Good Ministers

God is calling us; He has commissioned us and equipped us to be His servants. Hopefully, one day we will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into this reward prepared for you." How do we become good servants of Christ? That's what we talked about today.

In 1 Timothy chapter 4, open to verse 6. Good morning! How are you all doing? Would you stand with me, please, and take out your Bibles? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. We are in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy. Near the end of your Bible, open to the very last book, the book of Revelation. Turn to the left, and you'll find 1st and 2nd Timothy.

1 Timothy chapter 4 is where we are in our study, going verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Let's pick it up in verse 6. There, the Apostle writes, "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane old wives' fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach."

Father, as we come before the Scriptures today, we pray that You would continue to open our ears, our hearts, and our minds to receive from You Your implanted word, which we trust is able to transform us. Holy Spirit, we ask that You would do that work of sanctification in our lives, so that the time we spend together studying Your word here on a Sunday would have an impact and effect in our lives this week. God, we come before You, and we pray that You would make us more like You, Jesus.

That work of transformation would be clear to us. It would be evident to our families and to the people we interact with on a daily basis at school or at work. People would see Your transforming power at work in us. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those agreed said, "Amen." You could be seated.

If you have ever taken the time to go on the journey through the whole of the Bible, which I highly encourage you to do if you have never done so, you may have planned on doing it through a Bible-in-a-year program. If you have read from Genesis to Revelation, then of course you have come across that great Old Testament Hebrew poetic epic called the Book of Job.

The Book of Job is a challenging book because it deals with topics that every single person in this room and in this world faces: the reality of suffering, hardship, trial, and difficulty. The opening of the Book of Job is very striking. In the first three chapters, you watch as the central figure of the book, a man named Job, who was one of the wealthiest men of his time four thousand years ago, receives news from four servants.

Each servant comes to him in a series of ways. The first one says that that morning, raiders came from among the Sabeans and stole one thousand of his oxen and five hundred of his female donkeys. All of his wealth was measured in the flocks and herds that he had. So, a servant comes and says the Sabeans raided your camps, and a thousand oxen and five hundred female donkeys have been stolen.

Then another messenger comes and says fire came down from heaven and consumed seven thousand of your sheep, just like that. A third messenger comes to him and says not only did the Sabeans come and steal your donkeys and your oxen, but also the Chaldean thieves have come and stolen away three thousand of your camels. Just like that, they took it all. All of your messengers have been killed except for these three.

A fourth messenger comes and says, "Listen, your seven sons and your three daughters were gathered together, having a party in the oldest son's house. A great wind, probably a tornado, came and hit the house, and the roof came down. All of your kids have been killed." That was day one.

Then, on day two, we read in chapter 2 of Job that not only was his wealth and his family taken from him, but now his health was taken as well. He was struck with this terrible disaster. Chapter 2 ends with this man, Job, who was once the most wealthy man of his day, blessed with seven sons and three daughters, now seated on the ground in the dust with a piece of broken pottery in his hand, scraping the pus from the boils on his body. His wife comes to him and says, "Curse God and die." It's a terrible situation.

In chapter 3, Job begins to speak to the situation he is going through. It is the lament of Job. He laments the day he was born and all the circumstances he is facing. Chapter 3 ends with this statement: "That thing that I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. That which I feared the worst has come upon me."

I think that the Apostle Paul, when he visited the church in Ephesus with Timothy around the year 64 AD, had similar thoughts going through his mind as he looked at the condition of the church he had planted. He had invested so much of his energy and life into it. In fact, during the two to three years that Paul was in the city of Ephesus planting that church, he encountered all kinds of personal adversarial trials against him.

To the Corinthians, he wrote a letter while he was there in Ephesus, stating, "A great and effective door has been opened to me here in Ephesus, but there are many adversaries." He almost lost his life on several occasions in the city of Ephesus because he preached the gospel. He had dedicated so much of his energy to seeing a church established there.

In his last meeting with the Ephesian elders, the leaders he would leave behind to pastor that church, he expressed his concern to them. This is recorded in the book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 20, verse 27. Paul says to the Ephesian leaders...

