Sunday Sermons
You Man of God
“You Man Of God”
Ryan Goodwin
Introduction
The young man Timothy was given some advice by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:11, “But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” In this single verse, the mission of every Christian is clearly outlined in the simplest, purest, and most honorable terms. Without any pretension or confusion, we are told to flee from evil, pursue righteousness, and persevere until the end. What more is there for a Christian to do but these three things? Every other command in the New Testament can fit into one of these categories.
What I would like to do today is examine this verse and how the “man of God” can accomplish his task of obeying the Lord. We will seek to define and apply the lessons learned by Timothy, so that we can all become people of God. I want to do this in such a way that is unique and, hopefully, memorable.
By focusing entirely on verses and phrases found in the two letters written to Timothy, we are able to get a very special view of a man of God. There is no other single person in the New Testament who has had as much written specifically to him and for him as Timothy, so limiting ourselves to his letters may help reveal what went into the training and life of him as a man of God.
Let us try to put ourselves in the shoes of this man, and as we read the texts today, let us try to read them from the perspective that they are written to us, and for us, with specific situations to which we can relate. After all, in the broad sense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, these words are written to us, Christians for all time.
If you were Timothy, right now, and you received these two letters from the Apostle Paul, how would you apply them to your life? How would you, then, teach these principles to others? How would you take the words of your teacher and make yourself “a man of God?”
The Man of God Must Flee
From Temptations
Timothy is told twice by Paul to flee from his temptations (1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22). There are times, as much as we do not want to admit it, that we are powerless to stop sin from entering our lives. Instead of turning around and fleeing from it, we think we can face it head-on and eliminate it. We all hate to lose a fight; that is normal. But we cannot win if we try to fight it when we are ill-prepared, or when we walk into a situation in which we are greatly outnumbered by the forces of darkness. This is why the apostle Paul makes it so clear to Timothy that he must run away from his sins.
Consider it this way; very few men (though I would assert no men at all) can walk into a “house of disrepute” without seeing the topless dancer and feeling some form of lust. To think that you, as a strong Christian man, have the power over your eyes and thoughts to walk right into this den of iniquities and walk away sinless is naïve and dangerous. A man cannot walk into that situation and not sin. Consider the recovering alcoholic; if he was to return to the same bar at which he used to drink himself to near-death, and sit down with his drunk buddies, and think that there is no way that temptation is going to beat him, he is in for a sad reality! Consider any sin; we are all susceptible to different forms of sin, each of us in one way or another. None of us is completely free from the love or lust of something sordid. And whatever sin is particular to your life, how can you say you will beat it if you walk yourself right into its arms? Paul said it best when he described the hold of sin on people’s souls, “[that] they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, held captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).
What, then, is the answer to all of these things? If sin is like a snare, and we are powerless against it in its strongest form, and on its own breeding ground, how do we beat it? We listen to Paul’s exhortation to Timothy and “flee from it!” We run away from it, in whatever form it happens to be taking. The man in a strip club will have less chance of lusting if he turns around and runs from that place. The alcoholic will have less opportunity to return to that vile drink if he is never around it, never around people who drink it, and never in a place that it is rampant. The pornography addict will have fewer problems if he throws out his computer and avoids the magazine rack at the market. The wealthy woman who is prone to spend her money on frivolous things (expensive clothes) will not if she simply donates the bulk of her money to local charities, or at least invests the money so that it is inaccessible to her. Let us consider the sin in all of our lives, friends! Like Timothy, if we flee from sin, we will never give it a chance to take hold of us, and we will be less likely to become ensnared in its icy, deadly grip!
From Vain and Worldly Chatter
“O, Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-21). In the exact same way as Timothy, we have been entrusted with the Word of God, the knowledge of truth. And like Timothy, we also have an obligation to guard that which has been freely revealed to us.
The very fact that Paul gives such a strong warning should make us want to constantly examine our own lives, and the way we handle the Gospel. We are surrounded by a world of apostates, for lack of a better word. Millions of individuals read the Bible every day, yet never understand what it says – thus they spread lies and interpretations of the Bible that are anything but accurate. When they have thoroughly convinced themselves of its truth, they spread it and thus poison the minds of other individuals. Paul even makes the statement that their lies spread like gangrene (or cancer) in 2 Timothy 2:17.
