1 Timothy 6:11 – The Higher Standard (2010) – Bible study

1Timothy 6:11 The Higher Standard Without doubt, Paul is writing to Timothy and encouraging him in the ministry. The books of Timothy are called Pastoral Epistles, meaning they give special helps to the preacher boys. Even so, this book is not a preacher-exclusive book. Notice: 1Tim 6:1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke. Paul is speaking not only to preachers but to anyone who serves. Hence, there is counsel in here for any servant, pastor or layman, full-time or volunteer. It is a book of contrast. Several times in this book, Paul hinted that there were some who wanted to undermine Gods truth \#1Tim 1:6-7, 4:1-3\. In \#1Tim 6:4-5\, he does all but give their names as he describes them so clearly that those who knew them could probably pick out who they were even without their names. 1. Their naturePROUD \#1Tim 6:4\. 2. Their knowledgeKNOWS NOTHING \#1Tim 6:4\. 3. Their strategyDOTING ABOUT QUESTIONS AND STRIFES OF WORDS \#1Tim 6:4\. 4. Their resultsproducing ENVY, STRIFE, RAILINGS, EVIL SURMISINGS, PERVERSE DISPUTINGS \#1Tim 6:4-5\. 5. Their followers are described as DESTITUTE OF THE TRUTH, SUPPOSING THAT GAIN IS GODLINESS \#1Tim 6:5\. 6. Paul even tells Timothy how to deal with these vain janglers-WITHDRAW THYSELF \#1Tim 6:5\. However, Paul had much the opposite in mind for Timothy and his ministry. He points Timothy in a different direction with three BUTs \#1Tim 6:6, 9, 11\. We dont have the time to look at all of these, but lets note a few thing to which Paul draws Timothys attention. I. \#1Tim 6:11\ Paul speaks to the Man of God. A. Notice that title, MAN OF GOD. 1. It denotes everything that is opposite of the type of vain janglers Paul has been describing. 2. From the context alone, we could surmise that a true man of God is humble, knowledgeable, teaches the Word of God to produce like servants of Christ who have the truth and power of God! B. Notice the Man of Gods commandments: FLEE and FOLLOW. 1. Timothy is commanded to FLEE that type of lifestyle. a. Someand based on reality TV, maybe even mostlive lives which are egotistical, selfish, violent, filled with greed and graft. b. That goes for preachers, as well, as well as the everyday Joe. c. The Man of God will FLEE this field of endless debate. 2. Rather, Timothy is commanded to FOLLOW after seven qualities. a. All of these are in contrast to the vain jangler. b. Some of them are elaborated upon a little. II. \#1Tim 6:11-12\ Seven tasks for the Man of God. A. Follow righteous. 1. To be righteous is to be right. a. There is no doubt that to be right and to stay right is a difficult goal, but it should be the desire of every believer. b. Those who can learn how to get right and stay right win to themselves a good life on earth and rewards before God. 2. There are three areas where a Christian needs to maintain a right relationship. a. We must be right before God. (1) It is Gods desire that we "sin not." (2) Thankfully, God sets a high mark but is gracious to forgive. (3) Even so, the standard is to be right with God at all times. b. We must be right before our fellow man. (1) Fellow men are the exact reverse of God. (a) They set lower standards. (b) But they are more stingy with forgiveness. (2) So again, we have a high standard to maintain. c. We must be right in our actions. (1) Even when there is no one else around, we must still do right. (2) We have all heard the expression that character is what you are in the dark, and that is a true statement. 3. Contrast the goal of being right in our actions, with others, and with God to the attitudes people exhibit today. a. What do people today want to be? (1) They want to be on top. (2) They want to be wealthy. (3) They want to be happy. b. Seeking the things that most people are seeking will never provide peace or happiness. (You might get wealthy looking to do so but it wont be worth having.) 4. Understand that there are two kinds of righteousness that have two different sources. a. Before God, we must have given righteousness. (1) We will never be right before God on our merit. (2) This kind of righteousness comes only through the work of Jesus who imputes it to us. b. Before others, we must do right to be right. (1) The success of a Christian life is to rightly understand what we must receive and what we must work for. (2) You must decide to do right and then do it. (a) Dont make any excuses. (b) Dont cop-out on our sin nature. (c) Dont talk about being weak. (d) Just get out there and do right. B. \#1Tim 6:6-11\ Be godly. 1. To be godly is to be god-like. a. Paul has mentioned godliness before. (1) \#1Tim 6:3\ Paul contrasted godliness to those whose ministry produces a flock that thinks gain is a measure of godliness. (2) There are a lot of preachers today who preach that message. b. It is interesting that Paul in this section teaches just the opposite! c. He is going to teach that godliness and contentment should be the goals of the Christian. 2. \#6\ Notice the plain statement that Paul makes. a. God teaches us to want little so that we can be thankful regardless of what we have. b. A discontented spirit may be necessary to get a head in the world of business and money (I really dont know), but if greed is what builds our drive to exceed, we will never be happy or content. 