1 Timothy 6.20-21

Title: Final Comments

Text: 1 Timothy 6:20-21

CIT: Timothy, Do your job, Beware, Be Strong.

CIS: Same thing.

Introduction: On June 7, 1942, the Japanese attacked a United States territory for the 2^nd time. The first is emblazoned upon our memories. It occurred 6 months earlier on December 7^th, 1941. But this 2^nd attack – it isn’t remembered. The reason is that not much really happened.

The island of Attu in the Aleutian Island Chain is the furthest point West belonging to the United States. It extends as far west as New Zealand, only on this side of the equator. The Japanese brought 1,100 troops and could have easily conquered the island with a bullhorn. That number would climb to 3,000 before American troops get there. On the morning of that attack, there were less than 40 civilians there and they were all in worship because it was a Sunday morning.

The Japanese charge along the mountainside toward the lone little village on Attu. They slipped and fell in the spongy earth and soft, wet snow. Guns were mistakenly discharged as men fell. In fear and in a state of panic, other soldiers began shooting toward the village and out into the open area because they thought they were being shot at by the Islanders. In the process, some Japanese were wounded and one was even killed by friendly fire.

The islanders heard noises and simply looked out the window to see the Japanese moving toward them. Nick Golodolf, who was six years old at the time and happened to be standing outside, actually began to laugh at what he thought was slap-stick comedy going on before him – that is until he figured out the mud jumping up around him was being caused by bullets being fired at him. That’s when he ran for cover.

The Japanese had attacked the US for a 2^nd time.

The Unites States responded…eventually. It would be some 10 months later, April 24, 1943, when the Americans would send forces. The powers that be had outlined a strategy for regaining control of Attu. 15,000 troops were sent to attack the Japanese and it was figured that the battle would last less than three days. However, the troops were woefully unprepared. They lacked enough food, the proper gear and had no idea what the island of Attu was like. They weren’t ready for the cold. Their boots slipped in the mud. Have you ever tried to dig a foxhole in the tundra of Alaska? I remember in Wyoming when the city worked on pipes, they had to dig down 8 ft, because the ground freezes above that line. 8 feet! In the early years, before modern technology, funerals took place in the late Spring and Summer only, because the ground was frozen at other times of the year.

What was expected to last 3 days, lasted 6 weeks and cost hundreds of lives.

Why? Leadership. The General in charge of the 7^th Infantry and his Naval Commander counterpart couldn’t stand each other. Both were arrogant and ignorant of just what it would take to conquer their enemy. Rear Admiral Robert Theobald insisted the uniforms of his men be neat and to code. The Japanese opted for heavily insulated attire designed for the Alaskan climate. The results for the Americans were disastrous and costly.

And so it is when leadership is concerned about themselves and not their people. If I recall correctly, the only other battle that cost more lives than the Battle of Attu was the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Leadership must be concerned about the people they serve. That’s what leadership is… and that’s Paul plea to Timothy.

He closes here with a final word – a final word that sums up well the contents of this letter:

²⁰ O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” ²¹ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.

Herein lies a call to strong leadership on the part of Timothy. And Paul does this with three verbs. The passage is broken down grammatically into three main parts:

One imperative verb: Guard. There is a participle which describes how he is to ‘guard’ … ‘avoiding’;

One past tense verb: those who have swerved from the faith; and a 2^nd participle which describes what has happened to those who haven’t avoided irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’.

State of Being vb: And Paul then closes with a common phrase used to say goodbye.

So here is my breakdown of this passage and expressing it in three separate thoughts: Timothy, Guard, Guide, and Goodbye.

Transition: So look with me in v 20 again.

