1st Timothy Pt. 6: Conduct Based On Christ

1 Timothy 3:14-4:5 [NASB1995]

The big picture of this letter: Cultural Norms & Values based on God’s Word. Jesus is the author & perfecter of our faith: THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS. Paul was given the job of laying the foundation of Christ Jesus’ church. This letter was and is so important to a church like ours

14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;

All Spirit indwelt believers must be on guard for false teachings by diligent study of Scripture and persistent prayer. We must reject legalism and focus on heart condition.

  • So far these things being written are:
    • Charge certain persons not to teach different doctrine
    • The need in Christ’s Body of a vibrant, Biblical prayer culture
    • To focus on what the goals are of Christ discipleship are:
      • A Pure Heart / A Good Conscience / A Sincere Faith
    • The purpose of the Law / Torah is to reveal our need for God to us
    • Christ’s role as Mediator between God and humanity
    • Gender roles in the church’s gatherings based on creation
    • Qualifications for Elders and Deacons [Christ-Like Leadership]

15 in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

  • Paul wants to come to see Timothy in Ephesus, but must go where God leads
  • Conduct = Culture
  • What we DO flows from what we believe and value
  • The Body of Christ is those who have been ‘Set Apart’ for God / ADOPTION
  • This community is to become what supports ‘The TRUTH’ about Christ
  • This letter sought to lay foundations for how Christ’s church was to function

16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness [faith in Christ]: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

  • Common Confession = What we all are to believe the same about [UNITY]
  • The Mystery being described here is how God saves wretched sinners
  • These are the basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
    • Revealed in the flesh = He was born a human, He shared our condition
    • Vindicated in The Spirit = Baptism, Miracles, Transfiguration
    • Seen by Angels = In the desert…at His resurrection
    • Proclaimed among the Nations = [Salvation for all people groups]
    • Believed on in the world = Mass Salvation at Pentecost
    • Taken up in Glory = Ascension after resurrection

THIS TRUTH IS TO BE TRANSFORMATIVE IN THE LIFE OF BODY MEMBERS

4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

  • This is referring to Old Testament prophecies and direct revelation to PAUL
  • This is the practice of trying to incorporate the world’s wisdom into Christianity
  • People seeking to follow Christ can be deceived about what that entails
  • There are ‘blind guides’…people so lost they don’t even know they are lost

3 those who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

  • These are various types of legalism, rules without a heart for God
  • Focus on Jewish kosher requirements
  • Acts chapter 10:9-16 [Peter’s Vision]
  • God spoke then and here: Gratitude unlocks the vault of God’s blessings

4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

  • For those ‘In Christ’ all of God’s creation is good when used as directed by God
  • Recognition of God’s provision & gratitude for it gives Christ’s people freedom
  • With focus on God’s Word & Prayer we can enjoy all that God has created

GOD BREATHED TRUTH!

SUMMARY & APPLICATION

God has given the Body of Christ guidelines for: conduct, leadership, discipleship, gender roles and other things thru Scripture because His Church is ‘The’ Foundation of Truth.

All Spirit Indwelt followers of Christ Jesus must make God’s standards their standards, God’s values their values and adopt God prescribed attitudes by yielding to His Spirit in us.

SUMMARY & APPLICATION

The Body of Christ is to be united around the Biblical Gospel, sharing in common an understanding of who Christ Jesus is and what He has done.

Every member of Christ’s Body must completely understand and be able to articulate the essentials of the Biblical Gospel.

You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ~ 1st Peter 3:15 NLT

SUMMARY & APPLICATION

There will be spiritual and human that will lie and deceive people into focusing on behavior and not belief. But if Jesus’ Body clings to His Word and prayer by His Spirit we can enjoy all God has created with thanksgiving!

