How to Serve with Excellence

How to Serve with Excellence (1 Timothy 4:6-10)

this evening we're going to look at how to serve God with excellence
within each of our hearts is a desire to serve God and make an eternal difference
the fact is that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a full-time minister
I don't care if you're male or female, what you do for a living, how old you are - the Bible says that you are a servant of Jesus Christ
the Bible uses many words to talk about this
in 1 Timothy 4:6, Paul uses the word "servant"
the Greek word is diakonos - the one that is used to describe a deacon
I don't think Paul is talking about deacons here
he's talking about anyone who serves in any ministry on Christ's behalf
he's talking about you
if you're like me, you want your life to count
you want what you do to last not just during this lifetime but for eternity
you want to stand up before God one day and see that your life has made a heavenly impact
1 Timothy 4:6 reads:
(1 Timothy 4:6) If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
you will be a noble, admirable, excellent servant of Jesus Christ
the question is, how are we going to be evaluated in our service to God?
how are we going to fulfill our function in serving him?
one day we're all going to stand before him
I want to hear one day that "Well done, good and faithful servant" that he's promised to those who serve him in an excellent way
once a year, the chairman of the board and the chairman of property and finance meet in my office and evaluate my service over the previous year
it's only happened once, and I'm still here, so you know that I survived the last and only time this happened
but how do they evaluate me?
I think they look at my pulpit ministry - whether or not my preaching has been faithful to the Word, interesting, relevant, and applicable
I think they look at my leadership - whether I'm providing the sort of leadership needed for the church to move ahead
they probably look at my work habits and personal example
probably also the intangibles such as people skills and what they perceive to be my strengths and weaknesses
but a far more important evaluation takes place every day
every day God evaluates my ministry and effectiveness
I care so much more about his evaluation than anyone else
how can I serve him with excellence?
Paul tells us how in this passage
tonight I want to look at four principles that set apart excellent servants
if you want to serve God with excellence, these are four principles that you need to follow
they relate especially to pastors and those in church leadership, but they have to do with everyone
QUALITY ONE: EXCELLENT SERVANTS WARN PEOPLE OF ERROR AND AVOID ERROR THEMSELVES
(1 Timothy 4:6) If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
in the first five verses of this chapter, Paul has warned against some of the errors that were problems in the church of that time
as you might have picked up, some of these problems have never gone away
they're problems in the church today
if you are to serve with excellence - no matter what your role - you will need to warn other people when you see them encountering errors and false teachings today
the word "explain" or "point out" in verse 6 is a mild one - it means to suggest or remind
it's not a word used of commanding people or bullying them
it simply talks about gentle, humble persuasion - something we can all do
what are we to point out?
well, I think that Paul is talking about the false teaching that he just covered in the preceding verses
in our case, the false teaching might have changed
but one thing has not changed: we are to warn others of the unbiblical, demonic doctrines purveyed by false teachers
and the best way to deal with satanic false teaching is - how? to be strong in the Word of God
I wonder if you could tell me what you think are some of the areas in which the church today is dealing with false teaching
[open for discussion]
there is a tendency today to see doctrine as boring
we have perhaps begun to drift towards convinctionless preaching, watered-down teaching, and we've begun to favor application over truth
a lot of us have trouble drawing the line clearly between truth and error
for instance, quite honestly, how many of us have been unable to defend what we believe to an honest skeptic?
how many of us are scared to death of a cult coming to our door because we're not sure we know how to defend our beliefs?
how many of us don't know how to deal with popular religious books today that are contrary to Scripture - books like the Celestine Prophecy?
if we are to serve with excellence, we need to begin by knowing the truth, and being capable of warning others when we see error
(Acts 17:11 NLT) And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.
you need to discern error and be willing to warn others when you see it
(1 Timothy 4:7) Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
Paul refers to "godless ideas and old wives' tales"
the phrase, "old wives' tales" has made its way into the English language as something cooked up and believed by certain people without much basis in reality
far from being sexist, this phrase actually came from the fact that women in Paul's day were denied educational opportunities
as a result, within philosophical systems of that day, certain viewpoints would gain credibility among the uneducated
but no right thinking person would ever waste time even considering these viewpoints
so Paul says, "have nothing to do with these"
his wording is strong
completely reject these teachings
put them away
they are not holy teachings; they are the opposite
they are silly, foolish myths that are the doctrines of demons
Ed talked two weeks ago about what some of these ideas were
in Ephesus, a false teaching developed which said that matter was bad
the soul is good; the body is evil
as a result, the God who created matter was not good, because contact with matter would have contaminated him
these people were saying that creation was inherently evil, and they were arguing against enjoying everything that God had created
and Paul said resoundingly, "No!"