I.    Guard

exp.: rd v 20a: his command – Guard, the thought, ‘keep in custody’. Think of a prison guard keeping watch over the inmates under his charge. He knows where they are at all times. So, Guard. Guard what? “The deposit” – not normally a theological or religious term for us, but the deposit isn’t really foreign to us. We use regularly in banking terms, so we know what it means. This word is used 3 times in the NT. All 3 by Paul and all 3 in his letters to Timothy (1 Tim 6.20; 2 Tim 1.12, 14) and (2ndly) each reference deals with the gospel; LXX; Leviticus 6:1-7; the context of that passage really helps us understand what Paul is saying: The deposit is the property or the possession that has been entrusted to someone. And in our passage this morning, what has been entrusted to Timothy, the deposit is the gospel.

And the question that Paul answers here is ‘how’ Timothy is to guard the gospel. And this is our first participle: avoiding. Rd 20b;

exp.: two characteristics Paul brings out about the actions of these false teachers which are to be avoided:

• Irreverent Babble; ‘Irreverent’ is the Gk word, which when transliterated is ‘Babylon’; empty-talk or empty-sounds; κενόω (kenoō): Phil 2:7; ‘he emptied’ himself; The nuance of the word is to pour out the contents of a pitcher until it is empty. These babblings are empty and contain no substance – avoid them. 2^nd,
• Contradictions: this Gk word transliterated into English is antithesis and it is in Gk, just as it is in English: the opposite; Contradictions, specifically, of what is falsely called knowledge. Some scholars use this particular passage, and others to say that this letter should be dated in the 2^nd century since that is when Gnosticism saw it’s rise OR they say that this is evidence that Gnosticism was around in the 1^st I don’t think either one is true.
• Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”; I think of John 17 where Jesus pays to the Father: Sanctify them in the Truth; Your Word is Truth. What is false about these teachers is that they’re not teaching God’s Word. They’re expounding on issues and themes that make them look knowledgeable, but it is all false.

app.: You know exactly what Paul’s talking about because 2,000 years later, there are still preachers who are puffed up with their knowledge, but lack the Truth of the Gospel. The Gospel is the Truth. What these others bring is not the truth…

t.s.: now at this point, Paul offers a caution, a reason to Guard the deposit. Whereas we’ve just observed Paul has commanded Timothy to Guard the deposit and how he is to guard the deposit, now he is going to offer a reason why Timothy is to Guard the deposit: rd v 21; ²¹ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

II.   Guide

exp.: because there are those who profess this false knowledge, who chase after debates with no substance, and by so doing, they have swerved from the Truth. People need guidance to get where they’re going. And, the way God has designed this is through discipleship. It is through learning. It comes from learning God’s Truth.

Turn to 1 Tim 1:6 – Certain people have lit.: ‘miss the mark’; the idea is ‘to wander off the path’; they have deviated off course and wandered from these (a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith; cf.: 1.5);

ill.: you guys know I’m teaching this class of young men at BCL; our class is about becoming men; this past week our class was about building a survival kit; I shared with them the story of a lady who was hiking the AP alone. She was at the very end – she was roughly 200 miles to the end of the AP. This photo was taken the day before she disappeared. She left to hike the trail in 2013 but disappeared. Some men who were out surveying the territory for their company found her body. That was in 2016.

Along with her body was her notebook. In it, she recorded her failure, she had left the trail to go to the bathroom, but somehow, when she had completed her task, she got all turned around. She texted her husband for help, but her phone had no signal. She continued wandering around, trying to find the trail and eventually stopped on a ridge, thinking she would see something or be found. Finally, she decided to stay put until searchers could find her. But they never did. She had wandered two miles off the path.

App.: Staying on the path is essential to your survival. Veering off course is certain death. This is what I was teaching the boys this week, but it applies to us, too.

t.s.: Timothy, Watch over and Guard that which you’ve been given charge and responsibility for, Watch out that you don’t chase after things that are fruitless and empty, but instead, Guide others in the Truth. And finally, Timothy, goodbye

