1 Timothy Introduction

In the late 1960’s, great Christian writer John Stott, in a book that is considered foundational and one of the most widely read Christian books – Basic Christianity

His opening phrases he sums up the attitudes of young people – they feel positively toward Jesus…

There is a movement of young people – evidenced here – that are passionate about the local church and the call of God to be involved in it and through it

But still that idea is the prevailing one in the culture today, even moreso

Some even suggesting now that the day of the local church is Over, we will get our discipleship and our Christianity virtually in the years to come. Christians don’t need the church.

For the last 2,000 years, if you would have looked at someone and said I love Jesus but I just don’t love the church, they would have looked at you like you had mental problems, they would step away and wait for the lightning. HAVEN’T YOU READ!!! DON’T YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! How could you have the audacity to talk about the church like that?

“I love Jesus, just not the church”

How can you claim to love Jesus, and not love WHAT HE SO OBVIOUSLY DESPERATELY LOVES.

The church is described as his bride! . . . I’ve said before – Ariel – audacity, the absurdity, the cruelty, the insincerity

The church is described as his body! . . . Head . . . the one you have united yourself to so purely that you are One

Eph 5:25-27 – Gave himself up for her

For a few years when I was coaching football, I sat up in the box at the top of the stands . . . I remember the first game I was up there, and that year I happened to have the most frustrating player that I ever coached (didn’t like him either) . . . elbow

“I just don’t like the church” – elbow elbow - - that’s His bride (whisper)

Yeah she isn’t perfect yet because He isn’t finished with her yet . . . but he SO loves her

Matthew 16:17-19 – THE GREAT PLAN

I will build my church - His great work – to present to himself and the Father his perfect bride

Daniel 2 – Stone cut as if from nowhere . . . Will outlast everything, will never end

Matt 28:18-19 – Great Commission – Go into all the world – where was that stuff happening?

The Church is plan A and there is no Plan B.

There is only one entity that will exist eternally, on this earth and the next one, the church. Jesus does not promise that he will build his school, or that he will build his co-op, or build his medical clinic, or build his charity, or his university, or build his social service agency—as GREAT as those are. He promises with absolute authority: I will build my church.

2 Mistaken Ideas we have about the church (each could have full series, but quickly)

1. The Bible talks mainly about the Universal church, and is less concerned with little local churches

The NT almost never talks about the universal church . . . when Jesus said my church, he was thinking about things like this, small outposts that one day will combine with the final collective Assembly of God.

Why does it talk more about the local church? Because that’s the church that is really part of your life, that is tangible and meaningful and impactful. If we had a bunch of commands about the universal church, it wouldn’t mean much of anything to us, it would be much easier to write them off, but we have commands about local outposts.

Many love the church in the abstract, just want to focus on the church universal and not local even though the Bible does the opposite, but when real flesh and blood people, often difficult and frustrating people, are put in front of them, their hearts go cold.

BEAR WITH one another, Encourage one another, Hold one another accountable, Comfort one another, confess sins to one another, stir one another on to love and good deeds

“O deep deep – What is Jesus really saying here?” No! Bear with THAT GUY!

Of Course the NT focuses on the local church, YOU NEED IT! The modern idea that you can be a Christian without the local church is arrogant and pompous.

“Christians who want to be independent of the local church are declaring that they are sufficient to themselves, when in fact they are nothing but an eyeball, or an ear, or a big toe. They know little of how the body works together” D.A. Carson

When you read the word Church in the Bible, when you hear it from this pulpit, you should assume the local church is in view, until proven otherwise.

2. Wherever Christians are together, even 2-3, is Church.

No. 2 or 3 Christians riding in the car together isn’t the same as this.

When 2 Christians sit and have lunch together, that isn’t this. (1 Cor 5, Mt 18)

That when 2 or 3 are gathered passage is significant, but it’s a passage about church discipline and accountability, not about the makings of a church.

The church is something beyond that, Just from the Bible: its an entity that has certain leaders that the body submits to, and those leaders are made responsible for specific sheep, its an entity that has authority to discipline, its an entity you appeal to in matters of disagreement about sin, its an entity that keeps up with membership and widows and needs of the body, its an entity that gathers together weekly, its an entity that regularly takes the Lord’s Supper together and is marked by baptism.

When Jesus says “I will build my church,” . . . not simply “I will save a lot of individuals,” he has in mind something more

Church slide 1 Timothy – Pastoral Epistles Title Slide

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Reason for writing – the way we do this is important, what is taught is important, who is leading is important, this is a big deal. It is a big deal because of what this is and who we are.

3 Descriptions/Images of what the Church Is – Local Church

The Church is – We are The Household of God –

This phrase means a couple of things Biblically. The place of worship in the OT is referred to as the House of God.

Also, and probably more centrally in view here, the phrase just means the family. This is a way of saying that we are God’s family! The family he chose for himself, the children he adopted on the basis of his son, the apple of his eye.

Eph 2:19 Romans 8:15

Adopted and brought to a new home!

A new Father, new sisters and brothers we are called to love, forbear and support one another, enjoying in fact the rich ‘one anotherness’ or reciprocity of the Christian fellowship.

We gather together as a family gathering.

Through the reading and exposition of his Word we hear his voice addressing us. We meet him at his table, when he makes himself known to us through the breaking of bread. In our fellowship we love each other as he has…

As was the case in the Roman household, everyone here gathered in the household has a role to fill, a gift to give.

The Church is – We are The Assembly of the Living God

When Timothy heard this, he knew what Paul was saying, and his mind was surely exploding

How many people in Timothy’s congregation? 30? 50? 70? Hard to imagine it was more than 100. Gathered in somebody’s living room probably.

The assembly of God is the name of the massive gathering of the people of God in the OT, the people constantly throughout the old testament were gathered as a whole and were called the Assembly of the Living God. Imagine the scene at Sinai for a moment, millions gathered at the throne of God at Sinai – thunder and lightning – Moses brings down the Word of God - God wanted Timothy to know the weight of those gathered together, and he wanted me and you to know the same thing about us today.

This is no light meaningless repetitive town hall – this is the ASSEMBLY OF GOD! He wanted Timothy to know that as a minister, and to take his roll thus very seriously . . .

The Church is – We are The Pillar and Support of the Truth (the Word, the Gospel)

Straightforward metaphor of the church’s load bearing role in upholding the truth. There is such thing as Truth, and it matters, and we as the church are to act as a Pillar to that Truth.

The purpose of pillars is both to hold the roof firm, but also to thrust it high so that it can be clearly seen even from a distance.

The inhabitants of Ephesus had a vivid illustration of this in their temple of Diana or Artemis.

Regarded as one of the seven wonders of the world, it boasted 100 Iconic columns, each over 50 feet high, which together lifted its massive, shining, marble roof. Just so, the church holds the truth aloft, so that it is seen and admired by the world.

Indeed, as pillars lift a building high while remaining themselves unseen, so the church’s function is not to advertise itself but to advertise and display the truth.

It is in the local church that the Word, the Truth is worked down into the hearts of the people of God, proclaimed and sung and prayed and seen. It is by the local church that the truth is lifted high for the world …

What then is the truth which the church must both guard against every distortion and falsification, and proclaim without fear or compromise throughout the world? It concerns Jesus Christ, Paul quotes an early hymn (16a).

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