he said that these teachings were demonic in their origin
Paul could see through their false teachings
a lot of people in churches today are more concerned with maintaining the peace than in recognizing and confronting error
get to the point where you can see error for what it is
develop discernment
and when you see error within the church, have nothing to do with it
have the courage to call it what it is, and get away!
quality number two is related
QUALITY TWO: EXCELLENT SERVANTS ARE EXPERT STUDENTS OF SCRIPTURE
(1 Timothy 4:6) If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
an excellent minister, according to this passage, is "constantly nourished on the words of the faith and the sound doctrine which you have been following"
he or she is fed with the message of faith and the true teaching
it's a topic of study for them
not only is it a source for teaching and preaching, but it's something that is food for their very souls
it's not a task or a chore for them to study the Word of God
it's necessary for their own spiritual health
when I was a boy we had a dog
I still remember finishing our steaks and saving the t-bones to toss to the dog after dinner
then, for hours on end, our dog would suspend her schedule and devote the next half a day to getting every ounce of meat and nourishment from that bone
this is a picture of how we should be approaching the Scripture
as a dog chews a bone, we chew over every morsel of God's precious truth for our own nourishment
and an excellent servant is not merely a good programmer, communicator, or whatever - they are good students of Scripture
William Tyndale was a 16th century reformer and Bible translator
in prison shortly before he was martyred, he wrote a letter to his governor-in-chief in which he asked for:
- ...a warmer cap, a candle, a piece of cloth to patch my leggings...But above all, I beseech and entreat your clemency to be urgent with the Procurer so that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew Dictionary, so that I may spend time with that in study.
in verse 6, Paul says that the excellent minister needs to be constantly nourished
it is a continual experience of being nourished over and over again
the phrase "the words of the faith" of course refer to Scripture
we must know the Word of God, inside and out
to become experts in what it teaches
"sound doctrine" is teaching that is firmly rooted in the Word of God - not human systems of interpretation
to be excellent servants, we need to be excellent students of the Word of God
we cannot give out what we are not taking in
QUALITY THREE: EXCELLENT SERVANTS ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCIPLINED
(1 Timothy 4:7) Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
(1 Timothy 4:8) For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
(1 Timothy 4:9) This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance
a new gym opened up near my house recently
in the mail, I received a coupon for the first year's membership fee
right away I figured out that the membership fee would only be a small portion of what I would have to pay, and I was right
even though I already belong to a gym, I still decided to go check it out
I liked what I saw
it was a fairly high-pressured sales pitch, and fairly insulting to my current gym
but one thing came across pretty clearly: if you're not interested in getting into shape, don't join this gym
if you're going to be one of those people who just join and never work out, we don't want you
we're for people who are serious about getting into shape, and just to prove it we have a serious monthly due that you'll have to pay to join us
I left appreciating the fact that I could also be serious about working out at my cheaper gym, but I appreciated their no-nonsense attitude
we are a culture that is serious about physical fitness
in Ephesus when Paul wrote, there was a gymnasium, as in every Greek city
youths customarily spent a lot of time from the ages of 16-18 in physical training
there was a great emphasis on physical training and athletic pursuits
but Paul takes the same picture and applies it spiritually
instead of working out just to get a better body, work out - discipline yourself - for the purpose of godliness
while physical fitness brings limited benefits for a limited amount of time, spiritual fitness brings great benefits for all of time and eternity
as in physical fitness, Paul uses the present tense - continually do this
train your inner man for godliness
the word godliness means reverence, piety, and true spiritual virtue
it is a right attitude and response to God
it is a healthy respect for God, and it costs
as an athlete has to rigorously prepare for athletic contests, so we need to discipline ourselves to be godly men and women
our physical health - no matter how great - is still susceptible to disease and injury
but if you have spiritual health, it will sustain you no matter what you go through
but the key, according to verse 7, is discipline
the word speaks of the rigorous, strenuous, self-sacrificing training that an athlete undergoes
in other passages, Paul compares us to soldiers and athletes
the discipline that is necessary to win a war or to win an athletic contest is necessary in our spiritual lives
a lack of spiritual discipline leads many into sin
if we fail to spend time in the Word, prayer, and in sacrificial service, we'll never make it to spiritual excellence
if we ignore the spiritual disciplines, taught throughout the ages, we'll be sunk
we must discipline ourselves for godliness
this is so important that Paul says in verse 8:
(1 Timothy 4:9) This is true, and everyone should accept it.