Church, this is his last meeting with them before he departed. He says, "I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among you, which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the Church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood."

He says to the Ephesian leaders, the elders of the church, "For I know this: that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." There are going to be false teachers, savage wolves, he says—wolves in sheep's clothing—that are going to come into the church. They are going to disrupt and destroy. He also warns that from among yourselves, the leaders of the church at Ephesus whom Paul had invested in and raised up, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. Some of you leaders will think that this church is all about you, and you will lead some of the people in the church away to follow after you instead of following after Jesus. You will draw away disciples after yourselves.

Therefore, watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

After he had planted the church in Ephesus, Paul gathered the leaders together and said, "I am committing this work of the church here in Ephesus to you, but I have this great fear that after I leave, there will be wolves who come in and disrupt and destroy." He had already seen that; he saw it when he planted churches in the region called Galatia. He had seen it when he planted churches in Greece, in the city of Corinth. He knew that there would be forces working against the church.

Then he left and was gone for about six years. When he returned, he found that the very thing he had feared had happened. The church was off course; they were not where they should be in their walk with Jesus. As we have already considered while going through First Timothy, he looked to his associate Timothy, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, and said, "Listen, you're going to stay here. I'm going to leave you here to try and set in order the things that are out of order, to get this church that is off course back on course."

In First Timothy chapter 1, verse 3, he says, "As I urged you, Timothy, when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables, nor endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith."

Timothy, you're going to stay here, and you're going to get this church back on track in right sound doctrine. That was his call to Timothy, and now he continues that instruction. In 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 6, his encouragement to Timothy is this: "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ."

I went back this last week and looked at my previous notes on this passage of Scripture. The first time I taught this passage, 1 Timothy chapter 4, was on October 24th, 1999—18 years, 3 months, and 11 days ago. For 954 Sundays, this is basically what I've done every Sunday, whether it's been here at Cross-Connection Church or wherever the Lord has taken me. I have had the privilege of speaking forth the Word of God to the people of God for the growth of the church in the Philippines, in Africa, in Germany, and in various places throughout Europe.

For the last 954 Sundays, effectively, this is what I've done: give forth the Word of God to the people of God for the equipping of the church and the building up of the body of Christ. I have dedicated my life to doing that work, and until Jesus calls me home, that's what I plan to do. My hope is to continue to do these things, and when He does call me home, my hope is that I will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into that which is prepared for you." That’s what I want to hear Him say: "Well done, good and faithful servant." I want to be a good minister of Jesus Christ.

I remember saying the same thing back in October of 1999 to the junior highers who were just about fifty feet that way. I said, as I was going through this passage, "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you'll be a good minister of Jesus Christ." I looked back in my notes, and sure enough, I had written, "I want to be a good minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to do what He's called me to do."

Sadly, we see in the church at Ephesus, and throughout church history, that there have been those we would account as bad ministers. Paul is calling Timothy to be a good minister, but it's in contrast to those who were bad ministers—those who had come into the church at Ephesus.

Every church has faced division, with some calling people to follow after them instead of following after Christ. We know from history and from Scripture that there are those who would be called bad ministers—people who have given heed to fables and endless genealogies. These individuals were teaching what Paul labels as doctrines of demons in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. They were speaking lies in hypocrisy; they were wolves in sheep's clothing.

While there are bad ministers, we should strive to be good ministers. Paul calls upon Timothy in 1 Timothy, and we will see it again when we get into 2 Timothy at the end of this year. He urges Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, to do the work of an evangelist, and to preach the word. In 2 Timothy 4:1, Paul instructs him to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine."

Why is this important? Because there will come a time when people will reject sound doctrine and will heap up for themselves teachers who will tickle their ears, as Paul says. So, while there will be bad ministers, Timothy, you must commit yourself to preaching the word and being ready in season and out of season. This way, you may be commended by Christ as a good minister of the gospel.

Even if you never stand before a group of people to preach a Bible study—something that might be your worst fear—you should still desire, just as Timothy did and just as I do, to be a good minister of Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, you should desire to be a good minister because that word "minister" can also be translated as "servant." It comes from the Greek word "diakonos," from which we get the English word "deacon."

