In His Service

  The Gratitude of Thanksgiving to God 2 Timothy 1:3-10 When we cast our minds back and reminisce on the the wonders and works of our Lord and God in our lives and in the lives of others, it brings gratitude and thanksgiving to our hearts, minds, and souls to and for the God who does all things perfect and right, “ … to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20)  Paul was in this kind of moment in the Spirit when he began to pen this letter to Timothy, it would be his last letter to the church and to his beloved protege.  So let’s begin with the first portion of the text, “ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I a...

        “Flee the World’s Ways and Pursue a Godly Lifestyle” 1st Timothy 6:11-21 In our lucrative world today, many have been ensnared in the desire for wealth and prosperity, especially in the church. Paul gives us warning to flee from this mindset and false teachings. For Jesus as well told the disciples that the religious leaders in his day loved wealth and the places of honor. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. (Luke 16:13-15)  So let’s look at the first portion of our text, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentl...

        Non-negotiable Teachings - Absolute Truth 1 Timothy 6:1-10 (ESV) Paul, Peter, John, the apostles of Jesus called themselves bondservants of Jesus Christ. (Col. 1:7, 2 Pet. 1:1, Rev. 1:1) For a bondservant was a slave that gave their lives to servitude to a master free of will, they were marked with an earring on their ear(s) as proof of ownership. As christians, we chose to serve Christ, much as an indentured bond servant (slave) would to a master. Paul likened this to the new life in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:15-23; 1 Cor. 7:22) as the mark of ownership. So whether someone was an actual slave (or a bondservant) they were set free by Christ in salvation and are now bondservants to Christ, who placed his seal (the Holy Spirit) on their lives. So let’s look at the first portion of the text, “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not ...