Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 1 Timothy 4 - Foundations of Biblical Leadership - How Men Of God Must Lead

And so we are in chapter 4 of 1 Timothy. We are

going to go back to chapter 1 during this message.

So just get ready to have a little walk. You

guys know how this is. Are you guys ready? Father,

I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness

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

Thank you that it does accomplish all that you've

set it out to do, that it does not return to

you void, that your word is living and active.

We thank you that it is everything we need for

life and godliness. We thank you that you have

clearly defined what it is to be a man and what

it is to be a woman, but specifically what it

means, what it is to be a man and woman of God,

a family of God, to raise up children for you,

children of God. Lord, we praise you and thank

you for your faithfulness and your goodness.

Help us to be a shining light in a very dark

world. We praise you. To you be honor and glory

forever in Jesus' name. amen so principle number

one we are in first timothy chapter four let

me let me read first timothy four first before

we um before we go into the principles so it

says now the spirit expressively says that in

the latter time some will depart from the faith

by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and

teachings of demons, through the insincerity

of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid

marriage and require abstinence from foods that

God created to be received with thanksgiving

by those who believe and know the truth. For

everything created by God is good, and nothing

is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

for it is made holy. by the word of God in prayer.

If you put these things before the brothers,

you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being

trained in the words of the faith and of the

good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing

to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather, train

yourselves for godliness. For while bodily training

is of some value, godliness is of value in every

way, as it holds promise. for the present life

and also for the life to come. The saying is

trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

For to this end, we toil and strive because we

have our hope set on the living God, who is the

Savior of all people, especially those who believe.

Commend and teach these things. Let no one despise

you for your youth, but set the believers an

example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith.

impurity. Until I come, devote yourself to the

public reading of scripture, to exhortation,

to teaching. Do not neglect the gift which was

given you by prophecy when the council of elders

laid hands on you. Practice these things. Immerse

yourself in them so that all may see your progress.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.

Persist in this. For by doing so, you will save

both yourself and your hearers. What an imperative.

What an encouragement that Paul gives. He exhorts

Timothy to be one who rightly handles, preaches,

teaches, walks, lives, is committed and fully

devoted to the word of God. That is the necessity

here. So as men, we must commit. To the word

of God. Our wives, our children are watching.

The world is watching. So the teaching and the

schemes of demons continue even today. And the

inoculation of false doctrine is Christ's true

and faithful doctrine. There is a doctrine. There's

one doctrine. One true and real doctrine. The

doctrine of Christ. The complete truth of His

Word. This is what it says in 2 Peter 2, verse

2 Peter 2:1

1. But false prophets also arose among the people,

just as there will be false teachers among you

who will secretly bring in destructive heresies,

even denying the Master who bought them, bringing

upon themselves swift destruction. Isn't it interesting

that Peter says the same exact thing that Paul

says to Timothy here? Now the Spirit expressively

says that in later times. So this is a prophecy

that the Holy Spirit is giving Paul to tell Timothy.

This is from God himself. The Spirit of God says

this. In latter times. What's interesting about

this word times is it's a fixed and definite

time. What time? Today time. How do we know?

Look at the world. Look at the preachers. Look

at the teachers. We live in that time now. That's

the time. Some. This word some, as I explained

to you last week, this word tis means certain

ones. Which ones? The ones that were not of the

family, who came in as if they were of the family,

wolves dressed in sheep's clothing, and they,

those ones, will depart. They were never of us.

If they had been of us, they would have remained

with us. But because they're not of us, they're

gone. Eventually they'll leave because they've

came in and devoured the sheep and tried to wreck

the church and as a result have left the church

in a dismantled way. That's the idea. Or they

get caught and then they're slain like a bad

wolf that they are, right? Slain with the word

of God. Now, to this word, some means certain

ones will depart, episteme, withdraw oneself.

They will withdraw themselves from the faith,

from the pistis. The word faith here means gospel.

They will withdraw from the sound doctrine of

the gospel. But what happens in our day that

we live? The day that we live is these men who

have withdrawn from the sound doctrine of the

gospel have built up churches to teach bad doctrine.

