The Mystery of Godliness
by Raymond Sloan
October 15, 2020 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church
Kind: teaching
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-16, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:6-16

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--the-mystery-of-godliness
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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all right a quick review we are in the book of first timothy it's a letter written by paul he wrote it to his quote-unquote spiritual son and timothy's a preacher he's a pastor of a church ephesus we know that uh paul has has a great affection for the churches and we've studied that in ephesians and galatians philippians and colossians uh thessalonians we've looked through that how these brethren went and established these uh these house churches and and uh these uh places of people to gather together and study and worship and so forth the churches are new you know and so we see here in first timothy this was paul's letter to the preacher he had established principles guidelines and instruction specifically to churches because of their demographics where they were who was included in those families and so forth but now paul is taking time to write to one of the pastors of the church and ephesus of course we know it was a big city a port city that had a lot of transportation a lot of commerce coming in and out it was also the city that housed the temple of diana on idol worship huge huge there and so paul is trying to help encourage timothy he's giving him some instructions to help continue on what paul and silas these guys had done while they were in these cities all right now this is a great undertaking this is huge you can imagine in that day much like would be in 2020 there are certain parts of the world that are very challenging and very difficult uh just in the labor intenseness of working for the kingdom of god now we believe and we know because of where we are that god can provide right he can open doors he can make a way he can do things speak to hearts and so forth but at this day remember in the word the churches were very new 20 30 years old or less most of them relationships were still being developed there was still an incredible newness to the work god is showing himself to be very powerful people are coming into the work they're leaving idolatry they're coming out of worldliness carnality they're attaching themselves to this church family this body of believers and so paul is writing to timothy and he's given him some specific things to talk about specific things to instruct the churches and to in himself uh to make part of his ministry okay so that's where we are we were in first timothy one and two last week tonight we're going to pick up with first time timothy chapter number three um quickly here one and two when paul spoke to timothy he he mentioned to him if you'll recall about the men and the women and kids in church we ended last week with paul telling timothy that men should lift holy hands and then women in like mannered should dress a certain way and and should not try to usurp authority over the men in the church that was not a power grab it wasn't a macho-ism it was simply paul's way of helping timothy as the pastor to try to help the members of the church coming out of the world into this now organized body of believers i was trying to help to understand look everybody needs a relationship with jesus christ women men children okay uh the thing is is in the kingdom of god there's order always has been from genesis 1 you can see order so paul is establishing this reality and then in chapter number three notice tonight as we start off here first timothy 3 and 1 notice what paul now says this is a true saying if a man desire the office of a bishop he desireth the good work a bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach number three not given to wine nor striker not greedy a filter filthy looker but patient not a brawler not covet covetous um one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity parenthesis here for if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of god it closes there in verse six not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fallen the condemnation of the devil moreover he must have a good rapport with them which are without lest he fall in the reproach and the snare of the devil all right paul has addressed chapter two uh certain members of the church right men women children now he transitions and he starts into ministry um the office of a bishop this is somebody who is overseer to a group of people this is biblical strategy this is biblical order okay and in doing so um these guys these families these individuals coming out of the world into the church they're receiving the holy ghost getting baptized in jesus name things are happening paul now is trying to help this preacher timothy understand his purpose in the church and so he talks about wanting to be a bishop that's a good thing all right but there are certain things that you're going to have to because others are going to come in and and there's going to be call on their life there's going to be a desire to want to serve god and to worship god and to be a part of the kingdom of god so timothy you're going to have to help and instruct them on how they should conduct themselves how they should apply themselves all right so first he says there's things you got to look for somebody wants to be a bishop blameless okay he's got to have his hands clean but all right husband to one wife he can't be somebody that's busy with more of the carnal things because he's chasing his flesh and can't control his desires but he's fallen in love with one and that one is the one that he's building a relationship with just like there's one got okay there's a lot of comparisons here and paul is establishing this with the preacher vigilant he's got to be doing the things of god he's got to be watchful he's got to be checking things out constantly trying to better himself and the work sober got to be of a right mind good behavior he's got to behave himself well he's got to be hospitable be able to help people and encourage people and and and you know and assist people in their needs and stuff apt to teach got to be able to to teach the word of god to teach what he's learning uh not a drinker can't be influenced by the chemicals and the things of the world not somebody who lashes out striker who's just ready to fight ready to to stand up and punch somebody if you will because that's the flesh right not greedy with the stuff that doesn't glorify god that filthy looker that's mentioned that's that's money or payment that's come in that is not blessed of the lord you can't you can't you can't do that uh he's got to be patient with people right just like god's patient with him he's got to be patient with others he can't be a fighter somebody just wants to brawl if you will he can't be covetous of other people's things of other