Introduction:
A. How many of you have ever done white-water rafting?
1. I want to use an illustration from white-water rafting as our launching point for today’s sermon, but before we get into the illustration, let’s start with a little humor.
2. White-water river guides get a lot of funny questions from clients and two of the funniest and most frequently asked questions are:
a. “Does the raft trip take out where we put in?” (does our trip end back at the beginning point? I don’t know of many circular rivers, do you?)
b. And “Will I get wet? (of course you won’t get wet!)
3. Here’s a funny one they tell on themselves:
a. What’s the difference between a raft guide and a mutual fund?
b. A mutual fund eventually matures and starts making money
B. Over the years, I’ve done some canoeing on lakes and on mildly challenging rivers, but I have never white-water rafted, and certainly haven’t been on the most challenging rivers in the U.S.
1. Those who have can tell some amazing stories and can teach us some good lessons.
2. One of the best white-water experiences can be found in Northwest Colorado, on a part of a river called “Cujo.”
3. Those who want to experience Cujo are usually first taken down a mild part of the river for practice.
4. On the practice part of the river, they experience a few moderate rapids, not much more than speed bumps in comparison, but sufficient to learn to follow the commands of the guide.
5. After the practice run, they turn to Cujo, the meanest, hungriest rapids on the river.
C. They say that you hear the rapids long before you see them.
1. The guide will say to the group, “Listen, the rapids are just around the next turn.”
2. The paddles are still as each person in the raft stops to soak in the sound of rushing water.
3. The closer you get the louder and louder the sound of the rapids roars.
4. Around the bend you go and there the rapids are: foaming and frothing like a rabid beast.
5. At that point, following orders can save your life.
6. When the guide yells, “Hard Right!” you don’t stop to discuss the finer points of paddling; that was done back in practice.
7. You must immediately and obediently respond with speed and strength.
8. The choice is simple: obey the command…or be Cujo’s next meal.
D. Navigating the spiritual life is a lot like shooting the rapids.
1. There’s a time for discussion and for pondering spiritual truth, and there’s a time to jump into action - just because God said to do it.
2. Paul concluded his letter to Timothy with some firm “Just Do It!” style commands.
3. Let’s look at these commands to Timothy and see how to put them into practice in our own lives.
4. Because as we travel down the river of spiritual life, following God’s orders can save our lives and souls.
I. COMMAND #1: FLEE GODLESSNESS (Vs. 11)
A. Paul wrote: But you, man of God, flee from these things… (Vs. 11).
1. There are times when running away is a mark of cowardice, but there are other times when fleeing is a mark of wisdom and a means to victory.
a. That was true in the case of Joseph in the OT, when he ran from the clutches of his master’s wife as she was trying to drag Joseph into bed with her.
2. What are “these things” that Timothy was told to run from?
a. This command follows the warnings about discontentment and greed, and so that is certainly something we should run away from.
b. But Paul might also have in mind all of the attitudes and actions that characterize the false teachers - pride, preoccupation with trivial matters, and divisiveness, as well as greed.
c. As a “man of God” Timothy’s life should display traits opposite of these, and our lives should also.
3. As with many of the commands we will examine today, the verb here indicates a continuing action.
a. In other words the command really is “Keep on fleeing these things” - make it a habit, a way of life.
b. Rarely do we win a battle with a single act of resistance – we usually have to continue to resist.
4. Just like a good parent who yells to their child: “Get away from that fire,” God is hollering for us to “Flee Godlessness!”
II. COMMAND #2: PURSUE GODLINESS (Vs. 11)
A. Paul wrote: But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. (Vs. 11)
1. We must realize that running from wrong is only half of the plan for godliness.
2. While we flee from what is wrong, we must also run toward what is right.
3. If we don’t cultivate these graces of the Spirit, then there is a void on the positive side of character.
4. As disciples of Jesus, we want to be known for being people with exceptional and beautiful characteristics like love, endurance and gentleness, rather than just being people who don’t do bad things.
