Introduction to 1 Timothy

Will grab your Bibles and go to first Timothy the first of three of what the theologians and scholars through the ages have called the past all the pencils are the pastoral letters. These are letters. The apostle Paul wrote to two different men who were his understudies in ministry and he was discipling to take over the churches and that's that comprises first Timothy second to May 8 Timothy and Titus and will of course be looking at first Timothy to kick off with will call this the introduction to first Timothy in this series I'm entitling beautifying the bride her fashion and her function.

The Bible speaks of the church as the wife of the Lamb. His bride did we have this awesome responsibility to be instruments in God's hands to build the church and function as the local church so that we are doing church here. This way so that the bride is properly adorned her structure. Her order. I use toward her fashion and her function are pleasing to him, and in line with him in his divine wisdom will we do not we do not have the liberty to function in Christchurch the way we think it on the function according to the fancies in the fads of the world are to do things that make the culture like us a better word Outlook. It's not our bride. I don't like if you mess with my bride would you think Jesus thinks when the preachers mess with his bride rendered divine eating to function so that we are even now in this world, beautifying God's body, his church by applying his wisdom into how we order ourselves and how we function together and that's what these pastoral epistles are mainly about Paul instructing these younger ministers and how to lead in order and deal with issues in the church just to kick off verses one into the first Timothy chapter 1 Paul and apostle of Christ Jesus. According to the commandment of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope to Timothy, my true child in the faith, grace and mercy and peace from God the father and Christ Jesus our Lord. It will get to the actual love unfolding of the exposition next week.

Lord willing.

But today, let's introduce this book of the Bible. First of all, the human author obviously God's Holy Spirit is the true author that God superintended through me and what he wanted to become his word and here Paul.

God is using the apostle Paul to write this word. One scholar said the apostle Paul is the greatest theologian ever possessed by the church, but I really want to throw this out this morning and I this comes out of my preaching a lot of that is. There's far too great a disjointed nests in Christendom and in the way we view things as far as the disciplines of the of the Christian faith.

Paul was a great theologian but only to the end that Paul was a great evangelist and only to the end that Paul was a great church planter and a great church revitalizes her bones always go together. Theology is for the church and the church is for the glory of God. We should not say this guy studies theology night not much of a pastor exhibited in vacancies at Pisa theologian over here you have these other guys in there their pastors while I struggle with that greatly because the New Testament gives us no such thing.

The great theologian of the church was the great pastor church planter the church.

Paul, if you are studying theology it doesn't cause you to have a passion for evangelism in the church and the church being planted and built up and true to God when you are terribly just disjointed and in error.

Paul, this great theologian but this great missionary church planter and church revitalize or he's the author.

I just in my study meditating on this jotted down three things about Paul's ministry, you could pretty much put everything Paul did under these three headings.

First of all, he preached the word coming to him or what Paul didn't have this approach and that approaching it at will, with the kind of people out it this way and went on with this kind of demographic will change my method to do it that way. Paul knew what method and one method only. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. First, the power of God and the salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first.

That's one cultural ethnic group and to the Gentile. That's another culture or ethnic group. Don't listen to these guys today know some of them are in the reformed camp and some of the people we like to read and they are helpful, but when they begin to tell us we got reach this ethnic group and that ethnic group in this minority that minority.

We got is this the low we do it just the way Paul did we preach the word Paul told the Ephesian elders right before he left, I did not shrink from declaring to you everything that was beneficial for you to know I declared, in effect, the whole counsel of God. I preach God's word to you.

So he preached the word of God increase in season and out of season. He was faithful. That was his method. Also, he planted and strengthened churches he planted and strengthened churches.

