Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
March 3, 2024
INTRO
Good morning! A quick report from the Men’s Retreat: We had a three-hour game of floor hockey on Friday night, and I’m super sore today! Everyone is having a great time, and we have had wonderful times of fellowship, Bible study, and activity.
Well, this morning we are continuing our four-week series on Biblical Church Leadership. Last week we were reminded from Colossians 1 of the supremacy of Christ as Head of the Church. Today we will be moving to Paul’s 1st letter to his protege Timothy who was a young pastor in the church in Ephesus and he needed guidance.
ILLUST — I remember being in a similar position when I first arrive in San Francisco to do church planting work in 2013. I was young, inexperienced, unsure of myself, and worried that I would fail. I had wonderful mentors who came alongside me and helped provide guidance to understand the proper perspective and priorities for ministry.
One such mentor was a man named Neal Brower. Neal was passionate about outreach to non-believers, more than anyone I know. He had been a pastor for more than 25 years and had also moved into San Francisco with his wife Judy to work in evangelism and church planting.
I remember when I arrived to begin work in San Francisco, I was terrified. I put so much pressure on myself, I worried that I would make mistakes, and I began managing relationships with people and trying to control outcomes to make it seem like I knew what I was doing. I began to be crushed by the expectations, the anxiety, and the feeling like I had to pretend that I was ok.
One day I was talking with my mentor Neal. He could sense that I was under this crushing weight of having to prove my worth, of being worried I wasn’t doing enough, and that I was burdened by my own expectations.
He opened his Bible to Matthew 3:17, the passage about Jesus’ baptism. He read the words of the Father as Jesus was raised up out of the water, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Neal looked me straight in the eye and said, “Had Jesus done anything yet?” I kinda blinked at him. “No, I guess not.” Neal replied, “This is the first thing Matthew records before Jesus does anything in his public ministry. Brent, in the gospel God’s graciously loves you like he loves his Beloved Son, you don’t earn it, you can’t lose it, and he loves you prior to and apart from anything you can do for him. Through Christ, God say to you Brent: I love you, and I am pleased with you.”
I was stunned. I realized I had been trying to earn God’s love, trying to meet expectations, trying to live up to something. It was like this burden or weight was lifted from my shoulders. I needed to live in the truth of the gospel.
Not long after this, I was visiting Neal and his wife Judy at their home. You know how some people have a sign or whiteboard or decoration on the wall that has “family values” or “ground rules” or something like that? Well, Neal and Judy had a chalkboard in their living room of “Family Values” that had one word written on it: Enough.
I asked about it, and Neal and Judy challenged me with this: Is God enough? Is his gracious love for you enough? Is his grace in Christ enough? Is his declaration about you because of the cross, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased” enough? Of course, the implication is: YES! It is more than enough! He is my only hope, my joy, and my daily bread!
Or do I add more to that? Do I add the need to perform, the need to make people happy, the need to show that I know what I’m talking about, the need to achieve or do or be whatever I think is expected of me?
Friends, this is part of my story: Finding the freedom and joy of being God’s beloved son purely by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
PROP — Today’s passage is founded on the same reality. Paul gives Timothy a list of ground rules, or values, or priorities for his pastoral ministry. This will help us build a gospel-centered understanding of the church and of biblical church leadership that stands on the solid foundation of Christ as the cornerstone.
Open with me to 1 Timothy 3:14-4:16. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, his son in the faith, to coach him about how to lead the church in Ephesus. Paul had been planning to visit Timothy in person, but plans had changed. So he wrote this letter to guide his young protege. Let’s read. READ 1 Timothy 3:14-4:16.
ORG SENT — There are three ground rules that Paul outlines for Timothy as he pastors his church. These will help us frame up the right approach for biblical church leadership. Let’s jump in…
MAIN 1 — 1st Ground Rule: Preach Christ (3:14-16). (SLIDE 2)
Go back to verse 14 of chapter 3. Remember, Paul is traveling as a missionary and he wants to visit Timothy in Ephesus. But in the meantime, he is laying down some priorities for biblical church leadership. Look at v. 15. READ v. 15. (SLIDE 3)
Key words that describe the church:
God’s household (SLIDE 4) — remember that we are a family, and you are God’s beloved child! We have been adopted into God’s household of faith by his grace through Christ.
Pillar and foundation of truth (SLIDE 5) — architectural terms to describe the bedrock foundation and the supporting frame of a structure. These words would have important significance for a church in Ephesus.
ILLUST — Ephesus was home to one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world: The Temple of Artemis. (SLIDE 6) This is an artist depiction of what it looked like.
