1tim6v20-21

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READ: 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-21 TEXT: v20-21 [Series 26]

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Paul brings his epistle to an end with the words/text
All good things come to and end and this letter is no different
It is very much a business type letter in keeping with its purpose
Although there are personal flashes here and there:
In 1:2 Paul describes Timothy as his son in the faith
Later on (2nd epistle) there are even more personal references:
He makes reference to Timothy’s mother and grandmother (1:5)
He makes reference to his early schooling/Bible (3:15)
But both letters are mainly business like letters
This is fitting when one pastor writes to another
Although there is room for sentiment in the work/God
(We are not professionals merely doing a job to earn money)
Yet the work of God cannot be run on sentimental grounds
Then last thing we need/want is a flabby, soft, type/Christianity
Therefore this epistle makes use of the picture/warfare (v12)
Of course, we can over the top (no pun intended!) and end up fighting with everyone and be hyper contentious
If we have not love (even in battle) – then we are as nothing
But we need to find a balance to be faithful to God
Both grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17)

This balance is to be observed in these closing verses
They are, in many ways, a microcosm of the whole epistle
Without any more ado – let’s observe 4 main final points:

1) THE FINAL APPEAL: O Timothy

A/ Here he appeals to the receiver/epistle by name
This should not be interpreted to mean that it is for no one else
Paul here wrote a letter – not a cheque!
We might, with equal validity, put our name in instead/Timothy’s
Always read the Bible like that
If this merely had been a personal letter/Timothy and no one else, then the Holy Spirit would not have led the early church to include this letter in the canon/Scripture
But what is written here is for us, as appropriate
Even if we are not in a pastoral position and never been ordained by the Presbytery (like Timothy: 4:14) yet there is plenty we can take from this epistle and apply to ourselves

B/ But the use of the personal name is significant, even with the wider application that we must make

[i] It indicates that God has a personal interest in us
Christ knows all his sheep by name and we respond to His love
Who can beat the tender scenes of John 20:15-20
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Please be assured that the Saviour has a personal interest in you
Bible has much to say to us as part of a group
Sometimes as part of the Universal Church of all ages
Sometimes as a local congregation (cp. Revelation 2/3)
Sometimes (sweetest/all) as individual Christians

[ii] It indicates also our personal, individual, responsibility
Let not a wider application to all mean that we will not individually and personally take on board what follows
While we may look round us to see who is seeking to do God’s will, so that we can draw encouragement both to them/us, yet let us never use the current climate to draw back any
Even if there is no one else – respond individually to this individual appeal to us by name
It is as individuals that we give an account of ourselves to God
What others did/did not do will be largely immaterial to us

Sometimes it is a pity: all we have is the cold print of a letter
Words are vital but they are accentuated by the tone/delivery
Had they been spoken – how would Paul have said “O Timothy”?
I cannot imagine myself to be too far out if I suggest that they almost burst out of the aged Apostle towards this young man
Paul is full of Christ and full of excitement as he writes
Perhaps he is conscious that his own race will soon be run
Certainly was in the next letter (2 Timothy 4:6)
Yet he has someone to pass the proverbial baton on to
It excites him – he is full of emotion as he does it

2) THE FINAL CHARGE:

A/ It is more than an appeal, although it has that element to it
Timothy must keep that which has been committed to his trust
The epistle has seen a number of things committed to his trust:

[i] The Gospel itself (1:11)
Never compromise on the gospel
If the gospel is lost – then sinners are lost (Romans 1:16)

[ii] His call to the ministry (1:18)
A man can make shipwreck of his ministry
A Christian cannot lose his soul (John 10:28) but he can lose his usefulness for God – and be forced to resign the ministry
Paul thanked God for his ministry (1:12) and so should Timothy
Let him then not lose it (4:16)