If you look at anchored in transmission just a boy don't do much of this pretty much the one thing you preach the word and plant churches that revitalize churches to preach the word s'more to plant more churches are reviling that's all because that's all I find in the New Testament. I can't find anything else. That's the only method I find the Scripture. There may be 1001 other good things to do in this world, there may be 1001 good things to do in ministry. But there's one thing you must do to have a biblical ministry that's immersed your heart and your energies in the preaching of the word, the planting of churches in the building up church up at church, and trust me that is a lifetime full time job you never get done with that now have sympathy. I want to be balanced here because I know they're good brothers and sisters who find themselves in very, very weak congregations and they find very weak fellowship, spiritually speaking in their local churches and they find other group people to meet with in order to get the kind of vital spiritual fellowship that they need. I understand that and I'm not condemning that. I just think it's a shame that the church is not being mature in those cases. That was my passion approaching four decades ago when God saved me was why don't we just let the church be the church won't need all these other ministry. If the church is really the church. The other ministries may be fine but they're not essential. Paul preach the word Paul planted his strength in churches and then Paul trained future leaders for the churches.

That's what we see is he right here to Timothy. So the pastoral epistles first Timothy second Timothy and then Titus they give us keen insights into Paul's investment into the lives of young ministers. I'm so thankful that through anchored in truth ministries I should say through it.

It actually developed because of the request. We begin to receive from primarily younger preachers across the country and across the world as they would say would you please mentor us. Would you please let us be connected to your church.

We want to learn what you guys have learned in and so anchored in truth missions, developed out of their request and I was thinking how how many Timothy's God has given me several out of our own congregation. By the way, I'm praying that is preaching through this book we can see several more. I'm asking God to give us several more young men to surrender to gospel ministry as we go through this, but so many of my Timothy's came from other places, and with the Internet in different things. There is a way you can admit her to equip guys without being hands on with them. The local church. That's the best thing to happen right there with you but some of these guys just can't be here. Thank God he gives us and I say us because I've always included you this is it Jeff's ministry on the side.

This is our ministry together because if you're not living out the reality of it. I'm just a hollow noise. It's gotta be the truth, proclaimed in the truth, embodied by us for it. Have the proper impact human off of the apostle Paul, the date, about 60 3R 64 A.D. this was likely written after Paul's first imprisonment, and before his second imprisonment. The setting well.

He likely is writing this from Philippi or some other Macedonian province. By this time Paul is older he suffered much in the gospel ministry. As I said, he's in between two imprisonments.

As he writes this letter is writing a course to Timothy this talk for just a moment about Timothy. Timothy was a young man who was converted under Paul's ministry.

He calls Timothy his true child in the faith, and Timothy has served with Paul alongside Paul for many years and that he was Paul's associate but now Timothy has been assigned to stay in Ephesus and minister to the local church in Ephesus. And so Paul writes this letter to Timothy as he's overseeing the church in Ephesus to guide him to give them understanding of how the church is the function now continue in the setting let's talk about Ephesus. It would be hard to describe a more wicked that CD than ancient Ephesus.

The citizens of Ephesus worship an idol that stood in the center of their city. This Ottawa was called Diana or Artemis. It was a goddess of fertility. She stood 52 feet tall and she was grotesque and practically all the people worship her and to encourage Diana to bless your crops and your livestock with fertility. The men would come to this idle temple and they would commit lewd and sex acts with the temple prostitutes. I believe I'm correct in saying there were usually thousands of them and that's was the centerpiece of this city.

Isn't it interesting how nothing changes. This was 2000 years ago and you find today as countries.

Forsake God everything tends to be centered on human sexuality and the perversions of it that's ancient Ephesus may motivate. They did it all in one chart. What is it not bizarre, is it not base and dig grading.

Is it not far beneath the dignity of being made in the image of God that the United States of America has come to the place where a good percentage of our people define their reality and their Holos by their sexual lust and the perversions of it therein well so this is the kind of city this little church has been started up in. This is where Timothy is.

But even with all of that wickedness.

Paul preach the gospel there and the number came to true faith in Jesus Christ, and their growing in Christ. The church is coming along, but as always is the case. False doctrine and false teachers begin to creep in. And so Paul is going to tell Timothy you stay behind and straighten some of this false teaching, and a nonsense of the when false teaching comes into the church. It always looks good.

It always sounds good always has some Jesus in it in some scripture in it.

