What does the Man of God Pursue

What does the Man of God Pursue/Follow?

Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-12

Thesis: To note that the heart of Jesus is the life pursuit of the man of God.

Introduction:

(1)    What are you pursuing?  Money?  Fame?  A Mate?

(2)    “Man of God”

(a)    In the OT, this term was reserved for leaders of Israel.

(b)    In the NT, this term refers to mature Christians (cf. 2 Tim. 3:17).

(3)    “Pursue” – “to seek eagerly” (Wuest 96)

(a)     This word is used in Philippians 3:14 to represent an athlete pursuing the goal.

(b)    Here, the man of God is to pursue various traits that “represents a must to insure Timothy’s effectiveness in his ministry” (Lea and Griffin 171).

(4)    “One does not overcome the desire for things unless one’s heart is set on a higher goal” (Thompson 80).

(5)    Basically, the man of God seeks a heart like Jesus.

Discussion:

I.                   What should our heart be like?

A.    A heart of righteousness –

1.      We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6).

2.      Righteousness is “in itself the standard which a judge is required to uphold, and which it must be his aim constantly to restore” (Brown 3:354).

B.     A heart of godliness –

1.      Godliness is a “reverential attitude and lifestyle” (Moss 122).

2.      This reverence “profoundly alters behavior” (Lea and Griffin 172).

C.     A heart of faith –

1.      Here, faith means our personal trust in God.

2.      Biblical faith is an active faith (cf. James 2:17).

D.    A heart of love –

1.      We are to love God and our neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40).

2.      We are nothing without love (1 Cor. 13:1ff.).

E.     A heart of endurance –

1.      Endurance is the “staying power for a different task” (Lea and Griffin 172).

2.      We are to keep going always (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:10).

F.      A heart of gentleness –

1.      This is “consideration for others and a willingness to waive an undoubted right” (Mounce 354).

2.      Endurance has more to do with patience in difficult circumstances while gentleness has more to do with patience with difficult people (Stott 155).

II.                How do we acquire this heart?

A.    Obviously, we cannot acquire this on our own.

B.     However, we can acquire it with Jesus’ help.

1.      We must turn our lives over to Jesus.

a.       In baptism, we are to die to the old person (cf. Rom. 6:3-4).

b.      We are raised up a “new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).

c.       Christ is to be the one living in us (Gal. 2:20).

2.      This is a life-long pursuit.

a.       We must continually offer our bodies as a living sacrifice in order to be transformed (Rom. 12:1-2).

b.      In the end, we will be just like Jesus (1 John 3:2).

c.       In the meantime, we are being transformed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18).

(1)    We must aim at abiding in Jesus (John 15:1ff.).

(2)    As we do, God works in us (Phil. 2:13).

Conclusion:

(1)    Who is in control of your heart?

(2)    Will you give Jesus control?