Bible In A Year - 1 Timothy

Our Father, once again, we come to you in the name that is above every name, the name of our

Lord and Savior, your blessed Son, our Lord and our God, and we thank you and praise you for the wonder of life.

We thank you that you are a God who knows all about us. And, Lord, yet you still love us and you still are mindful towards us, and you think upon us, and we're grateful for that.

We rest in you this morning. We know that all of our hope and all that there is about us, our present and complete future, is in Jesus Christ and the promises that you've made to us in him.

And we're grateful that we are the people of God through faith in Christ, through your sovereign great work of salvation.

And, Lord, we come to you this morning and ask that you please teach us. We need to be strengthened.

We need to be helped. Lord, as we just continue day after day and month after month and year after year as we open the word of God, we so desire that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our

Lord and that we may be equipped and that we may be able to follow after the right things and to think upon the right things and to be able to have an answer for those that ask us the reason of the hope that is within us.

And, Lord, that we might be able to be careful to so order our lives that we bring more glory and honor to Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen. All right. Here we go, continuing on with our study through the

Bible and the New Testament. We're at the book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy is one of the pastoral epistles.

And by that, those are the epistles that have been categorized as the Apostle Paul or Pauline epistles written by Paul to pastors to help them.

And basically, that's what this book is all about. Paul, the aged, the mature apostle, is going to help young Timothy.

And the key verse in this epistle is the one that I put at the top of the sheet.

From 1 Timothy 3 .15, Paul says, But if I am delayed, I write, there he goes, he says, this is the reason why

I'm writing, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself or you know how,

Timothy, you might know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living

God, the pillar and ground of truth. So Paul here not only gives young Timothy some exhortation on how to behave and how to handle the different situations in the church, and more importantly, when he talks to Timothy, writes

Timothy, it is really having to do with how he conducts himself, how he guards his heart, how he lives before others and before God.

And then also he does give instruction concerning church life and church living and church ministry, what to be aware of when it comes to false teachers.

Most of the instruction, of course, here is personal and directed right to Timothy. But, of course, we know that God's truth can be applied to us here today in the church when we have pastors, when we have those that are leading the churches, that they take a look at these exhortations, these instructions, these warnings to be able to go with.

And also for those that are going to be involved in the church, those that are going to be ministering with the pastors, with the leaders in the church, what type of things and what type of people they're going to run into and how to handle those types of things.

And then, of course, we can come and personally and individually look at what God's word says when it comes to subjects of how we should pray, as in Chapter 2.

Or in Chapter 3, what do we look for in the qualifications of those that will lead the church? Or in Chapter 6, when it comes to widows that are in the church, what do you do with the women who have become widows and how are they to be taken care of?

And what is the family's responsibility and what is the church's responsibility? Chapter 6, false teachers, how do you deal with those or those that are rich, those that are increased with material possession?

How are they to live and what should they do and so on? So this book written to young Timothy kind of has a unique twist to it in that or a thought about it in that Paul calls

Timothy in 1 Timothy 1, 2. He says to Timothy, unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.

I remember one time at a youth group, one of the young girls in the youth group on a

Friday night as I was teaching in Texas said, I didn't even know Paul had any children. And we had to explain what that meant as far as being a spiritual father.

He led Timothy to the faith, to faith in Jesus Christ. And Timothy looked to Paul as his spiritual father, as the one who helped him and discipled him and taught him.

And this is the relationship that we have here. It is a friendship that grew between Paul and Timothy.

And Timothy was Paul's protege, so to speak. He nurtured him and he helped him.

And then eventually, of course, as I said, he encourages him in this letter to be diligent, not only to exercise his own personal responsibilities, but also that he would take care of the business of the church, the things of God in a proper manner.

Timothy, his name means one who honors God. And he is the one that if you look in chapter 1, verse 3,

Paul said, I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine.

So we see in this verse here that Timothy has some type of position of authority, and Timothy was the pastor of this church at Ephesus, a young man who is leading the flock there.