Think how that sounds good. That sounds good. That sounds like that would be wise that's why God gives elders and preaching pastor the church to identifying and continually, and I mean continually come back the encroachment's of error and false doctrine that's ever creeping into the church. Well, it was creeping in Ephesus and that's one of Paul's primary reasons for letting Timothy study the so Paul writes this letter to instruct Timothy in that task of confusing and removing false doctrine back out of the church and among unknown number of interesting thing now, Timothy is young and this is his first full-time assignment best we can discern, and peace, inexperience, at least in doing this by himself and he has a lot of insecurities. He has some difficulties.

He's he's sort of timid Hayes young and we do know from the text that some of the men were overlooking him and not respecting him because of his youthfulness so he has a number of things that are going on that make this pastor quite difficult.

Timothy himself is distinguished for his earnestness is distinguished for his simplicity. He has a deep consideration for others. He's a devout than a spiritual young man and he's proven over the years I must be a most loyal and faithful serving companion of the apostle Paul.

The Bible tells us that in Timothy's earlier years he was discipled by godly mother name Eunice and a godly grandmother named Lois they devoted themselves to teaching Timothy. The Scriptures we know from the from the history of the era that it's highly unlikely that this Jewish mother and grandmother.

This boy Timothy in their home that his dad was a Greek nonbeliever but anyway a Lois and and Eunice, the mother and grandmother teaching the Bible and primarily because there's no formal Jewish synagogue in their area. If they don't teach the Bible there. There is no top Bible teaching, but the Bible points out that Timothy was thoroughly taught the Scriptures from his early days by his mom and by his grandmother is quite certain that during Paul. You can think you touched on the edge of it in your small group lesson today that as Paul traveled from Coney and into the Derby and the lister that was the region. Lois and that Eunice and Timothy lived in and they undoubtably went together to hear Paul's preaching there forever have many months or years that he preached in that region.

Now. So Paul writes this letter, no doubt to encourage Timothy again. He's got the kind of personality worries, would hold back. He would sort of deferred others quite different than Paul, but he writes to encourage him and embolden him as he faces these difficulties in the church so we have the author, the apostle Paul, we have the data about 63 A.D. we have the setting Timothy the young understudy, a wicked city of Ephesus that he's overseeing Paul's writing to guide him to encourage them to embolden another uniqueness. The uniqueness of this but there's a lot of things here. First of all, this is just one of four books in the New Testament that's addressed to a person you first and second Timothy addressed to the person you have taught us addressed to person in the book of Philemon that makes it unique. Also it's unique in that we see a whole lot more of the personal side of the apostle Paul, as he writes this letter to Timothy because he's writing this to his dear close friend and his son in the faith that we note that it's a close and tender relationship. It was a meshing of two lives together and you have two very different personalities. You have the bold and assertive.

Paul and you have the rather sheepish and more humble in spirit and more. I'm fine.

Just being seen and not heard. Timothy thirdly it's unique because it taint contains many quotes that we often throw around in the church. For example, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am for most of all that's in the pastoral epistles, the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil that's in the pastoral epistles I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed, and them against that day that's in the pastoral epistles all Scripture is given by inspiration of God that's in the pastoral epistles. Be instant in season and out of season that's in the pastoral epistles to the pure all things are pure, and one that some of the brethren seem to want to cling to. Today, more than they use to take a little wine for thy stomach say that's in the pastoral epistles. Another unique thing is that it contains a wealth of practical instruction for church life in first Timothy 314 and 15, Paul writes to Timothy, nieces, I'm writing these things to you hoping to come to you before long, but in case I am delayed I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar in support of the tree I'm writing so you guys know how to function as a church because I may not get there. Do it myself. So were going to see a lot of things in particular there's guidelines on public worship. There certainly thorough qualifications and guidelines on church leadership in the church including elders and deacons there guidelines here on a pastor's personal and public life. There are guidelines here on how to deal with see in the in the church. He deals with the role of women in the church has become a new hot topic as some among us have jumped on this bandwagon of empowering women and they don't really define what that means and I want to say I'm all for empowering anybody the Bible wants to empower in the way the Bible wants to empower them but don't think phrases out that just have this broad generic understanding to a pagan culture. So Paul gets down to what, here's the role of women in the church. Look at that few weeks he deal specifically with the care of widows in the church. She deals with how to view and use money and of course as always he lays out again. The great importance of sound doctrine and for you, me and you heads of the households can. I implore you again as your pastor.