And they draw in thousands. And people give thousands

of dollars to these people. Because they write

a book that we think is Christian, they've got

to be believers. I mean, you're promised that

if you give $1 ,000, you're going to get that

new car. It's only a matter of time if the only

new people have been deceived. And to some degree,

I can't help but think that this deception is

a judgment upon them from God himself, which

we will read later on. So these people, these

men have departed. have withdrawn themselves

from the sound truth of the gospel, and they

have devoted. This word devoting means to apply,

attach, hold, or cleave oneself to. They have

fully committed themselves to deceitful spirits.

Like, think about that. This word deceitful means

actuated or moved by. It's an attitude of disposition.

What are they? actuated or moved by they're actuated

and moved by the teachings of demons that's what

moves them that's what that's what motivates

them to do what they do now these teachings of

demons this word teachings is our teachings the

demons means teachings disseminated by evil spirits

and seducing people from the truth now what we'll

read here is that these particular men had said

that they need to They need to stop marrying.

They need to stop having intimacy with their

wives. They need to stop eating food that God

has declared clean. Why? Think about Ephesus.

What was all over Ephesus? If you stop having

sex with your wife, where are you going to go

have sex? At the next temple down the road. Because

that's what they did. If you stop eating food

that God has declared clean, what have you done?

You end up being a hypocrite. Because you can't

gather with those who eat differently than you.

They live in Ephesus. It's a very different type

of city than Jerusalem. And so what we end up

seeing is they have given themselves over to

these teachings of demons. Now what's interesting

is that as they've given themselves over to the

teachings of demons, through the insincerity

of liars, this term, insincerity of liars, means

lies. Or false teachings, hypocrisy. They are

hypocrites. You call yourself a believer in Jesus,

but you live as if you're not. You want to follow

the law and deny the grace of God. When in reality,

the law is the teacher. The law is the proof

that you are lost and desperately wicked. But

they commit to the law, not commit to Christ.

The fulfillment of the law. whose consciences

were seared. This word, conscience, is burned

in with a branding iron. Now, how many of you

guys ever looked at a cow get burned with a branding

iron? Can you make that brand go away? You've

got to kill the cow. So the point is that their

consciences have been seared with a branding

iron that will always be there. They have given

themselves over to these bad, evil teachings.

Now, How do we know this? Go to 1 Timothy chapter

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

1. Why was Paul telling Timothy this? It's a

reminder of what he says to Timothy in chapter

1, verse 5 through 7. Look what it says. The

aim of our charge is love. What Paul is doing

here in telling Timothy about these evil men,

and we know who these evil men are because they're

mentioned at the end of chapter 1. Is that our

aim for you, Timothy, and for the brothers and

sisters in Ephesus is love. And our love that

issues from a pure heart and a good conscience

and a sincere faith. We're telling you this because

it is of a clear conscience that what we're telling

you is absolutely true. It is with sincere faith,

knowing the gospel, that we share this to you.

And then he says in verse 6, Certain persons,

by swerving from these, by swerving from what?

Love, good conscience, sincere faith, have wandered

away into vain discussion, into doctrines of

demons. That's what he means here. Into these

deceitful, actuated, and moved attitudes. concerning

the word of God, desiring to be teachers of the

law without understanding either what they are

saying or the things about which they make confident

assertions. They spoke to the people in Ephesus

as if it was factual. You know you need to abstain

from sex with your wife. Don't get married. You

know you can't eat this type of food. And what

Paul does in verse 3, chapter 4, verse 3, he

says, These particular men say, who forbid marriage,

require abstinence from food? This is a false

sense of high moral standard, a self -righteousness

by following the law. Look at what I can do.

But he says this, but, right, that God created

to be received with thanksgiving. These foods

that God created, these marriages that God has

united, should be received with thanksgiving.

The whole point, men, of marriage is to be an

example of Christ and his church. Without marriage,

what other example will the world see? The first

institution that he created was family. The family

is necessary for the proclamation of the gospel.

Without the family, where does the gospel go?

Because families build the family of God. Isn't

that interesting? Look what it says. By those

who believe and know the truth. That we who know

the truth, who believe in Christ, should receive

these things with thanksgiving. Verse 4. For

everything created by God is good, and nothing

is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

Why? For it is made holy by the word of God and

prayer. Every wedding that I have done has been...

has been clearly articulated through the scripture

of Christ and his church, and has been poured

out in prayer in that service. When we sit down

and eat, we pray. And we praise God for his creation,

that he has given us all things. And it says

in Genesis, when he had finished the work, he

said, it is very good. Why do we call things

as if they're bad? Second principle. Faithful

men commit to the full gospel and sound doctrine

by which they can avoid false and silly doctrine.