III.  Goodbye

exp.: rd v 21b; Grace be with you; Ἡ χάρις μεθʼ ὑμῶν; Grace; this is the typical greeting and goodbye of Paul; Go to each of his letters and you’ll find a very similar ending to those letters (with the one exception being Romans). The word Grace here has the definite article; a definite article adds an idea of something specific, namely, the Grace of Christ and Oftentimes, Paul will say just that, The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all; Now, the traditional ending of a letter can be found in Acts 15:29; Ἔρρωσθε, which means, Be Strong; genuine expression that one may be strong and well; hence, the translation, fare – well; ill.: Be Bold; God Bless; It may very well be that Paul knew that one can only be strong is in the grace of God and so, he changed the way he closed his letters to read the way they do. Grace Be With You. Paul has written to Timothy, but there are times in the epistle when it appears he wants the church to read this letter. This verse affirms what we already knew: The letter is for both Timothy and the church at Ephesus: Grace be with all y’all.

Conclusion: So, we should apply the letter to not just the pastor, but to the church body as a whole. And, how does this apply to us?

• Well, to me, the application is very personal: I am a pastor. I think for the elders and other teachers, they might feel the same zealousness for the church that meets at 6704 Old Jacksonville Hwy. I take this responsibility very seriously and guard it with my soul. If it appears that I’m scrutinizing what’s being taught or I stand against someone wanting to lead the church astray, then so be it. I do not apologize for it. For I will give account. What about you? Church, what is your feeling for this body – called Calvary?
• I think you have a responsibility to help keep our church pure, too.
  • Guard the gospel.
  • Live it wisely. Be a guide – like that of a hunter or a fisher. Know your territory – where it is safe. Where the animals are. Where there is freshwater. Where there is shelter. Where this protection.

Ill.: I have a good friend from Wyoming who has been a guide for many people in that area of the state. He knows where the animals are. He guided me on my elk trip when I lived up there.

He once got a call from a friend asking him to guide him and another man on a fishing trip. His friend said, “Now listen, when we show up and get in the boat, don’t get all weird and stuff. This man is famous and he doesn’t like people getting all weirded out!” The famous man, Bob Seger. He’s guided many famous men on hunting and fishing trips. Why? Because this friend of mine can’t get lost in the mountains and he knows how to survive.

We need to be like that when it comes to God’s Word – Guarding it and guiding others through it.

I think there is more here for us:

• Select your leaders, Don’t quickly put any man into elder or deacon positions. Let them be tested and tried and found faithful.
• Serve each other in love. Watch out for each other; for each other’s children and grandchildren; let your first thought be love and then act.
• Treat each other with respect – the respect people deserve as believers in Christ. Mercy and grace have been granted to you – when you came to Christ. Respond to others as Christ has responded to you in your time of need.
• Communicate Well: Listen, respond in love, listen some more.

We must prevail and persevere. That thought is communicated in the words: some have swerved from the faith. Let us not be among those who fail and fall by the wayside, proving themselves to be lost.

1 Timothy 6.17-19

Title: A Word for the Rich

Text: 1 Tim 6:17-19

CIT: Paul has some instructions for the rich.

CIS: We’re all rich in the present world. We should use it wisely.

Introduction:

I was reading John Calvin’s commentary on this particular passage of the pastorals and noted his comments about the Catholic Church. ¹⁷ As for the rich in this present age, charge them (1) not to be haughty, (2) nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but (3) on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are (4) to do good, (5) to be rich in good works, (6) to be generous and (7) ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

And this is from Calvin’s commentary: The inference Roman Catholics draw from this passage, that through good deeds we merit eternal life, is exceedingly foolish. Catholics? Think about Calvin’s culture – the political climate. At the time of this writing, it has been but 39 years since Martin Luther pinned his 95 theses to the church at Wittenberg. It made me think. As I read this passage, “am I filtering what I was taking in through my 2019 filter?” The principle is the same: there are those who think they shall be saved by their good works through giving monetarily. And there is leadership in the evangelical church today who buy into that philosophy. Not because they give like that, but because they’re profiting from it.

