"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome to all of our beloved brothers and sisters, from all around the world, who
have been lead to join us today. We are glad to have you here!
I
know that I mentioned this to you in our last message, however, Scripture calls us to pray with and for our brothers and sister in Christ. I again, would like to encourage all of you to visit our Prayer Wall, there are a
number of them who are in great need of some faithful prayer
warriors. I pray that you will join us in praying for them in their time
of need. I would greatly appreciate it, and I know that they would as
well!
I Timothy 2:1 tells us "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men."
And Galatians 6:2 teaches us to "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
The only way to identify what is false is to know the truth. In today's culture, there are many skeptics. If you ask most people if they believe in Jesus, you will likely get everything from "Who?" to "Sure
doesn’t every body."
If you ask most people who Jesus was, that's a bit different. Many believe Jesus was a good teacher
and went about doing good for people. Some religions teach that He was merely a prophet. However, if in fact Jesus was not the Son of God when He
walked the earth, then He was a lunatic. No one could have made the
statements Jesus made just being a teacher or prophet. The time He told the religious
people of that day, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
Beloved, if you
are going to reject Jesus as Savior, then you ought to do it intelligently and that
is not before studying the New Testament! Jesus Christ is our hope; all our hopes of eternal life are built upon Him; and in Him, the hope of our future glory.
Let us bow our heads in prayer
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You for Your Word for us today. Thank You for the opportunity to begin a new journey in a fresh and wonderful book. Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace that saved us, for the finished work on the cross. Through Your Holy Spirit, grant us the strength and endurance to pick up our cross and obediently follow You.
Father, we pray for those who are suffering from persecution for their faith, help them to stand firm, and speak truth into the lives of those persecuting them, that even one more might hear. May they come to You, as their personal Lord and Savior. May Your Holy Spirit speak in and through me, that the spiritual needs of all who hear will be met. We pray that it would all be for the furtherance of the Gospel, the increase in Your Kingdom and all for Your glory.
In Christ's name we pray
Amen
Today's Message: Ministry With A Mission
Open your Bibles with me, if you would to the Book of I Timothy, chapter 1. Today, we embark on a new series of studies, a fascinating new adventure as we examine and study this marvelous epistle. May this be the day of awakening, revelation and insight, and salvation. I pray that each of you will be richly blessed.
I would like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read to you today's text. I Timothy 1:1-2.
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."
Before we begin, allow me to set the stage, with some background on the city and the church. I believe that the importance of Ephesus in the Roman Empire can not be understated
for us. Being the fourth largest city in the Empire, it was the banking
center, the commercial center, the political center, and the religious
center of Asia.
Its 250,000 people had the harbor, the Küçük Menderes, or Cayster River,
the trade routes, as well as the greatest marble temple in the Greek
world, the Ephesians had it all. The statue was to the patron god of the
city, and the city felt as though they were her protector and
representative. The people shouted, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians"
when the riot broke out during the apostle Paul’s two-year stay there. Over a
hundred Ionically-topped columns of marble in double rows, some with
mythological scenes overlaid in gold. There was also a large imperial
temple as well for emperor worship later.
The church had its
beginnings with Paul’s second missionary journey with only a brief stop
and launch of Aquila and Priscilla to await his return. It was during
the third journey, however, where he spent over two years, teaching,
evangelizing, sending, and discipling. This is when Paul stirred up the
city enough to be run out of town. After his arrest and release from
Rome, Paul dispatched Timothy to Ephesus to correct and encourage the
church as his apostolic delegate. The church needed to be strengthened.
It was likely a network of house churches scattered about, and
they needed protection.
We know from Scripture, that Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a skeptic of Jesus and therefore, the Apostles. In the earlier years before his conversion. Through Christ, on the road to Damascus, the Gospel changed Saul. He once worked for the Sanhedrin, the
Jewish Supreme Court. He went from city to city arresting the followers of Jesus,
because they were an impending threat to Judaism. Now, he is known as Paul as is being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
When Paul preached the Gospel, he was receiving
instructions through the Holy Spirit, from the mouth of God. Timothy looked up to Paul. What had
Paul learned that he could impart to Timothy? Throughout this letter, Paul reminds Timothy of God’s great gift of
salvation through His Son Jesus. Paul is the reminder of that love. What Christ did for Paul, He has continued doing for millions and millions of others throughout the world for 200 centuries.
In our nation today, people often talk about the hope of America. They place their hope in the hands of the government and political leaders. Allow me to speak this truth boldly, and frankly, and tell you emphatically, in no uncertain terms, the only hope that America and the rest of the world has, has always been and still is today, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world! You need to understand that. Every political leader is ordained by God, for His plans and purposes. I would encourage all of you to remember where we are in biblical prophecy.
