Preachers have often been criticized for preaching about money. Sometimes we hear people say “all the church ever talks about is money or the church just wants my money.” What many fail to recognize is that the only reason the church talks about money is because God's Word talks about money. But the reason the Bible speaks so much about money has nothing to do with money. It has to do with our heart. The temptation for believers is never between worshiping God or worshiping Satan; its usually about worshiping God or worshiping stuff. In the closing verses of 1 Timothy 6, Paul addressed universal struggles related to materialism. Materialism or greed has a gravitational pull that requires great energy and struggle. Paul calls it a fight.

1 Timothy 6:9-12

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  Several years ago, Burger King introducing a new product – "Satisfries". With 40% less fat and 30% less calories than their competition's fries, satisfries were sure to fill us up with no unhealthy side effects. According to the fast food chain, if we ate their new french fries, our weight would drop, our skin would clear up, our energy level would increase. In short, we would be truly satisfried. It was an advertising scheme built off the premise that we are all looking for satisfaction in life-why not find it in French Fries? BK, like thousands of other businesses, were looking to profit from our culinary desires by pitching the impossible. It was and is an empty promise but it doesn't stop advertisers from bombarding us with similar messages every day. We live in a culture driven by discontentment in search of one more thing to satisfy our souls (or stomachs), emphasis on "one more thing". We are not the first to deal with discontentment and the thirst for "more". In 1 Timothy 6, Paul exhorts his young ministry assistant to be on guard for the presence of greed among his fellow believers in Ephesus.

                                                                 1 Timothy 6:6-10

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Church polity - the way a church organizes and governs itself under the Lordship of Christ, is not the most important thing in life… but just because something is not the most important thing in life doesn't mean it's not important. Any issue that affects the Church, the blood bought Bride and Body of Christ, is important. As we continue a new series on Church Polity, based upon 1 Timothy 3, we turn our attention to the matter of church government and styles of leadership. Of the three most popular styles of church leadership today, having a plurality of elders seems to best match the NT pattern.

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As we return to our study of 1 Timothy, we find Paul targeting issues related to church government. Talking about church government is a lot like talking about car engines and gas furnaces. Unless you are an auto mechanic or work with HVAC systems, the intricacies of a car engine or gas furnace are not things you lay awake at night thinking about. We have all heard some of the terms, words like piston and camshaft, blower motor and pilot light and we know they are important, but it's not stuff we discuss each day - unless, of course, the engine won't start or the furnace won't work -and THEN it's really important.  Similarly, issues related to church government may not be a common topic of discussion among Christians but it is a very important part of church life. We pick up our study in 1 Timothy 3.

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As we conclude our series of messages from 1 Timothy  2, we find the Apostle Paul anchoring his teachings regarding women in ministry on the Creation Account of Adam and Eve. Any discussion of Biblical womanhood and manhood that does not include Adam and Eve is misguided. When a son asks his dad, What does it mean to be a Christian man, that dad will do well to ground his answers in Genesis. The same can be  said for the mom whose daughter asks, What does it mean to be a Christian woman? Though men and women share equal rights before God, in the home and church they have different roles. We consider that thought in 1 Timothy 2:11-15.

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Some churches have women pastors and some don't. Why? In recent years, two streams of thought have influenced evangelical Christians. One stream, called Egalitarianism, teaches that role distinctions between men and women are dissolved in the New Birth. Male headship was a curse placed upon humanity at the Fall. Jesus breaks the curse when a person is saved. Another view, called Complementarianism teaches that male headship  was not part of the Fall; it was God's original plan for Adam and Eve. In today's message, we examine in more detail how these views line up with Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:11-15

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Because some governments, pastors, and husbands have severely abused the authority God gave them, many of us - women especially - cringe when we hear the word, submission. But just because something has been severely misused does not mean it is unimportant. As misused and misunderstood as submission might be today, we do not want to lose sight of its God given purpose. Noted Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe says this about submission: "Submission is not subjugation. Submission is recognizing God's order in the home and the church and joyfully obeying it." If submission means God's good order for the citizens of a country, the members of the church, and wives to their husbands, then that is something we should all be able to embrace. Submission is an important part of our growth in Christ. All of us, women and men are placed under authority for our good. In 1 Timothy 2, the Apostle Paul reminds his young ministry assistant why men and women have distinctly separate roles in public worship.