B. I don’t think we need to go into depth about each of these characteristics (We are pretty familiar with them):
1. Righteousness has to do with doing what is right - personal integrity, character.
2. Godliness has to do with godly conduct.
3. Faith is trust in God which exhibits itself in faithfulness.
4. Love seeks the highest good of the other person.
5. Perseverance is the courage and ability to endure even in the toughest times.
6. Gentleness is strength under control, composure - especially in the face of opposition.
C. So, here are six qualities that are held up as a target for us to shoot at.
1. These should form the foundation of a God-honoring life.
2. Let’s ask ourselves, “How are we doing in building these qualities into our lives?”
3. Wherever you or I are lacking, Paul would say to us, “Get going. Get running. Pursue these godly traits immediately. Don’t delay!”
III. COMMAND #3: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT (Vs. 12)
A. Paul wrote: Fight the good fight of the faith. (Vs. 12)
1. That’s certainly short and sweet, right?
2. It is interesting that Paul exhorts us to fight after just having encouraged us to be gentle.
3. Is it contradictory? No. Paul isn’t describing an attitude of being quarrelsome, but an attitude of struggling against all odds to keep one’s faith strong and growing.
4. This word applies to both athletes and soldiers as they strain to give their best to win the prize or the battle.
5. Near the end of his life, Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7)
a. Don’t we all want to be able to say that as we see the end of our lives approach?
6. My only word of caution as we consider fighting the good fight, is that we make sure that we are engaged in the right contests and battles.
7. Let’s we sure we are straining toward the right goals and defending the right causes, otherwise we will fight in vain.
8. Let’s be sure we are fighting the Lord’s battles – the good fight of faith.
IV. COMMAND #4: TAKE HOLD OF ETERNAL LIFE (Vs. 12-13)
A. Paul wrote: Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (Vs. 12)
1. Eternal life should be the thing that motivates us to stay in the fight; the thing that keeps our raft on course - no matter how rough the waters.
2. By urging Timothy to take hold of eternal life, Paul wasn’t suggesting that Timothy didn’t already have eternal life, nor that he could save himself.
3. Timothy had been saved by grace, just like all of us, and he already had eternal life, because he was in Christ.
4. By this command, Paul was reminding Timothy to keep this goal in mind.
5. Paul didn’t want Timothy to let eternal life slip through his hands, by not maintaining a tight grip on his goal.
B. When Paul mentioned the “good confession in the presence of many witnesses,” he was no doubt alluding to Timothy’s baptism, where he made his public profession of his faith.
1. Paul’s mention of this event reinforces the command to take hold of eternal life, for when would the truth of Christ, the joy of grace, and the sense of freedom been more heightened for Timothy than at his baptism? For that is when he received eternal life.
2. Likewise, we need to be reminded of what we possess – we have eternal life.
a. It has been ours since our baptism.
b. It is ours right now.
c. It will be ours forever, unless we let it slip through our hands.
3. Let’s keep our goal in mind: the goal of eternal life.
V. COMMAND #5: KEEP THE COMMANDMENT (Vs. 13-16)
A. Paul wrote: 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you 14 to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 God will bring this about in his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen. (1 Tim. 6:13-16)
1. Here we have perhaps the strongest exhortation in the whole letter.
2. Why do I say it is the strongest? Because of the way Paul sandwiches it with amazing statements about God.
3. The exhortation itself is almost lost in the midst of this grand text, but the exhortation is the simple charge to keep this command without fault or failure.
4. What is the command that is to be kept?
a. It must be broader than any single command, and probably refers to the entire body of sound teaching Paul had been describing throughout the letter.
5. Why was Timothy supposed to keep this command? Because Jesus was coming back.
6. Throughout the NT it is the second and final coming of Jesus to which all conclusive things are tied.
a. We know that at His coming all things will be judged and everyone will receive their just rewards or punishments.
b. Paul motivated Timothy with that understanding.
