Well good morning to everyone. Been a little warm in the hay mile lately, I gotta tell you. Sam got a workout there yesterday along with me, and he's a lot, lot younger than me, I noticed. So it's good, good sunny weather, nice to be on the lakes and that kind of thing. We're enjoying it, getting our hay in.

Well we've been studying together for several months now the first epistle to Timothy. In this short letter, we have studied some very important and sometimes very difficult issues concerning how we should conduct ourselves in the house of God. This letter is particularly practical for the church today because it gives direct instruction on how we should do church, what our purpose is as the body of Christ, and it lays out God's plan specifically for the man of God, the elder, the pastor, the teacher in the church. 

This has been very beneficial from my perspective to study these words, and a challenging study as we seek to apply God's truth to the evangelical church, to our church in the 21st century. As we come to the final chapter, what we see is Paul summarizing much of what he taught through this epistle, giving a final exclamation point to some of the important doctrines that he laid out through the book. 

We're going to look at these. We're going to review a couple of those in our passage this morning and next time. I've been thinking a lot, as I'm sure you have as well, really about the state of our world, the direction that we're headed, and all that the Bible says that's going to come. It's difficult to know how to react to all that's going on, particularly in our country. There's so much manipulation, false information, really a constant flood of information inundating us, influencing us, and the world we live in with all of the technology that we now have at our fingertips and the systems of communication that we have. 

How is a Christian to know how to respond to some of these things? How do we know what to think, what to do? And as I've thought about this concerning our world, our country, my own individual life and family, I keep coming back to this: We are to live our life based on truth, on principles, on the indicatives laid out in the Scriptures. Our life should be one of consistency and continuity based on the truth principles laid out in the Word of God. 

With all of the forces of our world coming against us, affecting our emotions, our thinking, there's an ever-present need, a desperate need, to continually renew our minds to the truth of God's Word, to think His thoughts, to have His perspective, and to obey what He has clearly laid out in His Word. Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and there are no mitigating factors concerning the righteous character of God and what He expects from His people. 

This is what we see concerning the church in the first epistle to Timothy. It's quite parallel to our society at large. Paul writes this letter with the specific purpose of telling Timothy and his congregation how it is that we are to conduct ourselves in the house of God. He goes into great detail giving the instructions, the truth principles of what Timothy is to be doing, what his role, what his purpose is in the body, and how he is to lead, what he is to teach the people of God. 

Paul makes clear here and elsewhere in his writings that all the forces of Satan in this world will come against these principles, that many will follow false doctrine, false teachers in their worldly ways and philosophies, and that the church will suffer for it. This was already happening in Ephesus and Corinth and elsewhere, and that is why Paul sent Timothy to set things right, to maintain the course, guided by basic truth principles as to what was to be going on in the church. We see these things happening now in the evangelical church as well. 

Men are not guided by these basic truth principles given to the leaders, pastors, and elders of the church. They have bought into worldly ideas, massaged the scriptures, molding the principles into something that does not look like what Paul, what God has given as principles for overseeing the body of Christ. They have justified them by human wisdom, by emotion and manipulation, just as we see in our world today. 

The message I really want for us at Living Hope Church to take from the first letter to Timothy, as we wrap up this book over the next couple of weeks, is that there are clear, simple, truth principles laid out here to guide us, to instruct us, specifically to admonish me as the pastor teacher, as to how we are to conduct ourselves in this place, in this ministry together, for the growth of the body, for the salvation of the lost, and the glory of God. 

These are simple, solid, clear principles, and we must heed them. We must let them guide us through the dark and murky and confusing times in which we live, where there's so much pressure by the world system on us individually, but also on us as the body of Christ, the church. We must hold fast to Christ, to His Word, to His plan and purpose, and trust Him, doing what He says, and leaving the details to Him. 

It is not easy. I think it will become more difficult as the last days come to a climax in this world. But this is why we come together. This is why we study. This is why we preach and teach the Word of God, verse by verse, book by book, because we believe that the Word of God and the God of His Word is sufficient, sufficient for our daily living. We desire to look to Him, to obey Him, to trust Him, to work out His will in our lives and in our church.

Let's look at our text together as Paul reinforces some of the major points for us in this final chapter. 

1 Timothy 6:1 states, "Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself."

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. I'm sorry I don't have an outline for you this morning. I had a little trouble copying that, but I have five points for you. First, conform. Second, conduct. Third, confusion. Fourth, continuity. And fifth, contentment.