Even among our brethren, vain and worldly chatter is constantly being spread as if it was truth. We have brethren who spend endless nights pondering theories and doctrines of men that are anything but factual – many brethren have taken a liking to the “day-age” theory of the creation, or to “micro/macro-evolution”, many others have speculated about the validity of the Old Testament! Still other brethren wish to follow the apostasy of the marriage-divorce-remarriage issue, wrangling over words or the meanings and applications of single phrases. Many wish to poison the minds of their brethren by asserting that Christ was not human, that his sacrifice was not necessary (that God could have brought salvation to men any way He wanted). Beyond all of this, we have the misinterpretations of dozens of scriptures regarding the work of the church, the fellowship of the Saints, the communication and cooperation of congregations, and a host of other errors. We must admit one vast truth, my friends – this world, and the “Christian” religion is full to the brim with lies and empty talk.
But in all of this, Paul gives Timothy some timely advice in 2 Timothy 2:14-16. We, too, must avoid getting ensnared in endless discussions with people who do not want to see the truth, but stubbornly hold to some doctrinal hobby or divergent view. Some men and women will believe what they want to believe, and will never really look at the Bible for what it is. We must not allow ourselves to spend all of our time wrangling over words with them. There comes a point when we must simply leave them be and move on (“But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels” 2 Timothy 2:23) – truly, there are better things to do than this! There are plenty of souls to be saved, souls who will gladly accept the Word of God if it is only preached to them; and every moment that we spend arguing with some dissentious “Christian” over a doctrinal issue, that is a moment that some person out there dies in his or her sin!
From The Love of Money
The man of God, like Timothy and Paul, has a great obligation to flee from the love and pursuit of money. Any true Christian should have his energy and focus directed solely toward Heaven and nothing else. No amount of wealth should be able to drag us away from the simple pleasure and happiness of contentment in Jesus Christ! The man of God must have his hope fixed on something greater than the money and prestige of this failing, faltering, dying world.
Turn with me to 1 Timothy 6:9-10. The importance of this verse cannot be emphasized enough to young people as they head out into the world to find careers. If we can impress on our young people early on that money is a “root of all sorts of evil”, then it will be easier for them to find contentment in whatever jobs they end up seeking. This is especially true of preachers, which is the case for Timothy. A preacher should never be motivated by money – a concept that I will endeavor to explain.
We all must admit that there is not much money in preaching the truth. And notice that it is truth we are talking about. There is, however, money in preaching what people want to hear (most often error). Well, how much error is too much error? And at what point can you say that you are still preaching the truth, but preaching a message that all the world likes to hear? Making money and preaching truth never go hand-in-hand. If a preacher is motivated by the money, or, at least, deeply concerned about it, then he is more likely to leave truth alone and preach sermons that have less spiritual import, too much worldly fluff, or are simply erroneous!
The Man of God Must Pursue
Righteousness, godliness, faith, love. . .
In the same way that there are a number of things that Paul teaches Timothy to avoid; there are also important attitudes and actions that Timothy, as a man of God, must pursue. In fact, in our opening text, we find this is the case. “But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
What is most significant is the fact that Timothy is never told to simply avoid evil in the world, but to also (and perhaps more importantly) pursue good things to replace the evil things.
We sometimes fall into the error of thinking that abstinence from unrighteousness is really all we need to call ourselves righteous. Surely we have all met individuals like this. They say, “Well, I don’t do bad things. I don’t kill people, or steal, or get drunk all the time. I must be going to Heaven, right?!” As if simply not doing really terrible deeds is enough to justify us before God! There are a lot of sins that I do not commit, but does this save me?
According to the command from Paul, who speaks so boldly and so authoritatively from God, and inspired by the Spirit, we are not to remove the evil from our lives only, but to fill our souls with good things to replace the evil! We are not to simply flee from sin, but to pursue righteousness, to go after it, to seek it, to find it, to keep it, to use it in every way and every moment that we live! We must all remember that we are not justified by the things we do not do, but by the obedience that we have to God.
Study of the Scriptures
The man of God also has an obligation to avail himself of the Holy Scriptures, handed down to him from generations past and penned by the hands of men who heard the sweet, strong voice of God.