Be discerning and mature men. Everything that sounds sound is not sound and that's part of what Paul and Timothy are dealing with here is men would come in with what seemed like sound teaching always had a little spin our twist on it that made it unsound. You gotta be careful with everybody and those around the name of Jesus and throws around so and so many were saved and did this this scripture and that Scripture gotta make sure you know what sound doctrine is and how it's to function.

We do know this book is the true word of God not only to Timothy to two, but to ministers and churches of all the ages it was written to encourage us in church life and edify us on church life. The purpose the purpose of the first Timothy is to provide the local church of all the ages, with God's divine plan for her fashion way, she's order structured and her function. What she does use those words because it evokes more of a picture of a bribe. We think of her faction and her function because that's the image God wants us to see that effect on your screen. Revelation 21 verse nine, and one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me saying come here and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb who is that the church in her final, purified and glorified state that were not together like that right now.

Right now, or in these local churches all over the place, medevac. You should see the word original Greek word necklace. See you are translated church almost every time it's in the Bible refers to a local visible congregation of believers. That's all we week.

We can't really relate to this total glorified bride of Christ is one day going to be unveiled next with somebody or we can relate to our part of the bride. Our local church and make sure we are beautifying her by biblically looking to her fashion and her function at look at the glories and I believe these things are both figurative and literal. I can explain all that their mysteries and revelation in context of the church. He writes first are this bride of Christ.

The church being revealed in the last times. Revelation 2111 having the glory of God. All one day there's going to be the purging always have everything that's contrary to the right purity and holiness of God church away from every single one of us individually and personally from all of us collectively as the bride of Christ. God's glory will radiate in and through all of us.

He he he builds on the glory and the beauty of this. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of clear crystal clear. Jasper Revelation 2118 through 21 in the material of the wallets is talking about a city but the city represents the church in the material of the wall was Jasper and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall alert were adorned. Notice the word is a word you would use an and in adorning a bride for her wedding day.

They were adorned with every kind of precious stone foundation stone was Jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalice of Donnie the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonic's the six sardius the seventh crystal light.

The eighth barrel the night Topaz the 10th a crystal phrase crystal phrase and 11th.

Jason and the 12th amethyst beauty.

The wonder of the glory of the church. This is the wife, the bride of the Lamb. Our joy in our hearts desire should be to be the instrument in God's hand that we fashion his bride, the church and we function as his bride, the church, so that honors him and pleases him reflects into the world and therefore brings him the glory he deserves. Christianity is not you getting with 45 ladies in a Bible study is not you getting with four or five men in a Bible study now being sold at the God of Christianity is all of us fighting and working in loving and encouraging and reproving and disciplining in teaching and rebuking in and preaching the word whatever it is, so that we can all be Christ bride to the fullest extent possible so that we show he is bride in the beauty he's given her do both on the order of her fashion and her function and that's why God gives us first Timothy to help guide us and teach us what we need to understand so that we are being used by him in his work to beautify his bride. Three conclusions for practical applications.

I called them CPAs not certified public accountants. This is about Frank's fires or Bill Newman though they're good men who understand good things. This is about conclusions. For all of us to put into our lives.

From my research on introducing this book number one, but I want to say. May the spirit of family discipleship increase unison Lois one example, they are to us.

Think about it too.

Ladies, the matter the house is an unbelieving Greek hate has no reverence for the God of Israel. He has no reverence for Jesus Christ, but these two ladies and they should be an encouragement to many of you ladies may find yourself in a marriage or in a home with a male leadership is not spiritual and not solid. I'm telling you, God will honor your petite, your babies and your children's children.

The word of God.

These ladies likely had no formal synagogue.

