The Man of God – part 2
1 Timothy 6:13-16
July 18, 2010
As you know Paul is closing down this first letter
That he has written to Timothy.
And one could easily see that Paul is really getting personal with Timothy as this letter closes.
It has been a letter consumed with the conduct of the church,
And how Timothy was to lead the church to be pleasing to God.
But obviously at the heart of his ability to lead
Stands his ability to follow.
If Timothy could not follow God with a whole heart,
Then he would never be able to lead his church to follow God.
And so in order for Ephesus to be a church of God,
Timothy had to be a man of God.
And this he was.
In verse 11 Paul called Timothy “you man of God”.
It was a title that only Timothy received in the New Testament.
Paul gave it to him because that is what he believed him to be,
And because that is what he wanted him to remain.
This portion of Scripture is a wonderful description of “The Man of God”
And it is meant to give Timothy a clear understanding
Of what sort of man he is to be.
We examined the first two verses of this text last Sunday night
And we learned four attributes of the man of God.
1) What he flees from.
(namely the greed and love of money that describes those corrupt leaders of the church)
God’s man can say like Paul, “I have been crucified to the world, and the world has been crucified to me.”
The man of God flees from worldliness.
2) What he pursues.
“righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness”
He is not stagnant
He is not apathetic or complacent
He is active and in pursuit of the things of God
You can tell a man of God by what he pursues.
3) What he fights for
And as we said last week, this did not indicate that external battle,
In which we contend for the faith.
Rather this word indicated that inner struggle to get back up after falling down or to push through pain to obtain the prize.
In other words, the man of God is not a quitter.
He doesn’t give up when things get difficult.
Instead, he is one who buffets his body and makes it his slave so that after he preaches to others he might not become disqualified.
He fights the fight to become all that God wants him to become
4) What he obtains
Timothy had told the church that God had called him to eternal life
And that he had accepted.
In short, Timothy’s desire to please God was public knowledge.
No Paul says, “Take hold of “it.
You said God called you to it.
You said you wanted it.
You said it in front of many witnesses.
Well, go get it.
In short, the man of God is a finisher.
While he knows that God will finish what He began in him,
It is also his desire to make good on his confession.
Those were the first four attributes of the man of God.
Tonight we conclude this passage
By revealing the final four attributes of the man of God.
And we see them as Paul moves from a command to a charge.
What he flees from – What he pursues – What he fights for – What he obtains
#5 WHAT HE PERCEIVES
1 Timothy 6:13
It is clear that Paul is calling for a great deal of perception from Timothy.
“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,”
What Timothy becomes is of interest to more people than just Paul.
Indeed, the God of the universe is watching.
And this is not the only time Paul issues such a charge to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Because Paul wanted Timothy to conduct himself as a man of God,
Paul wanted to make sure that Timothy had a proper perception.
And that perception is that God is watching.
And it is even important to understand
In what capacity Paul reveals God here.
“in the presence of God, who gives life to all things,”
Paul reminds Timothy that God is the creator of all things.
He is the giver and sustainer of life.
Certainly this is true in a physical sense.
Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
But we also know that this is true in a spiritual sense.
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Secondly Paul reminds him of:
“and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,”
Here Paul introduces Christ as the faithful one.
(Standing strong even under the pressure of Pilate)
John 18:33-37 “Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
So we have the God who gave us life
And the Lord Jesus who taught us how to live it.
And here Paul reminds Timothy that both of them
Are taking careful notice of how we live our life.
The man of God, must live with perception.
He must understand that God is watching how he lives
And that God will judge how he lives.
Job 9:1-4 “Then Job answered, “In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? “If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. “Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
It is important that we remember that we do not serve as our own judge.
We are accountable to the God who gave us life,
And to the Lord who shows us how to live it.
That is why Paul said:
1 Corinthians 4:4 “For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”
Judgment is real, God is watching, and that must dictate how we live.
Listen to what Peter said:
1 Peter 1:17-19 “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
2 Peter 3:10-12 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”
The man of God is man who walks with perception.
He realizes that he will give an account
And that concept of judgment motivates how he lives.
What he flees from – What he pursues – What he fights for – What he obtains
What he perceives
#6 HOW HE WALKS
1 Timothy 6:14a
“that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach”
It is easy to see that Paul wants Timothy to be a spiritual perfectionist.
After all, it was Jesus who said:
Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
In the early 90’s there was a popular phrase running around the church:
“Christians aren’t perfect, they’re just forgiven.”
And while that is a true statement,
For many it also became a source of enablement.
It wasn’t long before Christians stopped striving for perfection altogether.
They just saw it as something God didn’t really care about.
But that is foolish.
Romans 1:7 “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now let me ask you a question.
What are you?
Are you a sinner or are you a saint?
Now most, if not everyone in this place will probably quickly answer,
“Oh, I’m a sinner.”
If that is true, then you are on the road to hell,
And you need to be redeemed.
HERE IS THE DISTINCTION.
A lost person is a sinner. That is what they are. Now, they may occasionally do good things, but it doesn’t change what they are. Only Jesus can change that.
A saved person is a saint. That is what they are. Now, they may occasionally sin, but it doesn’t change what they are.
Here is my point.
The Christian life should be the struggle to be who you are.
If Christ died to make you righteous.
Then desire of your life should be righteousness.
Somewhere along the line, the church lost sight of that.
In fact it seemed some would rather be sinful
Because that made them less offensive to sinners.
But not the man of God.
He strives to “keep the commandment without stain or reproach,”
He wants to do it perfect, because he desires
To glorify the God who gave him the ability to do it.
