1 Timothy
B.) The Church and its members
5. 3:14-16 Proper conduct at Church
3:14-15
“A case of spiritual amnesia”
I. Introduction
II. Vs. 14 Important words
III. Vs. 15 Three phrases that describe the Church
I. Introduction
An Oxford atheist professor in a debate said, “It doesn’t really matter whether a person has a belief system that is biblical or godly. The important thing is that they believe in something.” To which the believer he was debating replied, “Imagine, Professor, that you’re in downtown Los Angeles and its 2 AM and your car breaks down. You get out and hear footsteps, you turn to see 10 big young men walking towards you. Would it make a difference if you knew that they had just come from a Bible study?” This last Sunday “60 Minutes” aired the story of Nicholas Winton, a 104 year old man and former London stock broker, who at the age of 29 in 1938 began a mission to save Jewish Children from death in Prague Czechoslovakia. Over a few months he was able to get 669 children out of certain death back to England just before Hitler invaded. One of the saved children wrote a book on his act calling it, “The Power of Good”. Those grown children gave him a ring with an engraved inscription from the Talmud that says, “Save one life, save the world.” Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer once said, “The greatest creativity ever given is the ability of men, by their choices, to change the course of history.” Saint’s that is why God in His wisdom has given His Church His creativity to engage in “The Power to do Good” to “Save one life” and by doing that we have the power to change the world!
II. Vs. 14 Important words
Vs. 14 Ephesus was the 2nd largest city in the Roman Empire, a center of commerce, culture and beauty. It boasted in its most prominent feature, “The Temple of Diana” which was dedicated to the worship of sex. I suppose that the Ephesus of America would be Hollywood or Las Vegas. Paul had sent Timothy to this church to keep them on tract so that they would not lose focus of what their mission was. To date in this letter Paul has wrote to Timothy about making sure that he continue to teach the importance of Jesus and not allow others to teach things that would get them off tract. Timothy was given careful instructions on prayer, praise and the proclamation of the word of God. He was given practical guidelines on identifying the characteristics of leaders who the Holy Spirit is raising up.
But here the letter takes a turn and clearly Paul thought that what he was about to write to Timothy was of upmost importance as he couldn’t risk that this information wait upon his hopeful arrival, he needed to make sure that Timothy and the church he pastor had this information immediately! What could be so important for the Church to know that it couldn’t wait? They needed to know who they are! One of the difficulties facing the church in Ephesus apparently is the same one facing the modern evangelical Church in America “A Loss of Identity” or simply spiritual amnesia where we have forgotten who we are in Christ. So Paul lists three truths with regards to who the church.
III. Vs. 15 Three phrases that describe the Church
Vs. 15 Paul uses three very descriptive phrases in telling us what the Church is:
The house of God: The use of this phrase is deliberate on Paul’s part as he could have said “Tabernacle” or “Temple” but he doesn’t instead he calls the church the “House of God”. The use of this phrase causes the reader to think of family, intimacy and warmth. We have become so accustomed to think of the Church as a building instead of a family. This isn’t something new as Solomon fought this same concept on the day he dedicated the temple he prayed in 1 Kings 8:27 “The heaven and heavens of heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that we have built.” If the “House of God” is not the Church building then what is? Well according to Hebrews 3:6 we Christians are the dwelling place of God….Saint’s God doesn’t in habit cold buildings in inhabits His people. That’s why Jesus said where ever there are two or three gathered together in My name their I AM in their midst. If that doesn’t excite you then you probably ought to check your pulse. The view of the Church as the house of God not only is the view of a family but it also reveals to our heart that God is a loving Father who lives with us as our close friend.