What person can call himself a “man of God” if he is not truly concerned about the very words of God? Who, after being baptized and believing in Christ, would not be intensely interested in reading, studying, knowing, and applying every precious word given him by the Almighty? Indeed, Paul makes it clear in his correspondence with Timothy that studying and applying the Bible to our lives is essential in developing and maturing into the kind of person, man or woman, who can truly claim godliness.
Turn with me and read along in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It is amazing to me to see that from childhood Timothy had the kind of heart that was eager to seek out the scriptures and know them thoroughly. As a young man, Timothy was so engrossed in his studies that Paul could say he was “convinced” about the scripture. This shows all of us that a child is never too young to start learning about the Bible. Our little boys and girls should be reading the Bible often, going to Bible classes, learning to sit quietly through worship assemblies, and understanding the need for prayer and its positive effects.
Into his adult life, Timothy continued the habits he learned as a boy – in fact, few would not assert that the good study methods we learn as children will be reflected in us for all the rest of our lives! Paul gave Timothy some excellent advice about studying in 1 Timothy 4:15-16. “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” Notice some of the words used to describe appropriate study habits! We must do the same today in order to ensure that our knowledge of the Bible is working and complete. Too often, we think that reading and studying the Bible are the same thing. In fact, they are two very different activities. What Timothy is told to do in this text is not simply reading the scriptures; it is studying– engrossing, encapsulating, thorough, exhaustive, and evident to all!
Why must we spend so much time and energy in knowing the Bible? What is the benefit of this book of ours? Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. When one considers these words, who would want to neglect the constant study and understanding of this beautiful Bible?
Potential Converts
We must always bear in mind one great truth; “This is good and acceptable in the sigh of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). God wants all men to be saved, and those individuals will never come to the knowledge of the truth without help. It is our obligation – our responsibility – to preach the word of God and to be the purveyors of both joyful tidings and solemn reminders of the punishment for disobedience to the Gospel.
Timothy is told in 2 Timothy 4:2 to “preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” In the same way, we too are commanded to preach the Word, the wonderful story of good news; the message that says all men can and should be saved, if only they will choose obedience over evil. From the very words of this verse, though, we must realize that there is never going to be a time, until the end of time, when preaching is unnecessary. There will always be people who have not heard the Gospel, and there will always be apostates who need to be corrected with love and care. We must not waste the time we have in this life to spread the Word and to help souls find salvation.
It is always difficult for us, though, to keep our message positive, even when we must preach about very negative subjects. People of the world do not always understand the message the way we intend for it – in the eyes of some, we are the “antis”, the bigots, and the old-fashioned ones trying to force an outdated superstition on an enlightened society. I will surely never fear the rebuke of the world, though, as long as I approach preaching with a clean conscience. Indeed, we are commanded to preach in such a way that is gentle and kind, but firm at the same time. Read 2 Timothy 2:24-26.
The Man of God Must Persevere
As I close the lesson, I want to emphasize once more that all of the lessons today need not be limited to “men” of God, but must also be applied to our blessed and Holy women of God. We are all one and the same in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must strive to strengthen our bonds as brethren and comrades in the fight against sin and temptation, knowing that tribulation will always be our brand-mark. For generations, suffering has been the symbol of Christianity, and Paul the apostle was not immune to it.
In fact, the two epistles to Timothy are filled with references to suffering, death, and renewal. So the final point of my sermon is this; the man of God must always persevere to the end, through all trials and tribulations, through poverty and wealth, and to the close of his days when he will be taken up into glorious light and salvation evermore!
Paul wrote to Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8). As he neared the end of his life, Paul knew what was coming to him. Although he would lose everything for the sake of the Gospel of his Lord, he knew it meant nothing in comparison to glory. He continued by writing, “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
As Paul closed His letter to the young “man of God” he made it clear that he had no regrets in His diligent service to God, and his ministration of the Word. He solemnly, but joyfully wrote those eternal words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
If you are not a person who is wholly devoted to God, if you cannot say you have the qualities of the “man of God” then you can have those qualities this very day. If you have not been baptized, then you must do it for salvation. If you have sins still in your life, sins that have harmed you and hindered you from pursuing righteousness, then why not repent?
“For if we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13).
