesus, be told how

awesome we are, go home, and not think about

Him all day, all week, and then come back and

go, I got my fill again. But that's not the way

relationship with God works. Because in every

single day, you are literally struggling with

difficulties and dangers. What kind of struggle

are you fighting? What fight are you really fighting?

The greatest fight that you're going to have

and the greatest enemy that you have is not Satan.

You can't blame it on the devil. The greatest

enemy that you live with is yourself. Every day

you wake up at war. Every day you're fighting

and battling. Every day you've got to deal with

your mind and the issues that are going on in

your life. Every single day you wonder why Christians

continue to struggle and never live victorious

lives because they're too busy trying to blame

it on someone or something else. The greatest

enemy you have is you. How do we know that? Because

Paul tells us that why do I do the things I do

not want to do but the things I hate, those I

keep on doing. So I find at work within the members

of my body a law. It's called the law of sin.

Sin wants to kill you. And it may kill your body

one day. It will if the Lord tarries. But when

we get old, sin has won that one. But he hasn't

won the victory. It's temporary. Because the

dead in Christ will rise and those who are left

will be caught up to meet him in the air and

will forever be with the Lord. But sin wants

to kill you. How do we win this battle? How do

we deal with the issue of endeavoring and purposing

to fight the good fight of faith, living for

the purpose of the gospel, fighting for the gospel.

How do we hold on to these things? Well, the

word the good fight in the Greek means, with

all things praiseworthy, exert oneself to the

utmost against all things opposed to Christ.

Am I exerting myself to the point that I am exhausted

in the fight of war? but I am using all things

that are praiseworthy. I am using righteousness,

godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness,

faithfulness, self -control. Am I applying the

Word of God in my life to the point that I am

fighting and contending in the struggle of difficulties

and dangers? Because the battlefield is not out

there. The battlefield is right here. How do

we know? Romans 12, 1 and 2. Verse 2, do not

be conformed to the pattern of this world, but

be transformed by the renewing of your mind so

you can test and approve what God's will is,

his good, pleasing, and perfect will. If you

cannot win the wars here, you will never win

the victory of life. And you can't win without

Christ because he's already won it. So what do

we do? It's actually verse 1. Therefore I urge

you, brothers, in the view of God's mercy, to

offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy

and pleasing unto God, for this is your reasonable

act of worship. How do you win the Christian

life? How do you continue to fight the good fight?

Die. Surrender. Self -sacrifice. Take up your

cross daily and follow me. That's what he's talking

about here. When we're pursuing, when we're endeavoring

to acquire righteousness, godliness, faith, love,

steadfastness, and gentleness, it starts here.

We win here because Christ has won. Die. That's

the idea. So he says, fight the good fight of

faith. Take hold of eternal life. Embrace the

life you are given in Christ. Are you content?

Is Christ enough for you? Godliness with contentment

is great gain. Take hold of eternal life. Embrace

the life you are given in Christ to which you

were called. God has called you out of the kingdom

of darkness into the kingdom of his light. You

belong to him. He has picked you out of all the

people on the planet. You sitting in the chair.

He has chosen you to be part of his family. What

a privilege. And then he says this concerning

Christ, that he has called you about which you've

made a good confession. You have professed Christ

as Lord because of the gospel. And you've done

that in the presence of many witnesses. When

you come to Christ, you don't keep it to yourself.

You tell the world. Why? Because that's a good

confession. Look what Christ has done for me.

And what's the response? How do you do that?

What do you do? What's the scripture say? Go

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit. Go and be baptized. Baptism is a proclamation

to the entire world that you are a follower of

the King. And I have nothing to be ashamed of

because of his sacrifice for me. It's interesting

that even Jesus does this same thing. We're going

to read that in a second. Timothy made a profession

in many witnesses. And then Paul says this, I

charge you in the presence of God who gives life

to all things and of Christ Jesus, who in his

testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good

confession. He says to Pontius Pilate, my kingdom's

not of this world. If it were of this world,

would not my servants take up arms? Wouldn't

they fight? The kingdom I come from is not of

this world. You don't belong to the world. You

belong to him. The good confession is that he

is the king of his kingdom. That the gospel is

the answer to the disease who in his testimony

before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.