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1 Timothy Pt. 5: Spiritual Leadership

I Timothy 3:1-13 (ESV)

There are several different words in Scripture that refer to overseers/pastors. They describe different aspects or characteristics of the same office, e.g. maturity, care, protection, direction, leading, etc. Paul describes the qualifications for the church’s servant leaders, using the phrase “the saying is trustworthy”, meaning that this teaching is crucial to the formation and function of the church. He describes 16 qualities or qualifications for the church’s overseers (“episkopos” or teaching leaders). An overview: personal character is essential; he maintains an orderly, God-honoring home; he must have teaching aptitude; he has a mature experience in the Lord.

The saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, and into a snare of the devil. (v.1-7)

He is a “one woman man” in faithfulness, fidelity, purity, and transparency. Marital status is incidental until we reach v.4; that’s where the matter of marriage, divorce, and re-marriage is properly evaluated. His home is orderly. His young children “fall in line”. The larger text reveals how husbands and wives work together in serving the Lord. Additional considerations: (1) the overseer cannot be zealous of his personal reputation, it leads to deception and dishonesty; (2) his thoughts are tempered and careful, unmixed with wine, worldly cleverness counts for nothing when selecting an overseer; (3) he rightly divides the Word, use the Word to edify the church and expose those who lie and deceive, special preaching charisma or giftedness plays no role in this selection; (4) the overseer is not prone to secret indulgences nor the tempers that worldly excesses arouse, he doesn’t hold a grudge, he doesn’t keep a record of offenses, he doesn’t cut people down with verbal or emotional intimidation; (5) winning at all costs is excluded, he cannot love controversy; (6) recent converts are vulnerable to pride and worldly ambitions, to significant shifts in beliefs swayed by others’ opinion or popular consensus, he hasn’t been pruned sufficiently by the cross, he hasn’t demonstrated victory over sin and significant renovation of his life.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, nor greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (v.8-13)

The deacons (“diakonos” or servants) are men and women of high character, serious, considerate. The men are not double tongued (devious). The women are not slanderous (diabolical). Interesting that all 3 servant-leader evaluations caution us to watch our mouths, e.g. guard our hearts! Deacons are temperate, self-controlled, not money-oriented (especially since deacons handle/steward church resources). Deacons cling to gospel truth that has now been fully revealed in Jesus Christ and possess a conscience formed and guided by God’s Word. Deacons are known for managing the affairs of the home well and guiding their children in godliness. Deacons demonstrate faithfulness in small matters, then greater kingdom responsibilities eventually are entrusted to them (e.g. Stephen and Philip). Faithfulness in small matters produces boldness in eternal matters.

In Summary:

– It’s a good thing to desire to serve God and humbly lead His people. You are not out of place nor about to waste your life regardless of what people around you say.

– All of us should be pursuing this walk with the Lord. To say “this is not for me” is a denial of a true salvation confession of Christ.

– Insist your elders: (1) have a walk with God (2) maintain an orderly, God-honoring home and personal life (3) can rightly divide the Word (4) have a mature experience in and with the Lord. If not, we are corruptly authorizing everyone in the church to pursue a selfish, worldly life. Peter instructed the elders to be an example to the flock (I Peter 5). Encourage a God-honoring life among all God’s people, by living one ourselves.

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1st Timothy Pt. 4: God Given Roles

The woman’s role in salvation is to create life and reflect God’s love

1st Timothy 2:8-15

This letter is full of instruction in how Christ’s Body is to function. Throughout the New Testament Scripture God speaks to HIS Body…HE tells US how we are to live and relate to HIM.

This letter is full of God establishing ‘Cultural Norms’ for Christian Communities. Through His proven servants [Paul & Timothy] God instructs US…God created this Scripture to instruct the Body of Christ. In our text today we see the establishment of behaviors and standards for Christ’s Body. This reflects the values of the Nation of Israel and the teaching of Christ Jesus. Today we have instruction on roles men and women are to play in worship. God created 2 genders to play 2 different roles in the gatherings of the church. These roles, when played properly, relationally connect the Body to the Head [Christ]. These roles, when played properly, show men and women how BE God honoring.