preachers things okay this is a lesson that paul's teaching timothy understand it doesn't matter what the church down the street has you do the work of god you apply yourself you teach this to others and get them into the rhythm of serving the lord loving god reaching people having the right spirit and attitude for this call that's on their life and don't worry about what's going on around them okay he has to have his house in order the reason this is spoken of is because who's watching everybody's watching how the pastor's wife his kids how they interact and so forth so if you can't have your own house in order how do you how do you think they're going to respect you in the church when you're trying to help them common sense right but again this is a preacher please understand none of these points are saying that the preacher a bishop has to be perfect okay it's a it's a process of growth and desire if you want to be used of god you've got to apply yourself in these areas and grow and mature with them okay not a novice somebody this is new and flippant with things no you gotta understand the value and the price that's being paid for the ministry to preach the word of god you can't let pride overtake you because pride will allow the evil devil if you will the things of the world to come in and that will destroy the work that you're doing you got to be in good standing with people in the church people without that's outside the church you've got to have a good rapport with people okay you got to have these things in check otherwise the enemy of the church the evil one if you will that's going to come in and get a foothold in the work that you're doing and very quickly can destroy the whole purpose of the work of god now this is a long list of points that paul is writing to the preacher so that the preacher understands timothy understands his position where he is but now he can instruct others that are coming in as well this is how you've got to carry yourself this is what you're striving to accomplish a huge list i realized that but paul is writing this because he's letting timothy know this is a god thing but the flesh has to work with the spirit of god and you have to yield and submit and grow and learn and and and discipline and do things in your life that will cause you to grow and be fruitful in the kingdom still holds true today 2020 all right the call and purpose of god comes with a price tag i don't know how to say it it's not for the weak of heart if you're easily offended if you're easily uh chasing things of the world if you simply are looking for a way to be lifted up so that everybody follow you you're missing the boat already walk away from it leave it alone but if you love the things of god we're all human we all have the ability to mess up fail fall flat on our face we all know that i do you do it's the nature of humanity but when there's a call of god on your life there are blessings there are graces and mercies that are applied as you grow and you mature in the kingdom take the guidelines that paul the apostles writing and apply them to your life when you want to be a minister a bishop it's mentioned here your choices you're going to have to make that won't be easy you're going to do things with your family set boundaries and limits with your family you're going to have to learn how to control things in your life and in doing so you're helping others we all understand that everybody's got a place in the church but if you're gonna be in ministry now there's a level of disciplines and things that you're going to have to set into place now notice here that in the continuance he's talking the office of a bishop verse 8 says likewise must the deacons be grave not double tongued not given to much wine not greedy or feel filthy lucre holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience and let those also first be proved then let them use the office of a deacon being found blameless even so must their wives be grave not slanderers sober faithful in all things verse 12 let the deacons be the husbands of one wife ruling their children in their houses and their own houses well for they that have used the office of a deacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in christ jesus a deacon again paul's establishing levels and positions here trying to give timothy a way to develop and grow the church there in ephesus much like a bishop a deacon it's just another level of ministry a bishop would be someone that's doing this a deacon is one that's maturing and growing into this okay it's a process working for god is an honorable thing but it has to be sought with desire and insight so bishop this and now deacon this is the one that's working with the bishop okay you got to be grave doesn't mean you're dead it means that you are sincere about what you're doing you're not a double tongue person say one thing to another you're doing the work of god uh you're not a drinker you're you don't want dirty gain if you will of of the way people pay under the table things that are not correct and of the law okay paul establishes lessons and then the minister the deacon has to choose he has to understand that he has to be proven you can't just say okay i want to be a beacon he's got to come in and say i want to do this and then begin the process of building relationships and endearing yourself to the people that you're working with okay blameless the spouses they have to do the same thing not slandering others they got to be sober and in their right mind they got to be faithful to the things of god a deacon should have one wife that can't be of multiple here we got a lot of issues with other families got to be somebody that's willing to submit to the off of the position of a family okay that realm of a family uh those called to do the work of god they have to want to be developed and to develop people in the church it's not an easy task but it's worthy of it all right in verse 14 notice now how he's bishop deacon these things are right to thee hoping to come to you shortly but if i tarry along that thou mayest know how thou ought us to behave thyself in the house of god which is the church of the living god the pill or the ground of the truth paul is saying to timothy there's bishops this is what they need to do how they need to carry themselves personally and and physically and and with family and so forth all right deacon this is how what they need to do this is what they're accountable for this is how they need to be responsible i want to come to you paul says i want to talk to you but this is what i want you to know if i don't get to you soon because of the way things happen we learned that last time in thessalonian in the last letter we read he says you got to behave yourself doing things in the house of god you are representing the god of all creation remember who you represent all right again i'm not giving this lesson talking to the preachers i'm giving this lesson talking to all of us who are doing something for the kingdom of god you have to remember that