What he flees from – What he pursues – What he fights for – What he obtains
What he perceives – How he walks
#7 HOW HE ENDURES
1 Timothy 6:14b-15a
“until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time”
This portion of the verse does not reveal how the man of God walks,
But rather for how long he does so.
And the answer is that the man of God does not quit until the devil does.
His aim is to walk in absolute perfection until the end arrives.
You may remember the parable of the 10 virgins.
Matthew 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘ Lord, lord, open up for us.’ “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
What was the problem with the five foolish virgins?
They didn’t have enough oil.
They couldn’t imagine that the bride groom would be that long in coming.
In short they were not prepared for the long haul.
They were not prepared to persevere.
But the man of God must be prepared to persevere.
He doesn’t know when Jesus will return.
But he knows to persevere until He does.
When Jesus comes, evil will be destroyed.
When Jesus comes, Satan will be bound.
When Jesus comes, we will be glorified and our body of sin done away with.
When Jesus comes, our ministries will be over.
When Jesus comes, preaching will no longer be necessary.
When Jesus comes, life will be perfect.
But until then, we must persevere in our striving against sin.
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
The man of God is not a man who has spurts of momentum,
But who easily flames out.
The man of God is consistent, faithful, perseverant, unwavering, focused UNTIL THE END.
What he flees from – What he pursues – What he fights for – What he obtains
What he perceives – How he walks – How he endures
#8 WHO HE FOCUSES ON
1 Timothy 6:15b-16
And this may be the most important attribute of the man of God.
Here we read a doxology of praise by Paul.
(Paul is famous for them)
And in reading them it is obvious that
Paul never lost his amazement of God.
And through all of these doxologies we read,
They all have two things in common.
1) You get the sense that Paul is amazed by God
2) You get the sense that Paul just can’t put his amazement in words
PAUL WAS BLOWN AWAY BY GOD
And here is the simple truth.
You can’t be a man of God if you are not focused on God
And subsequently blown away by Him.
We are all in awe of Moses, as his face shines with God’s glory.
It is obvious that Paul many times stood in God’s presence in much the same way.
But in reality this is the calling of all men.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
You can’t be a man of God if you don’t spend time with God,
And if you are not focused on God.
A.W. Tozer wrote:
“The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God…For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like…Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.” (sited in MacArthur commentary to 1 Timothy, pg. 270)
And isn’t that true.
If your God isn’t holy, then you won’t be holy.
If your God isn’t love, then you won’t love.
If your God isn’t merciful, then you won’t show any.
If your God isn’t giving, then you never will.
If your God isn’t faithful, then you won’t be.
Etc.
The point is that in order to be a man of God,
You must search out the depths of God and seek out who He is.
Listen to how Paul viewed God
1) GOD IS WORTHY
“He who is the blessed”
If we see a great athlete or a great artist we say, “They are blessed”
If we see a man with a beautiful family we say, “He is blessed”
If we see a man with good fortune to escape peril, we call him “blessed”
How much more so with God?
Not only is He the best there is in terms of giftedness,
But also in terms of what is His, and what is coming to Him.
In fact, God is so blessed, that our definition of being blessed
Can only be understood in light of how close we are to Him.
He is “the blessed” and so we are only blessed when we are close to Him.
Paul could find no one more worthy of blessing.
Paul could find no one more worthy of praise.
Paul could find no one higher
God is the highest and chief and most blessed that there is.
For Paul no one was bigger or better.
2) GOD IS SOVEREIGN
“and only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords”
For Paul God was also the highest of all authority.
Everything and everyone answers to Him.
No man must be feared, no man must be revered,
For God ranks higher and has more power than them all.
WHO CAN REBUKE OUR GOD?
WHO CAN TELL HIM HE WAS WRONG?
WHO CAN SCOLD HIM FOR DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
No one, God is the highest, He is the “only sovereign”
3) GOD IS ETERNAL
“who alone possesses immortality”
Not only is God the most worthy and the only sovereign,
But He always will be.
We live in a day when we wait for rulers to come into and out of office.
If you have one you don’t like, don’t worry, he won’t rule forever.
But not so with God.
He has always been the highest and He will always be the highest.
He is God most high, and none can compare to Him.
4) GOD IS HOLY
“and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.”
It speaks of the transcendancy of God.
He would not be known, nor could He be known
If He hadn’t chosen to make Himself known.
He is above us, He is beyond us.
Moses counted it a privilege to see His back,
And even then his face glowed like the sun.
He is too far above us in every way.
It is only because He chose to make Himself known that we are able to know Him.
5) GOD IS HONORED
“To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”
Because God is worthy and sovereign and eternal and holy,
He alone will be honored.
It is to Him that every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
It is to Him that all worship for all eternity will go.
All things are for Him.
All things are to Him.
He is the highest and most holy and most worthy of all things,
And He will be treated accordingly.
And obviously there is no way we can really get close to what God is.
It is like the preacher on “That’s My King”
“I wish I could describe Him to you”
But none the less, you get the picture
As to why Paul was such a godly man.
Look at what Paul thought of his God.
Paul served a huge God, and so it’s no wonder Paul was a great servant.
Here he is reminding Timothy that
The man of God must be focused on God.
If you serve a little God, then you won’t be much of a man of God.
But if you serve a big God, then you can be a great man of God.
This is what a man of God is.
• He flees from worldliness and sin
• He pursues the things of God
• He Fights the inner fight to continue to live right
• He obtains the eternal life he said he would obtain
• He perceives that he will give an account for how he lives
• He walks in a way that is perfect and holy
• He endures in that walk until the very end
• He focuses on God in every moment and it is that view of God that fuels his life.
This is the man of God.
It is what we are to become.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but 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.”