Romans 13:1 teaches us that. "
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. That includes the ones you do not like or agree with. So, what message did the apostle Paul have for the church and Timothy? And, for us today? That God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can
change a person's life, God’s love is demonstrated through His Son Jesus, and
in fact, our only hope is Jesus; but also that the Gospel message must be shared!
Paul's purpose of writing was to tell
his beloved son, Timothy, how to administer the work of the church. What is the church
suppose to be about? To evangelize the sinner, equip the saints and
exalt the Savior. Let me just say that again, the purpose of the church, is to evangelize the sinner, equip the saints and
exalt the Savior. We are to go into all the world and make disciples for
Jesus. Moreover, that which is not for edifying; that which gives occasion for arguments and disputes, pulls down the church rather than building it up.
The letter was written in about 63 AD, which was a few years since Paul had
been in Ephesus, and a few years before he would be martyred. Paul begins verse 1 with, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope," Paul first describes himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I have had some ask "Why would Paul describe himself this way to one who had been with him for
over 15 years, as his personal disciple and protégé? When in other letters, he
described himself as a servant or prisoner." This
letter was to be read to the church as a whole, and would bolster Timothy’s authority as a younger man in his 30's. And, to complete the link of delegated authority, Paul uses the word "command." This was, I believe, a very intentional choice, as the word was used in that day to describe a
non-negotiable, royal directive that carried grave consequences if it were not
followed.
Therefore, Paul wants the church to know that his apostleship and this
letter carried the weight of the Sovereign God of Creation, who is
our Savior and Hope, through a chosen, authorized, inspired man of God. Paul is not simply a great religious leader, but because he is a wonderful example of how to faithfully follow and pursue Christ passionately. As a footnote, the authority of a pastor, a minister of God in church comes from Christ and His word, not usurped by man's own authority. The message of the Gospel is to be preached, in its entirety, and not altered to please its hearer.
In verse 2, Paul writes "To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."
Here, Paul wanted Timothy to know that he had a mission. In spite of the difficulties Timothy faced, Paul wanted him to know his mission was possible. Timothy was a believer. He was from the town of Lystra, who likely was a witness
the near death beating of Paul and Barnabas, while on their first missionary
journey. He was taught by a believing grandmother and his mother about
Christ, because of a Greek father. Paul picked up Timothy as a "son in the
faith" at the beginning of his second journey, after going back through
Lystra. Though Timothy was young, he was old enough to be entrusted with the Gospel. He had traveled with Paul and his ministry team for years, doing various duties,
jobs and assignments at Paul’s request, all the while being mentored by him.
Although I and II Timothy, as well as Titus, are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles,
the truth is that Timothy was more like an apostolic delegate sent to
Ephesus for a time, as to set things in order. Paul prays upon him
what he would need for such a daunting task. Timothy was now to pastor the church. The church is to do the work of Jesus Christ, while here on earth. Jesus has ascended to heaven,
to prepare a place for the church, which was not yet built by the hands in heaven. Therefore, we are
to do the work of Jesus Christ, sharing the Good News of the Gospel, while making disciples until He returns for His bride, the church.
Timothy was also to serve as under shepherd to the church. He was responsible to
preach the Gospel to that congregation. I believe that the greatest honor and privilege in
the world is to preach the Gospel. Further, I also believe it would be a step down, for me to leave the
Gospel, even to take the presidency of the United States.
Each and every individual
in the church has a God given purpose and mission. Sunday School teachers have the mission of
teaching the Word of God, as well as to serve as the front line of ministry for
the church. Committee members have a purpose and mission, the same is true of music directors and choir members, they have a
purpose and mission in the music ministry. There is a purpose and mission for every individual
in God’s church. And, that includes all of you receiving this message now.
Before we close, I'd like to pose a question to all of you. And, that is if everyone in the Body of Christ, took their personal ministry as importantly as you do today, where would the church be tomorrow?
In Closing...
Pride and fear are two of the greatest obstacles in a Christian's growth and discipleship. While some of you may think that you are too young, others of you have been Christians for a very long time and up in years, let me assure you that neither of those are the
qualifications for proper relationships to strengthen churches, whether in your homes, businesses, or where ever you have the opportunity to share the Gospel with others.
Humility is the key to harmony in the
congregation. Yes, some churches are messy, lest I remind you that we are a gathering of sinners,
saved by grace? We must be aware of that fact. Therefore, we must rely upon the grace of God to
keep us humble.
From today's message, we can all learn that we are to embrace
difficult challenges spiritually. The economy of God is not a flowery bed of ease. But rather, a willingness to do to undertake the difficult tasks in His name, and for His glory.
Jesus Christ
promises that you can do far greater things than he did while on earth now that he
has gone, and sent us the Counselor, the Holy Spirit.
Grace, mercy, and peace with be with you all and always, in Jesus' name.
May it be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
AmenCopyright © 2019-2021 All Rights Reserved