No, called me and teachers to help them with a make sure they got copies of the holy Scriptures talking to young Timothy just some verses acts 16 verse one and he came. That's Paul to Derby in the lister, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was Greek and second Timothy 15 Paul's writing to Timothy announces, for I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice, and I'm sure that it is in you as well in that amazing that sealed in the that the canon of eternal Scripture, God points out, these two ladies because they had such an impact on training Timothy to love God in their home. Second Timothy third Timothy 315 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Now these ladies are Jewish ladies and much of their training came before they came to Christ, they love God. They loved his word. They taught us word but they were not yet completed Jews.

They had not yet received and accepted the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

I'm convinced that happened and fought Paul's first missionary to her throughout Coney lister and Derby but they told what they knew to teach. They taught the truth as they understood it, and then God saw notice on redirecting her Timothy that from childhood you know the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through the faith which is in Jesus Christ… Great foundation you had Timothy got you ready your your mom Eunice in your grandmother Lois got you ready for that time when I toured through your area and preached for months and you came to be a completed you by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior bonds and dad, you have a great advantage of grace like church know all of us, you, you could perhaps find better teachers and better preachers. I hold that out to youth, but we have faithfully taught you from Sunday school in this pulpit. The truce of God. It's better listen to me it's very very easy for you to take notes during the preaching of the word to take notes from your small group and just talk about the truce of God in your home, don't we get on your own.

God intends for you to take what we teach and be make that be an extension throughout your whole that's not hard. Be like Lois and be like unison. Make sure God's richest biblical truth reverberates in your home. Pray for God to give you wisdom. You see, after Jesus Christ, God's best gift to men is a mom hopefully a godly mother. He who rocks the cradle rules the world. Satan knows this and that's why Satan works tirelessly to get mothers out of the home and let someone else rock the cradle but for better or worse. Mothers are the makers of men here.

There's good evidence that this mother unison this grandmother Lois lies and they were mature and they did not make Timothy the center of their universe so many moms and dads want to be children and you must repent that is a blasphemous idolatry.

Your children know they're not the most important in your life that Christ is that's the best way to love your children from the text.

I pick up that this had to be the spirit of Lois and of Eunice Timothy was not the center of their universe God was they saw Timothy as they pipe precious child given to them as a stewardship from God. Timothy was God's gift to them and they were dedicated to be the godly mom and the godly grandmother that God had called them to be. This is not just some role they play. This is not something just put on as a garment. It was what was in their heart is what comes out in these text in genuine faith is always contagious. Mom Eunice and grandmother Lois talked Timothy the Scriptures, yet really since the sincere overflow there faith is what taught him the most. And I'm sure when the apostle Paul hit the city's preaching. They were enthusiastic, get Timothy were going to hear this man preach. We since this is the truth.

Based on all the Scriptures of the Old Testament we we studied together, so may I just thunder this morning. May the Eunice and Lois sorority increase number two by the spirit of God honoring authority are rather of honoring godly authority increase.

Timothy is a great example of this. Think about it.

First of all Timothy seem to be very devoted to his grandmother and his mother's teaching. There doesn't seem to be a rebellious spirit rate base heart about him at all he was.

He was yielded he was honorable he was submissive.

He was glad to get it and then in the church itself in that region. Acts 16 two tells us that he was well spoken of by the brethren.

Of course he had a good standing in his local church. In his home.

He was taught the Scriptures and he had a submissive honoring of authority spirit in the church. He was a young man he was submissive and honoring of authority in the church as Paul talks about him in first Timothy 12, he says, you're my true child in the faith. You are an example of what a young minister should be like. Let's expand on this a little bit. Paul wanted Timothy to join his ministry team and be a part of his mission staff if you will, we see that annex chapter 16 so we see Timothy a humble and fully devoted follower of Paul's leadership. It comes out right at the beginning because why write when Paul said I want Timothy to go with me. He took to Matheny had Timothy circumcised, Paul knew that Timothy would never receive a hearing in the Jewish synagogue to preach or teach because his father was a Greek. If he had not been circumcised certainly wouldn't important for his salvation or anything like that but it did gain him hearing. The point is, Timothy was submissive to whatever it takes to be a good servant of Christ. I'll do that.

