EXHORTATION
Is God a gracious Master or a hard Master? The difference in perspective is a matter of faith.
The guy who sees God’s law is a drudge… doesn’t see God as good.
The guy who thinks it’s a pain to carry Christ’s burden, and mortify his sin… doesn’t see God as good.
The guy who won’t receive God’s gift of salvation… doesn’t see God as good.
The attributes of God are personalized to a Christian who knows God and knows God in relation to himself. In other words, God is not a standard of good floating in the ethereal. God is good to us! He is the standard of good to us in real and concrete ways. Therefore we will embrace him as the standard of all that is good. If God is the ultimate determinant of all that is good and all that is right for man, then the Christian must recognize this, submit to it, and live in that realization. What is good is established by God, it is administered sovereignly everywhere in the life of the Christian, and it is made part of the believer’s life by active obedience to what God has defined as right.
This has tremendous implications in the Christian’s life. He recognizes that all that happens to him is meant for his good (Rom. 8:28). And this is so because God is both sovereign over all the facets of reality in his life, and he has the sovereign right to direct his ethics. He is the sovereign determinant of what is good, and what is good for man to do.
The Christian bathes in the conscious recognition of the goodness of God. Indeed, the goodness of God is very real to the Christian, and it touches the Christian in every way. God defines what is good, so of course he knows what is good. Secondly, a man of faith will believe that God is good to him , and that God will sovereignty direct all things for his good. All the pain, distress, trials, and victories of his life will be channeled to produce what is good. But finally, if God is good, then unlike Eve in the garden, the Christian trusts in his heart that God’s law is good (Rom. 7:1). And unlike Eve, he will obey it, all because he believes that God is good.
THE MESSAGE
1 Timothy 6:1-5 - Life-giving Words Producing Godliness
A. A command that covers 60% of your waking hours. Honor your masters. Vs. 1
1. Bible distinguishes bond servants, hired servants, and free men. 1 Cor. 7:21
Roman, biblical world - 40% bond servants, 5% hired servants, and 55% free men.
Our World - 0% bond servants, 90% hired servants, and 10% free men.
2. Honor - has a financial aspect to it (1 Tim. 5:3, 17)
You work for the profit of another man. Strive for his vision!
3. Work as unto the Lord. Eph. 6:5,6
4. Speak highly of them
5. Listen to them. Take careful note of their instructions.
Application: Dealing with hierarchy of wishes
Objective A - A strong bottom line at the end of the year.
Objective B - A stupid project that probably won’t achieve Objective A.
6. Your attitude on Monday morning is key.
B. Familiarity and Contempt. Vs. 2
- Those who are closest to you, you are less likely to respect.
- Why does familiarity breed contempt? Flesh. Pride.
- Be the humble servant.
- Remember, they are believing and beloved.
C. A message to proud, knowledgeable fools. “It’s about Godliness, stupid!” Vs. 3-5.
Paul warns: “Withdraw yourself from proud men who engage in theologizing that doesn’t lead to godliness.”
1. Definition of “Godliness” - Good Fruit.
2 Pet. 3:11 “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and GODLINESSES.”
Our word “godly” signifies some kind of an immaterial ideal, that has little contact with reality. Godliness - something that manifests itself in reality. Our ministry MUST YIELD GODLINESS.
2. There is a form of teaching that does not produce life (un-wholesome words).
a. Sometimes you can tell, because this bad teaching produces strife, church splits. . . and there is no concomitant growth in love, joy, peace, and longsuffering. Vs. 4
b. Sometimes this doctrine produces knowledge that puffs up and doesn’t edify. Pride.
- Since 1200 - there has been too much distance between the academy and the application! The humanists like it this way.
c. Words marked by imbalance.
- A separation of faith and works. Radical redemptive historical preaching.
- Guilt theology
Such messages do not produce life. They produce death.
d. It is marked by people who equate gain to godliness. (vs. 5)
Application: TEACH LIFE GIVING WORDS
1. Wholesome teachings. Words that result in life.
2. Words that produce life in our communities and institutions forty years from now.
We need to make sure that our foundation is strong.
1. Our fundamental principles are right…
2. AND fundamental enough… so they will impact all of our institutions simultaneously.
3. AND that we actually live the applications that SUFFICIENTLY INCARNATE our principles.
May God give us the wholesome words. . .
And then, may God give us the life. |
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