"11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 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,14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship this Lord's Day!
We're so grateful to have our brothers and sisters from around the world are here with us today.
We continue to pray for all of you, daily. We would also like to encourage all of you to visit our Prayer Wall submit your requests as well as join us in praying for others. We all need the fervent prayers of the saints in this present day.
If you are always restless, searching for something to calm your spirit, to soothe your soul, you cannot say that your life gives strong evidence that shows either of godliness or contentment. "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment." Whenever you are discontent with your lot in life, disappointed with your spouse or your children, dissatisfied with your
church, disillusioned with what you have, or what you lack, I would encourage you to memorize and recite this verse, meditate on what it truly means until the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, floods your soul.
I am often reminded that our lives are defined by a dash. One day, each of us shall leave this life. For some, that day is not as far off as we'd prefer. While others of us, we long to be with the Lord and are ready to go "home." Family and friends will likely place a tombstone over our grave. Perhaps have some epitaph engraved on it, reflecting the sentiments our
memory evokes for those who knew us best. Then, our name will be written on
the stone and two dates, the day we were born and the day we died. Separating
those dates will be a day; and all of life is defined by that little dash.
It is impossible to pursue sin and godliness simultaneously, yet that is exactly what many Christians pursue. When we follow Christ with our mouths, while our hearts and habits chase after
sin. When that is our behavior, we are neither fleeing sin nor pursuing
godliness, we are simply pursuing sin!
Even on our best day, while we are fleeing sin and pursuing godliness,
there will always be a constant struggle in this life. We must understand that it will
be an ever present battle, that we must fight our entire lives. I have known many Christians, who have believed, that once becoming a Christian, once they have arrived, there will be no longer be temptation, the struggle between sin and righteousness in their lives, however, it wasn't long before they found themselves faced with temptation. Sadly, many of these good men have fallen into the snare of the enemy. By failing to realize, there will always be the "constant pull" of the remnant of the sin nature that exists in our lives.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:21-24, "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"
However, the double-minded man who is deliberately living a charade has no knowledge or experience of this struggle!
Let us bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You for this Word, thank You for the clarity we need to understand it's meaning. Lord, I pray that You would lead us to spend ourselves and our money for Your glory.
In Christ's name
Amen
Today's Message: O Man Of God
I believe that "man of God," is the greatest title that can be bestowed upon a man.
Some may not understand why the man of God doesn’t watch certain types
of movies, listen to certain types of music or frequent certain types of
places. The man of God know that he must avoid ungodly language, ungodly entertainment, discord, sexual immorality and the like.
One could say that the man of God is a fugitive, constantly on the run from his potential captor. Sin. He runs because he doesn’t want to fall back into sin; he's been there, he's suffered from it, therefore, he knows the dangers of it. The constant call from the tempter, who desires to lure him back into it. The man of God knows that though he has been redeemed, yet sin still has the ability to trap him in it's snare and conquer him. It is this recognition and awareness of his own weakness and vulnerability that ultimately makes him stronger. I believe that the man of God, is not only known by what he flees, but what he pursues.
Open with me your Bibles and turn to the Book of I Timothy, to chapter 6, in our on going study of this marvelous epistle, we come to verses 11 through 16. I would like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read to you
from our text to set it in our minds, as we prepare our hearts to hear
what the Holy Spirit has for us today. I Timothy 6:11-16
"But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight
the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you
were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many
witnesses. 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, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
As I am sure you already know, ‘man of God’ was a very common term in the Old Testament, it was the title first designated to Moses, in Deuteronomy 33:1, the great prophet of God who wrote the Pentateuch. Moses is also called man of God in Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; Ezra 3:2; I Chronicles 23:14; II Chronicles 30:16.
The term appears 78 times in the Bible, it appears in 72 verses, and it is used in application to up to 13 individuals. The first mark is that a true man of God, he is known by his relationship to Jesus Christ. The man of God has an intimate walk with Christ, that is seen in their lives. He keeps his heart pure, he keeps his mind sharp, he works hard, he has integrity, he never gives up and he devotes himself to God.
However, it is a quite
uncommon term in the New Testament. In fact, there is only one person in the
New Testament, that is ever called man of God, and that it is Timothy, and that is in the passage before us today. Timothy was, in unique way, God’s man. It is again used in II Timothy 3:17.
The Apostle Paul uses this term to Timothy, in order to remind him that he is God's very own, he is His possession, and with that, with his ordination comes the great responsibility that he had placed upon him to discharge his ministry.
In verse 11, the Apostle Paul instructs young Timothy "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." Paul begins with the reminder that Timothy is a man of God, he is in contrast to the false teachers. Paul is again exhorting him to a faithful fulfillment of his Christian and evangelical vocation. The aged Apostle is also dreading for Timothy, the corrupting, soul destroying dangers that are present in the city in which he held such a great charge. So he reminds him to "flee from these things." I believe even the most faithful, devout and God fearing teachers, are in grave need of such a reminder.
God calls His people to righteousness, this does not refer to the believer’s imputed righteousness
which many tend to misinterpret, that we receive from Christ at salvation but rather an outward righteousness.
Because God saved us and made us righteous, believers should pursue a
lifestyle of righteousness. The man of God, however, is in to be
in constant pursuit of serving others, caring for the neglected,
evangelizing the lost, discipling believers, and worshiping. These are
all to come after serving and pleasing God, first and foremost. The man of God, is to toss away from him all covetous longings, must press after "righteousness." He is to overcome evil with good.
God call His people to pursue godliness, to become Christ-like, and to reflect the nature of God's kingdom in the course of his everyday life. To practice a life of discipline that focuses upon God. Conforming to the laws and wishes of God. To practice "faith and love," the characteristic virtues of Christianity, and certainly of the man of God, who stands to speak in the place of divine truth.