it is a self-evident, obvious, axiomatic statement
excellent servants warn people of error, avoid error themselves
they're expert students of Scripture, and they discipline themselves for godliness
I would challenge you: what are you doing to develop yourself spiritually?
if you're getting most of your spiritual food from other people, you're not going to make it to excellence
if you aren't living in the Word of God, in solitude, in prayer, and in journaling - you'll be limited in your effectiveness for God
QUALITY FOUR: EXCELLENT SERVANTS ARE HARD WORKERS
(1 Timothy 4:10) (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
a ministry of excellence is a demanding calling
it takes hard work
the reason it's hard work is because the implications are eternal
with the stakes so high, the costs of serving are incredibly demanding
Paul uses two words in verse 10: "work hard" which means to work to the point of weariness and exhaustion
the other word he uses is "strive" or "suffer much" which is the source of our English word "agony"
it means to engage in a struggle
your ministry, if it is going to be effective, will mean hard work to the point of weariness, as well as some suffering and struggling
Henry Martyn, missionary to India, exclaimed, "Now let me burn out for God"
the missionary to the American Indians, David Brainerd, was dead before he was thirty as a result of his hard work for the Gospel
J. Oswald Sanders wrote, "If he is unwilling to pay the price of fatigue for his leadership, it will always be mediocre...True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the whole man, and the more effective the leadership is, the higher the price to be paid."
there is a cost
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11 of the beatings he experienced, the imprisonments, the times he was naked and without food
he talked about the danger he faced from those who said they were Christians but were not
he talked about shivering from the cold, without enough clothing to keep him warm
and then he said:
(2 Corinthians 11:28 NLT) Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along.
Paul knew what it meant to suffer
and if you want to serve with excellence, you have to be prepared for hard work and sacrifice as well
why work so hard?
two reasons
"...because we have fixed our hope on the living God..."
in other words, because we're seeing life in the light of eternity
we've been saved in hope, and therefore live according to that hope
we serve God because we are beginning to see the world through God's eyes
and secondly, because God "is the Savior of all men, especially of believers"
this passage talks about God being the Savior of all men
this could refer to God's activity in temporally saving everyone by protecting them, sustaining them, and delivering them from calamities
or it could refer to the fact that God wants everyone to be saved
God is the Savior of all, but his salvation is effective for those who believe in him
when we begin to see earth from heaven's perspective, and when we begin to see other people from God's perspective, we'll capture a sense of urgency
I heard a pastor speak on my study break
he frequently travels to other cities
as he's landing at night, he often looks out the airplane window at the lights of the city, and he sees the lights of the cars as they drive along the highway
and he thinks of the millions of people in that city that are lost and bound for hell
he thinks of the words of Jesus when he looked over a city and wept:
(Matthew 23:37 NLT) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me...
and this pastor is driven by a sense of urgency
peoples' eternities are in the balance
and that's what drives him to work hard, knowing that if he's strong and steady, always abounding in God's work, nothing that he does for the Lord will ever be in vain
I wonder if you've ever seen Toronto through God's eyes
I wonder if you have ever driven to church through Etobicoke and realized that God wants to save every single person you see
we don't understand the mysteries of election, but God's desire is that not one of them should perish
have you cried?
have you captured a sense of urgency in doing God's work, because the stakes are eternal?
Richard Baxter, the seventeenth-century English Puritan, wrote:
- The ministerial work must be carried on diligently and laboriously, as being of such unspeakable consequence to ourselves and others. We are seeking to uphold the world, to save it from the curse of God, to perfect the creation, to attain the ends of Christ's death, to save ourselves and others from damnation, to overcome the devil, and demolish his kingdom, to set up the kingdom of Christ, and to attain and help others to the kingdom of glory. And are these works to be done with a careless mind, or a lazy hand? O see, then, that this work be done with all your might! Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow.
hard work is necessary for the servant who wants to serve with excellence - who sees this world through heaven's eyes
I return from my study break and from speaking at a camp enthused, encouraged, and ready to move
I'm excited by what God is going to do at Richview during the coming year
let me tell you, I'm ready to recognize error when I see it, to warn you about it
I'm ready to apply myself to become an excellent student of the Word of God
I'm all set to discipline myself for godliness
I want to see our task here from a heavenly perspective, and to give myself flat out in the coming year to do what God wants me to do
in short, I want to be an excellent servant
my question is, are you, by God's help, going to join me?
are you prepared to pay the price of being one who serves God with excellence?
no matter what it costs, are you ready to sign up to be the kind of servant who one day hears God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?

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How to Serve with Excellence (1 Timothy 4:6-10)