Then he urges Timothy to keep the commandment.

Keep all that God commands, unstained and free

from reproach. Don't let anyone look at your

life and go, you're a hypocrite. Then he says,

until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why? Because when Christ comes back, perfection

is coming. Behold, I make all things new. His

kingdom will be established forever, and we will

be with him forever as he's promised. No more

sin. And then he says, which he will display

at the proper time. This word proper time means

exact time concerning himself. He will come when

he's ready. Why do I say that? Because as we

get a little bit further down, we start to deal

with some issues, and I want to mention Bethel

Church. They're trying to bring the kingdom here.

It's called dominion theology. The seven mountain

mandate. It is evil, it is sinful, and it's wrong.

Do not, as God's people, listen or watch. anything

from Bethel. It is evil. Why? Because they want

to say they've been given the authority by Christ

to take dominion. And you'll see why I'm saying

this in a minute. There is only one sovereign.

They want to say that God has given them sovereignty

and that they give God permission to use them.

This I didn't give in the first service, but

I need to clarify a little bit so people aren't

confused. When you are not sticking to the sound

doctrine of the scriptures and you are leaning

on other teachers through television or radio

that are extremely dangerous and that pull you

away by every kind of argument, which he warns

Timothy about later in the same chapter, you're

setting yourself up for a lot of disappointment.

If you ever get a chance to watch a series called

American Gospel, there's a third part of that

series called Spirit and Fire. I do encourage

you. It's a... It's a documentary series. It's

probably going to be like 12 videos long. I do

encourage you to watch it. It'll be eye -opening.

But that requires us as men of God to preach

the full counsel of His Word and to teach doctrine

and to warn the people of what's coming. We're

in a day where the onslaught of false doctrine

and false teaching is being permeated through

our culture. And the only way it's going to stop

is when men of God stand and say, No! and expose

them. I don't do it because I find joy in exposing

them. It angers me that I have to do it in the

first place. But their work is always continuing,

which means we must continue to work also. Look

what it says. If Christ appears at his proper

time, why is he going to appear at his proper

time? Why is Christ going to come? Because he

who is the blessed and only sovereign, he is

sovereign, always was sovereign, and always will

be sovereign. He was on the throne at the beginning

of time. He's still on the throne now. God rules

and God governs. You may not like the way He

does it, but He doesn't really care. It's His

way and it's the right way. It's pretty simple.

Who is the blessed and only sovereign? He is

the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who alone

has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable

light, whom no one has ever seen nor can see.

That is God. He is king and he reigns. Why is

this so important? Because we don't rule our

own lives. God rules. God allows us as creatures

to make some decisions within the parameters

of what we are. We don't have true free will,

do we? It's pretty limited. I mean, I would love

to fly like a bird. I mean, if I had free will

to do that, then I would find any way possible

to do it, like a bird. But I can't, because I'm

not a bird. So I am within the confines of what

I am. Remember that. Why is this important? Because

we miss the point of God's sovereignty. I think

we have a hard time with the reality that God

rules, because man wants to rule. That has been

the problem from the beginning. He wants to make

his own decisions. He's volitional. So, if God

is King of kings and Lord of lords and alone

has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable

light, who no one has ever seen nor can see,

well, to Him be glory and honor and eternal dominion

forever. To Him and Him alone. So, second principle,

God's stewards, godly stewards are committed

to doing good, being generous, and sharing all

the Lord has given. You know why many people

are rich? It's because they know how to manage

money. Think about it. Okay? They're stewards

because they have learned the principle of stewardship.

We talked a little bit about that last week.