Now, these verses might be slightly offensive

a little bit, and I'm okay with that. So please

make sure you understand the heart of why I'm

saying what I'm saying, okay? But before we go

there, 2 Peter chapter 3. Verse 17 through 18

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

says this. You therefore, beloved, knowing this

beforehand, take care that you are not carried

away with the error of lawless people and lose

your own stability. If you do not stand on the

chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, upon the foundation

of the apostles and the prophets, which is the

word of God brought to us and given to us on

paper, then where else are you going to stand?

But on sand. Now. but grow in the grace and knowledge

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be

the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Amen. 1 Timothy 4, 6 through 7a. If you put these

things, what's these things? The instructions

that have been supplied to you. What instructions?

Everything that I've talked to you about, Timothy.

All the things that you've learned under my mentorship.

Everything I've said from chapter 1 to chapter

4 so far. These things. Supply these things before

the brothers. Give them to the brothers. This

is what a pastor does. This is what a teacher

does. We come before you and we give you these

things. And your responsibility is to diligently

search them out and prove them. And when you

prove them, apply them. Now, if you put these

things before the brothers, you will be a good

servant. Of Christ Jesus. You hear that? What

happens if you don't put these things before

the brothers? You're a bad servant. So when I

share with you things that are difficult. I have

a responsibility to put them there. Especially

if I search them out to be true. Based upon all

of the study and teaching that I've gone through

myself. Now that being said. Let's keep reading.

Being trained. And trefo is the word here. Means

to educate or form the mind. What's the proof

of this? Romans chapter 12, verse 2. Do not be

Romans 12:2

conformed to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind. This

word training means to educate or form the mind

in the words of faith, in the words of the gospel

of Christ, in the sound doctrine of Christ. And

that's what it says next. And of the good. the

teachings of Christ that you followed. You, Timothy,

must educate, continue to educate, form the mind

in the words of the gospel of Christ and of the

sound doctrine, the teachings of Christ that

you have followed, that you have committed your

life to. This word follow is the word perakal.

I knew I was going to mess that up. I do that

every time. Every week I've got a Greek word.

I'm not even going to say the word because it's

not going to come out right now. But this word

means conform oneself to. I still want to say

it, but I'm not going to. That's my ADD. I see

it. I've got to do it, but I'm not going to do

it. Anyway, it means to conform. What are you

conforming yourself to, Timothy? The gospel and

the teachings of Christ have nothing to do with

irreverent, profane, silly myths. This word silly,

here's where. I'm so sorry. But when I read this,

I'm like, oh, Lord, do I? Yes, I have to. This

word silly means grandma or old womanish. Now,

what? I noticed everybody starts laughing at

that. Like, what are you talking about? Well,

grandma with the little kids. Grandmom says silly

or old womanish things. And the children go,

what are you talking about, grandma? That doesn't

even make sense. That's because we think differently.

So when you're thinking about this issue, he's

really getting us to understand that we should

have nothing to do with profane or things that

don't make sense, right? And myths, this word

myths means fiction or falsehood. Now that I'm

older and getting older, I know that I'm going

to say something to my kids that are going to

be silly. I know when I was a youth pastor because

of my age, I say stuff and they're going, Pastor

Joe, you're just dumb. Like, you don't even know,

right? So think of it this way. It's this idea

of the big fat Greek wedding. Does Windex really

make any sense? So if you ever watched my big

fat Greek wedding, they would put Windex on everything.

You get a scrape, Windex. You want to clean the

countertop, Windex. Everything's Windex. Windex

fixed everything. That's silly. Where'd it come

from? Grandma. It makes no sense. That's the

idea here. So let's move on from that. I figured

you would laugh at that. Third principle, men

of God fight, contend for the sound doctrine

of God by the consistent study of the word and

must expose all who contradict it. He must hold

firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that

he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine

and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus

Titus 1:9

chapter 1 verse 9. Look what it says in 1 Timothy

4, 7b to 10. Rather, train yourself for godliness.