3. \#9\ Notice the power that riches have over us! a. The people given to them are described in an almost passive way. (1) "they fall." (2) "they drown" (3) What are they falling into? temptation, snares, foolish and harmful lusts (4) What are they drowned in? destruction and prediction b. Paul never says that HAVING money or riches is bad. He is saying that DESIRING is bad. (1) Having a love for money is a power that destroys, not just the soul of men, but their character and life as well. (2) One of the first things to go is spiritual desire. (3) Jesus warned us that worldly care and riches will choke our spiritual life to death! Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. c. So the question every child of God must ask and answer at some point in their life is, "What am I going to seek after? Riches or God?" (1) You can seek to be wealthy or you can seek to be godly. (2) Paul is implying that you cannot see to be both. C. Use faith 1. The importance of faith for the Man of God is obvious. a. We have pointed out that everything we know about God, we know by faith. b. Not a one of us can prove anything about God to a doubting mind because our beliefs are by faith. c. The bottom line-Faith is essential to anyone who is going to have any kind of walk with God. 2. However, I wonder if, in the context, faith is not being contrasted to knowledge here. a. \#1Tim 6:4\ These "vain janglers" thought they knew something when they actually knew nothing at all. b. I am reminded of the many today who think they know things. (1) The so-called scientist who thinks he knows enough to rule out Gods existence. (2) The so-called historian who thinks he knows enough to rewrite history without Gods presence or power. (3) The so-called sociologist who thinks he knows enough to call God a bad influence on society. (4) The so-called psychologist who thinks he knows enough to label God as a bad effect on the psyche. (5) The so-called politician who thinks he knows enough to rewrite the very laws of morality. c. It seems like everyone who is supposed to know anything thinks we can do fine without God. 3. I do not consider myself to be knowledgeable about very many things. a. When it comes to refuting this kind of knowledge, I do read some, and I try to use my mind to reason a bit. b. But when it all comes down to the final count, if we are Gods (1) we dont have to know everything, (2) we dont have to explain everything, (3) and we dont have to have an answer to everything. c. Sometimes we have to walk through the barrage set backs, problems, and even the dissimulation of false information with nothing but our faith. D. I am going to lump the next three items together – love, patience, and meekness. 1. I do not lump them together because of their lack of importance but because of my time limits and their similarity. 2. These three characters, which the man of God should seek after, have something in common. Namely, most men would not consider them important. a. It is interesting that these are often mentioned characteristics of a godly man and woman, yet most men think they are feminine qualities. b. Men, we cant be the man of God that He wants us to be without these characteristics. c. Both men and women have to be two sided. (1) I am firmly for men being men and women being women. (2) Even so, even the most delicate woman must have a toughness to her if she is to survive in this world. (That is not a modern-day change but it has always been that way.) (3) And just like women have to have a toughness to them, so men have to have a gentleness to them. (4) Men, you can call it being a sissy if you like, but if you think being a man is all macho and muscle, you are wrong and headed for trouble. 3. Paul encourages Timothy to be a true man of God by having three characteristics. a. Love (1) Let me give you a simple lesson. (2) Love is only good when it is given to people. (a) Love kept is worthless. (b) And love bestowed upon things is even worse. (3) A true man of God knows to love on the people that God brings into his life. b. Have patience (1) Kathy bought me a book the other day by Charles Stanley. (2) Its title is Surviving in an Angry World. (I wonder what she is telling me? (3) It is a book written in conjunction with a series of messages he is preaching. (4) I have only speed read the first couple of chapters but he makes the statement that our world is filled with angry peopleand he is right. (5) Sadly, there are a lot of short-tempered, anger people in this world who need to learn patience. (6) Let me tell you the first step to gaining patience. (a) It is deciding that you are going to. (b) No one is going to grow patience until they decide they are going to do. (7) Let me tell you the first action to gaining patience. (a) Determine that you are not going to let yourself off the hook when you lose you temper. (b) Find a way to chastise yourself. (c) One way, when you lose your temper, give whoever you lost your temper with, $100. (d) When you lose your temper with an inanimate object, give the $100 to your wife. (e) One of two things will happen. i. Either people will quit minding that you lose your temper. ii. You will gain patience very quickly. c. Be meek (1) Being meek is having rights that you do not demand. (2) A true man (or woman) of God cannot live for what is rightfully theirs. (3) They must live to be right. G. \#6:12\ Fight the good fight of faith"-That would include any thing left out at this point. This book presents a contrast between those who are "vain jangers" and the true men and women of God. You cannot be both. The question is, "Which are you?"