Look what it says here. Through him, then, let

us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise

to God. That is the fruit of lips that acknowledge

his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share

what you have. for such sacrifices are pleasing

to God, Hebrews 13. God is pleased when people

are generous. God demands, commands us to be

generous. You think 10 % is enough? God doesn't

want 10%. He wants all of you. He wants your

wallet. He wants your feet. He wants your house.

He wants your TV. He wants it all. He doesn't

just want parts. And you know what people do?

They come in, they give their 10%, and they go

home and say, I gave God enough, because that's

all he requires. That's not New Testament covenant.

New Testament covenant says, I give all my life

to him. All. Do we keep our promises and our

giving towards him? He doesn't want 10%, like

that's enough to please him. He wants all of

you. He wants your heart. Being said, this deals

with the issue of the rich. It says, as for the

rich in this present age, charge them not to

be haughty. In other words, don't go around saying,

I'm good. It's all good. I can live whatever

I want. I'm good. Nor to set their hopes on the

uncertainty of riches. In other words, that I'm

going to be okay because I got enough. Trust

me, you can't take anything out of the world.

You came in with nothing, you will leave with

nothing. That's what it says, doesn't it? I just

read that in verses 3 through 10. He says, don't

set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches,

but on God. Why? Who richly provides us with

everything to enjoy. Do you guys enjoy what God

has given you? Do you guys sit back and enjoy

and look at what God has lavishly blessed you

with? Or do you go, that's all my hard work.

We don't keep a beautiful home because We're

trying to impress people. We keep a beautiful

home because God is beautiful. We steward because

God commands us to steward the home he's given.

And one of the things that we do to show we have

dominion is to beautify the things that God beautifies.

It's not to rule. He rules. We steward. Look

what it says, continues in verse 18. They are

to do good and to be rich in good works, to be

generous and ready to share. thus storing up

treasures for themselves as a foundation, storing

up treasures, not earthly treasures, storing

up treasures, heavenly treasures, as a good foundation.

What foundation? The foundation laid by the apostles

and Christ our cornerstone for the future. The

future of what? The future wealth we get to give

to our grandkids? Or do we store up the treasures

for the future? meaning the gospel and the generations

upon generations upon generations of believers.

Which legacy do you think is going to last? Now

I say this, I want you to get this. We look at

our president today. Many of us like what he's

doing. Let's say he does all this stuff, but

he dies without Jesus. What legacy does he leave?

He leaves nothing because Christ is not supreme

for him. Think about that. It does not matter

what you think this man is doing, and it does

not matter what the church says concerning him,

that this is God's sovereign work. If the man

dies without Christ, what does it matter? Momentary

comfort for Christians. Think about it. What

kind of legacy is he going to leave? He's a billionaire.

He's got enough money that will last generations.

But he dies without Jesus. What does he leave?

His money. He came into the world with nothing.

He dies with nothing. That's sad. That's what

he's talking about here. If the president ever

listens to this, I pray that he stores up treasures

in heaven upon the good foundation, that the

future of what he leaves is the legacy of the

gospel and of godliness in the life of his family.

Why? So that they may take hold of that which

is truly life. Godly leaders must preserve all

that the Lord has entrusted them. And I, when

I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming

to you the testimony of God with lofty speech

and wisdom. For I've decided to know nothing

among you except Christ and Him crucified. We

don't come with eloquent speech and we don't

come with dollars, dollars. We come with the

gospel and the gospel alone. Christ is enough

and the gospel is enough. It's the only thing

that he's given to man by which men can be redeemed.

And we look at our churches today and wonder

how many people can preach that truth. I remember

when I first started preaching the gospel, started

doing missionary work, and I went from church

to church. 98 % of the people that went to Baptist

churches, when you ask them what is the gospel,

could not answer that question. In a room of

10 people, two people knew the answer. In a room

of 100 people, maybe four people would know the

answer. Why? Because we've been told, all you

got to do is say this prayer. Welcome to the

family. Look what Paul says to Timothy here.