I was commenting to my wife as I first studied the passage before us about how difficult some of the texts have been that I've been teaching through lately, the subject matter of 1 Timothy and Romans 1 and 2 and 1 Corinthians. We've been through some tough but very important passages. When I told her I was studying verse 1 of our text, she asked what I was teaching on next. I said, slavery. 

Paul does use the word doulos here in verse 1, translated bond servants, which literally means slaves. But before we get too worked up, I should note that in the context of the Greek and Roman cultures, this word does not conjure up what it does in our American history and culture. If I said to you today that Aaron Rogers signed a 10-year contract for $100 million to play for the Green Bay Packers, you wouldn't be all upset. Well, you might be all upset, but you wouldn't be upset because he was a slave, right? 

But that's basically what we have going on here in the Roman and Greek culture. The Roman Empire basically ran on a master-slave relationship. But again, this was much more akin to what we would call an indentured servant relationship. Slaves in Paul and Jesus' time very often entered into these agreements voluntarily and enjoyed many rights and benefits. 

Such servants could not be mistreated. They were given many liberties, such as to marry, have children, own property, accumulate wealth, and the master had to take care of the entire family while they were there. When his time of the contract was up, he could leave and take everyone with him. The option of entering into a long-term contract relationship, which is what these were, was often very preferable to the day labor situation in which many lived in this time. 

I got an email from Stevens in Goa, India, and he was telling me how they were concerned about the day laborers in India with this COVID situation because they locked them down and wouldn't let them leave their homes, and they had nothing to eat. He was quite sure that many were starving to death because they had no food and no way to go out. 

So they would work in this time, as they do now in India, work the day, get their wages, and get what they needed for the day. Well, that was a very difficult way to live, but the slave-master or contract sort of relationship that was very common in the Roman Empire was much more secure, much better for the servant and his family, and these relationships were given a set time as well. 

So it was really nothing like the slavery system that existed in America and around the world in more modern-day contexts. The way to look at Paul's instruction here for our understanding and application for us is an employer-employee relationship, and Paul's simply coming back to what he's already taught in 1 Timothy about God's plan for authority-submission relationships in all areas of life. 

We see this consistently throughout the Scriptures. Every relationship that God has designed exists in an authority-submission basis. This is even true in the relationship of Jesus, the Son of God, to God the Father. The Bible tells us that God is the head of Christ. 

Now, this does not in any way indicate a superiority or inferiority relationship. God is God. Jesus is fully, equally God. But in their relationship, particularly concerning Christ's role as Savior, in His incarnation and His work on the cross, His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus said, "I always do what pleases the Father." He was submissive to the will of God, even to the point of death on the cross. 

The Bible teaches us that the man is the head of woman in the home, in the family. This is a structure that God has ordained. A man is in authority. He's the leader, the one responsible and culpable for leading his family spiritually and providing for them physically. This, again, does not imply any inequality or certainly not any abusive situation but rather the way that God has designed relationships to work, prosper, and flourish. 

One of the most fascinating passages on this is in Matthew 8. If you'd turn to Matthew 8 with me, please, beginning at verse 5. Matthew 8:5 says, "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant,' this would be doulos, this would be slave, 'Lord, my slave is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.'" 

This guy was very concerned about his servant. This was probably a household servant he was very close to. We see even that sometimes servants would be the heirs. The slaves would be the heirs if they had no other children, as such would be the case with Abraham if he hadn't had a son. 

In verse 6 it says, "saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.' And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes, and to another, Come, and he comes, and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.'" 

When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel." And I say to you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. First, I want you to notice how much this man cared for his slave, his servant. They had a loving relationship. He was concerned about him. But also notice what the centurion says, this man of great faith in verse 9. 

He says, "For I also am a man under authority." We think of a commander of a hundred soldiers in the Roman army as one having authority, and he did. But he says here that he is under authority. His authority comes from being under the authority of the ones over him. He indicates here that he knows and understands that Jesus, too, has His authority by virtue of being under the authority of God. It's an amazing insight. 

Jesus marveled at the man's faith. We see this principle in government as well in texts like Romans 13 where we are commanded to be submissive to those in authority over us. Even back in chapter 2 of 1 Timothy, we saw Paul teach on this. 

In 1 Timothy 2:1, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in authority," listen to the reasoning here, the purpose, "in order that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The most interesting part of this, all of these clear teachings of the scripture, is the purpose, the goal, the result of being in submission to those in authority over us in all walks of life. Clearly, Paul here ties our submissive spirit and behavior to our witness and to the salvation of lost souls. 