[iii] His charge to other men re: false doctrine (1:3)
Timothy had no right just to mind his own ministry
No man is an island – and certainly no minister
We must ever be encouraging other Christians to stay true
It matters not if this is popular or not
We are charged to do it, popular or not
If it is not the done thing – then make it the done thing

[iv] His charge to fight the good fight of faith (6:12-14)
True, there might sometimes be overlaps here, but nevertheless they do warrant an extra charge and it is included in our text

Evidently we need to be charged and charged and charged again
We are so apt to forget these things
Natural to grow weary in well doing
We are creatures who are slow to learn and quick to forget
If we are quick to run to the trumpet sound and present
ourselves forward as volunteers in the Lord’s army
Then we are just as quick either to desert or to lose the initial fire and zeal and slip back into a careless attitude

B/ Well, Paul started his epistle off with a charge (1:3)
It is fitting that he conclude on the same note

C/ Word keep is a strong word
Used by the Rich Young Ruler who said that he had kept all the commandments/youth up i.e. kept them scrupulously (Mark 10:20)

Used of the Shepherds/flocks in the field at night (Luke 2:8)

Used of the chains that bound the man/Gardara (Luke 8:29)

Best of all: Used of the Lord keeping His own people (John 17:12)

This is how the Lord wants us to keep these charges we have

D/ They have been committed to our trust
We are the trustees of this charge
Many years ago, the English CC team had to send to Australia the little urn the proverbial ashes were supposedly in
(Ashes don’t actually exist except in the public imagination) –
Problem: No insurance company would undertake the job
So they did something exceedingly bright!
They gave them to Prince Charles who was going to Australia
They charged him with their safe arrival
And between all the various security services - the job was done
We have something better than an urn full of imaginary ashes
We have the message/a dying, guilty world desperately needs
We need to see about keeping our charge
The English CC evidently trusted the Prince
In a very real sense, God trusts us as well with His word

He took the Apostles aside and charged them to preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15) and to disciple/nations
God gave the keys/Kingdom to Peter and the other disciples
You trust the man/folk you give your keys to
The Holy Spirit told the church/Antioch to separate Saul and Barnabas unto missionary work
He is still at it
Whether it be in a full time capacity or otherwise
God has given you the gospel
He has given you the facts of the gospel
He has given you the wherewithal to understand it
He has given you the desire to spread it
He has given you the opportunities to spread it
In our country – He has given you the liberties to spread it

Well- then keep the charge!
Don’t lose it either by choice or by default
The night is coming when no man can work (John 9:4)
Imagine some folk charged with a particular job, but they laze around or get waylaid with other matters and run out of time!
Many a time, I said that a certain job would only take an hour
Three/four hours later I was concluding a rush job!

3) THE FINAL HURDLE:

A/ Part/problem (as indicated) is that we meet with opposition
Would that we had only to get on with it
It is a bit like the Atlantic convoys whose job it was to get the various shipping contingents across the water to/from the USA
Danger: The Nazi U-Boats and their deadly torpedoes
At one time, Germany sank ships than the Allies could build
Perhaps there was many a convoy that made it without trouble
On other occasions, they witnessed ships being sunk

We have a great foe – a ranging, powerful Devil (1 Peter 5:8)
You have only to look on the water (as it were) and see the floating debris of ships that sunk carrying their precious cargo
It is as real and as dramatic as that
Little use hiding our head in the sand about it!

The first man to make shipwreck (Biblical term) was Cain
Cain had all the trappings of an Evangelical religion
He had exactly the same upbringing as Abel
Cain lost his charge to maintain Evangelical truth
Every defector since (certainly every apostate one) is said to have gone in the way of Cain (Jude 11)

OT is littered with many examples
NT and church history is littered with many examples
Need to be careful that our name as individuals is not added/list

B/ Paul helps Timothy/us avoid such a thing by suggesting some things which we should avoid
Word avoid already cropped up/epistle (rendered differently)

[i] 1:16/5:15 rendered as turn aside
There are things we must turn aside from to keep our charge