Allow me to boldly say, there are a number of people who call themselves a preacher, however, if you’re in it for the money, let me assure you of this, you are not a man of God. One cannot be both God's man and a money man. There are in direct opposition to one another. Furthermore, you are prostituting the call of God for personal gain! I do not believe that a true man of God, can put a "fee," a specific price on the Word of God. Those who do charge a specific amount to preach, have instantaneously devalued their ministry to zero! That is not to say he cannot accept an offering for teaching, as God expect His called to be cared for, so that he is able to focus on God's work, however, there should never be a set amount for doing so. It is an honor and great privilege to serve God! Therefore, the true man of God is to flee from his love of money.
James 4:8, reminds us to "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." And in 3:10 James tells us "from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren.."
Perseverance and gentleness. Perseverance, or endurance creates character, and proven character produces hope. Sadly, rather than enduring, many Christians today, waste the grace in trials by complaining, becoming angry at God, or others. God uses our trials to deepen our relationship with Him, increase faith, build character and produce hope. Patience and perseverance gains God's approval.
As Christians, gentleness is to be our response to difficult people. As a footnote, it doesn’t just happen, it must be constantly and continually pursued. It carries the connotation of power, that is under control. God's control.
In verse 12, he writes "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." The man of God is not only known for what he flees and pursues, but also what he fights for. Here, Paul seems to refer to the doctrines of the faith and not just belief in God, when he instructs Timothy to "fight to good fight of faith." In the Greek, it literally says, "agonize the good agony." In the secular world, there is almost always an association of agony or pain with fighting. However, this fight is good, because of what we are fighting for. The souls of the lost, believers who have strayed, even if only temporarily as they are vulnerable to Satan attacks, as he seeks to gain victory over their lives through his lies and deceit.
Paul tells Timothy to "take hold of the eternal life to which you were called." Throughout Scripture, eternal life is referred to as something future and at other times as a present reality.The Greek word used, "epilabou," means to grasp hold of, sometimes with beneficent, and sometimes with hostile intent. Timothy already had eternal life however, he needed to seize it, to live it out. He needed to live out his sanctification. There are a number of aspects which must be pursued aggressively, We pursue these through spiritual disciplines like prayer, time spent in God’s
Word, fellowship with the saints, confession and repentance, and
in service.
At the end of verse 12 through 13, "and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 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," here Paul describes Christ’s good confession before Pontius Pilate, he is challenging
Timothy to be faithful to his calling, even through suffering. Christ was mocked, bore extreme pain, yet never flinched or reviled. Young Timothy needed to be reminded of this as he was prone to timidity. Christ through her example, provides us with encouragement, he demonstrated for all of us a model for which to follow.
Hebrews 12:2-3, says it this way, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Fixing our eyes on Christ, will provide us with encouragement to not grow weary or lose heart, when we are called to endure suffering.
There are times, in all of our lives, when we feel beaten down, at the end of our strength, times when life seems to throw more at us than we can handle. It is in those times, when we turn to God, He infuses His strength into our lives and He encourages us to go on, assuring us that He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Those are the times we feel lost, that we sense His presence more than ever, as we grow deeper in our relationship with Him and learn to trust Him, as Sovereign God, the Author and finisher of life. I am certain that we have all, at one time or another, experienced the renewed strength and courage from God.
Paul says in verse 14, "that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul exhorts Timothy to preach the pure Gospel of Christ, without any adulteration. That by his exemplary life and ministry, he would not be justly blamed by men, the church or hereafter, Christ. The return of the Lord in glory was, unlike many today, looked for in the early days of the church.
I do not believe there is a more practical guideline in Scripture than Paul exhortation II Corinthians 13:5, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?"
Paul tells Timothy in verse 15, "which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords."
I am always being asked these days, "Are we in the "last days"? And, are we facing the days of the Great Tribulation? These questions have likely been asked in just about every age, and there has probably been evidence of that in most every age since Christ ascended to the Father. Though myself, or anyone one else can give an definitive answer to these questions, I can tell you that God is getting ready. I believe there is enough Scriptural evidence to be assured that we will be "caught up," or raptured before the Great Tribulation. As to when, only God knows for certain, however, I can assure you that it will happen.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
We are to be living in constant anticipation of Christ's return, we are to be longing for it. I believe, that if you’re longing for that, then it ought to have a great impact on the way you live your life. Today, I do not see many Christians that are longing for the day of the Lord.
In II Peter 3:10-11, Peter says "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."
Though the time of Christ's appearing is unknown, His return is certain! The time is appointed and fixed by God Himself, and He will make it
manifest in His own time.
In verse 16, Paul tells Timothy, "who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." Here, Paul tells us that God alone possesses immortality. Angels are immortal, as our the souls of men, however, neither of these have immortality in and of themselves. immortality derives from God, it belongs to God, and that's how we have it. Just as we will have our immortal bodies after the resurrection. The word "immortality" literally means "free from death."
The unapproachable light Paul speaks about,refers to God’s inherent glory and holiness. There is no one like God and He cannot be accessed by sinful people. The writer of Hebrews chapter 12 tells us that we are to "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." I believe this a tremendous motivation for the man of God, and every believer, is God’s holiness.
Hebrews 13:6 says it this way, "so that we confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?"
In Closing..
The great news of the gospel is that the invisible God has become flesh, for us, visible in a Man. Though we cannot see God, we can see Jesus Christ.
So, how long are we to pursue sanctification? How long must we flee from sin, pursue godliness, fight for faith, lay hold of eternal life? "Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ"!
May we all be found living in the light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
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
Amen
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
Amen
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