1Timothy 4:6-10
Godly Preachers
Paul continued to speak to Timothy about the ministry and being what
God desired. It is the fact that Paul was still talking about
preachers in these verses that made me think the verses about "some"
departing from the faith, following seducing spirits, and having
their consciences seared \\#1-5\\, was a prophecy about preachers
and not just to the church.
Is that not some kind of sad prophecy? And we are seeing much of it
come to pass! Preachers are not yet forbidding marriages and meat to
be eaten, but I suspect it will not be long.
I. \\#4:6\\ "Put the brethren in remembrance of these things" - Paul
had been teaching Timothy, but now specifically tells Timothy to
pass it along to the church. What things?
A. Paul taught them to stick to sound doctrine.
1. \\#1:3\\ Don’t preach other doctrine.
2. \\#1:4\\ Don’t preach fables or endless genealogies.
3. \\#1:6\\ Don’t swerve and don’t become a vain jangler.
4. This must be one of the most important truths that Paul
wanted Timothy to get for he repeats some of that again.
4:6 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.
7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and
exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
a. A preacher that is wrong on his doctrine is NOT a
good preacher no matter what else he may be correct
on!
b. Churches need to quit putting up with false doctrine
and no doctrine just because they like the preacher!
B. Then Paul taught them to do the three things that we have
discussed:
1. Pray and get the most out of it.
2. Womanhood - Producing the right kind of women.
3. Leadership - Producing the right kind of preachers.
C. Paul said if Timothy remembered these truths, he would be a
good minister.
II. \\#4:7\\ "exercise thyself rather unto godliness"
A. Paul told Timothy what the goal for ministry is.
1. Paul was not against physical exercise. It will help
some. (Even more today since we are not a very physically
active people.)
2. However, the goal for ministry is to produce godliness or
"god-like-ness."
B. This goal is not just for ministers.
1. It is for everyone, and it is the purpose for the
pastorate.
1Tim 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of
all acceptation.
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer
reproach, because we trust in the living God,
who is the Saviour of all men, specially of
those that believe.
2. Why is godliness important? Godliness is the means by
which those who have been made righteous, stay righteous.
a. Salvation made your right with God.
b. How do you stay that way? By being godly or God-like.
3. Godliness is not instantaneous.
a. \\#7\\ Hence, Paul said we need to "exercise …unto
it."
b. Most people just saved have no clue what kind of
behavior pleases and displeases God; let alone do
they have the desire or ability to do it.
c. So—for most—godliness is an acquired taste and
ability.
d. But we keep pushing ourselves toward it.
4. Some years ago, our country had a President who said his
character was not important.
a. Character is not only important for all of us, it is
all there is!
b. Character is our honesty, our dependability, morality,
duty, commitment, diligence, and everything else
we are.
C. \\#11\\ Timothy was commanded to be and to teach others to
be godly! For a pastor, there is NO higher calling, save
perhaps to win the lost.
1Tim 4:11 These things command and teach.
III. The goal for every Christians is to be godly, but what could
Timothy do to be godly? How can he become a more God-like
preacher?
A. \\#12\\ Concerning his testimony, Timothy can be the right
kind of example.
1Tim 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be
thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith,
in purity.
1. I have heard and read from multiple sources that Timothy
may have been 40 years old at the time Paul wrote this
and never gave any real thought about whether it were
true or not.
a. I no longer think it is.
b. \\#Luke 1:7\\ speaking of Elisabeth and Zacharias, who
was an active priest, says, "they both were now well
stricken in age."
c. Yet, a priest could not minister past 50, meaning he
was likely in his late 40’s.
d. It doesn’t seem to me that God would refer to a man in
his early 40’s as a youth and a man in his late 40’s
as well stricken in years.
e. I am going to suppose Timothy was in his 20’s.
2. Yet Paul did not want Timothy to "despise" his youth by
wasting it.
a. How does one waste his youth?
(1) Youth is a time to learn DOCTRINE. WHAT they
will believe.
(2) Youth is a time to select DIRECTION. WHAT they
will do with what they believe.
(3) Youth is a time to make some DETERMINATION.
HOW MUCH FORCE they will use to follow in
their direction.
b. Timothy could still waste all of these opportunities.
c. So could you and I.
3. What Paul encouraged Timothy to do instead was to make a
reputation of godliness for himself.
a. One of love, of walking in the Spirit, of walking in
faith, and of being pure.
b. It turned out that Paul had none of these things in
his youth. He was wanting Timothy to be a better
man than he was.
B. \\#13\\ Concerning his preaching, Timothy can stay with the
Bible.
1Tim 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
1. We are back to the issue of doctrine and the Bible again.
2. "Til I come"
a. There is something about that wording.
b. I wonder if this was the first time Paul had left
Timothy in charge.
3. Paul gave a three fold command concerning Timothy and the
Bible.
a. Read it.
b. Teach and preach it.
c. "doctrine" - Learn from it.
4. Nothing will build godliness into the Christian’s life more
than the Word of God.
5. The Bible is much more valuable than:
a. Culture - Ours has become more like the cultures the
New Testament missionaries preached in - PAGAN.
b. Curriculum - What you have been taught or what you
think.
c. Consensus - What the people think or like or want to
hear.
C. \\#14\\ Concerning his gift, Timothy can use it.
1Tim 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
which was given thee by prophecy, with the
laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1. What was Timothy’s gift? I would say it was likely
preaching. Timothy was at Ephesus, preaching and leading
the church.
2. Timothy was USING his gift. How could he neglect it?
The same as any preacher.
a. He could quit.
b. He could stagnate. Stop learning, growing, caring,
sharing.
3. Preachers, like Christians, do not retire or stop in the
Lord’s work—unless it there career and not their
calling.
D. \\#15\\ Concerning his need, Timothy could fulfill it.
1Tim 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give
thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may
appear to all.
1. The only way the preacher can minister it to have a sermon
to give. The only way he can have a sermon, is to spend
time with God and the Word.
2. It is such a simple, logical thing; yet for all ministers
some of the time and some ministers all of the time, such
a neglected thing.
1Tim 4:16 Take heed unto THYSELF, and unto
the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them
that hear thee.
3. If you want to profitable to yourself or to others, take
care of yourself and your spiritual gifts.
a. Serve but stoke the fire with God’s Word.
b. Preach but pray.
c. Minister to others but come a part for your self.
Godliness (God-like-ness), seemingly a lost trait in this modern
world, but one the church and the Christian cannot afford to lose.
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