There's not a closer are more lengthy fellowship among men recorded in the New Testament than that of Paul and Timothy. Even though there was a great age difference between them.

Timothy was glad to be a servant to Paul and the Paul's Associates medevac as you go through acts you get hints of Timothy being there, but is not always mentioned.

It means he was way down the ladder missing happy to be way down the ladder climbing the ladder was not his goal. Honoring those in authority over him was his goal because he thought was pleasing to God. He worked with Paul are in association with Paul in Berea, Macedonia, Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, emphasis Truax as Jerusalem, Caesarea, and he ministered to Paul during his imprisonment's we do know that Timothy himself was imprisoned at least one wants because of his association with Paul. We see that in Hebrews 13 Paul and Timothy had almost a 20 year relationship. Yet throughout the Scriptures we find Paul having a problem with John Mark and we find Paul calling out the names of some men who go AWOL on God, but thought that 20 year relationship. There's not one trace of Timothy being anything other than a servant submissive and honoring and a blessing to his authority.

The apostle Paul. Philippians chapter 2 verses 19 to 22 reflects well on Timothy spirit of submission to authority. The rest of the church at Philippi and he tells them. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly so that I also may be encouraged when I learned of your condition for have no one else of kindred spirit who will generally be concerned for your welfare for the save the others other than Timothy. They all seek after their own interest, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his Timothy's proven worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. First of all, this is the spirit of all Christians may that spirit increase for all of us but more specifically it is the normal and expected pattern for the training and proving of young ministers we sing some good examples we have some young men that fill may be let in the ministry, they have this this spirit entirely with head Chad Haygood worked alongside me for years and he had the spirit. This just glad to be of service. Glad to honor my authority Blake Keenum.

He had this spirit in their many others.

This is the way it ought to be. That's the way it Timothy should pay. Beware when you see a younger man in ministry who may be sink maybe is very talented and seemingly very effective. But ask yourself does see honor biblical authority does he look to his pastors and elders for guidance and oversight by the spirit of being wholly devoted to Christ calls increase. Thus, the third one but the spirit of being wholly devoted to Christ calls increase. We see this in the apostle Paul.

He is unbelievably devoted just throws it all on the line you saw in your small group lesson. I think today the apostle Paul departs from ministry to the Jews.

He heads to minister to the Gentiles. Now he finds himself in our colonial many preachers and many are converted and I called him, but he also assesses quite a crowd of enemy these enemies hate his preaching that you only get to it. Are you ready for a perfect application to modern America. You know it keeps bothering them because as these men preach the gospel. They preach against the worship of Diana, which means they preach against sexual promiscuity, which means these people get mad, your people get mad and clog your eyes out. Tell him their sexual and sexual expression is sin, and wrong.

That's what happens when men are turned over to depraved mind.

They worship sexuality.

A sex is a wonderful gift from God is to be celebrated and might I say you all stay in in marriage not to use your pastor this morning. Work on your sex life.

That's biblical get into it, throw yourself into it by is not our God, our God gave us this gift, so we want to guard it. We want to God. It and we want to govern it. First of all, so that we get more pleasure from it and God is glorified through it. But these people as Paul preached against their wickedness and use their worship of Diana heat. He got into her pocketbooks and he got into their bedrooms too much and so the people know that this is the enemies rise up and I called him inside to go to Kelly was somehow he gets away. He escapes to Derby while he's there in Derby heat.

He performs a healing God does the healing through the apostle Paul and the people are amazed at this, and they want to start worshiping Paul and Barnabas calling them the Greek god Zeus and Hermes apostle Paul and Barnabas refused their worship and refuse them sacrificing to them and then some time comes along in the enemies from colony in which a necklace of the enemies from the that the Jewish regions come down to Derby, where he is now and they start the people to this time there successfully actually stalling. Paul convinced he's dead Dragon mountain leaving for dead. But either they just knocked him out any comes to our God raised from the dead because he continues all the here's what's interesting to think about this. Here's a guises in this region of I called him and Lister and Derby preaching every other day there people nonthreatening little early trying to kill it. Then he gets to Derby and they're literally stoning him, he's beaten to a pulp blade and bloodied. They believe he's dead and all this time you know who's watching all this, Eunice, Lois and their son and grandson, Timothy are you will sign up follow Jesus. If that's what is preacher. Like they did they did so it was, and I agree with all the biblical scholars.