He was a man who was from Lystra. We see that in Acts chapter 16, which is a province of Galatia.

His father was a Greek. We hear as we read the scripture, his mother was a Jew. He was brought up under a godly influence.

We see that in 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 5, where he came under the influence of his mother and of his grandmother.

They taught him the scriptures. He from a child knew the scriptures, which are able to bring you to salvation, as written there by Paul in 2

Timothy. Paul led Timothy to Christ. Again, he was his son in the faith.

Undoubtedly, during his ministry when he was in Lystra, because that's where Timothy was from, on Paul's first missionary journey.

So Timothy became Paul's disciple. He became his son in the faith.

He became his friend, and more importantly, as with other young men that Paul had this type of relationship with,

Timothy, Mark, Titus, Philemon, these men. Paul became, and these men became co -laborers with the apostle

Paul in the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the proclamation of that gospel and for the establishment of churches, for the edification of the saints to watch care over doctrine and watch care over the souls of those that would be in the flock.

Paul, we read in 1 Corinthians 4, that he would send Timothy to churches as his representative.

And this letter finds him on another assignment, as I said, serving as pastor at the church at Ephesus.

Let's see. Christ in 1 Timothy, I like this down the bottom of the first page, the front of the sheet.

Paul's letter to Timothy describes the person of Christ as in chapter 3 and verse 16, he was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the

Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up to glory. The verse there that speaks of God being manifest in the flesh,

God coming incarnate in the flesh. But he also speaks of the

Lord's work in chapter 2 as being a savior, and we're going to look at that in a moment.

And in this book, we see in a couple of different places there's some unique and great and powerful verses.

Why don't we take a look at those? In chapter 1 and in verse 17, well,

I'll read verse 16. Paul writes, Howbeit for this cause

I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Paul there is saying that he became an outline. Paul became a sketch for imitation or a mold or a form unto which molten material would be poured, and it would take up the shape of that mold.

And Paul said he was a mold. He was a pattern. If you took a look at the apostle

Paul's life, he was one who was a sinner, not fleeing toward God, but fighting against God.

He was one who persecuted the saints. He was one who needed mercy. He was one who needed a savior.

And God showed him grace, and God abounded with grace toward the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus and struck him down and stopped him and arrested him and saved his soul to the glory of God.

And he received mercy for the forgiveness of his sins. He was accepted in Jesus Christ, and he was one who, as he says in verse 15, he says that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom

I am chief. He says, I am the foremost. I was the worst of the worst, and God saved me.

And when we think of anyone who has been saved afterwards, don't we all come to that place where we believe that and we understand and we see that we were the chiefest of sinners, that God could not have shown more mercy when he saved us.

It was a wonderful thing for God to do. And Paul says, I'm a pattern. Isn't the gospel a mold?

And like Paul, those who are subdued by it and those who are brought into obedience of its teachings become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

And that's what Paul says. I'm a pattern. But then he goes on in verse 17. He just says something like this.

I'm a pattern to those who should hereafter believe on Christ or believe on him to life everlasting.

Certainly Paul is writing again as he has over and over again that eternal life comes through belief, comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

And then he says, Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. I wonder, that must be where immortal, invisible, the hymn comes from that we sing.

The king eternal, immortal, invisible, and the only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen. It's kind of like when you're riding down the road in your car and you're just thinking about the things of God, maybe reviewing a memory verse, and all of a sudden your soul is just flooded with the goodness of the

Lord towards you. And you just kind of break out in maybe silent or even audible praise to the

Lord. And you say, God, how good you are and how great you are to me and how wonderful. And Paul does this often as he's writing.

You'll notice another verse that's like this that speaks to Christ.

It speaks of the living God whom Paul is serving. Chapter 3 in verse 16 is the one we read earlier.

I just wanted to show it to you. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.

Well, who came in the flesh? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God. Another verse that speaks of the deity of Jesus Christ.