This phrase, train yourself for godliness, means

purpose to exercise vigorously the mind to become

godly or to become like Christ. You have a responsibility

to exercise vigorously the mind. You've got to

spend time in the word. You wonder why Christians

walk defeated lives all day long. It's because

they haven't spent time in the Word. And then

when they look at the Word, they haven't searched

it out for a while. Bodily training is of some

value. Godliness is of value in every way. Why?

Because if the word of God is renewing my mind

and if the word of God is really saturating my

life, then the stewardship and the care of all

things will be lived out. As it holds promise

for the present life and also for the life to

come. Can you imagine that godliness today is

not a waste because of what's to come. What you

do today... is going to and is actively impacting

your eternity. Like, it's not a waste of time.

God doesn't put us on earth here, and then once

it's all over, we go, well, he just washes it

clean and starts over again. No, he started the

process for you in the beginning of time. When

he wrote your name in the Lamb's book of life.

And then through that time period as he brings

you to salvation. And then progressively starts

to sanctify you. To make you more like Christ.

The scripture says that he will complete the

work that he started. You have been predestined

to be conformed into the image of his son. You

are a work in progress. And he will finish that

work when Christ returns. He doesn't come and

then start all over again. And wash you clean

and just give you everything you wanted. It's

not how God works. Now, understanding that, how

should you live? How should you be living out

your life now? What kind of effort should you

be putting in now? Now, godliness is a value

in every way as it holds promise for the present

life and also for the life to come. This promised

life, present and future. The more perfect state

of things. The saying. What saying? The saying

that's in verse 7 and 8. That saying, the one

we just talked about. is trustworthy and deserving

of full acceptance. Live now. Work now. Spiritually

exercise now. It's not a waste of time. Look

what it says this here. For to this end we toil,

we labor, and strive, contend. So to this end

we labor and contend because we have our hope

set on the living God. I love when Paul uses

this term, living God. He's not a God who's dead

like the rest of the idols and false gods. This

is the living God. Like all we do for him now

is effective and purposeful. And he is the savior

of all people. All what people? Especially, chiefly,

those who believe. He saves those who believe.

And has commanded... that we must command and

teach these things, Paul says, that we should

be commanding these things and teaching these

things. Now, you guys know, love God, love his

word, love his ways, love his things, right?

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

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

Holy Spirit. A lot of churches stop there. It

doesn't stop there. What we see is surrender,

conformity. Conformity. Sanctification. You cannot

understand the purpose of the work of the sanctifying

work of God unless you are in the word. You must

obey. There is not an option here. Teaching them

to observe all that I command. Not the things

I want or the things I don't want. All that I've

commanded you. I can't help but think in Romania

that they do this. This is a common understanding

in different countries. But here in America,

it's not a common teaching. Because all we want

to do is tickle ears and make people feel like,

oh, God loves me. But Jesus says, if you love

me, you obey my commands. This is not an issue

of legalism. It's an issue of surrendered heart

and life to the purpose of glorifying God in

how I live. It's good for you. That's why he

says here, train yourself. Exercise vigorously

the mind to become godly. Lastly, I can't believe

we got this entire chapter done. Praise God.

Men of God, keep careful attention to that which

is entrusted to them. You must keep careful attention

to that which God has entrusted to you. And I'm

going to give you some basic things that God

has entrusted to you. First and foremost, he's

entrusted the gospel to you. The most important

thing on the planet, more important than your

wife, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the life -giving

word of God. There is nothing more important

than that. The second, your wife. Take good care

of her. Be the example of Christ in the church

by being sacrificial to her. And then third,

your children. The future of what God has given

as a gift to you. Your children are his. He desires

godly offspring. So men of God, keep careful

attention to which God has entrusted to you.

The word of God and the gospel of Christ. Let

us hold fast the confession of our hope. without

wavering, for he who promised is faithful. What

is he faithful to do? Everything that he's promised.

You must be careful to care for and contend for

what he's entrusted to you. 1 Timothy 4, 12 through

16. Let no one despise you. Let no one think

little, disdain you for your youth. If you are

young, good. Youth has nothing to do with godliness.

If you're a godly man, or a godly woman and you're

young, be an example of godliness. Because there's

a lot of old people that need to see that. Timothy,

roughly around 19 to 20 years old, like I've

said, he was an example of godliness to the older

men in the community. And they said, don't let

anyone look down on you, disdain you, or despise

you, Timothy, but set the believers an example.