god called you and so god expects something of you all right your personality and your characteristics they are from god that's why he called you how you are now if you're of the mind to have a bad mouth or uh evil thoughts or you're ready to just destroy people or hurt things or whatever those are things characteristic flaws you're going to have to work on through the spirit working in you hear it but there are things that if you're going to work for god that you're going to have to subject your tel yourself to you have to use the scriptures to develop and grow and mature and in doing so you can help others all right so he mentions bishops this is what you do deacons and then you've got to position yourself behave yourself put yourself in the place to where you can be used of god at whatever place that is okay this is not simply for the guy behind the pulpit no this is for all of us doing something for the kingdom of god all right notice what paul continues in verse 16. this is very important it actually ties the previous together and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness god was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit scene of angels preached unto the gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory he's trying to tell timothy something look what you're doing here as the preacher as the one that's responsible for that work and you're growing the deacons and the bishops and so forth okay what you're doing here is you need to understand that there the godly things you're doing it's it's it's really a mystery you notice paul has used in several of his letters mystery things that are kind of out there it's because of how it was revealed to him remember that and so he mentions about he said listen i i know that the flesh can fail stumble and fall i get that i know that sin is probably in your past and it's you've probably done some horrible things no matter what position of ministry or authority you're in there's things that's out there that has affected you but part of the godliness that's working in your life it's a mystery how is that notice this jesus christ manifested in the flesh he became human all right jesus christ became human justified in the spirit he was pronounced perfect because of the work that he did on the cross scene of angels the angels came received him in the tomb and ascended with him they also came and announced his birth right and they were there preached to gentiles not only the jews but the gentiles could now hear this word okay believed by those in the world humanity could could choose now to know him and have a relationship and then received up in the glory jesus went to prepare a place for those who follow him why is this important how does this connect very easy because you're coming out of the world out of the carnal things out of the flesh things you're falling in love with jesus he's beginning a process in you you're not perfect you're going to now grow and mature but when you allow what jesus did in everything that he accomplished that was for the purpose of helping you helping me helping us those in the world daily to pursue and to follow after him okay this is important because if we simply look at flesh most of us the majority of us are not worthy to even open the word of god and read it because of the past because of the mistakes because of the failures and the things that we didn't do right okay but the mystery of godliness says he can do this work in you through the spirit so he can clean you up and put you in a place to where he can use you men women children young people old people doesn't matter what culture or what what class of people you're in doesn't matter he can because of what jesus did you and i have the opportunity to follow him and in doing so he will help lead us and develop us into what he wants us to do i'm so thankful that we have this letter to read from the hand of paul to timothy to give us understanding that you can be used of god doesn't matter where you're from where you've come from what you've been through god is doing a work in your life notice how notice how he continues here in chapter four powerful stuff now verse one now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith all right giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which god hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth he transitions here paul doesn't in the chapter four here he transitions from office from position from place okay now he begins to speak about the spiritual battles that you can expect in the end those that are coming in again this is the hundreds of hundreds of years ago and here we are in 2020 and we're still facing the same trials temptations tests and so forth right the fact is though is what paul's establishing with the preacher is in the end some are not going to want to submit and do what god's calling them to do some in fact will come in they will be very successful they will be very blessed they will desire it and then the evil one will come in and hook them and they're going to walk away from the truth it's a sad thing paul has to tell timothy this otherwise timothy would expect everybody would simply line up and go through the process like at a packing plant junk junk that true you still as humans have the ability to choose make choices good or bad so some are going to follow negative influence some are going to love god and then they're going to begin to believe lies doctrines teachings if you will of the devil and evil things they will begin to infiltrate into people's minds and their lives mentioning this again timothy don't be discouraged by those who don't do this fall in love with jesus and do what they're supposed to do some are going to come in and all they're going to do is wreak havoc on the church and then they're going to walk away because the enemy is going to use the things of their past temptations and trials and things and he's going to hook them and pull them out okay they will become hypocrites they'll no longer have the ability to choose to choose between good and evil they'll they'll not want to marry and reproduce and do the family thing the whole purpose of humanity on earth is to replenish and so forth but instead they're going to be more looking at their physical side instead of their spiritual side they're going to want want want greed and so forth is going to take over they're not concerned about those that are coming after them they're simply focused on the here and now what can i get for it and how big can i get and then i'm going to die one day and it's not going to matter okay they will be contrary to all of the things of god concerning creation the lawful things in the eyes of god again paul mentions here the simplistic things of just what you eat some folks are going to make a big issue of those things and in doing so what they're doing is they are confusing themselves because god created everything for a purpose you've got to submit though to understand that purpose in god and you don't do that by falling out