God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the

Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory, speaking certainly of the

Lord Jesus. Another verse that we could look at, yeah, I'll save that one for later.

Chapter 6, after Paul admonishes

Timothy to be faithful, and he's speaking of, in verse 14, 6 -14, he's admonishing him to keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable or without reproach, unto the appearing of our

Lord Jesus Christ. So he's saying, this is I'm speaking of Christ, and in verse 15, which in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate or the blessed and only sovereign ruler, the

King of kings and the Lord of lords, who only has immortality dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, which no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting, amen.

You see how Paul just exalts God, and he blesses

God, and he, in a great way, brings praise and honor to Jesus Christ.

Well, those are just the quick kind of overview of the book. As far as the sheet, you can look through this.

Some of the words on the back, as far as definitions, are very interesting. Take a peek at those as you're studying up and looking at this book.

One of the things, I'll just show you a couple of threads that go through this book. One of the things that you'll see is

Paul, as he says in chapter 1 and in verse 15, he says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance or worthy of all of acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom

I am chief. And Paul does this in 115.

Notice in chapter 3 in verse 1, this is a true saying. And you'll notice in chapter 4 and in verse 9, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance or acceptation.

And these, Paul does this here. He does it in 2 Timothy 2 .11, and he says in Titus, he uses it in Titus 3 .8.

And what this is is these sayings that Paul is, that he's referring to here, particularly back if you look in chapter 1 in verse 15.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

That was a saying that was well -known in the churches at that time as concise expressions of root and core doctrine.

It would almost be like us today if we were to have a creed that we would repeat and we would say.

It was just a well -known saying. It was something that just concisely and to the point got to root and core and very important doctrine.

And Paul does this over again as a way of just driving in the nail of what truth is and what doctrine is important.

And, of course, in this case here, it is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

And that, of course, would be based on like a verse like Luke 19 .10, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Another thing that he does in this book, if you'll notice, let me see if I have my trusty, no,

I don't have them, but we'll find them. If you take a look at, Paul uses another phrase, and I think, let me see,

I told Deb on the way in, it's marginal notes this morning, that's what we get. It's not all written out.

Chapter 3, notice verse 14. Chapter 3, verse 14, and notice the repetition of this word.

These things write I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly.

And then if you notice in chapter 4 and in verse 6, if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained.

Verse 11, these things command and teach. Verse 15, meditate upon these things.

Chapter 5 and verse 7, and these things give in charge that they may be blameless.

And you'll notice as he's doing this, it's through almost every chapter as he's teaching, and it doesn't matter what the subject is.

He's putting the Christians, putting Timothy in remembrance of them and asking him and charging him to put the believers in remembrance of these things that he's teaching, these practical instructions based upon what he's learned from Christ, based upon what

God's directly revealed to him. But he's saying put them, I mean, that one there in chapter 5 is dealing when it comes to the widows.

Look in, let's see, some other ones. Chapter 5, verse 21, I charge thee before God and the

Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels, this is important, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, do nothing by partiality.

And then I think in chapter 6 we see it in verse 2. At the end he says, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit, these things teach and exhort.

That had to do with the duties of servants and the masters or the employees and the employers.

There might be, let me see. Oh, yeah, in chapter 6, in verse 11, but thou,

O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.

Are there any more? I may have skipped some, but you see that Paul, and when

Paul's writing, it's not just nebulous.

It's not just guesswork of what it is. He doesn't just say, you know, do these things.

It's kind of like working at your job and you're ready to have a performance review. And when it comes back to you, it's like all in general terms.

You know, there's nothing specific on it. But Paul is very specific as he's teaching. You go through and he's giving instruction, and then he says, you know, these things you need to observe.

These things teach. These things command. These things uphold. These things flee away from.

It's very clear what it is that the believer is supposed to embrace and what the believer is supposed to run away from.

And why do you think it's repetitive like that? What is it about us?

And why do we need this? Any guesses? Why do we need to have this repetition?