God made women to feel, think and act in particular ‘God Given’ ways. God made men to feel, think and act in particular ways, again ‘God Given Ways’. We are going to look at Genesis today to help US see these ‘God-Given Roles’. This in not new stuff for God’s people, the Torah is very gender specific. Gender Roles emanate from the created order in Scripture [not norms of the time]

Complimentarism:

God designed men & women to play ‘complimentary’ roles, not the same roles. When we play our roles properly, we properly relate to God as HE intended. In this passage, the context is the Body of Christ gathering for worship. We will see how men and women are to BE in these gatherings…[not just act but BE]

1 Timothy 2:8-15 [NLT]

8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

  • Scripture creates a standard: The role of men in worship
  • Worship gatherings were in various places…
  • No matter where they gather, God’s best for men is a focus on Prayer & Action
  • ‘Holy Hands’ result from a good conscience (1:5 & 1:19)
  • Lifted hands is a sign of submission [prayer is a surrendered act]
  • Right standing with God and humans eliminates anger and controversy
  • Men’s role in gatherings of Christ’s Body: prayerfully accountability for sin
  • Men are accountable for the sin of humanity [Romans 5:12-17]

9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.

  • Scripture creates a standard: For Women in places of worship [Body gathering]
  • Modesty is the role Godly women are to play in the gathering of the Body
  • Paying a minimal amount of attention to their appearance
  • Attire that is ‘Decent’ = Occasion Appropriate [and overall modest]
  • Over done Hair / Costly Jewelry / Expensive Clothes = Not for Jesus’ Church
  • Women are to play the role of not creating distraction from God’s revelation

10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

  • Scripture creates a standard: for Women who ‘claim’ to be devoted to God
  • Devotion to God is to be understood as a surrendered life to Christ Jesus
  • For such Women are called to focus on what they do… not how they look
  • Ultimately the attitude and behavior is to focus on God and what HE is doing

11 Women should learn quietly and submissively. 12 I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.

  • Scripture creates a standard: for women who ‘claim’ devotion to God
  • Context of learning that is that of a worship gathering dealing with Scripture
  • Again the role of women is to not distract from God speaking to HIS people
  • God is speaking through Paul [this is not Paul’s idea, it is GOD’S]
  • God’s roles for men and women are different…starting with creation

13 For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.

  • The Scripture references creation to validate the teaching of different roles
  • God created men to lead in the relationship of humanity with God
  • Because He made men first, they are meant to be the conduit of revelation
  • It was not Adam who was deceived because Eve tried to play his role
  • Eve was deceived because she wanted to be the conduit of revelation
  • The Scripture is connecting the different roles in the church with creation
  • It is not about equality in sameness, it is about different roles of equal value

Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

~ Genesis 2:15-17

The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ~ Genesis 2:20-23 NLT

15 But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.

  • Womenkind will play a role in salvation by giving birth
  • This is not about specific women being saved but the role of women in general
  • They are to reflect God’s love and holiness though their faith & modesty

Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” ~ Genesis 3:16 NLT

SUMMARY & APPLICATION 4 MEN

In worship settings, men play the role of being the conduit of revelation from God

The prayer life of men should be matched with deeds [work of the hands]

Creation Order establishes this role, men sin by abandoning their role [passivity]

The Man’s role in salvation is to pass along God’s love free of anger and controversy

SUMMARY & APPLICATION 4 WOMEN

In worship settings women are to play the role of keeping the focus on God

Rather than a focus on their appearance, they are to focus on kingdom work

Creation Order establishes this role, women sin by taking over the role of men

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1 Timothy Pt. 3: The FUNdamentals of the Christian Faith

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (ESV)

September 22, 2024

If we can’t agree on what we talk about today, the rest of this book is not for us. It does not matter what church leadership looks like, there will be no church to lead. That’s why this is important

(v1-2) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

– Paul urges us to give “supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings”

– Right away we can jump in to some theological principles. God is a powerful and capable God. Paul tells us to pray intercessions because God is capable of interceding. We give thanks because it is through him that every good thing comes. 

– God did not make us and forget us; we have a God who we are urged to interact with and to depend on.

– These prayers are to “be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions”

– our prayers of intercession and thanksgiving must have a subject. Paul tells us we are to offer these for all people, specifically those in leadership over us. 