I’m reminded of Luke’s account of the widow and her two mites. Oftentimes preachers use that passage to encourage sacrificial giving. But, the truth of the passage is that Jesus was condemning the practice of religious leaders who were selfishly taking advantage of widows and other disadvantaged people. Don’t forget, this is the very thing Paul has accused the false teachers of doing. Two weeks ago in my message Four Features of False Teachers, we talked about how these false teachers were in the ministry for financial gain. Last week, in my message of Paul’s encouraging words to Timothy, we saw Paul encourage Timothy not to be like them.

Now, Paul turns his attention to the wealthy who were being targeted by the false teachers. But, like Calvin did in the 1500’s we’ve got to ask ourselves,

• What does the Scripture say?
• What does that mean?
• And what does that mean for us today? Or, what should we do in light of this information?

This is what Calvin did: He identified what the Scripture said and meant and was able to condemn the wicked practices of the Roman Catholic Church in his day. Jesus was setting an example for his men and for us by doing just that.

Grammatically, in the following three verses, we find 7 admonitions through a single imperative in these three verses: rd v 17-19

¹⁷ As for the rich in this present age, charge them (1) not to be haughty, (2) nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but (3) on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are (4) to do good, (5) to be rich in good works, (6) to be generous and (7) ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Transition: I’ve outlined these 7 infinitives in the following manner:

1. What the rich shouldn’t do
2. What the rich should do
3. What the rich should expect

Transition: So, let’s look at what Paul outlines for us first…

1.   What the rich shouldn’t do

exp.:

• imperative: urge, command, charge; 1 Tim 1:3;
• instruct (NASB) …not really, didactic flavor;
• command (NIV) 4:11 (command and teach these things); 5:7 (command); here’s where I’m going with this: some scholars really back off on this, I think the translators do, too. Why? because some people get uncomfortable (upset) when you talk about money. Why would this word mean ‘command’ when Paul’s not talking about money and when it gets to money, why is it changed to charge or instruct or urge? I think we must consider that Paul is telling Timothy, it is an imperative of command, command these people, who, those who are rich in this present age. Command them to what? 7 admonitions here, the 1^st two which are negative:
• these admonitions are expressed through infinitives;

       1. To not be haughty; compound word used only here, ὑψηλός (hypsēlos) – high; and φρονέω (phroneō) – mindset or thinking; but is used as two separate words in Rom 11:20 (12:16); proud; pride, that is what Paul is teaching against here; financial success breeds pride;

ill.: The Notebook: Allie was from a rich family who fell in love with a poor, blue-collar worker. They were both young and she was naïve; Allie brings her boyfriend home to meet the family and a bunch of guests. He is treated as an inferior. They were condescending and rude to him. We saw the same thing in the movie Titanic when Rose’s family is so rude to Jack. No doubt you’ve seen it along the way, in your life. Maybe at school? You see the rich kids act arrogant and haughty just because Mom and Dad come from money.

app.: is every rich person haughty? No, most definitely not! Lisa and I know very wealthy people. I’ve got one friend who drives the same old pickup that doesn’t have any bells and whistles. You have to use a handle to roll the window down! He and his wife live in the same house they raised their kids in. The same small house they built when they didn’t have money. We have other wealthy friends who are kind and generous and humble.

But riches can produce a haughty spirit! It must have been that way in Ephesus; at least on some level, because Paul cautions them to not be haughty; 2^nd, …

2. To not hope in riches; which are uncertain; money, success, these things are fleeting;

ill.: Have you ever found yourself thinking “what if I just had this money, I’d be o.k.”; remember this: if money can fix it, it ain’t a problem! It isn’t that being rich is bad, it’s the idea of putting your hope in being rich. For most of us though, I don’t think in our culture, in our day, in our age, in USA 2019, I don’t think the problem is the lack of money or wealth. For us, it is the abundance of debt.

app.: Don’t be proud and haughty, Don’t place your hope in riches

t.s.: but instead…and this is 2^nd area of instruction:

2.     What the rich should do:

exp.: instead…

3. To set your hope on God; why? He’s already given a good reason,
   1. Because riches are uncertain; but now he gives another…
   2. Because God richly provides everything for us to enjoy (pleasure). This casts light on the garden. God provides everything for us to enjoy. And, he gives us guidelines to enjoy them by. Paul is using his linguistic skills to communicate that God provides. Πάντα – all things;