All Christians, if you are a follower of Jesus, should desire to hear Jesus one day say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," even if you are not in a ministry overseeing people. This should be a desire of your heart. Why should it be your desire? I can think of at least three reasons why this should be a desire for you as a follower of Jesus. First, you should desire to be a good servant of Jesus Christ because God called you, saved you, and has commissioned you to this task.

God has called you to be His follower and His servant. He has commissioned you and me to that task. We have several commissioning statements of Jesus in the Gospels, and they are always given to disciples. A disciple is a follower and imitator of Jesus. So, if you're a Christian today, you're a disciple. The commissions of Jesus are not for a select few; they are for all Christians. We are called to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all things that Jesus commanded us. This is found in Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20. That commission is for all Christians, not just for the select few identified as pastors or elders.

In addition to the commission in Matthew 28, there is also the commission in Mark chapter 16, verse 15, which instructs us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Luke chapter 24, verses 46 through 47, tells us to go and preach this gospel, this good news of repentance, to all people, beginning where we are and going out from there. Furthermore, in John chapter 20, verse 21, Jesus says, "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you." Therefore, Jesus has commissioned us to be His servants, and we should want to be good servants and good ministers of Jesus because God has commissioned us to it.

Secondly, we should want to be good ministers of Jesus Christ and good servants of Jesus because we have been given gifts by God to do so. He has equipped us with what we call spiritual gifts to be good ministers in His name and good servants of Christ. As Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 10, "As each one of you has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We should show God our gratitude and gratefulness for the gifts He has given us. Therefore, we should be good stewards of the gifts that He has entrusted to us.

In showing Him our gratitude, we endeavor to be good ministers. A third reason we should desire to be good ministers of Jesus Christ is that He will reward us for our faithfulness in serving Him.

Good ministers are essential within the church. However, some teach that it is wrong for us to desire rewards for being good servants of Jesus. We need to understand that Jesus did not teach this. While some churches might promote this idea, Jesus actually taught the exact opposite. He encouraged us to serve Him with the expectation of a reward.

On several occasions, He appeals to our desire for reward. Virtually everything we do on a daily basis is motivated by some sort of reward. We are ultimately rather self-seeking, and Jesus understands this reality about us. He even calls us to serve Him, in part, to receive our reward. In Matthew chapter 25, verse 21, He shares a great story about those who serve for His name's sake. The Lord will say to that servant who has done well, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

This illustrates how He appeals to our desire for reward and encourages us to be good servants because He will reward those who serve well.

Point number one on your outline is that all Christians have been saved, called, commissioned, and gifted for service—not just those with titles or positions within the church. All Christians are called to be good servants, and we should desire to hear Him say one day, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

If this is the case, how can you and I be good ministers and servants of Jesus? I believe that Paul, in 1 Timothy chapter 4, verses 6 through 11, provides us with some indications and ideas about how we can be good servants.

In 1 Timothy 4:6, he states, "If you instruct the brethren, the church, in these things, you will be a good minister, a good servant of Jesus Christ." Good servants of Jesus Christ are nourished in the words of faith and of good doctrine.

Point number two on your outline is that good ministers are nurtured by a good diet of God's Word. Good servants and good ministers are nurtured by...

A good diet of God's Word is essential. You will never grow to be a strong servant of Christ without a well-balanced diet of God's Word. When I say a well-balanced diet of God's Word, I mean more than just hearing the good word of God taught for 40 minutes on a Sunday morning. That's good, but not sufficient. If you had one good meal a week, you would be malnourished, and you'd also be rather cranky, to be quite honest with you.

The same is true in our walk with Jesus. As good servants of Jesus Christ, we will not be strong servants if we are only receiving nourishment from His Word just one time a week. We need to be those who are seeking to be fed by the Scriptures and to grow by the Scriptures every single day. This is why Paul, in this passage, will go on to say in 1 Timothy chapter 4, at the end of the passage, "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."

Throughout 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul keeps hammering home this concept to Timothy and to the church at Ephesus that they need to be committed to taking in the Word of God. "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." Skip down to verse 15: "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them." Skip down to verse 16: "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine; continue in them."