– Not all prayer takes an equal amount of effort.

– Prayer is a muscle, we have to grow it by constantly practicing, sharpening the habit.

– This command comes with a little bit of a purpose, we are told the reason we are to live this way is “that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life”. It is for our benefit!

– How many of you worry about the future of your company? How many hours are collectively spent by the people in this room consumed on the politics of this country? 

– The text doesn’t say everything will be perfect and just the way you want it if only we pray. It’s more about a mindset. Give things over to God, and we do that through prayer.

– This kind of living is called “godly and dignified in every way”. It is how he wants us to live. This letter is straight forward, it says exactly what it means. To live this way is to be Godly. 

(v3-4) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

– What is good and pleasing? “This is good, and it is pleasing”

– He’s talking about our prayer for others. Prayer for all people is godly, it pleases him, and is connected to the next thought that “God desires all people to be saved”.

– God tells us this is his desire. We should be praying his desires.

– God desires all people to “come to the knowledge of the truth”

– How are people to hear unless someone preaches?

– Romans 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

(v5) For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

– The truth is that “there is one God”

– This was written to a man living in a world of polytheism where false gods were fighting for relevance. 

– The next part of the truth is that “there is one mediator between God and men”

– Sin is an act of offense, a transgression against Gods law. It is putting our desires in front of what God wants for us. 

– God is a good God who, because of his holiness and perfection, cannot tolerate sin. So, in order for this problem to find some resolution, there had to be this mediator.

– The bible is clear that there is ONE mediator. Only one path, one resolution. 

– There is only one way to set things right between us and God, and that mediator is “the man Christ Jesus”

–       Satan is envious over this advantage that Jesus has over him and the other fallen angels. Jesus knows what you and I are struggling with. He has empathy for our plight because he has lived in flesh like ours.

(v6) who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

– Jesus was not forced to do anything, he was not forced to take on flesh, and the text tells us “who gave himself” 

– There was no taking his life

– He did this so our imperfection could be reconciled with God’s righteousness.

– There was purpose to his death; it was not accidental.

– Jesus gave his life “as a ransom for all”. 

– That mediator that we talked about earlier, the price that needing paying was the price of our disobedience.

–  Christ Jesus was not on the hook for the bill. He was a man but he was certainly God, he had done no wrong and did not need to pay any price for HIS actions. 

– It was us that needed to be paid for, and we were at his mercy. We were helpless to save ourselves. 

–       It was once and for all for all of his creation that Jesus died.

– This does not mean that all will accept this gift, and that all will be in heaven with us. 

(v7) For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

– Paul concludes our text this morning by reminding Timothy “For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle”

– He has a purpose because of this truth. 

– He was appointed to preach (which is to teach, instruct, proclaim, shepherd) 

– Even though Christ died for everyone, there is still a need for these people to understand. They have to cognitively grasp the truth in order to come to faith. 

– And that is Paul’s business in his mission, and in this letter. To help us comprehend the truth of who God is, what he has done, and what our response to it should be.

Primary teaching points

– We have got to be praying, especially for our leaders

– We pray because God is capable of answering prayers

– God wants to bear our burdens, trust in him through prayer

– Our prayer is rooted in God’s desire for all people to be saved

– There is one God, who died for us, to mend our relationship with himself. 

Application

Where can I add prayer to my life?

–       Find time to get on your knees before the lord. Carve out some serious time.

How is prayer impacting my life?