Transition: now these next four actions are a natural flow from the life of one who realizes his riches are a gift of God. rd 18a;

4. To do good; this word ‘good’ – ἀγαθοεργεῖν; only here and in Acts 14; a compound word – Agatha – perfect (when in relation to God) good or right (when in relation to people) and ergon – work; which is what Paul says in Ephesians, that we were created to do: And he grows on this statement…rd 18b;
5. To be rich in good works; another play on the word rich; rd 18c; Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
6. To be generous, which is another progressive step in this progression that someone experiences when s/he realizes the riches s/he has are a gift of God…no matter where one is financially speaking.
7. To be ready to share; this word ‘share’ has the same root as the Gk word koinonia. κοινωνικός (koinōnikos); remember I began with Calvin’s comments on the Catholic church and mentioned how he filtered his reading through his culture? Well, listen to what he writes next: It is true that everything given to the poor is acceptable to God, but since the very best of us hardly manage to accomplish one-hundredth of our duty in this connection, our generosity hardly deserves to be taken into account of by God. In fact, he writes, should God call us to account, everyone would be found wanting, as we are so far from giving all we should.

ill.: Gary Waddington, a pastor in Billings, MT, tells the following story: Several years ago, when I was ministering in a small rural community, we had extra food leftover from our Christmas basket. I happened to think of a poor family who lived at the edge of town. I packed up the food and drove to their house.

I am never sure how one goes about “doing charity” while preserving the dignity of those who receive the charity. When the woman, surrounded by her several children, answered the door, I thought of a subtle way to offer the food to her.

I asked, “Do you know anyone who could use some extra food?”

“You bet,” she said and got her coat, headed toward her car saying, “Follow me.”

She took me to people who were poorer than her, people who desperately needed food. Even though she herself needed food, I remember clearly that there was absolutely no hesitation on her part.

Being rich is relative…so is being poor; I guess it all depends on who you compare what you have with; For some people though, giving is second nature.

t.s.: and when it is…look at what Paul says the rich should expect…

3.    What the rich should expect:

exp.:

1. The Result of Faithfulness: the rich will lay a good foundation for the future; εἰς τὸ μέλλον; lit.: into the about (to be); Mello is translated ‘about’: it is used to describe an event that is yet to take place, but is ‘about’ to happen; ex.: Zacchaeus, climbed a sycamore tree because Jesus was ‘about’ to pass by; Jesus in describing the end times; the wrath to come; someone is ‘about’ to die; something is about to happen; This is used of the apocalypse; the return of Jesus; when Paul says, the rich will lay a good foundation for the future, he’s referring to heaven, the about to be event; Oh, I wish I could think eschatologically in all my ways, dealings, and efforts.
2. The Reason for Faithfulness: in order to grasp the true or real (ontos) life, eschatological, eternal life. Paul isn’t saying that by being generous with their riches that they will earn their way into heaven. No, by living a generous, share-your-wealth lifestyle, the rich are grasping that this place is just something we’re passing through to something much more wonderful.

Conclusion: This week Debbi Raney’s mom, Marie Freeman passed away. It was so encouraging to hear her testimony of faith. The passage the pastor shared was from 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. It was an open casket, so we saw Mrs. Freeman. But, not really! She wasn’t there anymore. The tent she used as a body had been shed and she was now in the presence of her savior. To say she had died, was really misleading, for she is more alive now than she’s ever been. She’s in the ‘about to be’ place.

What filters do you view the world through? Do you see the world in your life, Tyler, Texas, 2019? Or do you view it through eternity…knowing that all you have is a gift? I hope you’ll see it through God’s eyes and…use it for His glory!

Take-a-way: In whatever you find your circumstance or situation in life, may you be found faithful.

1 Timothy 6.11-16

Title: A Word of Encouragement
Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
CIT: Encouragement
CIS: Encouragement

Introduction: Which of the two would you rather hang around with: someone who is negative or someone who is positive?

