A Good Servant of Christ Jesus (Part 1 of 4)

We accurately measure the success of a local pastor. What are the metrics we can apply to fairly monitor his achievements today on Truth for Life Alastair Begg insist that our appraisals shouldn't be influenced by personal opinion, the true measure of success is provided for us. In Paul's first letter to Timothy. Alastair has titled today's message a good servant of Christ Jesus, I invite you to turn with me to first Timothy and to chapter 4, first Timothy chapter 4 and follow as I read first Timothy four verse one now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons through the insincerity of liars, whose consciences are seared forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth for everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. If you put these things before the brothers you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you will follow have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths.

Rather, train yourself in godliness. For while bodily training is of some value godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, for to this end, we toil and strive because we set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but said the believers. An example in speech and conduct, in love and faith, in purity until I come devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy. When the council of elders laid their hands on you practice these things immerse yourself in so that all may see your progress.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching process in this for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers men. What I would like to do them as well tell you what I hope to do is to consider versus six through two verse 16 and two I think about it in terms of what it means to be a good servant or a good minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have gathered under the overall banner of reminding one another of these things even as Paul does Timothy so that we in turn might be reminded, and I think it's important to say and I think I probably said every single year that my responsibility hours together is not so much to inform you of things that you do not know as it is to turn to the Scriptures in such a way that we might remind ourselves of things that we must never forget a few months ago, a friend introduced me to a series of novels novels about ancient Rome written by the author Robert Harris found them to be very instructive and full of illustrative material have enjoyed them and I'm enjoying them immensely. The central character, the voice of the books that I read is a slave by the name of Thilo one point in book 3 is granted his freedom and when he inquires as to the reason that he has been granted freedom. He's told that he has been appreciated for three things. One, for his great loyalty to for his exemplary service and three for the soundness of his character, and these characteristics along with others are to be part and parcel of the life of Timothy, and of all the Timothy's that follow in his line rather than trying to crash our way through the entire paragraph or two. I want us to take it into parts. First of all, from verse six to verse 10 thinking primarily about the personal life of the good minister of Jesus is somewhat arbitrary.

It helped me it may not help you. But anyway you know where he says there train yourself in verse seven and then in verses 11 to 16. To think more in terms of the public life of the good servant or good minister of Jesus. For example there in verse 12 he wants to make sure that he is a good example to the folks know in coming to this. I think it's also helpful to say something about my approach in the thought that it may be helpful to all of us know because this is the right approach. But just because I we know that when we come. For example, to a task like this to say. Related deal with verse six of our 16 there are a number of challenges that are represented in that and I felt that there were three dangers in particular that I needed to be alerted to one was failing to say anything helpful about the context failing to say something about the context. In other words, as it were just simply isolating these particular verses from the totality of Paul's instruction, and particularly in this letter itself. And so going back and reading it and rereading it again when you return to the beginning of the letter. You realize that Paul is immediately concerned that Timothy would be dealing with those who attempted to be drawn away by the false teachers and he says I want you to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine not to get involved in myths and endless genealogies, which is produce speculation and so on. So that is the that is his opening gambit at the Timothy R this is a responsibility that you have there in Ephesus and I want you to make sure that you're taking care of by the time we get to chapter 4 and would read it all in the opening five versus I don't know whether that things have progressed, or whether were dealing with something entirely different. But you will see their dad in this context, the concern that Paul has in relationship to these things is if you like a more grave concern here is referring to those deceitful spirits and to the teachings of demons and to the insincerity of liars and those whose consciences are seared. So this is no marginal issue. This is this is a significant concern. I don't know because I haven't thought it through, but I wonder if there isn't a progression in that people who if you like represented in chapter 1 are tempted to deviate from the gospel caught up by all kinds of strange ideas and notions speculative and mythological things such individuals once they are led astray if they're not careful. Then they become immediately susceptible to the deceitful to the deceiving and ultimately to the demonic, which actually opposes all that God has provided for the good of his own and that is exactly what is happening here as we see so that was my first concern.