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The Book of 1 Timothy can be summed up in one verse, "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 and support of the truth." 1 Timothy 3:15

How members of the local church conduct themselves determines how strong the pillar and support of gospel truth will be through them. Relationships are not just the glue that holds the church together; they are also the foundation upon which the truth of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. In order for the truth of Jesus to move forward in Ephesus, certain things needed to change within the congregation. After having addressed the men in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul now turns his attention to the women and the subject of modesty.

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During the formative years of the Methodist Denomination, there arose strong doctrinal disagreement between two of its leaders, John Wesley and George Whitefield. Wesley believed in Free Will, Whitefield, Election. Someone once asked Wesley if he thought that he would see Whitefield in Heaven. Wesley said, "probably not, for George will be so close to the Throne of God that I will hardly catch sight of him!" Although the two disagreed on theological matters, Wesley was careful not to create problems in public that could hinder the proclamation of the Gospel. There can be disagreement between believers without dissension between believers. As we pick up our study in 1 Timothy 2, we see where Paul was careful to explain that public prayer must be under girded by private devotion, both vertical and horizontal.

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As our upcoming Presidential election approaches, it is important that every Christian take time to compare each candidate's beliefs regarding moral issues and then go to the polls and vote. Democracies such as ours do not thrive without citizens participation at the polls. But as important as voting is - and it is very important - we must not overlook one of the most important weapons God has given His church in overcoming the moral corruption of a nation. It is the weapon of prayer. As powerful and intimidating as the moral corruption of our society might be, it does not stand a chance against the desires of God to see all men come to know Christ as Savior. What many American Christians need today is a restored confidence in God's ability to save the lost through  intercession. As we resume our study in 1 Timothy 2, Paul tells Timothy how the church can pray with confidence. Our confidence comes from the gospel.

                                                     - First Timothy 2:5-7 -

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“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” This question posed by Nazi Prison Camp survivor, Corrie ten Boom, reveals the honest truth regarding our prayer life. Most of us must confess that we are probably more prone to use it as the spare tire rather than a steering wheel. As we continue our study of prayer, inspired by Paul’s first letter to Timothy, we are reminded that praying for all men is good and acceptable to God. And that is because God desires all men to be saved. In this final message about prayer, we see once again how God uses our heartfelt praying to bring all types of people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

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Several years ago, Christian author and pastor, Tim Keller, was asked on Twitter, “Why do you think young Christian adults struggle with God as a personal reality in their lives?” His reply, “Noise and distraction. It is easier to Tweet than pray!” For all the many benefits of digital technology, we are tempted to get distracted from prayer by tweets and our Facebook feeds and texts and emails on our phone." When asked what counsel he would give to a Christian who finds himself or herself lured to distractions when they are trying to pray, his response was this: “There is no way around just simply saying: This is something that I must spend time doing." Our study of 1 Timothy 2 has led us to explore the reasons why God has made prayer so important. Today we consider the third and final reason: Praying fulfills our duty to join our King in heaven as He advances His kingdom on earth.

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Because the subject of prayer is found in so many places in the Bible, one Christian has said, "The single most important activity in my life is the time I spend alone with God in prayer." Whether we all agree with that statement or not, all Christians tend to agree that prayer is absolutely critical to our spiritual health. But why? Why does the God of the Universe make personal communication with Him so important? Our study of prayer in 1 Timothy 2 has led us to several other passages about prayer including Luke 10. In today's message, we see how God uses prayer to foster devotion for Him.

                                 - First Timothy 2:1-2, Luke 10:38-42 -

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It's often been said that the Bible is like a river, shallow enough for a child to wade in yet deep enough for an elephant to swim in. No matter who we are or where we are in life, God's Word can speak to our specific circumstances. Penthouse or poorhouse, young or old, male or female, the Bible is able to inspire, equip and encourage us in our specific circumstances. As we work our way through 1 Timothy, we have come to a place in the “river” that is both shallow and deep; it is a place called prayer. Prayer is simply talking with God. But it is also profoundly important to all we do in life. Through the Bible, God has shown us three major reasons why talking with Him is vitally important to our Christian life. They are simple enough for a child to understand yet deep enough for a seasoned saint to appreciate.