– Our hearts should be more like the lords, and we should be less worried about stuff

– It is obvious why the enemy does not want us to do it and distracts us from it

Take it upon yourself to learn more about who God is

– Pick up some theology books, get a study bible, read a commentary

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1st Timothy Pt. 2: The Midtown Creed

I Timothy 1:12-20 (ESV)

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (v.12-14)

– Notice the repeated “Christ Jesus”, unlike the other apostles who knew Him as Jesus first then came to know Him as Lord. Paul met Him after His resurrection, and came to know Him as Jesus. That’s when he understood that he was a guilty, lawbreaker. He violated all of God’s laws against heaven and earth. He did claim ignorance, but he did not claim that ignorance made him innocent of the guilt.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (v.15)

– This is one of the five “trustworthy” statements in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. It was a likely a creed or key doctrinal confession of the first century church. The Lord Himself said that He “came to seek and save the lost” and that He “did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (v.16-17)

– Paul was saved so that God could display His grace and mercy to others. He saved the worst, so that no one can claim that some people are just too far gone or too bad to be saved. Paul became a living testimony to light the way for others to go from death to life. His testimony is recorded 6 other times in the New Testament. God be praised!

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (v.18-20)

– Timothy was called by God to ministry and gifted to continue the gospel in the next generation when the apostles would be gone. His “good conscience” would be a rudder to steer him around the rocks of sin and lies. But some rejected the faith (the content and doctrine of the truth, perhaps this very creed) and destroyed themselves. H & A were spiritual catastrophes. They turned away to lies and Paul put them out of the church with redemptive intent. Paul was a blasphemer and was taught by God not to blaspheme. And God would do the same for them, while the work of God would continue and the church’s well-being safeguarded.

This statement is completely reliable and should be universally accepted – Christ Jesus entered the world to rescue sinners. I realize that I was the worst of them all. (v. 15, JB Phillips)

– Paul formerly regarded the Nazarenes as a dangerous cult. He met the Nazarene and was never the same again. He had been the Sanhedrin’s chief tormentor. Blood had covered his hands. This verse describes a sure reality. How sure is it? Think about the lives of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. How the knew Him? The effects He had on them. How reliable is the record/testimony of those four men? Without them, we would know almost nothing about Jesus of Nazareth. The father of apologetics, Simon Greenleaf, Harvard law professor, put these men on trial and applied all the laws of evidence. His conclusion: “by all the laws of evidence, these four men are absolutely credible witnesses.” Have you accepted this truth? The pardon is available to you, but will never be compelled upon you. You must repent and believe for yourself.

Summary Points:

– No one is too bad to be saved; but perhaps too good?

– We face controversies because we hold on to this creed. The strife distracts us and tempts us to ignore the next world.

– Have you fully accepted this truth? Have you committed your life to follow Christ?

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1st Timothy: Cultural Foundations Of Christ’s Church

Pt. 1: USING SCRIPTURE AS GOD INTENDED

1st Timothy 1:1-11 [NASB 1995]

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.

  • This is a declaration of his truest identity: SENT for Christ, by Christ, of Christ
  • He didn’t appoint Himself
  • HE RECOGNIZES WHO GOD MADE HIM TO BE
  • He is committed to obedience [He does as God commands]
  • Paul’s theology: God and Christ are known to be ONE

2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • What does Paul mean His ‘True’ child in the faith? [Sonship in that culture]
  • He has seen the reality of Timothy’s faith from His actions
  • Paul knows Timothy HAS received: Grace / Mercy / Peace… FROM GOD!
  • This is why Paul is entrusting so much responsibility to Timothy [PROVEN]
  • Paul trusts what He tells Timothy to do for himself & others, will be enacted

3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

  • Keep on doing what I asked you to do:
  • Stay @ Ephesus
  • Teach Certain Men… we assume they know who they are talking about
  • Non biblical stuff [tradition]
  • Jewish people put a lot of weight on genealogies
  • These things do not help people grow in Christ! [What does?]

5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

  • THE goal of Christian Discipleship: LOVE
  • Real Love, God patterned Love
  • Pure Heart / Good Conscience / Sincere Faith
  • Only God can make this happen!
  • The goal of ‘Their’ instruction is the same for Midtown Church

6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

  • Why does Timothy need to teach these men? They are creating bad culture!
  • They want to interpret the Torah without understanding ‘The Author’
  • Their pride is driving them… [they want to be teachers] not a desire from God
  • What they are doing is ‘Fruitless’…God’s people are called to bear fruit [Jn. 15]

8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, [the way God meant it to be used] 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…