I don't want to get tied up in the context but I do need to make sure that I say something of the second concern I had was that I'd spend too much time saying something about and you may say to me while you've already violated that as of now, but no, no, I could run much further than that would be helpful but I could and ends and one of the ways in which we could do that is to get herself tied up in knots over the. The two words one word really in Greek these things these things if you put these things before the brothers. Let's be honest, it's really possible for some allies to wax eloquent on these things and begin an entire series on something that we are pretty well clueless about this phrase comes eight times in the course of this letter and each time it comes we have to say what are these things to a Jimmy Ferris, is it do these things here in verse six. Refer to the two previous verses source to provide correction for the deviation represented in the first three verses do they refer to the previous five versus duty refer to all the previous verses in all the verses are going to come afterwards. Either these things in verse six, the same as these things are verse 11 in the same things is that these things are verse 15 five prove my point overnight. That's the warning they spent a long time fiddling around with that and at the end of the day.

What can you say that in a sense that these things of Paul are all falsely and then specifically they relate to that which is in the immediate context so danger one failing to say something about the context danger to getting tied up in same far too much and most of it being unhelpful danger number three that I noted was the danger that is represented in the second half of verse 10 which reads of God. He is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe right out when you study this passage. You know that you're going to have to deal with it so you can either push it off to the end in the hope that you never finish your talk or may actually be taken home to glory before the next Sunday comes around. Or you can just man up and do something with it because what it actually takes us to in its puzzle is back again into chapter 2 where Paul has said to Timothy that this God and Savior to Timothy for similar to four desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth and now here in verse 10 is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. It sounds as if Paul is saying that in some vague general sense God saves everybody but there is some special sentence in which he saves believers, but it can possibly mean that because God only saves those who believe. So what you do me tell you what to do. Quote Calvin." John Murray here we go, Calvin.

The apostles meaning here is simply that no nation of the earth, and no rank of society is excluded from salvation since God wills to offer the gospel to all without exception, John Murray, we have found in Scripture that God himself expresses an ardent desire for the fulfillment of certain things which he has not decreed in his inscrutable counsel to come to pass. This means that there is a will to the realization of what he has not decreed Tivoli will a pleasure towards that which he has not been pleased to decree that he says this is indeed mysterious. Thank you.

I can go with that and why he has not brought to pass in the exercise of his omnipotent power and grace.

What is his ardent pleasure lies hidden in the sovereign counsel of his will.

So those are the dangers that I identified and have now set to one sign we get to the heart of the matter, what's involved in being a good minister of Jesus Christ, I presume that you would like to be a good minister of Jesus Christ, not an average one. Not a rotten one but a good one. Good servant, a good minister.

I would like to be one and so I'm keen to find out what Paul says is involved. Here's what he says. First of all a good minister or servant of Christ Jesus is actually putting these things before the brethren he is setting if you like the table for them in relationship to these truths which Paul is outlining in the authorized version. They reads. He is putting the brethren in remembrance. In other words, he is pointing out the danger and is laying before the people.

What is true so that they may be able to identify what is false, and they may do so be it. By having such an awareness of what is true and the way that will be able to determine what is real and what is not real is by an understanding of what is true and is interesting and important thing to recognize that Paul encourages Timothy in this way not to take on. Is it where the false teachers not to enter into a ministry of denunciation order of condemnation, but rather to make sure that those who are under his care will be learning from him as he learns from Paul notes the first five verses are not ours to tackle but having said that, we can deal with verse six without saying something of the first five versus it surely of interest. I hope and of importance to note that the attack which comes from the evil one himself is essentially an attack on the doctrine of creation. That's what's happening here.

It is a wrong perspective. If you like a distorted perspective into particular areas in the area of marriage and in the area of food, marriage and food. The goodness of God in creation was actually being denied and the people were being tempted to listen to these persuasive lies and so they needed to be reminded of what was actually true. Now I wonder, am I on track when I say.