We see this in our text as well, as we look at the relationship of employee and employer. "Let as many bond servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor so that the name of God and his doctrine may not be blasphemed." If we are contentious, rebellious people who are always chafing against those in authority over us, particularly in the workplace, this is not a good witness. This brings reproach on God and His gospel of salvation. 

We are to be quiet and peaceable people working with our own hands, minding our own business, good employees who work and honor our bosses, the good and the bad, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. Turn over to 1 Peter 2 with me, please. 

1 Peter 2 at verse 13 says, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond slaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." 

"Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh. For this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully." We see this may be coming about in our time now. We've thought about it for years. It seems much more possible at this point. 

Verse 20 states, "For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently, but when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God? For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps." 

What did Jesus do? "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. By whose stripes you were healed, for you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls." 

Jesus suffered the most unjust abuse, the most extreme persecution, even unto death on the cruel Roman cross, and yet he did not defend himself. He did not revile or seek to exercise his rights, but he submitted himself to the will of God. He entrusted himself to him who judges righteously. What peace comes with that? He bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. 

Peter says we are to follow in his steps in the workplace. We are to submit ourselves to those in authority over us, to be good employees, hard workers, honoring, submitting to our bosses, even if they treat us poorly. And this because it is a witness in this world. A witness to the power of the gospel of Christ. 

Our witness is the foremost thing because of God's will to save all men. I could ask some business owners to stand up right now and give a testimony. How much is a good, hardworking, honest, honoring employee worth? How many have you found lately? 

I just want to make a comment here to perhaps bring some clarity to where I sometimes get confused. We are to speak truth and love in our lives. We are to stand for what is right. We are to uphold righteousness and truth as individuals in what we say, how we speak, how we live. But this is not in contrast with being submissive to authority in the various relationships of life. It goes right with it. 

Do we want to be a witness in the workplace? Have an attitude of submission. Work hard. Honor your boss. It doesn't mean we agree. It doesn't mean that we compromise truth or endorse what may be true of an ungodly pagan boss in his life. It means that we uphold truth and witness by our attitude and behavior in the workplace. 

There may come times where those in authority over us at work or in the government or wherever force us into a situation where we must obey God rather than men, and we have to be discerning in those situations. But the truth is that a submissive attitude and willingness to work hard and honor those in authority is a powerful witness in this world because this is such a stark contrast with the ways of men and the attitude toward authority in our world.

So Paul reiterates the doctrine he taught in chapter 2 in verse 1 of our text when he says, "Let as many bond servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor so that the name of God and his doctrine may not be blasphemed." 

And those who have believing masters, he says, "Let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. And then Paul says, teach and exhort these things." 

So first we see in our text, conform. Next we see conduct. Look at verse 3. Paul says, "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the doctrine which accords with godliness." 

I want you to hone in on the last part of this verse: doctrine which accords with godliness. This is such a major statement. A tremendous biblical truth that has amazing application to our daily lives. It's something that we have seen run through this entire epistle in our studies. 

Good doctrine leads to godliness, to good conduct. As we often say, the indicatives must undergird the imperatives. Truth must form the foundation for the exhortations. Let me give you an example of this: Colossians 3:9 is maybe one of the simplest examples. Paul says, "Do not lie to one another." 

Now here we have a simple command: "Do not lie." The pagans have that down at their church, in their culture. "Do not lie," it's a command, it's a law. But I want you to notice that there's something very different for the one who believes Jesus, who has died to sin, who has become a new creation in Christ. 

Paul says, "Do not lie to one another." Why, Paul? What's the basis for obeying this command? How can I carry that out in my life? He says, "Since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him." 

You see, there's a great truth here in our salvation and who we now are in Christ. The imperative, the command is undergirded by the truth, the indicative. "Do not lie because of this truth. Here's the truth: you died. You put off the old man. You have put on the new man. You're now being renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him." 

It's logical for us to live a righteous life because we are righteous men in Christ—new men with new hearts and a new relationship to sin and righteousness. This is why doctrine matters. If we do not know the truth of our salvation in Jesus Christ, if we do not know who we are in him and what has been done in us as a result of our union with him in his death, burial, and resurrection, if we do not know the truth about Jesus, the doctrines that accord with godliness, then we have no basis for living. No basis for obeying the commands. 