  • The Law [Torah] is good when used as God intended…
  • The Scripture is not the problem…people misusing it are [Gun Control]
  • The key to using The Law as God intended: Not for those God makes righteous
  • It is to expose the rebellious, those who mock their creator, openly against God
  • Broad labels of people…so let’s look at the specific behaviors of such people

The law is a schoolmaster teaching us to recognize our need for Christ. Once we surrender to Christ, we do no require that particular tutoring any longer.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ~ Galatians 3:24-25

THE LAW WAS MADE:

…for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and for immoral men [fornicators] and for homosexuals and for kidnappers and for liars and for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

  • These are ‘Lifestyles’, not giving in to temptation at times
  • Dishonoring and neglect
  • Now we are talking about murder = killing for your reasons
  • Sex between a man and a woman outside of marriage
  • Sex between people of the same gender
  • Human traffickers / slave-masters
  • Scammers /con artists
  • Corruptors of legal systems

SUMMARY / APPLICATION

Paul’s entire life purpose and identity flowed from His Faith In Christ.

~ Should every Christian live this way or just Paul? How about You?

Timothy, at a young age, duplicated Paul’s commitment to Christ.

~ Should every Christian respond to discipleship this way?

Timothy was charged with creating and enforcing standards for Biblical Discipleship.

~ How important is it for a Body of Christ to teach the right things?

Timothy was to demonstrate the God intended use of Torah In Light of Christ

~ How well do you understand the whole message of the Old & New Testaments?

Who is under the Law???

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Nehemiah Pt. 19: You Gotta Fight!

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for His service. ~ Nehemiah 13:14

  • Why does Nehemiah ask God not to wipe out what he did?
  • Because it was for ‘God’s Place’ & ‘God’s Glory’ in the lives of God’s people
  • Not self promotion! Nehemiah has God’s heart for God’s people [CH. 1]
  • Nehemiah understood what is best for God’s people, for Christ’s people
  • To live by God’s commands, ordinances and principals [HIS will & ways]

We have seen God re-constitute His people, in His place [Jerusalem] and they proclaimed HIS glory in dedicating the wall! The nation is one in repentance and committing to live based on God’s will and ways…

In last week’s passage we heard what happened when Nehemiah went back to Persia to visit King Artaxerxes. The High Priest had given place to God’s enemies in God’s Holy Temple BIG DEAL. The communal system that enabled everyone to share in worship had been corrupted and hijacked to benefit a local official [Tobiah] Nehemiah throws all of Tobiah’s stuff out and re-consecrates the Temple, restoring the regular support of the levites to serve.

Nehemiah 13:15-31 [CJB]

15 During this time, I saw in Judah some people who were treading winepresses on the Sabbath, also bringing in heaps of grain and loading donkeys with it, likewise wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads; and they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. On the day when they were planning to sell the food, I warned them not to. 16 There were also living there people from Tyre who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the people in Judah and even in Jerusalem.

  • Nehemiah had gone back to Susa after The Wall was dedicated, then returned
  • These activities directly violate the letter and the spirit of sabbath practice
  • God’s people were letting ungodly people dictate culture to them
  • Dishonoring of The Sabbath is a attack at the cornerstone of Jewish Culture
  • The Sabbath serves as a weekly reminder of God’s Sovereignty & Care

17 I disputed with the nobles of Judah, demanding of them, “What is this terrible thing you are doing, profaning the day of the Sabbath? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do this, and didn’t our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you are bringing still more fury against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

  • Nehemiah called to account those who were allowing the sabbath breaking
  • Nehemiah basically says: ‘Haven’t you learned??’
  • It was a foundational part of a walk with God: the honoring of the Sabbath
  • What is the theology behind the Sabbath for a Christ follower? [RE-CREATION]
  • It is about taking time out from your normal work life to focus on God
  • We don’t take a break from ministry on the Sabbath…

19 So when the gates of Jerusalem began to grow dark before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut; and I ordered that they not be reopened until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants in charge of the gates, to see to it that no loads be brought in on the Sabbath. 20 The merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice, 21 until I warned them, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? Do it again, and I’ll use force against you!” From then on they stopped coming on the Sabbath.