I already quoted it, but in 1 or 2 Timothy chapter 3 and 4, he says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is useful in our lives for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man or woman of God would be thoroughly equipped, ready for every good work." Therefore, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine."

So, Paul is calling Timothy, as the pastor of the church at Ephesus, and thereby calling the church at Ephesus to be committed to taking in the Scriptures, the Word of God, consistently and with regularity. Why is a well-balanced diet of God's Word so important? We could go endlessly through the Scriptures to build the case, but one of the passages that I find really helpful and important in giving us some insight into why the Word of God is so important is found in the Psalms.

Turn to about the middle of your Bible, and you will probably find yourself around the middle of the Psalms. The very middle of the Bible is, I believe, Psalm 117. So, turn to the middle of your Bible and find Psalm 19.

Psalm 19 is a psalm of David, written three thousand years ago by the great king of Israel and the great psalmist of Israel. He speaks about God's Word in a very poetic and beautiful manner. In Psalm 19, verse 7, he says, "The law of the Lord"—a synonym for the Word of God—"is perfect, converting the soul."

The testimony of the Lord, another synonym for the Word of God, "is sure, making wise the simple." The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandments of the Lord are pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb. Moreover, by them, the Word of God, is your servant warned, and in keeping of them, there is great reward.

God's Word converts the soul, makes wise the simple, and rejoices the heart. If you have a heavy heart today, there are many heavy things going on in the church this last week. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with throat cancer, and a friend, who has been a solid part of our church for many years, Tad Ambrose, was injured very badly at work and is still in a coma over at Palomar Hospital. There are lots of heavy things happening. Tad's wife called me the other day to talk, and I reminded her to focus on what is right before her eyes and to ensure that the Word of God is right before her eyes. It rejoices the heart, is pure, and enlightens the eyes, opening eyes that have been blinded.

The Word of God is important; it is essential to our growth. Good ministers—those who will hear Jesus one day say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"—are those who are nurtured by a good diet of God's Word. This is essential.

In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is tempted by the devil in what we call the temptation of Christ. The first temptation has to do with food. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and was hungry. The enemy comes to Him and says, "Command these stones to be turned into bread." Certainly, that would be a temptation when you're hungry. Jesus has the power, the authority, and the ability, as God incarnate, to command stones to be turned into bread. If I could turn stones into bread, that would be...

Be a fun trip! What was Jesus's response to the temptation of the devil in Matthew chapter 4? He responds using the Word of God from Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 3. He says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

God's Word is food for our souls, especially, and the good servant of God will be one who is thoroughly nourished by the good Word of God. I am grateful that many of you are committed to taking in the Word of God daily on a regular basis. It is a part of your life because you know that 40 minutes on a Sunday is not sufficient. It is good, but not sufficient. We try to make it something that you can work with every single day.

One of the tools that we make available is the listening plan. Every single morning, a passage of Scripture will be sent to you, whether through the podcast app or in your email, where you can listen to the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. This way, God's Word can be a part of your life.

You may not realize this, but some of you are signed up for this. Do you realize that because that email goes out, I can actually track who opens it? I can see who clicks on it, and I know there are a number of your names on there because you go and consume the Word of God every single day. Don't worry; I'm not keeping an eye on it, but I could. It's like the NSA—we got you! But it doesn't matter if I know; God knows. God sees, and we will be malnourished. We will not be able to face the trials and difficulties of the day and do so with the right mindset without the Word of God transforming our minds.

To be a good minister, we need to be those who are nurtured by a good diet of God's Word. Paul continues in 1 Timothy 4. Look at verse 6: "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed."

Point number three: Our good ministers carefully follow good doctrine. A good servant of Jesus Christ is nourished in God's Word by reading it, memorizing it, meditating upon it, and studying it. We should do all of that: read, study...

Memorizing and meditating on God's Word is essential so that we may apply it, live it out, and make it a part of our lives. The story of the temptation of Jesus in Matthew chapter 4 reveals that Satan knows God's Word very well. The devil, Satan, and demons know the Bible. There are people who know the Bible intellectually; they've read it and studied it. Some have committed their entire lives to knowing the Bible. However, it is clear that one can know what the Bible says and not actually do it or apply it in their life.