Because we're dumb sheep? The sister reminds us. Yes, it's true. And we forget.

And we need to continually be reminded. I was speaking to someone. I can't remember who it was.

And I can remember teaching a Sunday school series on the Ten Commandments once when we were serving in a church in Texas.

And I just remember pounding it away. And I thought, you know, I'm just doing my faithful job here.

I'm doing the best that I can. And I'm thinking I'm just laying it out so simply. And everybody's grasping this.

And it was like there were certain individuals. And whenever you're teaching, it's not always that you're pointing at or it's coming.

I mean, sometimes when you're sitting there listening, if it's coming at you, you know, it's the Lord doing that.

Because many times the teacher or the preacher does not know everything about you, the particular details, but God knows you and he knows what you need.

But as I was teaching afterwards, I was thinking there's a few people that really need to know this.

Well, they weren't knowing it. You know, it just wasn't the light bulb wasn't coming on. They weren't embracing it.

And this was probably like in February when I finished the series. And then in March we had a spring conference, had one every year in the church, kind of like what we do have here.

And a bunch of speakers would come in. And sure enough, one of the one of the pastors who came from the church, he began he had like two or three times to preach.

And he preached on the Ten Commandments, particularly at the end, where it kind of just wraps it all up with covetousness and how covetousness can be the core and root of all other sins when your heart is just embracing things that ought not to be in your jealous and get envious and all this.

And I'm saying, yeah, I've I've heard this. I remember this in my series. And what did you know it after that that conference, we come.

It's all over. We fold up the tent. We used to meet outside in the tent until we got a bigger building. And we would we had an opportunity during our church services to have testimonies.

And what did you know that those people who I was praying for and desiring, you know, to get it during my during my class, they didn't get it then.

They got it during the conference. But I'm thankful that they got it and they began to walk in that truth and embrace it.

But, you know, it's the Lord that deals with our hearts and it's in his timing. And we're like that.

I mean, we we need a continual reminder and we need to hear things over and over again.

That's why I've kind of like the teaching style of Dr. Martin Lloyd -Jones.

I don't know if you've ever heard any of his tapes or written any of his books. And it's every time I every time

I read him, I can hear him because I've listened to his tapes and he'll he'll he'll say something like, well, it is very important that the

Christian should run away from evil. And then he'll he'll do this. Or let me put it this way.

It is so important for the believer to embrace the truth of God or better yet. Let me put it.

And he does that, you know, three or four times because he's just kind of hitting it from all different angles because we all learn differently and it all.

But but isn't that so true about us? Sometimes we think we know something, we know it in our head, but we're we're needing to be continually reminded of truth.

And Paul does a very good job of that. And that's why I think as he's right and you see him, it was intentional for him to continue to say these things, put them in remembrance.

These things teach and command them very important for us. And it's kind of neat. I just like finding things like that as you read the scriptures because God is precise and the words are there for a reason.

Let's do this. Go with me to chapter two. And I want to just to kind of point out a couple of verses here and there, and then we'll end up where I'd like to finish up in chapter six.

But in chapter two, we read these verses. And starting in verse five.

For there is one God. And one mediator between God and men, the man,

Christ Jesus. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man,

Christ Jesus. I want to kind of look at this first because it's very, very important when it comes to salvation.

It's very important when it comes to dealing with false doctrine. This idea of a mediator.

The mediator is is someone who intervenes between two parties, maybe to resolve a conflict or to ratify a covenant.

So you have somebody of two parties. And they may be at odds or there's a difference between them or something's going on between them.

And you have a mediator who is a go between. One who tries to reconcile the two parties to bring them together.

And maybe even in the times as it's used in the New Testament times to ratify a covenant or to to get a document or some agreement, a promise sealed.

And so that the two agree together. And why is it it says here, who is the mediator between here?

It's between who are the two parties. On one hand, we have God. On the other hand, man,

God and men. Now, why is it that there is a need for a mediator to begin with?