Work started on this temple in 323 BC and it took decades to complete. The temple was 450 ft long by 225 ft wide and 60 ft high, with more than 127 columns. That is more than double the size of a football field.
This monstrous temple dominated the city. People came from all around the world to see it. And we know from Acts 19 that craftsmen who sold souvenirs of Artemis had started a riot in the city when Paul preached the gospel and began winning converts to Christianity all over Ephesus.
The temple Artemis was big business. And in the eyes of the Ephesian people, the great goddess Artemis was an enduring symbol and her great temple would stand forever.
Yet here is Paul, years later after he is almost killed in a riot because he threatened the Temple of Artemis, telling Timothy that the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
In other words, do you see that gigantic temple over there? It is nothing compared to the church. The church of the Living God will endure, not that temple to a false god, precisely because the church is God’s household, his family of faith, that crosses generations and endures throughout history.
You know what happened? The Temple of Artemis was destroyed in 401 AD. And the church of the Living God still stands today in local congregations everywhere.
(SLIDE 7, blank) You see, wherever Christ is preached, wherever the gospel is proclaimed, wherever redeemed people gather for worship and witness, there is the church: the pillar and foundation of truth.
This is why Paul declares this in verse 16: READ v. 16. (SLIDE 8) This was likely an early creedal declaration of the church, articulating the core truths about Jesus’s incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension. And it also emphasizes the church’s mission to proclaim the message of Christ and to believe in him!
Friends, Paul makes one thing really clear to Timothy: (SLIDE 9) center everything on Jesus Christ. If you want to know how God’s household should conduct itself, if you want to set a foundation for true godliness, if you want to be bearers of the truth of God’s kingdom, then be united on the gospel of Jesus Christ. All other ministry priorities, doctrinal beliefs, and interactions with the world flow from this!
MAIN 2 — 2nd Ground Rule: Beware of False Gospels (4:1-10). (SLIDE 10)
Paul has some important wisdom to share with Timothy about false teaching that undermines the gospel of Jesus Christ. He does this by helping Timothy identify what these errors look like, then explaining how Timothy can avoid them.
(SLIDE 11) What do these errors look like?
(SLIDE 12) Not from the Holy Spirit, but from deceiving spirits (4:1). READ v. 1
This is a stark reality friends. Wrap you minds around this: the work of false teachings that go against the Bible and against the gospel are demonic. They aren’t merely human errors, they are deceptions by the Evil One and his fallen angels that are meant to cause people to abandon the truth.
This happens constantly today. There are so many false worldviews, false religions, and false versions of what is good and true and right.
How do we know what is true?
We have God’s Word. Later in 2 Timothy 3:15-16, Paul wrote this to Timothy again about false teaching and reminded him “how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
We have the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the indwelling Spirit would guide us into the truth. John 16:13-14, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”
(SLIDE 13) Not with integrity or truth, but with hypocrisy and lies (4:2). READ v. 2
There is a duplicity in false gospels, something tricky that snatches you up.
And it is ultimately a lie. It is un-truth. And lies cannot be part of the church of the Living God. That is why Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead in Acts 5 at the very start of the church. It was a stern warning: lies have no place in a gospel-centered church, hypocrisy has no place in a gospel-centered church. Integrity, truthfulness, honesty…that is what marks the church of the Living God.
(SLIDE 14) Not receiving God’s grace, but creating rules and legalism (4:3-4). READ vv. 3-4
Paul is referring to rules and regulations that some believers tried to impose on others in order to have an outward piety and to show off their personal devotion to God.
Paul makes this clear: don’t put on a show, don’t fain outward displays of piety, don’t fall back into works-based legalism. Stay in the grace of God, remember you are a sinner saved by grace, and you are God’s beloved child.
(SLIDE 15) How does Timothy avoid these errors?
(SLIDE 16) Point them out (v. 6) — Don’t be afraid to call out false gospels!
In order words, it is equally important that we identify good doctrine and also identify bad doctrine. We must build a positive picture of a gospel-centered faith, but also be bold enough to call out false gospels and false promises in this world.
Psalm 119:103-105 says, (SLIDE 17) “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
APPLY: There are issues we face everyday that need the clarity of God’s Word, the light to illuminate the right path.
It is critical that biblical church leaders point out the right AND the wrong paths. God’s Word provides the light. We need clarity on what is true and what is false, what is good and what is bad.
(SLIDE 18) Avoid distractions (v. 7a) — Don’t conflate the gospel with other things
Paul here tells Timothy to avoid godless myths and old wives’ tales. He’s essentially saying, “Don’t get distracted from the main thing. Don’t dilute the gospel with other competing interests or other claims. Don’t let felt needs overtake the gospel, don’t let politics overtake the gospel, don’t let your worries and fears overtake the gospel. Stay focused Timothy!”