To be good ministers, we need to carefully follow the doctrines we study and read. How do we apply these teachings? By believing and doing the things that the Scriptures teach and command. What does that look like? The Bible teaches us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that if you are a Christian today, if you are a follower of Jesus, anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. God has completely and radically transformed those who put their trust in Him from the inside. He begins with a new heart. Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 26, says that God would give us a new heart. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new.

In Colossians, we are told that now, being in Christ, we need to walk in Him. We need to begin to live out that life-altering transformation that is taking place within us. It needs to work out from us. What does that look like? To live and apply it, we need to believe the things that the Bible teaches and do the things that the Bible commands, by the Spirit of God and by the grace of God at work in us. We need to work these things out.

If you're still in 1 Timothy, just turn to the left a few books to Ephesians. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians—just a little bit to the left to Ephesians chapter 4. I love how practical Ephesians chapter 4 gets about living out what we're learning in the Bible. In Ephesians chapter 4, we will pick it up at verse 20. Paul says to the church at Ephesus...

The same church that Timothy is pastoring says, "But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him." Have you been taught by the Word of God, by the Word of Christ? If that's you, he says this in verse 22: "Put off concerning your former conduct the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your

If you have a foul mouth, stop it by the Spirit of God and by His power. Fulfill the command to speak that which is good for necessary edification, building up that it may impart grace to the hearers. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

This is very practical. We apply the good doctrine and carefully walk in the good doctrine that we've been taught. When we do the things that the Bible commands, we should not lie but speak the truth. We should not steal; instead, we should get a job and give to those in need. We should not be angry or malicious, nor should we speak evil of others. Instead, we should have tender-heartedness and forgiveness for one another. These are the things that the Scriptures call us to do, and by God's grace and power, you have the Spirit of God in you to do these things.

This week, we have the ability, and good ministers carefully follow good doctrine. They are nurtured by a steady and rich diet of God's Word. This is found in 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7. In verse 6, it says that if you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the word of faith and in the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

In verse 7, it instructs us to reject profane and old wives' fables. This is a much-discussed and debated proposition in the text by commentators and Bible teachers. If you read biblical commentary on 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7, there is a lot of discussion and disagreement on exactly what it means to reject profane and old wives' fables. Paul does not clearly tell us what he means by this phrase. Presumably, the doctrines of demons that he mentioned in 1 Timothy chapter 4, verses 1 through 5, would be accounted as profane and old wives' fables. Perhaps the teachings against marriage and the call to abstain from certain foods, also mentioned in the previous section of 1 Timothy chapter 4, would be considered profane and old wives' fables. Clearly, there were ideas and teachings that were circulating.

The church at Ephesus, which Paul and Timothy were addressing, was accounting certain teachings as profane and akin to old wives' fables. We don't know exactly what those teachings were, but I would be bold enough to say that any wisdom, teaching, or ideology that does not align with or cannot be substantiated by the Scriptures is better rejected than received. It is better to reject such teachings than to hold on to, respect, or accept them.

Teachings and ideologies within the church that do not align with the Bible may not always have an exact Scripture reference, but they need to correspond with the principles and teachings found in the Bible. If they do not, then I say they are not worth my time or attention. On more than a few occasions, I have had well-meaning brothers and sisters approach me with questions like, "Pastor Myles, what do you think about keeping kosher?" or "Pastor Myles, what do you think about observing the Sabbath?" or "Pastor Myles, what do you think about blood moons?"

My response often elicits a strange look from them. When they ask about keeping kosher, I say, "I don't." They look at me funny and rephrase the question, but I clarify that I don't think about those things. I don't spend a lot of time considering those topics because I don't see any clear biblical call to do so; in fact, I see quite the opposite. Therefore, I simply don't dwell on those matters.

The New American Commentary on this passage states that some false teachings are best ignored rather than discussed. This leads to point number four: good ministers don't get distracted by dumb doctrines. That's right, I said it. Good ministers do not allow themselves to be sidetracked by trivial doctrines. I will tell you that there are many Christians and churches that get sidelined from the mission tasks that God has called them to, both individually and corporately, by being distracted by a plethora of topics that might be fun to discuss or interesting to debate. However, at the end of the day, these distractions are just that—distractions.

