Scripture: I Timothy 3:14-15

C.I.: Correctly Dealing with the Members of God’s Family (Part 3)

God is concluding His first letter to Timothy.

I. Final Instructions Regarding Various Groups (Chapter 6)

A. Regarding Slaves/Employees (vs. 1-2)

1. Xn employees have the responsibility to honor their bosses – no matter who they are.
a. If they are non-Xns - (v. 1), “Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine may not be spoken against.”
1) The reason Xns live as we do – is for the honor & glory of God – (Matt. 5:16), “Let your….”
b. If they are Xns – (v. 2), “And let those who have believers as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who benefit are believers and beloved.”
1) Xns should not take advantage of their Xn bosses (extra time @ lunch, days off, raises, etc.)
2) Xn employers should benefit from hiring fellow-believers, (Rom. 12:10), “Be devoted to….”

B. Regarding False Teachers (vs. 3-10)

1. Wrong Doctrine – (v. 3), “If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness….”
a. 1 word describes false doctrine: Different – doesn’t agree with sound words (Jesus/doctrine)
b. Remember, Timothy remained at Ephesus – because of the problem of false doctrine:
1) (1:3), “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, that you remain on at Ephesus….”
2) (4:1-3), “The Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from….”
3) “New” isn’t wrong (there may be “new” ways to apply “sound words”) – but if it is “different” from “sound words of Christ” – Watch Out!

2. Wrong Demeanor – (vs. 4-5a), “…he is conceited and understands nothing; but has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth.”
a. The difference between “conceit” & confidence = source of our trust; Self or God? (cf. 4:6).
b. Jesus warned us about false teachers – (Matt. 7:15-16), “Beware of false prophets… their fruits.”

3. Wrong Desire – (vs. 5b-10), “…suppose godliness is a means of gain … those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin…”
a. Any “desire” other than glorifying and honoring God with our lives – not just wrong, idolatry!
b. These hope for material gain - God calls us to a higher purpose - (II Thess. 2:14).

C. Regarding True Teachers (vs. 11-16)

1. Right Doctrine – (v. 11), “But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”
a. “Flee” = Godly teachers and Xns will run away from the things of the false teachers.
b. “ Pursue” = to run swiftly after; - Righteousness (Matt. 5:6; Rom. 7:12) – Godliness (I Tim. 4:7b) – Faith & Love (1:5) – Perseverance (4:16a) – Gentleness (Matt. 5:5).
c. The right doctrine means - we all need to be sure we are running in the right direction!

2. Right Demeanor – (v. 12), “Fight the good fight of faith….”
a. God ends where He began – by commanding His people to know there is a war & we must fight!
b. (1:18-19), “…fight the good fight, keeping faith with a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”
c. Some Xns had given in / when it comes to “faith” – we must never give in, give over, give up/out!

3. Right Desire – (vs. 13-16), “…keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ….”
a. The greatest desire for every Xn – is the coming of our Lord to take us home (Tit. 2:13; Jn. 14:3).
b. When we as the children of God – keep that hope uppermost in our minds – our lives will change!

D. Regarding the “Rich” (vs. 17-19)

1. Be Faithful in all things…
a. There is no sin in having wealth – yet people with money are to be faithful in all things!
b. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited, or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches [Matt. 6:19], but on God, who richly supplies us with all things. – Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share [that’s what the $$ is for, II Cor. 9:8, 11, “…you may have an abundance for every good deed… you will be enriched in everything for all liberality.”].”

E. Regarding the “Knowledgeable Ones” (vs. 20-21)

1. (vs. 20-21), “O Timothy, guard that which has been entrusted to you, avoiding the worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’ – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”
a. The “Knowledgeable Ones” – (gnosis = Gnostics); believed they had a “special knowledge” -which made them spiritually superior to the rest of God’s people!
b. However, John tells us all that we need to know – about being the children of God (I Jn. 3:7,10), “Little children let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as God is righteous.” – “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious….”

CONCLUSIONS:

1. God knows what is best for His church in general – and for the various members in specific.

2. The church is made up of those who have been saved. If we want to be saved we will answer the gospel call,
(II Thess. 2:14; Mark 16:15-16).