He says, oh, Timothy, guard, preserve, keep from

being snatched away. The deposit entrusted to

you. What deposit? The deposit of the gospel.

The deposit of the truth of God's word. The deposit

of sound doctrine. Timothy, this has been entrusted

to you as a pastor. Are you going to let it be

snatched away? I will not. I will not. I will

preach the full counsel of God's word, and I

will preach the gospels in its entirety, and

I will call you to obedience and into a holy

life. That's what godly men should be doing.

In the same way that Paul urges Timothy to guard,

to keep from being snatched away, the deposit

entrusted to him. The best way that we as men

of God can do this is to avoid irreverent babble

and contradictions of what is falsely called

knowledge. that we speak against the false, and

that we speak the truth of sound doctrine. That

is our responsibility. Too many books out there.

Look what it says in verse 21. For by professing

these contradictions, by professing these irreverent

babbles, is the idea here. For by professing

it, some have swerved from the faith. Can you

imagine that? They're so committed to the false

doctrine and the false gospel and the prosperity

gospel and the feel -good gospel that they just

shipwreck their life. Their ministry is a mess.

No, it's not. Look at how many people go to their

church. Look at how many people are going to

go to hell with them. You know what's amazing

is Paul says this, right? To O Timothy, guard

the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent

babble, contradictions. of what is falsely called

knowledge, for by professing it, some have swerved

from the faith. Grace be with you. And he stops

the letter. It's the end of the letter. No benediction.

He just leaves Timothy there. I'm like, what's

that about? Here's why I think Paul did that.

Because he's like, Timothy, you need to think

about these things. I don't need to give you

a data boy. Real men, when they're being challenged,

and exhorted, because this is what this letter

is. This letter is a letter of exhortation. You

don't go, oh, by the way, you're doing great.

No, it's grace be with you. I pray that you can

work these out. I pray that you can do what God

has commanded you. Think about it. Read the letter,

and then he says, grace be with you. I mean,

he leaves all kinds of stuff on Timothy's lap.

As a 19, 20 -year -old, this is one of the other

things I wanted to share. It's sort of like when

I played football. The men will get this. The

women, you won't get this. It's not chauvinistic

at all. Trust me. When we would go into practice

or we're in a game, halftime, we go in the locker

room or we sit on the sideline with the coach

and we're getting our rear ends kicked. That's

bad. Do you think he goes, you know what? You

guys are doing great. Keep trying. No. What he

says is, he says, you guys are terrible. What

is wrong with you? You practice better than this.

You're better than this. You should be working

harder at this. What is your problem? And we

go, I don't know, coach. He's like, B -men, stand

up and go take the field. Now, think about that.

How come men can be talked to like that? See,

Donna knows. The reason why you can't talk to

a woman like that, they'll be like, oh, no. They

get hurt feelings. For men, it's like, yo, let's

go. I'll follow a guy like that. That's what

Paul's doing here. Hey, Timothy, grace be with

you, bro. What are you going to do? Go do what

you were told to do. That's the idea. Then he

gives him a second letter, which we'll talk about

after Resurrection Sunday. Okay? So what kind

of men and women are you going to be? Especially

the men. What kind of men are you going to be?

Are you willing to out -serve, be the first,

work the hardest, love God supremely, lead your

families, or are we just going to continue giving

up our responsibility as men and let our wives

take over? How about if we invite them to partner

with us? How about if we ask them to, hey, won't

you come alongside me? Let's go do this together.

That's what real leadership is about. Father,

I want to thank you so much for your goodness

and faithfulness. Thank you, Lord, for your word.

Thank you that you have called us as men to guard

the deposit that has been entrusted to us, to

avoid irreverent babble and contradictions, but

to stand firm in the word, to stand on the truth,

to teach sound doctrine, even when it's difficult,

even when people don't want to hear it. But you

deserve all honor and glory. Help us to contend

for the faith, to give you glory and honor in

all that we do. We praise you and thank you in

Jesus' name. Amen.