The Church of the Living God: In the Greek this word “Church” was used to describe political assemblies where business was transacted by qualified citizens. The word is used 100 times in the New Testament but always to identify the local church as “called out one”. “Called out ones” describes us being called out of our former life but that isn’t all we are as Paul puts that word together with what we are called into, “the living God”. He wrote this to Timothy in close proximity to the famed temple to Diana where they worship a multi breasted meteorite that had fallen from the sky as an idol. They built this elaborate building that was one of the ancient wonders of the world around a weird looking rock and worshipped it. Now before we look down on the ancient world for their worship of an odd shaped meteorite that came from the heavens there are folks today that worship people they call Rock Stars and some of them are pretty weird looking as well. In contrast to the lifeless idols Paul says the Church is intimately connected to the LIVING GOD apart from which the world would not function as everything and everyone draws its life and vitality from what He has created. When Paul had come into Athens, that great intellectual city of the Greeks, he noticed idols to everything imaginable in fact he even saw an idol with the inscription “To the Unknown God”. He took that opportunity to make known the God they declared they didn’t know and even quoted a Greek poet who said of God, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Every living creature draws its breath by the grace of God; saint’s that’s the God we know and are a part of relationally. God has committed Himself to us and is so confident in His finished work in us that He has only us to use to reach those who as of yet have no relationship with Him. Every Church that gathers in His name and every Christian has at their disposal a power that is completely self-sustaining and is waiting to be released upon the hearts of humanity to transform lives. Oh how we the church have forgotten our resources and free access to the Holy Spirit through prayer. The Church of the Living God is anything but boring and dull its combustible waiting to power up that which God in His wisdom has released us to empower. The book of Acts is proof of its power that cannot be harnessed to accomplished what we want be is can be led by the Spirit to accomplish what He wants.
The pillar and ground of truth: These are architectural terms that remind us of our foundation as well as structure. We are built upon the Rock of truth Jesus Christ of which Jesus said nothing could ever dislodge us from. The problem of lack of effectiveness within the church today is that we have forgotten or never knew just who we are in Christ. We know this because we try to subdue the world with the weapons of the world: Fame, money, technology and public relations. But the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….” Paul uses two dramatic words to describe us “Pillar of truth” and “Ground of truth”. Both those words describe the primary way in which we are to function in this fallen world, TRUTH.
Pillar of truth: Pillars in the ancient world were several feet thick and used to support structures that were built upon them. But pillars were also used in ancient or biblical times to fasten public edicts upon where they would be in full view of all. The church isn’t the foundation of truth but it has been placed upon that Truth it is the pillar because it holds up the truth for all to see. The Church is like a pharmacy in that we dispense that which enables folks that are broken to live life as they were intended too whole and healthy, full of life and joy! Go back in every generation and examine the world’s great learning institutions observe the folks who have studied at those universities and examine their lives and you will see that even with those degrees they still have the same problems they always have prior to their education. Ah but go back and study those same generations of folks who have sat at the feat of Jesus, walked with Him throughout their lives and see that they live victoriously not bound by that which defeats the rest of society. It is as the “Pillar of truth” that we boldly proclaim to a lost world that there is an alternative to the confusion they are living.
Ground of truth: Not only are we to proclaim and live out that which we can live the rest of life on we are to proclaim the foundation which is Jesus. There is a sense that the church in American is stuck in a dichotomy: In one sense we are the most educated church the world has ever seen but at the same time it is the most biblically illiterate Church the world has ever seen. The reason for this is that the Church only intellectually knows but doesn’t believe what it knows. Some of the reason for this is that it isn’t being taught as people are being given truth but they don’t know how it connects to the Word of God. People are also given information without any real conviction for application and it is application that through the Holy Spirit will lead to personal transformation!
That is why Paul wanted Timothy to remind these Ephesian believers who they were in Christ so that they would see their mission as believers with changed lives taking the message of Christ into the world. Where ever you have God’s people, you have the Church and whatever those Christians are doing is the work of the Church. Saints we have been sent into the world to change the course of history, to make a difference in one life at a time starting with our own. That will be the focus of Paul next talk with us the “Mystery of godliness” the inner working of personal change!
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Dale Lewis – 1 Timothy 3:14-15 “A case of spiritual amnesia”
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