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If 1 Timothy 1 was all about embracing correct doctrine, Chapter 2 is all about advancing the gospel. In Chapter 2, the Apostle Paul tells us how to overcome false doctrine in our church and culture and, surprisingly, he starts with prayer. How does one deal with satanic attacks against the truth of Christ's gospel? They pray! But in disclosing how to deal with false teachers, Paul also reveals how we can overcome any obstacle in life.  How do you deal with financial troubles-you pray! How do you deal with sickness and disease issues-you pray! How do you deal with marriage issues-you pray! How do you deal with work pressures-you pray! Prayer must come first in all we do.

                                           - First Timothy 2:1-2 -

   What comes to mind when you think of the word, "shipwreck"? On the lighter side we might remember episodes of Gilligan's Island or Swiss Family Robinson. Maybe you’ve read Robinson Crusoe or seen the movie Castaway. And then there are real life stories of shipwrecks more somber and serious like the Titanic or the Lusitania. Fictional and nonfictional stories abound detailing the harrowing plights of sailors and passengers whose earthly lives were dramatically changed by a shipwreck.

   Having been shipwrecked four times by the time he wrote 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul was well qualified to use the term. And in the final verses of chapter 1, Paul uses the word shipwreck to describe a spiritual condition all too common among Christians today. Most importantly he explains how the local church can help us overcome being shipwrecked in our faith.

First Timothy 1:18-20

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As powerful as the gospel is, you would think that it needs no defense - no protection - no watch care; no one to fight for it. It is after all the gospel of God, who is the Eternal, Invisible Ruler of the Universe; God without beginning and end. Yet here in 1 Timothy 1:18-20 we read where Paul exhorts Timothy to fight for the gospel.

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David Platt, in his exposition of 1 Timothy, pulls no punches when he writes,“If we lose the gospel, we lose everything.” There are many important aspects of the Christian life but none compare to the gospel itself. It is from the gospel that we get prayer, worship, evangelism, missions, church planting, leadership, fellowship and a host of other Christian ministries. But if the gospel is not the foundation of these activities, then they simply become religious boxes to check that grieve Holy Spirit and push us further away from God’s purposes. Paul would eventually address some of these issues in 1Timothy but he starts with the most important; guarding the gospel. As we pick up our study in 1 Timothy 1, Paul tells us how to guard the gospel through a right understanding of God's Old Testament Law.

                 - First Timothy 1:5-11 -

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When it comes to defining the Christian life, we evangelicals sometimes put so much emphasis on Bible study, doctrine, and intellectual understanding that we leave little room for affections and emotional experiences. Others of us put so much emphasis on emotions and personal experiences that we leave little room for solid Biblical principles. The result can be a very confusing picture of Christianity. But does it have to be this way? Does it have to be either/or; could it not be both/and? When we take the time to read our Bibles, we encounter a God who not only desires to be believed in but experienced as well. As we resume our study in 1 Timothy today, we discover that the Apostle Paul believed that pursuing the doctrines of God's Word should include matters of the heart, not replace them.

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In his book, Doctrine Matters, author and pastor John Piper writes, “Doctrine is not a landing strip but a launching pad. It leads us to pursue preparation rather than ponder consummation, to lay hold on the greater things to come rather than lingering over the great things of the past. Christian doctrine is living and active and supernaturally supercharged to take us where we have not yet dreamed, in ways we have not yet dreamed.” Those are unexpected words to use for something many of us may find, well, . . . boring. But boring is the last word on the Apostle Paul's mind, however, as he describes the affect sound Biblical teaching has upon God's people. His passion is contagious as he writes to his young ministry assistant in 1 Timothy 1.

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A video by the title "I love Jesus but hate the church" was released a few years ago designed to criticize dead religion more so than organized religion. But many were not paying attention, and only heard that organized religion is dead. The “I love Jesus, but cannot stand the church” mentality has become commonplace within some parts of Christian culture today. Facebook posts and tweets touting this anti-church brand of Christianity are rampant. It’s sort of the new catch phrase in religious circles. But is this Biblical faith? According to the Apostle Paul, it is not, and in the Book of 1 Timothy he outlines for young Timothy how love for Jesus and love for His church go hand in hand.

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