Why, why would there need to be a mediator between God and men? I mean, I thought God is the father of us all.

I mean, we're all God's children. Everybody in the world is a child of God. And everybody's going to be saved and everybody's going to heaven.

And if you listen to the tape and you're here this morning, just keep listening, because that's not what we teach, not what we believe.

And I'm just kind of speaking about how people think about God and people. I mean, everybody's

OK. Everybody's going to be safe. Why is it that there's a need for a mediator between God and men?

Lou? Because sin has separated between us and our

God. Yes. Because of the unholy,

I mean, because of the unholy, sinful, rebellious nature of man.

And on the other hand, the holy, impeccable, pure, unique, distinct nature and essence of God.

God being so holy that Habakkuk, it's written in Habakkuk that he is of such pure eyes that he cannot even look upon sin.

Now we see why we need a mediator. Because we have a people, we have

God, and we have man, and the relationship isn't one of, or there is no relationship.

What they are is that, as the Scripture says, that while we were yet sinners, or while we were yet what?

When we think of warfare, what is the relationship?

It's enemies. That's what the Scripture says. We're enemies of God. It's adversarial. There's at odds, and therefore there's a need for a mediator.

Now, it doesn't say that for there is one God and many mediators. That's what religion will teach.

One God, many mediators. And some of the mediators that are offered up are the saints in the

Roman Catholic teaching. There is a saint to help you, the patron saint for different things in your life, for safety, for blessing, for material blessing, when you're traveling.

There's different saints that you pray for to be able to get access to God, to go through that saint to get to God, to get what you need.

And God says, no, there is one God and only one mediator. It's not

Mary. It's not because she's the mother of God. She has some type of sway or power over Jesus.

And if you go to Mary, she's certain to speak to Jesus, and you'll get what you need, and therefore it will come down from God through Mary.

No, there's one God and one mediator. It kind of reminds me of Acts 4 .12, where the

Scripture says to us that there is only one Savior. Let me read the verse.

Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved.

And, of course, Peter is preaching there, and we know that that is speaking up in the two verses previous of Jesus Christ.

One mediator between God and men, and it is the man, Christ Jesus.

Only Jesus Christ can restore peace between God and men.

And what doctrine is that known as? What doctrine would we say that is when we have

God and man, warfare? You read in Romans 8 that the natural man is at enmity with God, is at warfare, at odds with God.

And Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring the two parties together. And how did he do that?

Substitutionary death upon the cross with his death and his blood. We see that in Ephesians chapter 2, that the two parties are brought together through the cross of Jesus Christ, through his blood.

And therefore, through Christ's blood, we have been what unto

God? 2 Corinthians chapter 5, around verse 19 or 20. Reconciled, right.

When we think of a reconciliation, it's two people that are fighting, and they're a husband and wife, and they're going to reconcile, or two friends.

They reconcile. But this is the greatest reconciliation of all, in that when we, through God's work, are reconciled to God through his son.

And it says, and it speaks of in terms that are so very clear, there is one

God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, or the only perfect God -man, is the only one who can bring reconciliation between us and God.

Now, the next verse goes on to say, and you're going to, again, we've got to think about the way we approach scripture and the way we look at that.

This verse is one that can be misused. Speaking of Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.

I think it says here that Jesus Christ gave himself to be a ransom for all to be testified in due time.

Jesus gave himself to be a ransom for all. Now, if you take this out of context and you look at this, you can make this say and you can put your template of systematic teaching or unsystematic teaching over it and look at it through your template and say, see, the

Bible says that Jesus gave himself, and when he died, he died for everybody. I mean, that's what people will try to do.

This is a verse that they will come to. But as I believe Pastor Mike had brought this out when he was teaching through this, maybe it was one evening.

I don't know if you heard it, but I will kind of go back in the in the in the text. If you go back to verse one,

Paul says, I exhort you, therefore, first of all, that supplications and prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.

For kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our savior, who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

And what is being taught here is in its text is that we ought to pray for all men.