7. When will this take place? Paul said, “which God will bring about in his own time.”
8. We don’t know God’s time, and that’s why the NT writers exhort us to be faithful at all times.
a. Like John wrote in 1 Jn 2:28: And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
B. In the midst of this exhortation, Paul was inspired to make some of the most wonderful and profound statements we have about God.
1. He pointed out that God is the source of all life, especially eternal life.
2. He pointed out that there is no other authority more supreme than God: God is the greatest Ruler, King and Lord.
3. Paul stated that God alone is immortal - He shares His immortality with us, but He alone is the source of it.
4. Paul explained that God lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.
5. I don’t claim to understand all these things about God, but I glory in them, how about you?
6. We serve an incredible God. There is no one like Him.
7. Keep in mind that Paul explained all these truths about God in order to encourage Timothy to keep the command and not give up.
8. We need not fear anything we face because our God is the only god.
a. He is the One who possesses supreme authority and power, He is altogether righteous and holy, and He is the only source of life and immortality.
9. Therefore, let us keep the faith and keep the command, that we might be found blameless at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen?
VI. FINALLY, COMMAND #6: GUARD THE DEPOSIT (Vs. 20-21)
A. Paul concluded: 20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent and empty speech and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge. 21 By professing it, some people have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all. (1 Tim. 6:20-21)
1. God had committed the truth to Paul (1 Tim 1:11), and Paul had committed it to Timothy.
2. It was Timothy’s responsibility to guard the deposit (1 Tim 6:20), and then pass it along to others who would, in turn, continue to pass it on to faithful individuals (2 Tim 2:2)
3. This is God’s way of protecting the truth and spreading it around the world from generation to generation.
4. We are stewards of the doctrines of faith, and God expects us to guard the deposit and faithfully pass it on.
5. An ancient scholar made this comment about this passage: “What is meant by the deposit? That which is committed to thee, not that which is invented by thee; that which thou has received, not that which thou hast devised; a thing not of wit, but of learning; not of private assumption, but of public tradition; a thing brought to thee, not brought forth of thee; wherein thou must not be an author, but a keeper; not a leader but a follower. Keep the deposit.” (St. Vincent of Lerins)
6. Chrysostom (Chris os thum) wrote, “the deposit of faith is not thy own. Thou art entrusted with the property of another, do not lessen it.”
7. There are unchangeable truths of the Christian faith (whether doctrinal or moral) that have been revealed in God’s Word, and therefore given as a deposit.
8. In a culture of relativity, both in the world and in the church, we must guard those truths by proclamation and practice.
9. It is our duty as spiritual leaders, disciples, and parents, to guard and pass on the truths of God to others.
10. Those who don’t guard the deposit and stay with God’s truths, but rather chase after the false knowledge of modern humanism, they have departed from the faith.
11. God will not be pleased with those who do not guard the deposit.
Conclusion:
A. These are the final commands of Paul given to Timothy, and to us.
1. Flee Godlessness
2. Pursue Godliness
3. Fight the Good Fight
4. Take Hold of Eternal Life
5. Keep the Command
6. Guard the Deposit
B. Let me end with a final word about obedience to God.
1. Obedience to God was never meant to resemble that of an oppressed slave to a cruel master.
2. God gives commands because of His love for us and we obey because of our love for God.
3. Obedience, for the Christian, should flow from a heart that loves and wants to please the God who has gone to great lengths to love us first.
4. Every command of God is given for our good.
5. The waters of life can get rough, but we have a Guide who knows the river by heart (after all, He created it), and God will never steer us wrong (He knows the right ways and solutions for all our needs).
6. So, let’s obey God’s commands and live!
7. For if we disobey God’s commands, we put ourselves in the hands of Cujo, better know as Satan or destroyer.
Resources:
• 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Commentary by David Roper, Truth For Today Commentary
• Final Commands, Sermon by David Owens
• Charles Swindoll’s “Insights For Living” Radio Program Study Guide on 1 Timothy
