Embracing Servant Leadership and Spiritual Growth
Dec 31, 2024
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If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished in the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths. Train yourself for 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. [00:12:55]
The first thing to see here is that Timothy is to put all that Paul is teaching him before the brothers, that is, before the church. So if you've ever had the idea enter your mind that first and second Timothy and Titus are specialized books in the Bible written for pastors and the church doesn't need to read them, this line right here should take that idea out of your mind. [00:21:26]
Timothy is instructed precisely to do what he's doing, namely read this letter to the church and teach them what Paul is teaching him about what it means to be a pastor, how the church is to be structured. Everything that Paul teaches Timothy, Timothy is to put these things before the brothers. [00:26:56]
Remember even the highest authorities in the church, including the apostles, are but deacons of Jesus Christ. So the office of Deacon in the church is the Deacon of the overseers. They are the assistant of the overseers to free them up to do the work of the word and prayer, but all of us are deacons of Jesus Christ, including the Apostle Paul. [00:27:47]
Timothy, as a good Deacon or servant of Jesus Christ, is to expand himself in putting all the teachings before the brothers, explaining them and applying them to his church situation. And here's how he is to do it: being nourished in the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. [00:32:08]
As you put the words of Faith before the brothers, as you serve this meal, eat it. If you commend the teaching that you are offering them as good, cherish it, eat it, love it. This is really crucial. So these words here are basically saying, look, Timothy, don't become a Salesman, don't become a professional. [00:41:27]
You've all heard professional religious people, pastors or some other teacher, and you get the impression when they're telling you about sacred things, they're just products. This isn't this man's life, this isn't his daily food. He's not feeding off of what he's teaching me, he's just selling it to me. [00:45:36]
There's a difference between a product that you commend and a life that you Embrace and eat and live and are nourished by. So basically the teaching here is, and it's so crucial, is eat what you serve, Pastor. You serve something up to your people, let them know you feasted on it this week and it nourished you. [00:48:18]
Then sandwiched between these two, train yourself and nourish yourself, is don't have anything to do with irreverent silly myths. They're not going to make you strong, they're not going to build you up, they're not going to nourish your soul. They are destroying people, misleading people. [00:52:50]
Do your work here, putting these things before the brothers. Do your work by being nourished on the very things you're teaching and train yourself for godliness. And the word train here is different than being nourished or being trained as a kind of diet regimen, food regimen. [00:58:48]
Train yourself for godliness means don't just teach these things, obey them when they're hard. Do the hard thing when it's costly, bear the cost. Train yourself in the very things that you are commending to others. We can see this meaning of the word train in this regard in Hebrews. [01:04:04]
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it, namely discipline. The kind of hard things you have to undergo, Timothy, in the ministry. Take your share of suffering, bear the lumps, do the necessary work to fit yourself for godliness. [01:08:01]
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The first thing to see here is that Timothy is to put all that Paul is teaching him before the brothers, that is, before the church. So if you've ever had the idea enter your mind that first and second Timothy and Titus are specialized books in the Bible written for pastors and the church doesn't need to read them, this line right here should take that idea out of your mind. [00:21:26]
Timothy is instructed precisely to do what he's doing, namely read this letter to the church and teach them what Paul is teaching him about what it means to be a pastor, how the church is to be structured. Everything that Paul teaches Timothy, Timothy is to put these things before the brothers. [00:26:56]
Remember even the highest authorities in the church, including the apostles, are but deacons of Jesus Christ. So the office of Deacon in the church is the Deacon of the overseers. They are the assistant of the overseers to free them up to do the work of the word and prayer, but all of us are deacons of Jesus Christ, including the Apostle Paul. [00:27:47]
Timothy, as a good Deacon or servant of Jesus Christ, is to expand himself in putting all the teachings before the brothers, explaining them and applying them to his church situation. And here's how he is to do it: being nourished in the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. [00:32:08]
As you put the words of Faith before the brothers, as you serve this meal, eat it. If you commend the teaching that you are offering them as good, cherish it, eat it, love it. This is really crucial. So these words here are basically saying, look, Timothy, don't become a Salesman, don't become a professional. [00:41:27]
You've all heard professional religious people, pastors or some other teacher, and you get the impression when they're telling you about sacred things, they're just products. This isn't this man's life, this isn't his daily food. He's not feeding off of what he's teaching me, he's just selling it to me. [00:45:36]
There's a difference between a product that you commend and a life that you Embrace and eat and live and are nourished by. So basically the teaching here is, and it's so crucial, is eat what you serve, Pastor. You serve something up to your people, let them know you feasted on it this week and it nourished you. [00:48:18]
Then sandwiched between these two, train yourself and nourish yourself, is don't have anything to do with irreverent silly myths. They're not going to make you strong, they're not going to build you up, they're not going to nourish your soul. They are destroying people, misleading people. [00:52:50]
Do your work here, putting these things before the brothers. Do your work by being nourished on the very things you're teaching and train yourself for godliness. And the word train here is different than being nourished or being trained as a kind of diet regimen, food regimen. [00:58:48]
Train yourself for godliness means don't just teach these things, obey them when they're hard. Do the hard thing when it's costly, bear the cost. Train yourself in the very things that you are commending to others. We can see this meaning of the word train in this regard in Hebrews. [01:04:04]
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it, namely discipline. The kind of hard things you have to undergo, Timothy, in the ministry. Take your share of suffering, bear the lumps, do the necessary work to fit yourself for godliness. [01:08:01]
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