Isn't it interesting that 2000 years on the doctrine of creation is constantly under attack undermined people being deceived and confused and tempted to divert from course and so Timothy you need to be absolutely clear on this. He says you need to be clear about what it means that God has created everything that God has created is good but the good world that God created is a fallen world. As a result of sin and therefore Timothy is a minister of the gospel and you as a minister of the gospel around. To be clear about what we are dealing with in terms of all of the pristine wonder of the created world of God and then the world as we know it today spoiled by sin that are obvious contemporary expressions of these distorted views of creation, and not least of all in the right in the realm of marriage is not the same issue is addressed here, but it is here, and as I sat thinking about it I said, I wonder whether we have the legitimacy in talking about this in terms of the homosexual quest and and we must marriage dismantled by deceitful lights so I went to see if I was wrong.

If anyone else thought the same thing I was delighted to discover that John start 21 years ago, wrote this paragraph, a flagrant current misuse of the creation argument is the claim that the practices of heterosexual and homosexual people are equally good because equally created but no what God created was meal male and female with heterosexual marriage as the intended outcome and interesting to to see the degree to which you know vegetarianism and veganism and dietary issues actually become religious things become a credo, become a way of identifying oneself wear long way from Ephesus were not away so far away from the need to be the kind of servants who are prepared to put these things before the brothers notice before the brothers in order to help one another out.

Secondly, the good minister is the one Paul says who is being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that he's been following the word here is is a word that simply means nourished by so the servant of God is being nourished by the truth of God and his ability to convey these truths is an account of the fact that he's being trained by the same truths that he conveys. Somebody said to me just yesterday I made a discovery in my life.

Quite a long time ago that I was going to have to listen to my own sermons and therefore it would be my own sermons that would have the greatest impact on my life is a staggering thing in an immense privilege is not that we prepare the meal for the people of God, but the preparation of heart and mind is first of all, for ourselves to be that way that we then pass on to others that which we would not eat, and benefit from ourselves know that the good servant is nourished by these things.

You see, it's the personal nourishment that sustains the public ministry the training to which he is referring is quite obviously not the training of the classroom that is not to say we do not benefit from that of course we do. But it is I think the training of the closet.

The good servant of Christ Jesus is being trained in the words of the faith of the truths of the gospel, the things that they have the been communicated to others in the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of God and the nature of humanity and what it means that God has provided. In Christ, the, the only Savior and it's a training and a nourishing that never ends. The other breakfast in the morning but you not regarding that is your breakfast there for the rest of your life, shouldn't I hope not.

Not knowledge or planning on dying just before lunchtime. All the nourishment goes on and hopefully that which we are enjoying is increasingly precious to us your listing to Truth for Life.

Today's message from Alistair Begg was originally presented to an auditorium full of pastors and church leaders who had gathered at Parkside church for a conference.

Alastair titled his message with the phrase from Paul's first letter to Timothy, a good servant of Christ Jesus. This message is just one part of a comprehensive eight volume series called the pastor's study, and whether you're a pastor or a member of the local congregation.

Applying these biblical truths will strengthen local churches. If you have the truth like mobile apps will be glad to know you can listen to all eight volumes of the pastor's study immediately and for free or you can listen or freely download the audio files that Truth for Life.org this daily program along with all of our online teaching is available to you free of charge, but it comes at a cost to Truth for Life. For this reason, and more.

We are deeply grateful to our true partners and to anyone who financially supports this ministry you're giving makes this free access possible. When you give today we want to invite you to request a created book from pastor and author Tim Shelley's the book is called epic and around the world journey through Christian history this is a collection of photographs. Each photograph is paired with a story that tells about Christian history will send you a copy of the book along with our thanks when you give a one time donation to support Truth for Life or when you become a monthly crude partner you can do either one by visiting Truth for Life.org or call this number 888-588-7884 this weekend to complement the teaching you received from your local church. Remember, you're invited to tune in and watch Alastair teach from the pulpit at Parkside church. When the services streamed live to check Alistair's teaching schedule for this Sunday go to Truth for Life.org/live. Glad you been able to join us for today's study Bob Lapine for Alistair Begg and all of us a Truth for Life. Hope you have a relaxing weekend and hope you can join us again Monday as we continue the pastor's study series. Today's program was furnished by Truth for Life with a Learning is for Living