  • Nehemiah is moved to action
  • He is going to regulate the behavior of the people to build a habit
  • The threat of force… is it Christ-like?
  • You have to confront outside influences that dishonor the God of the Bible
  • You Gotta Fight…For Your God: YAHWEH!
  • Satan influences bullies…when you stand up to them they retreat

22 Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates, in order to keep the day of the Sabbath holy. My God, remember this too for me, and have mercy on me in keeping with the greatness of your grace!

  • To make sure this practice didn’t start back up, ‘Spiritual Oversight’ put in place
  • Nehemiah asks God to validate his action to keep the sabbath holy
  • He knows he is not worthy but pleads for God’s undeserved favor [Grace]

23 Also during this time I saw the men Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab; 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah, but only the language of his own people. 25 I disputed with them and cursed them, and I beat some of them up and pulled out their hair. Then I made them swear by God, “You will not give your daughters as wives for their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves.”

  • Ashdod = Philistines [God ordered the Israelites to eliminate them]
  • Ammon & Moab: Last week we heard they were to be excluded…
  • The intermarriage was altering their culture [language is one example]
  • God’s people cannot stand for the degradation of their Scripture based culture
  • These are examples of what we call ‘Slippery Slopes’
  • Nehemiah argues, curses & physically reprimands them [corporal punishment]
  • Then he makes them swear an oath by God: They must have been persuaded!

26 Wasn’t it by doing these things that Solomon king of Israel sinned? There was no king like him among many nations, and his God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 Are we to give in to you and let you continue in this very great evil, breaking faith with our God by marrying foreign women?

  • The example from God’s Word is definitive
  • Even the Greatest King of Israel compromised his obedience for foreign wives
  • So why would you even think about doing it???

28 One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, had become son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; so I drove him out of my presence. 29 ‘My God, remember them; because they have defiled the office of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites’. 30 Thus I cleansed them of everything foreign, and I had the priests and the Levites resume their duties, each one in his appointed task. 31 I also made provision for the delivery of wood at stated times, and for the first-fruits.

  • Grandson of the High Priest married a Horonite [from Horoniam, a city in Moab]
  • Nehemiah exiled him from Jerusalem / removal of the corrupt influence
  • He asks God to enact judgement on Eliashib, Joiada and his son [spiritual]
  • Nehemiah stepped in to personally get things right
  • Cleansed of foreign influences, the Levites and Priests resumed their duties…

My God, remember me favorably.

  • God, I have lived based on your will and ways
  • God, I have stood up for YOU and your Word

SUMMARY:

If you belong to God, YOU form your life around HIS Word. [Streams of Culture]

God has blessed HIS people with the principal of Sabbath. [Work 6 days, Rest 1]

For God’s people, marriage joins man & woman based on a shared worldview.

Values and culture that dishonors God are to be confronted and fought against.

Having Studied The Book of Nehemiah…

SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO LIVE?

Ways Christ’s Church is to live from Nehemiah

  • LIVING BY PRAYER = Praying as God’s Word Directs [His Heart]
  • LIVING BY GOING = Kingdom Focus & Purpose Directing Life Choices
  • LIVING BY WORKING = Kingdom Building Where God Places YOU
  • LIVING BY CARING = Treating People Based on God’s Standards
  • LIVING BY WARRING = Prepared to Fight for God’s Principals and Purposes
  • LIVING BY GOD’S WORD = Commitment to Reading & Applying Scripture
  • LIVING BY REPENTING = Humility & Contrition Before Your God
  • LIVING BY WORSHIPING = Lifestyle of Giving Thanks, Praise & Glory to God
  • LIVING FOR COMMUNITY = Financial, Emotional & Spiritual Faith Family
  • LIVING BY GOD’S WORD = Realigning YOUR life in serious, meaningful ways
  • LIVING FOR GOD’S HONOR = Culture & Lifestyle that Fully Honors Christ
  • LIVING BY RENEWAL = Building & Rebuilding A Walk with Christ
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Nehemiah Pt. 18: Continual Restoration

Nehemiah 13:1-15 (ESV)
08/25/24

13 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, 5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.