We ought to pray for all sorts of men, for all kinds of men, kings, those in authority.

I mean, everybody around us. But it's it's the word the word all here is is is more defined or distinctly defined in here as being particular types of people.

So that when we come to verse four, it says, who will God will have all men to be saved?

Well, if God desired, if it was or if I put it this way, if it was God's decree, if it was

God's supreme will that all would be saved, how many would be saved?

All would be saved. But we know that not all will be saved. We know that the elect of God who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that number that we cannot number, that great host of people, those are the ones that will be saved and included in that group are all sorts of people.

That's what he's speaking of here. And we look at elsewhere and we see that there are of all nations and tribes and languages and tongues.

God will have all men or all sorts of or all kinds of men to be saved. And if you carry that through birth to verse six, who gave himself a ransom for all, it then would mean in context that it's all kinds of people or all sorts of people.

Jesus, even himself speaking, our Lord speaking. If you just hold your place here, if you want to turn to it in Matthew 20, it's sometimes very good to reference verses because we know that when the apostle is writing, he has been taught of God and no doubt he heard what the

Lord Jesus had taught and what the Lord Jesus had spoken and what the Lord Jesus had revealed to him.

And when we we come to another verse, we can see like this in Matthew 20 and in verse 28, the

Lord Jesus himself saying this of himself, even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and notice the similar phrase here and to give his life a ransom for all.

Does it say that there in twenty twenty eight? No, it says he gave himself as a ransom for many that qualifies or and it even bolsters and it even helps us when we come to the writing of Paul in first Timothy to six who gave himself a ransom for all.

Jesus's words qualify and bring it together as far as who this is really speaking of.

It's many. You see how important it is to be able to look at the the the the context of the verses.

When we when we make statements about what the word of God is saying. OK, let's see where else or what else?

Any questions to this point? All right. Let's head over as we go through.

And again, you can look in chapter four and in verse 10, for therefore, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living

God who is the savior of all men, especially of those who believe. And of course, he qualifies it here.

Of course, we know that if Jesus Christ being the savior of all men is the savior of all sorts of men, all kinds of men, all types of men, but especially to those who believe, at least we can come to that conclusion.

We can say all those those that will be saved by Jesus Christ, those that are the elect of God or those who will come to believe it will it will come to pass.

All right. Now we must head to chapter six where I thought we will finish up. In this chapter, there is quite a bit.

And it's really kind of as Paul does many times as he's writing, he just kind of rapid fires at the end and he puts a lot of different exhortations and instruction together.

And for for an outline, we see here in this chapter in verses one and two, it deals with the duties of servants and masters, or we can kind of equate that to today, employees and employers.

And then in chapters in chapter six, verse three to five, notice what he speaks to concerning the duty to separate yourself from false teachers.

Don't embrace what they have to say. Don't listen to what they have to say, but actually separate yourself and notice how he describes them.

And in six three, he says, if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome or healthy words, even the words of our

Lord Jesus Christ and to doctrine, which is according to godliness, he is proud, knows nothing, dotes about questions and strifes of words, where have comes evil strifes, railings, evil surmisings.

In verse three, he gives marks of a false teacher. And the first thing is in these are the people that we need to be careful of.

And these are the people as we're discipling young believers to what to have them watch out for. First thing he says here is that they teach otherwise or they teach a different doctrine.

They teach anything that contradicts God's revelation in the word of God. Basically, if God's word says such and such, they will teach contrary to that.

They will teach the opposite of that teach otherwise. So that's that's the first mark. And then the second one says they will not consent to wholesome words or they will not consent or don't agree with or don't go along with or don't embrace healthy, sound doctrine.

Even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, because they have their own agenda. They know what they want to do.

They know what kind of sway they want to have over people. They know they know in their pride and with their their focus, they want to be able to pull the wool over people's eyes and get them to follow after them.

And what they would will do is they will purport their own doctrine. But in doing that, it's it's not a doctrine that is according to the word of God.