[ii] It appears again in Hebrews 12:13 as turn out of the way
But the idea is still the same
There are places where we cannot walk and ought to avoid

C/ We are to avoid profane and vain babbling
Again – nothing new here: 1:4/4:7
Let us avoid that which does not profit us
We have a work to do for God
We must test everything in light of it
Does this or that subject help me further the keeping/charge?
If so – then pursue it strenuously
If not – then be careful to avoid it – turn out its way
Time is short enough without wasting it
We can afford to pick and choose and scrap the useless

Even with some weighty doctrinal objects, there can be this kind of profane and vain babbling
There are countless theological subjects out there than can be thus abused in this way

Prophecy is an important subject – Do not denigrate it in anyway
But it genders more debate/useless speculation than enough
Does it matter to us if the Antichrist arises out of the old R/E?
Is it vital that we know whether or not he arises out of Dan?
Is there not an element of pandering to the spectacular?
If so avoid!

Another key doctrine is the decree/God
But must we really spend time arguing for their order?
If you have never heard of Infra/Supra – lapsarianism, then do not feel that you have been neglected/robbed!
A world is going to hell and we are busy trying to work out in what order God decreed that such things could come to pass!

D/ We are to avoid the oppositions of science falsely so called
This is a favourite verse within the Creation camp!
We use it to hammer the evolutionists with their anti-Godism
Right to do so – but science here merely means knowledge
Not that we are anti-intellectual (Propaganda attack)
All the sciences/disciplines have highly placed Christians in their ranks and continue to benefit from their brain power
But there is a lot/garbage out there masquerading as knowledge
Shiny magazines – slick DVD’s – popular presenters in the media
Yet it is all false

Danger is that Christians can be taken in by them (v21)
Paul doesn’t say “all” or even “many” but “some”
Even if he said “one” – it would still be “one too many”
We would still have to face the reality that “it could be me”
Back in 1:6 the word used is “swerved”
It is the thought of getting out of the way

There are two ways and only two
The right way and the wrong way
The wrong way may have many sub paths – still the wrong way

We need to swerve/avoid/turn aside from the false way
There is a way that seems right unto a man etc., (Proverbs 14:12)
In so swerving – get into the true way
Little profit in swapping one errant path for another
I’m pretty sure that the Mormons parade their converts from the JW’s and vice versa
“How I forsook Charles Taze Russell for Joseph Smith…”
Jumping from the frying pan into the fire
We need to forsake the paths/sin and find the old paths of God
But never let us forsake the old paths/Bible for the new and misleading paths of a false knowledge (religious/secular)
If you buy the truth – then sell it not
Some have done so and it was a disastrous deal

4) THE FINAL PROMISE:

A/ All along the way, Paul had been encouraging the young pastor
While the letter has been largely exhortational – yet here and there, many bright gems shone to encourage him along the way
How could he ever forget nor fail to draw comfort from:
1:15 Christ Jesus coming/world to save sinners
1:17 Now unto the King Immortal…
2:4 God who would have all men to be saved
2:5 Christ as our Mediator
2:6 Testimony in due time: He would have all men to be saved
3:16 The great Christological passage etc.,

B/ Here/last as he prepares to dip his pen/ink for the last time
He offers a prayer for Timothy (and for us)
Simple – Short – Exceedingly sweet:
Grace be with thee

In other epistles, he invokes God to send mercy and peace etc.,
Why not here?
But Paul commenced the epistle (1:2) with the words:
Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
So it is not as if they have been left out
Really – all these things flow from the grace of our Lord Jesus
Grace is the generic word for them all
If God be gracious to us – then all will be well

One better than Paul prays for us that we might have grace
Another who is able not only to pray, but dispense grace to us (grace comes to us through Him: John 1:17) even Christ

B/ Paul adds his own Amen for emphasis – “So be it” May it be!

THE END

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