Max Lucado: I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2 mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. I asked him how he was doing and soon regretted posing the question.

“This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.” He had more complaints than a taxpayer at the IRS. My response to him? “Goodbye.” I know if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him.

I caught up with a 66-year-old grandmother. Her tone was just the opposite. “You’ll finish this,” she encouraged. “It’s hot, but at least it’s not raining. One step at a time…don’t forget to hydrate…stay in there.” I ran next to her until my heart was lifted and my legs were aching. I finally had to slow down. “No problem.” She waved and kept going.

t.s.: Encouragement. There’s really nothing else like it. And that is what Paul is doing in this passage. And by doing this, he is setting a great example for leaders. He ends his letter on a positive note. He has just delivered the four features of false teachers and now moves to a conclusion with a positive twist…rd v 11a…but as for you, O man of God; this passage of encouragement can be divided into three equal parts: his encouragement for Timothy to persist and (2) to persevere. And he closes with a beautiful doxology of praise to God; this 1^st section is an encouragement to persist in the ministry…

1.      Persistence (11-12)

exp.:; Persistence: to continue firmly in a state or action in spite of obstacles or objections; rd v 11, but you, O man of God; Your different than those false teachers who pursue their own passions for personal gain; But has the flavor of Instead; “Man of God” this is a term used in the OT of Moses, and other prophets like Elijah, King David. Paul uses it here and in 2 Tim 3:17, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work; don’t do those things the false teacher does, but instead…Paul introduces 4 imperative verbs for Timothy; the first is…

• Flee – ‘these things’; this word in the Gk (φεύγω (pheugō) is the word we get fugitive from; 2^nd,
• Follow – pursue; the lexicon defines this word as; follow in haste; the idea is to chase after these other things: I think you can group these ‘things’ (as Paul says) into two separate attributes you should be pursuing…
  • Christian Conduct: (What you do) righteousness, godliness, faith
  • Christian Virtues: (How you respond) love, patience (steadfastness, endurance, perseverance), gentleness (compound word: gentle and to suffer – might carry a nuance of “gentleness in the midst of suffering”; So Paul is saying: Timothy, Don’t chase after money, popularity, position (like the false teachers) but instead, chase after righteousness,… 3^rd,
• Fight – 12a; to compete; ἀγωνίζου; agonize; used to describe what athletes do; stay in the competition; the one of faith; … #4;
• Faithfulness – rd v 12b; to your calling, to your confession, exp.: possible baptism, ordination; possible two separate events or maybe the same; remember to do what you said you would do in the presence (in the sight of) of many witnesses;

ill.: my prayer chair; in what a good friend calls the ‘holy of holies’; my office

app.: what a great motivator, what a great reminder, we’re not called to success as the world labels success, we’re called to flee, follow, fight, and be faithful to our calling…

t.s.: He’s encouraged first to persist, and 2^nd, here to

2.     Persevere

exp.: you see the charge in v 13…The Charge:

• The Seriousness of the Charge: in ‘presence of’ (same as 12) God, who is the life-giver; life sustainer, maker, keeper; (in some context, this would not be so encouraging, but that isn’t how this is presented; IVP’s Phillip Towner writes: In another context this truth might be a source of comfort (Lk 12:6; Acts 2:25), but the presence of God is typically invoked to ensure veracity (Lk 1:19) or, as here to strengthen the sense of obligation contained in an apostolic command. Jesus: Don’t fear those who can kill the body, but the one who can kill both the body and the soul; I wonder, as you consider entering into the very presence of God, are you at peace or terrified? Is there a certain trepidation or is there calm? I’ll be honest, I had to ponder that for a moment. I wonder if I’m too quick to say that I’d feel peace and be calm.
• The Standard of the Charge: rd 13b Jesus, who is the example; he made his confession before Pontius Pilate and was found faithful, even to the point of death; a great standard; too often we compare ourselves to each other; we can usually find someone living below our standard and say that we’re doing pretty good! But here, Paul doesn’t even say that he, himself is the standard. No, Christ who is perfectly faithful…
• The Substance of the Charge: rd v 14a; Keep the Commandment; τηρέω (tēreō); Hold it close, guard it; continue in it; sometimes ‘obey’; “I charge you, Keep the commandment… How?
• The Scope of the Charge: rd 14b; to keep it unstained (unblemished) and free from reproach; Do you see the breadth of this command:
  • How it is? (unstained)
  • How it should remain (free from reproach)
  • How long it should be kept: ‘until’ Jesus returns