It's not healthy. It's not sound. And then lastly, he says, and to a doctrine, this is what they do and to a doctrine, what they what they won't go after and what they won't embrace and what they won't consent to is a doctrine according to godliness.

And what this means is then third mark is is they reject doctrine according to godliness or their unscriptural teaching will result in unholy living.

It will be marked by sin. And that is quite evident when you think of people who are pushing false doctrine.

They also give a license for sin. And in the name of Christianity, they are doing things that ought not to be named in the church and amongst amongst believers.

And Paul is saying here, your duty with these men, if any man teach these things, goes after these things, refuses healthy doctrine, lives this unholy life.

He describes them as being proud, knowing nothing. They don't even understand what they supposedly say.

They know they're doting about questions and strifes of words. They're they're word word battlers or they're debaters.

And the word the word doting in the in the King James comes from a word that means sick, or they have a sickly morbid desire for debates about words.

And the reason is, is because they won't embrace doctrine. So what they need to do is they need to be able to attack the authority of Scripture.

And they go after words and they go after phrases. And when you're dealing with a lost person, isn't this true?

Doesn't this happen? I mean, people start to pick apart little teeny things. They're not listening to the whole broad brush of the gospel, how they can be saved through Jesus Christ.

But they're picking and debating and undermining the authority of Scripture. And these people, they have a sick, morbid drive to do this.

And that's what floats their boat, he says. And from this comes envy and strife and abuse of use of language and suspicion.

In verse five, friction between people perverse to disputings of men of corrupt minds, it says destitute of the truth.

Then he comes to this phrase and he says, supposing that gain is godliness from such withdraw thyself.

These people believe that religion promotes prosperity. Now, does that sound like something we're hearing and seeing in the day in which we live?

If you're religious, if you're pious, then you will have the cattle on a thousand hills.

You just name it and claim it. You just speak it and it will come to be.

And you will have the finest of possessions. And that's the much that drives today when you look at the television and so -called

Christianity, they have this idea that if you're godly, supposedly, in their terminology, then you will gain.

But Paul puts it straight here and he says, but godliness with contentment is great gain.

Godliness with contentment and what Paul is saying here is, and he goes on to teach about the blessings of being content and what true riches are.

And in this idea of contentment, contentment is a state of mind where there is a calmness and there is a satisfied settledness, a satisfied or satisfactory feeling.

It's a freedom from murmuring and complaining. Now, why would a person murmur and complain?

Why do people murmur and complain in the idea of contentment? Because they don't have what?

What they think they want or need to be satisfied. Or they are not. They are not happy with what?

With what? I see I see lips going what in the word God was there. You're not satisfied with their lot in life, which

God has given to them. They're not content. And the verse, the idea behind that verse is, is that godliness or true religion, which is connected with true contentment, is true gain.

True religion with true contentment is true gain or true riches.

The word contentment is a good use of the meaning of self -sufficiency or being happy and content and satisfied with what

God has given us. That is the true wisdom. That is true wisdom.

Paul was rebuking those who live for the gain of money or material blessings.

And they feel that material blessings is the end all and be all. You know, if I just could only possess things,

I would be happy. But how much do you have to possess? I mean, the heart of man is never satisfied. Right.

And we just when we get it, we want more. How many times does this happen in your life? You probably did as a child, but even as an adult, you know, you're you.

God is allowing you to buy a new house. And it's like, oh, it's just so good to be able to, you know, to move from the smaller house and get into the bigger house or whatever.

And it's got windows in the back or patio or whatever. And it's going to be just so great. But then when you're there after a while, it's like, you know, you just kind of settle in and you forget about all that excitement.

And it's got and then it's like something else that's got to be the pursuit or or the goal. And but the problem with these people is, is that they equate that possession and that gain with true religion or or with godliness.

And it's just it's just a wrong looking at it. Paul's rebuking those who love or live for the gain of money, who feel that material blessings is the golden life because true gain and true real riches.