of bed in the morning hoping everything comes together you've got to spend time praying talking to god we're getting in his word listening to preaching listening to counsel applying yourself letting the spirit of god speak to you the word of god breathe into your life okay the process of growth and maturity notice how he continues in verse six here in chapter four if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good minister of jesus christ nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attain but refuse profane and old wives fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness for bodily exercise profit of little but godliness is profitable on all things having promise of the life that is now or that now excuse me and of that which is to come this is a faithful saying and worthy of all exception therefore for therefore we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living god who is the savior of all men especially of those that believe these things command and teach now timothy in that day just like it is today people are responsible for what they do all right and the truth of the matter is is there are those in the church and out of the church that are looking for answers guidance and direction what you have to do in the church inside the family of god paul addresses some points here in this particular portion and he says you know what when you chase the the bottle of the physical things you will constantly be changing and chasing something he's not that he's saying bodily exercise is wrong he's simply saying that knowing that you're building up your flesh more than your spirit it's not going to profit you but if you'll focus more on the spiritual it can help you in the flesh all right i know that god heals don't you he can heal your body it doesn't mean you take advantage of your body and you destroy it by doing it whatsoever you want no it means that you understand the temple the place where you live every day your body the thing that if you will houses the spirit of god around you and and you take care of it but you focus on the spiritual side the flesh of man listen has an expiration date right you're born and you live and you die that's it but the spirit of man the soul of man lives forever somewhere and it would be a shame to focus all of your attention on the physical and forget the spiritual side okay paul mentions to the young preacher that care should be made for the spiritual and the physical but he emphasizes here that the eternal focus cannot be the flesh as your flesh gets older and it gets tired and it gets weary you're going to deal with things you'll slow down you'll have to do things different so forth as you grow older you'll figure this out but in the spirit you're gaining strength and stronger and stronger all right it's kind of opposite in the spiritual as it is in the flesh if i will because when you're young you're learning things you've got all this strength but you don't have a lot of wisdom and so you're growing but in the spirit side you're you're born into this and now you're growing and even you're getting older you're getting wiser and learning things and even if your flesh is declining your spirit is growing now in in chapter 4 verse 12 no notice what he says this is vitally important we're bringing this to a close let no man despise thy youth verse 12 but be thou an example of the of the believers in word conversation charity spirit faith purity till i come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the hands of the presbytery meditate upon these things give thyself holy to them that thy profiting may appear to all take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine continuing them for in doing so thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear you now listen this is a powerful expression he's saying to timothy timothy no matter what age you are physically how many years you've been alive listen do not allow anybody to make you feel like your call is worthless and has no value at whatever level you are but you be an example you'll be an example of the work of the spirit of god you you be that witness because the choices you're making or to serve god are going to bless you and you're going to see the fruit of that multiplied over and over again so this is how paul says timothy this is how you need to con continue to grow and prosper be a reader you read you exhort you you speak openly about the good things of god all right you learn teachings out of the bible sound lessons in the scriptures you feed on the gift of god that's in your life and you feed that gift with the things of god all right god spoke a call god spoke a purpose into your life you need to put stuff in there the garbage in the garbage out the good and the good out put the good stuff in there all right the ministry and the authority has been prayed over you by the press but it's meant to laying on of hands there's a there's an anointing here that's happened okay transference that has taken place think on the things of god grow in the things of god the following in following the teachings of the scriptures they will save you and they will save those who are listening to you and how you're drawing out of them to help them okay lastly if i could say this before we pray do the work all right i've said this multiple times in multiple places that we've lived and ministered and god is very very kind to help me understand this god does not need he doesn't call lazy people all right he needs you to do the work understand who he is how big he is get closer to him allow yourself to grow and be disciplined in the things of god giving yourself to the things of god so that you can grow and help those around you all right that's going to be our prayer as we close out this is the session this evening lord i want you to help me to know how to grow and where to plant myself and begin the process or continue the process or start doing better in the process daily help me lord to know what is the best way the and let me yield to it let me submit to it let me have a passion and a purpose and what i do lord so i can make a difference in my world pray with me lord thank you so much for your word thank you for the letters that were written it helps us today so much thank you for that i pray lord right now for every heart in every home every individual that's listened that's studied tonight that will in the future i pray lord a blessing upon their lives god i pray a passion and an anointing would touch them give them a hunger and a desire to turn loose of the things of the world and to grab a hold of the things of god and to move forward in faith and victory i plead your blood over the church over the ministry over the leadership lord over those that are coming in the young and the old alike we're growing lord we're striving to be found doing your will until you come i love you lord and i plead your blood over us bless the church bless everybody today god i ask your anointing to be upon us in jesus name we'll trust you forever amen amen