1 TIMOTHY 6: A. Paul now instructed Timothy on how to take care of himself.

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1 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-21 A. Paul now instructed Timothy on how to take care of himself. 1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 1. And in the middle of our text he adds a special admonition to the rich (17-19). I. FLEE (11a) B. Paul gave four admonitions that, if obeyed, would assure Timothy s success. 1. Flee, Follow, Fight & Guard 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things & pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. A. The admonition to flee is in the context of the love of money (10). C. Paul addressed Timothy calling him O man of God. 1. That would put him in good company along with Moses, Samuel, Elijah & David. 2. This is a description, not a religious title; the designation actually applies to every Christian. 1. The word flee is from the Greek word pheugo; the Latin word fugio is similar to our English word fugitive. 2. The word is used metaphorically, & it means to separate, get away from, distance yourself from a danger (Gen 39:12; 1 Sam 19:10) in this case, the danger of greed & covetousness. 1

2 II. FOLLOW PURSUE (11b) [Timothy was to be known for how he lived as much as for what he stood for (believed). What about us?] 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things & pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. A. Paul commanded Timothy to cultivate these virtues of the Spirit by pursuing them, which means to give chase. 1. Righteousness personal integrity: of high moral principle. (Not a fence straddler on morals & ethics) 2. Godliness practical piety: devotion to duty toward God. (Honoring God a prevailing concern) 3. Faith faithfulness: the greatest ability is dependability. (To meet obligations to others) 4. Love (agape) personal sacrifice: seeking to give, not to gain. (Selfless in serving others) 5. Patience endurance: courage to continue in difficulty. (Unmoved by difficult circumstances) III. FIGHT (12-16) 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called & have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. A. The verb fight in the Greek is agonizo, from which we get our English word agonize. 1. It applies to both athletes & soldiers, & it describes a person who is straining to give his best to win the prize or the battle. a. Timothy s prize, the Christian s prize, is eternal life (2 Tim 4:8). 6. Gentleness meekness: power under control. 2 a. Without these virtues, Timothy s work would have no good effect. B. Paul mentioned 4 things that would encourage Timothy in this battle:

3 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called & have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, & before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed & only Potentate, the King of kings & Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor & everlasting power. Amen 1. Confident Assurance (12a) eternal life is within his grasp. 2. Bold Confession (12b-13) he made the same confession as the Savior. 3. Word of Warning (14) his stewardship of the gospel will demand an accounting. 4. Fearful Description (15-16) God the Father Who is the only true authority in the universe. a. Paul is no doubt responding to the Roman emperor cult. b. Earthly rulers & spiritual leaders may think they have power, but God is the blessed & only Potentate (sovereign or absolute ruler; cf. Dan 4:17; Jn 19:11). c. In these last days He has established the authority of His Son until the end of time (Psa 2; 1 Cor 15:24-26). d. Who alone has immortality means God is deathless. God, being eternal in nature, cannot be killed or die. e. Dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see This aspect of God s existence (unapproachable light) is something no man has ever seen. f. A few special servants of God have seen visions of God in heaven: Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul, Stephen. 3

4 g. Moses was permitted to see God after He passed by, but was not permitted to look upon His face (Exo 33:20). h. But no man has seen or can see the unapproachable light in which God dwells in heaven. [By remembering these 4 things, Timothy would continue to be bold in his fight of faith.] IV. GUARD THE FAITHFUL WORD (20-21) A. Let s follow Paul s reasoning in his two epistles to Timothy. 1 Tim 1:11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust 1 Tim 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust... 2 Tim 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others 1. This is God s simple yet profound way of spreading the gospel. 2. We must view ourselves as stewards of the gospel of Christ. B. Paul referred to the teachings of the gnostics. 20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane & idle babblings & contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1. An agnostic is one who does NOT know. 2. A gnostic was one who claimed to know & to have a greater knowledge than others. a. Their doctrine was a strange mixture of Christianity, Oriental mysticism, Greek philosophy & Jewish legalism. 4

5 b. Like the New Age movement of today, Gnosticism offered something interesting for everyone to consider. [Paul had already written about the danger of covetousness as seen in the false teachers. These verses are directed to the sincere but wealthy disciples.] c. It is a religion that claimed to offer knowledge about things the apostles of Christ didn t even know. 3. Paul summarized their teachings by one devastating phrase: profane & vain babblings & contradictions of so-called knowledge. a. Phillips translation: the godless mixture of contradictory notions. [A summary of this chapter might be as follows: Not only will wrong motives (covetousness) cause a person to leave the faith, but wrong teachings will cause the same result.] A. Be Humble (17a) 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1. We are not owners; we are stewards of our physical possessions. 2. What we possess is by the goodness of God (Deut 8:11-18). 3. The Christian, whether wealthy or not, is to use his means in a way that would glorify the Lord & our Father. V. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RICH (17-19) B. Trust God Not His Gifts (17b) 5

6 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (Eccl 2:24; 3:12-15, 22; 5:18-20; 9:7-10; 11:9-10) 1. The rich farmer (Lk 12:13-21) was a very insecure man, because His sense of security was intertwined with material possession. 2. Why are riches uncertain? Because their value is not constant. a. Things wear out b. Economies become sluggish c. Thieves can steal your identity 3. Even a wealthy Christian should trust God to supply what is needed when it is needed (2 Cor 9:10). 1. Solomon & Paul are saying that God is the Only Source of material blessings. 2. He does not give things to us to make a greedy, selfish child who can never be satisfied, but for the enjoyment of the laborer & for the opportunity to enjoy them with family, friends & those who are in need. D. Employ What God Gives You (18-19) 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. C. Enjoy What God Gives You (17c) 1. Put your money (possessions) to work in ways that will pay eternal dividends (Lk 6:38; 12:32-34). 6

7 2. By doing so they will storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 3. Jesus said it this way, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-21). B. He had the entire church (elders) in mind when He led Paul to write this letter. C. Yes, Timothy needed the personal remarks from Paul, but as he carried out this charge he would save both himself & those he taught. 4. To lay hold on eternal life is to take hold & have a firm grasp on the life that is real. D. The entire church past & present has a duty to hear & obey these divine directives as well. a. Riches can lure a person into a makebelieve world of shallow pleasure. b. But riches used in the service of God will lead one to a life that is real & a service that is lasting. CLOSING 7 A. The Holy Spirit never intended for this epistle to belong solely to Timothy.

Sunday, February 25, But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Sunday, February 25, But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Lesson Text: I Timothy 6:11-21 King James Version (KJV) Sunday, February 25, 2018 I. PAUL GIVES TIMOTHY SOME HELPFUL INSTRUCTIONS (I Timothy 6:11-16) 11. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and