It has been striking to me that on several occasions, someone has come to me wanting to debate a secondary theological issue while they are living in an adulterous affair. I will just very clearly say that I don't engage in those discussions.

I understand why you want to argue with me about this theology. Your life is in a difficult place, so let's work on the reality that you are in sin. Maybe once you are walking in righteousness, we can discuss this matter. Clearly, this issue has distracted you from walking in righteousness before God. Your household is a mess, your life is a mess, and you want to argue with me about whether or not the Sabbath is important. I'm not sure that you're focusing on the right thing.

If you want to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," then perhaps you should not be distracted by this issue that is clearly a distraction. Good ministers do not get distracted by unimportant doctrines. It's okay to flat-out reject things that do not clearly line up with the Bible.

As Paul continues in 1 Timothy 4:7, "But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." Just as there is no falling into physical health, you are not going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly realize, "Oh my goodness, I put on 12 pounds of muscle in one night." You will not fall into physical health, although we certainly would like to. I guarantee you there are some advertisements on Facebook that tell you it's possible.

In much the same way that you will not fall into physical health, there is no such thing as stumbling into godliness. It requires effort; it requires exercise. Exercise implies regularity; it implies routine. Here, Paul says that bodily exercise profits little. Do not misunderstand him; he is not saying that bodily exercise has no profit. Clearly, there is earthly profit and physical health to be found in bodily exercise. However, bodily exercise has a temporary reward, while exercising yourself toward godliness has both an earthly and a heavenly reward.

Realize that this body will not go into eternity. Thank God! Some people are intent on making their bodies look like gods, but listen, it is only earthly. It will not be like this in heaven.

An amazing thing is that Americans, on average, spend fifty billion dollars on fitness. That's almost a billion dollars a week on fitness. If we spent a tenth of our energy, effort, and assets on godliness, how radically different would the church be? I imagine it would be a little bit different.

So, what are godly exercises? We've already talked about some of them. Some examples include Bible reading, Bible memorization, Bible meditation, prayer, fasting, giving, charity, and service. Those are certainly some things, but there are other godly exercises as well. We should work out to be more like Christ, practicing grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, self-control, kindness, humility, and honesty. By God's grace, we should exercise humility and honesty, telling the truth and being kind to people. These are the things that we should give effort to.

Point number five on your outlines is that good ministers exert effort to be more like God. One of my favorite passages, which I return to often, is Philippians chapter 2, verse 12. It says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," knowing that it is God who is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure. So, God works, and we work in concert together. We are working this out. God saved you, transformed you, and put a new heart in you, and we need to work out that salvation with some energy involved in it, exerting some effort to work it out.

This is a profitable endeavor, more profitable than physical exercise. Exerting the effort to be more like Christ is essential. Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:9, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance." It is my hope to one day hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into this reward prepared for you." That should be a desire for you as well, for us to hear Him say, "Well done, good servant." Good ministers are nurtured by a good diet of God's Word.

Good ministers carefully follow good doctrine; they apply the Scriptures. Good ministers don't get distracted by foolish doctrines, and they exert effort to become more like God. By His grace, may He enable us to be good ministers.

This weekend, would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father, we need Your grace to run this race that we are in. Lord, we thank You that You have not left us orphans. You have not left us unable to do these things, these commands, these calls that You have given to us. It is not something that we can accomplish by our own strength and power. It is not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit. You promised that You would give us the indwelling Spirit to empower us to walk in a way that brings glory to You.

So, Holy Spirit, I pray that You would enable us today and this week to be humble, to be kind, to have self-control, to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be gracious, and to be loving and merciful. Lord, give us Your strength to look to Your Word on a regular basis, every single day, and to pattern our lives after the things that we are commanded to do in the Scriptures.

God, give us Your grace. Give us Your Spirit, and I pray that it would be evident to us individually. Let it be evident to our families and to the people we go to school with or work with that You are at work in us. May our light so shine that people would see our good works and glorify You. God, do a work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.