(SLIDE 19) Train for godliness (vv. 7b-10) — Work hard to get spiritually fit
The word “training” here is an athletic metaphor. He is literally talking about physical training, getting fit, getting healthy, getting strong, getting ready for the battle to come.
ILLUST — I’m beginning training right now to possibly play for a competitive baseball team this summer. I played competitive amateur baseball in California for 10 years, but I haven’t played since I moved here. So I’m trying to be diligent to get my body ready so that I don’t injure myself!
Paul here tells Timothy: You need to get spiritually fit! That means regular spiritual exercise, like reading your Bible, prayer, solitude, fellowship, hearing God’s Word preached, serving others, reaching out to non-believers…get those spiritual muscles working!
This has personal implication for Timothy. Paul is not merely telling him what to tell others to do. Timothy must do it himself.
MAIN 3 — 3rd Ground Rule: Diligently Carry Our Your Ministry (4:11-16). (SLIDE 20)
This is personally meaningful to me. I mentioned last week that I feel a renewed burden on my heart for prayer and for us to be a praying church. I know that my instinct when things are difficult or when life is busy or when there are major inflection points is to shift into task-mode, to get more things done.
But I am convicted of this: What Paul makes abundantly clear is that when life or ministry get difficult, or when we’re faced with opposition from the world, or when there are distractions or lies all around us in the culture, the most important thing to do is slow down to pause and consider the inner life, the integrity of personal devotion to the Lord, and whether we are restful and trusting in the goodness and sovereignty of God. This is where the spiritual battle happens, where the heart-level work needs to be done.
This is critical for a church to have biblical church leadership. And this is why Paul gives Timothy a personal list of ways he can be spiritual fit and ways he can diligently carry out his pastoral duties. Each of these define the priorities of pastoral ministry. And I want you to see that each has an inward dimension and an outward dimension:
(SLIDE 21) Command and teach (v. 11) — this is the authority of a pastoral office.
There is a unique authority that must be humbly used and must always draw people toward submission to Christ, not the leader.
Inward dimension = submitting yourself to the authority of Jesus
Outward dimension = only then can you exercise authority in Jesus’ church
(SLIDE 22) Set an example (v. 12) — this is the humble service of a pastor.
It is critical that a pastor exemplify Christ-like character and behavior. This is the calling for all of us! But the shepherding role is an example-setting role.
Inward dimension = are you setting an example in your thought life?
Outward dimension = are you setting an example in your behavior through your speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity?
(SLIDE 23) Public reading of Scripture, preaching, teaching (vv. 13-14) — this is the unique gift of a pastor.
This is a primary role of a biblical church leader: Ministry is centered on the Word of God.
Inward dimension = do you truly love God’s Word?
Outward dimension = share it publicly with others
(SLIDE 24) Be diligent, deeply invested, watchful, and persistent (vv. 15-16) — this is the personal integrity of a pastor.
This touches on the motivations of a biblical church leader and the integrity of life and doctrine.
Inward dimension = check your heart, are you engaged whole-heartedly and humbly in this?
Outward dimension = check your life and doctrine, do you have integrity with what you say and what you do?
APPLY:
This is a wonderful list of ways that Paul challenges and guides Timothy into godly pastoral leadership within a local church. I hope you see this: The inner dimension is critical. It is in the inner places, in the heart, that biblical church leadership lives or dies. It matters most, whether you are serving others in the church, in your home, in your workplace, or your have influence in other’s lives in any way.
ILLUST — (SLIDE 25) Missionary Lesslie Newbigin once wrote, “The minister’s leadership of a congregation in its mission to the world will be first and foremost in the area of his own discipleship, in that life of prayer and daily consecration which remains hidden from the world but which is the place where the essential battles are either won or lost.”
The same goes for all of us. You each have a ministry, whether that is at home, work, with your kids, or out somewhere in the world. The essential battles are won or lost in the inner heart-level, in the transforming work of the Spirit of God through the Word of God as we are embedded among the People of God in the church.
Friends, the church is a pillar and foundation of truth, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And how we combat deceiving spirits, lies, hypocrisy, legalism, distractions, and spiritual laziness is by coming together under Christ, the Head of the Church, to encourage and exhort one another to live fully in the truth of the gospel day-by-day. That is our mutual care and mutual responsibility to one another: To point each other to Jesus, to align our hearts with God’s kingdom, and to witness to the watching world what it means to be God’s beloved child.