And there is no other word in the Greek, I looked

them all up, This list is exactly what he means.

An example in speech and how I speak. In conduct

and how I live. In love and how I give my life

for God and his people. In faith and how I contend

to the gospel and the doctrine of truth. And

in purity and how I live so that no one can say

anything about me. Do this, Timothy says, until

I come. And then he says, devote. Devote thought

and effort, Timothy. To what? to public reading

of scripture, of exhortation and teaching. Do

not. This is an imperative statement. It's a

command. Do not neglect. Amaleo is the word here.

Do not be careless with the gift. What gift?

The God -given power to discharge the office

of an evangelist is the word here. This word

gift means that. Do not stop being an evangelist

and preaching the full counsel of God's word

and the gospel. You have ensue is the word here.

You have in you what's in us. God, you have,

that word you have means in you. Do not be careless

with the gift that is in you, which was given

by prophecy. The word prophecy means this, that

which comes through and by the gospel. It's not

by. Men laying hands on the person and some power

comes out and all of a sudden they have received

something that they never had before. That's

not what it means here. The power of the evangelist

comes by the power of the Holy Spirit by which

he has been given through the gospel. All things

come through Christ. That which comes through

and by the gospel. When the council of elders...

Presbyterion is the word here. It's where they

get the word presbytery from or presbyterians.

The council of elders. That's why the elders

have a very important role that we play in how

we look at, evaluate deeply those who are the

elders and the deacons of the church. The church

doesn't make that choice. God makes that choice.

What do we do? This council of lepers that have

been laid, they laid their hands. Epithesis is

the word here. They imposed. Imposed what? Imposed

the power and the truth of God to Timothy. They

have imposed God truth upon him. He says this,

Timothy, practice. Attend carefully these things.

Immerse yourself in them. Do you hear that, men?

How much do you immerse yourself in the word

of God? How much time do you spend listening,

singing, hearing, writing, thinking about? You'll

be like, that's a little bit too much. Man does

not live by bread alone, but by every word that

comes out of the mouth of God. The very word

of God keeps you alive. And you can't devote

yourself 15, 20 minutes to that. I'm too busy.

There's nothing in your life that's so busy that

you can't spend time with God and his word. There's

no reason. There's no excuse. You've got 24 hours

a day. I don't have enough time. God is giving

you enough time. He's giving you 24 hours. And

you don't know the day when it's all done. You

better get it in now because when the day is

over, you ain't getting it in no more. Practice

is done. Practice. Attend carefully to these

things. Immerse yourselves in them. Why? So that

all may see your progress. You hear that? That

all may see the sanctifying work of God in your

life. So it's not, I don't do this because I

want to feel good. I'm doing this so others can

see. When others see, others may want. Very interesting.

This word progress means make known. Make known

what? The effectual work of the word of God.

Make known. Now, keep a close watch. Give attention

to what? Yourself. Watch yourself, Timothy. Pay

attention. Keep the word. That's what he says

here. Keep watch. On yourself and on the teaching.

What teaching? That which has been taught. The

doctrine that you've been given. Not some new

doctrine. There's no new truth coming. It's what

you've been given now through the word. And then

he says this. Persist in this. In what? In the

work of the teaching of the doctrine that you've

been given. For by so doing, you will save both

yourself. And your hearers, what's he mean you

will save? The word means to maintain, to keep,

to live in such a way that your life is so impactful

that your hearers will be impacted. In other

words, the effectual work of God will not be

a waste. And it's never a waste. Now, so as men,

we have a high responsibility. And as men of

God and preachers, we have the greatest responsibility

within the church. And so one of the things I

want you to continue to hear over this next year,

as men and women of God, as we really look at

the importance of biblical manhood, biblical

womanhood, get this basic, simple motto deep

down. Love God, love his word, love his ways,

and love his things. When you can do that, you

will continue to walk in a way that honors him.

You have to love his word. You love his word,

you will love to live. When you love to live

His ways, then you will love and steward His

things. Father, I want to thank you so much for

your faithfulness and goodness. We praise you

for your word. We praise you that you are actively

working in the hearts and the lives of your people

to conform us in the image of the living Son

of God. We praise you and thank you in Jesus'

name. Amen.