The things that we really should pursue is true religion, coupled with godliness and get a contented mind with this.

This will promote more happiness than any wealth could ever give us.

And notice what he says. Look at the danger here. He says in verse seven, we brought nothing into this world.

And it is certain we can carry nothing out. Isn't that a great place to be when it comes to how we should go through this world?

It's just we brought nothing in. Does anybody have any idea where that came from? Does it does you think where Paul might have thought this came from?

Some writer in the Old Testament, Job, Job, chapter one, naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall

I return. The Lord gives. The Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 121. We don't come in with anything.

We're going to leave with nothing. Having the food and clothing, the the base things that we need.

Let us with those things be content. But then he goes on and he says, but the rich, when they go after material blessings, they fall into a snare and a trap and with many sorrows.

And in verse 10, he says, because or for the love of money is the root of all evil.

Answer this question for me. Is money evil? No, because God gives it to us right where to use it.

If we use it properly for the glory of God, it's fine. It's the the love of money is the root of.

And I saw this for the first time. So neat when you when the Lord just reveals certain things.

Remember the whole study about all for the love of money is the root of all evil.

Is all evil on the face of the earth as a result of the love of money? It isn't because sometimes it's pride.

Sometimes it's it could be just rebellion. It has an evil, a sin may not be associated or even related at all with with with the love of money.

But it's not money that's the root of all evil. But it's the love of money that is the root of all evil.

And in the light of chapter two, when we looked at all, what does that mean? All sorts of evil, all kinds of evil.

Isn't it neat how the word of God is just in its context? If you just leave it alone, you don't try to twist it or put your template over it.

The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. And it can be and it is. And we ought to be careful.

And Paul will conclude with this last admonition. This is a this is a message here.

I got my outline and I could put some meat on these bones in in verse 11.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things, flee this love of money, flee this, which can bring greed and turn your heart away from the

Lord and everything associated with the love of money. Flee that. Follow.

After righteousness, which is doing the right thing before God and men, follow after godliness, which is

God likeness, reverence for God and living accordingly. Faith, love, patience, meekness, fight the good fight of faith.

Lay hold on eternal life where until thou also called and so on down the verse through verse 14.

But you notice here the Christian life, particularly the life of the minister. But for the for for the for the leader, but also for practically for all believers.

Our life is a life of point one to flee certain things to follow.

They all begin with F. Follow certain things to fight. And then in verses 13 and 14, to be faithful to certain things.

It's very important for us to know what God would have for us. And here Paul's talking about this idea that we have the duties to flee, follow, fight and be faithful, keeping ourselves pure.

And then he goes on at the end of this chapter and he talks about warning the rich again. And then at the very end, a charge to fidelity and avoiding false doctrine.

And the very last verse of the of the book, he says, which some professing have aired concerning the faith.

And as with almost every pastoral epistle, I believe they begin with grace. They end with grace.

And he says, grace be with thee. And thee is in the plural. I like that. It's in the plural. And what it means, it's not just grace be with you,

Timothy, but grace be with thee. All the believers in the church at Ephesus. And really, that comes to us today.

And may God's grace be with us, God's favor toward us, so that we as we read things like this epistle like this, we can glean from this and incorporate these things and become more understanding as the

Holy Spirit teaches us, gain more understanding and gain more wisdom that we can practically apply these things in our lives.

Let's pray. Our Father, how good it is of you to give us the word of God.

And as the psalmist said, your word is settled forever and it is kept for us.

And Lord, we're we're thankful that we have it. And we're asking today as we've heard some things out of this epistle.

And we heard Paul's admonitions to be reminded of certain things, that that might be a focus and a priority in our lives, where as we read the word of God and as we pray, we're mindful to ask you to cause these things to be brought to our remembrance so that we may more honor

Christ. Continue to be with us this morning as we worship together, bringing other folks here.

Bring them safely, please, Lord. And may Jesus Christ be magnified and honored in this place this morning.