12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

Summary points:
Recognize your sin
Let God’s word bring you to action
Leaders are not perfect
If God calls you, listen
Sin spreads easily

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Nehemiah Pt. 17: And The Rocks Were Silent

Nehemiah 12:27-47 (ESV)

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate….with trumpets…..with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. 

Then the other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens….and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half the officials with me; and the priests….with trumpets…..and the singers sang…..And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

Summary Points:

-Prepare/purify yourself for the gatherings of God’s people

-Your labor in the Lord will never be in vain (I Cor 15:58)

-Rejoice in the Lord. It is a gift (Rom 15:13), a fruit (Gal 5:22-23), a command (Phil 4:4), and a privilege (Ps 122:1)

-Pray for renewal/revival in the church and the nation

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Nehemiah Pt. 16: Remembering From Where We Came

Nehemiah 12:1-26

8/4/2024

The text today shows how different people have different roles to play. There are certain people who are supposed to be priests, others high priests. Some Levites were called to sing, others to stand watch and keep the gates. 

We see how God is faithful in keeping his promises. 

This passage is meant to memorialize the people to whom the ancient Israelites owed, through God’s providence, the “happy revival and re-establishment of their religion among them”. – Matthew Henry

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

12 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: [22 men]. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

• Right away we see that this is a complicated passage. I’m going to do my best to walk us through the names and the players and not overwhelm. 

• Nehemiah is remembering the leaders who contributed to the restoration of Gods people.

8 And the Levites: Jeshua [and 5 others], who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 And [two men] and their brothers stood opposite them in the service. 10 And Jeshua was the [great-great-great grand] father of Jaddua.

• This is the record of the renewal of the ancient practices of God’s people. David had set apart groups of people who were to minister at the temple by singing praises. You can read about this in 1 Chronicles 24 and 25.

• All of this shows that God was watchful over them in their time in exile. He preserved the line of Aaron to make sure there could be a high priest. He saved Levites who could serve as priests in the temple.

12-21 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: [of the 20 Levites, 20 sons]

• We’re now getting a run down on the second generation. Joiakim is HP2.

• This is something truly miraculous. 20 fathers left behind 20 good sons who would be good priests for the people. Only one or two are left out from the previous list, people disagree about how to interpret the list.

• But these men are recorded because they were faithful in serving God’s people. God was faithful in providing this young, newly restored nation good leaders to get them off to a healthy start.

22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua (four generations of high priests: from the building of the wall to the time this was written), the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan [HP4] the son of Eliashib [HP3]. 

• v22 begins to tell us about the leaders from the third generation onward. The Levites and the priests are mentioned, implying they too were holding fast to their duties.

24 And the chiefs of the Levites: [three men], with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch. 25 [6 men] were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. 26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.

• Reminder, there are a few roles the Levites can have. The whole tribe was set apart for God. They didn’t get their own land and they had religious duties they were expected to do, things like singing, serving as guards or carrying the holy items. 

o Next step up, a group of the Levites were priests. They offered the sacrifices at the temple, taught the people and maintained the temple.

o Lastly is the high priest, and that was always passed down to the oldest living son upon death all the way down the line of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

o “The work of God shall never fail for want of instruments”

These people who were on fire for the Lord, who built the wall, had only one avenue to express their gratitude. Those people could only be thankful for their ancestors who were the remnant of Israel, remaining faithful in a foreign land under persecution. They could only memorialize their ancestors who came before them to rebuild the temple.

Hebrews 6:12 commands us to pay close attention to the leaders of the past

“[be] imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Takeaways

Remember your spiritual ancestors

• We cannot repay the debt; we can only pay it forward. Likewise, we are to go out and make disciples. 

God’s work cannot fail. 

• God told his people how he was to be worshiped. He sets the rules, but he’ll also see to it that it’s fulfilled

The heart of man is away from God

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