t.s.: The final section of the passage is the doxology or Praise…

3.     Praise

exp.: a doxology to God; this praise seems to be in protest of the earthly emperor (probably Nero); because he says here; rd v 15: God is the blessed and ‘the only sovereign”; King of Kings and Lord of Lords;

This is a combination of the Old Testament and Hellenistic languages;

• Sovereign isn’t seen very often here, but many times in the LXX; Hellenistic
• King of Kings and Lord of Lords is OT language (Hebrew/Jewish);
• Here is the point: emperors die, But our God is the only immortal King; beautiful conclusion; who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. This reminds me of Daniel 7 and the Ancient of Days and, Revelation 4 which describes God in Colors… clothed in rainbows of living colors, flashes of lighting – rolls of thunder.

App.: Paul says much of the same thing of himself, as he is closing out his 2^nd letter to Timothy; 2 Tim 4:7,8: ⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

So we persist, we persevere and we praise our God until he sends his Son, or he determines that we are finished and he calls us home; That might sound sad, but I don’t think it is!

Conclusion: (From Sermon Illustrations online)

Ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a group of citizens in North Platte, Nebraska, heard a rumor that soldiers from their town, part of the Nebraska National Guard Company D, would be coming through on a troop train on their way to the West Coast. Five hundred people showed up at the train depot with food, cigarettes, letters, and love to give their own sons and young men they knew.

When the train showed up, it was not the Nebraska National Guard Company D boys on board; it was the soldiers from the Kansas National Guard Company D.

After a few awkward moments, a woman handed a young man she’d never seen the gifts intended for her own son. Everyone else followed that lead, and there were hugs and prayers and love shared all around. It was a spontaneous act of genuine devotion that touched both the soldiers and the people who came to the depot that day. That alone would have been a beautiful illustration of the willingness to “sacrifice for one another.” But the story continues.

A few days later, a 26-year-old woman named Rae Wilson wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper recounting the profound experience they’d shared that night. She then suggested the town organize a canteen, so they could do something similar for every troop train that came through. She offered to lead the effort as a volunteer.

For the next four and a half years, the people of North Platte and the surrounding communities met every troop train that came through their town. Every day, they prepared sandwiches, cookies, cold drinks, and hot coffee. They had baskets of magazines and books to give away to the soldiers, and snacks for the train. There were even birthday cakes for anyone having a special day. And they did this, some days, for as many as 8,000 soldiers and sailors.

The statistics are staggering. By the time the last train arrived on April 1, 1946, six million soldiers had been blessed by the North Platte Canteen. Forty-five thousand volunteers had served faithfully until the war was over and most of the troops had been transported home.

Most of the troops had only ten minutes to sprint from the train, grab some food, maybe dance with a pretty girl, hear the appreciation of those present, and sprint back before the train left without them. But in those ten minutes, they got more than a meal. They received a dose of unconditional love that they remembered later—during the heat of battle as well as decades after the war was over.

Bob Greene, whose book Once Upon a Town made the North Platte Canteen story known to the world, wrote that, as he interviewed those few surviving soldiers who had experienced the canteen firsthand, there was a universal reaction from the men (who were by that time in their late seventies and eighties): they cried.

This isn’t a half-ironman, it’s much longer, keep going! This is a huge task we’ve been called to…. And it does touch so many lives – maybe even people we don’t know…

So, in your faith and calling: Persist in your calling, Persevere in your commitment, and Praise God.