It was during that season of time preaching in those cities and during that kind of persecution that Timothy comes to faith in Jesus Christ. Now, from this time you go forward about 23 years. Paul returns back to the region of Lister and Derby. Anyways, his eyes on this guy Timothy probably knowing from earlier ministry to three years ago, but this time Timothy's older he sees the maturity he says he sees it is his devotion, and furthermore he finds Timothy as well spoken of in the region act 61 through three and he came also to Derby Lister and hold a certain disciple was there name Timothy son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek and he was well spoken of by the brethren who are in Lister and I told him. Paul wanted this man to go with him. So Paul finds Timothy and I'm convinced if the church had not spoken well of Timothy Paul would never put them on the staff that submissive spirit again. Now let's go forward and chronology. Timothy has served with Paul years have gone by now.

Paul is imprisoned.

The second time, any rights, second Timothy will in that imprisonment any rights as a beaten weekend did not weaken a slave not weaken his spirit. We can bodily we can maybe emotionally man incarcerated who is living under the shadow of his impending death butterfat credible church history records that it was during the second imprisonment that Nero had the apostle Paul beheaded is likely Timothy was there sought also credible church history records that Timothy stayed on in Ephesus had quite a long ministry there was effective in this pastorate, but he was bald and unflinching in preaching against the idolatry of worshiping the fertility goddess Diana.

And on one occasion, some men became so enraged, they formed a mob and they according church history beat Timothy to death in the streets of Ephesus. That's the way the early pastors concluded their ministries Paul spirit of a whole devotion to Christ calls has had an enduring global impact that's powerful.

Still to this day concerning Paul.

It is true, he being dead yet speaketh. Paul's devotion to never flinch, and never compromise the truth no matter the cost.

Lift an enduring imprint on those under his leadership, like Timothy today seems to be right.

The opposite today. The trend in the fattest compromise.

The pastor should somehow hold of the truth but twisted contorted Messiah did so that the godless cultures not offended and don't become your enemies. Which by the way, to take the true gospel, the word of God and shape it so that the culture is not offended is impossible. We should not try to be offensive.

Amen preach the truth and it's going to be offensive.

You just keep sharing the true gospel out in the workplace. You keep sharing the true gospel out of the schools and you see some people rise up against you today it seems that the great preacher is the one who can at least claim to hold to the truth over here but never offend the world over there was interesting. Paul couldn't figure that out. Timothy never got that figured out you think these guys are better than Paul and Timothy know their slick their clever and there compromise if they can have a long ministry faithfully build the church according to the word of God and faithfully preach God's truth and not have any enemies you see compromise ministries produce Jolo stings wholly devoted to God's calls ministries produce Timothy's face that Bob rose up and started beaten Timothy to death in a way he mom said what took you so long man that was preaching when I was saved was stone couple days after I received Jesus. This is just what is by the spirit of being wholly devoted to Christ calls increase by grace life Church of the shows be a church and I think by God's grace we have the church that produces not Jolo sting types. False teachers should compromise Timothy's face, I believe, by God's grace. I'm willing to go that road if that's what God has matter fact in this last election. I did one vote per dollar from what I ask God since he had used godless men Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar you just call the role that he had succeeded used godless men and ages pass for the good of his people. I asked God if he could use this man for the good of his church feet. Let them get in office. I believe God answered that prayer I believe I got two Supreme Court justices to prove that I believe God is saying to his church. I'm going to hold off hail the low wall over, probably God's happiness that you have your own conviction about Trump.

I don't care about that will I do care but I don't judge you for that. Let's all be sold out in our hearts that the spirit of Eunice and Lois and family discipleship will keep increasing the spirit of young people in particular young ministers of honoring the authorities would increase like Timothy in the spirit of being wholly devoted to Christ calls like Paul would increase. That's our introduction to the epistle first