So this is why Paul so emphasizes doctrine and just pounds into Timothy in this letter that his role, his main obligation is to teach and preach the word, the truths of the scripture. Paul says in verse 3 of our text, "If anyone teaches otherwise," Paul here emphasizes again the importance of sound doctrine and warns against those who would teach otherwise. His emphasis is that this false teaching, this lack of clear truth preaching from the word of God leads to godless conduct. 

My friends, this is what we see in the church today, my brothers and sisters, a lack of focus on doctrine and preaching, therefore all kinds of compromise concerning godly living and right conduct. Because without the underlying indicative truth, there can be no basis for living out the imperative commands. 

Paul warns against what happens if we allow these kind of men, this kind of worldly order, this kind of men, this kind of worldly wisdom into the church. Look at what happens if men teach otherwise, as was going on in Ephesus. "If any teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." 

Our next point is confusion. What results? We could say chaos. There's a lot of C words. It's really good—confusion. What results from a lack of truth teaching is confusion and chaos in the church. 

What an indictment this is of the church today in America. No clarity of truth. No understanding of doctrine because by and large, there are very many good biblical churches, and praise God for the men preaching the word, but man, I have people call me almost every week who can't find a church. 

I had a guy call me a couple weeks ago. "Is it wrong for me?" He lives far away. "Is it wrong for me just to watch it on live stream and watch your church? Is it wrong for me not to be involved in my local church?" Well, after he told me about his local church and the difficulty he was having, you know, you hate to say that, but it's better than going into a church where they teach otherwise. 

There's no clarity of truth, no understanding. By and large, the church has left the simplicity of Christ, the focus of preaching and teaching the word, and exhorting the people to believe God, to reckon what he says, and to obey him. All kinds of other things have come in: academia, a focus on higher education by liberal seminaries, doctoral degrees in all things unbiblical, the ways and means of the world, marketing, business models, entertainment, and a resulting capitulation to the morality of the world—a compromise of the principles of the word of God. 

Now we see the church tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, not growing, but starving, anemic, unable to discern truth from error, and thus unable to live out godliness that is in accord with sound doctrine. Confusion, chaos. 

Paul says these teachers who infiltrate and take over biblical churches are not humble. They profess to have all wisdom, but Paul says they know nothing. Paul, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind, was he? He didn't say, "Oh, they're a little off and they're nice guys, they're trying, they mean well." No, they know nothing. They're obsessed with disputes over words, semantics, systems of men, vast, complicated systems of theology, parsing words. This is what consumes them and the people are confused. 

They have no clear direction. They're led into envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth. What's the problem again? They're destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. These leaders are focused on what they can gain. What matters most? Large congregations, admiration, power, money, whatever. They are not there to simply preach and teach the word of God so that God might build up his church and bring it to maturity to accomplish his will in this world. 

They are there to raise themselves up, to lay out their system, to have the secret plan and knowledge to accomplish their goals and aspirations. It can be so subtle, and it's a warning to Timothy and to us. To have such a desperate need to just cling to the word of God, to the simplicity of Christ, to the truths of his word. Paul tells Timothy, withdraw yourself from such men. 

We see conform, we see conduct, we see confusion, and finally in our text we see continuity and contentment. "From such, withdraw yourself." In verse 6, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain." Paul writes in verse 3, "If anyone teaches others to be godly, they will be godly. Godliness with contentment is great gain." 

Wise. Then he ends in verse 5 with this admonition, "From such men withdraw yourself." You know, there's almost a virtue in the evangelical church today that says we should have a diversity of opinions on doctrine. That the leadership can have all kinds of different understandings of the scripture and that somehow this is healthy. 

I've even had pastors tell me that doctrine doesn't matter as long as we agree on the gospel. But Paul says if anyone, any man, teaches otherwise, what does this mean? Other than all that Paul has written in this letter concerning doctrine, and he says the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole of the scriptures really, there absolutely should be continuity and understanding of doctrine among the leadership of the church. 

It blows my mind to consider otherwise. If we all have different theological perspectives, how will we lead in clarity? There can only be confusion. So Paul says there should be no teaching of doctrines other than that which is clearly laid out in the scriptures, and there should be continuity among the leadership. 

This sound doctrine will lead to godliness. And here's the main point: we should be content with godliness. I think here is where we sometimes go awry. The greatest aspirations, the main goal is not godliness. If men would pursue holiness, seek after godliness, be content with godliness, then we would see a man who is dedicated to God's way of accomplishing this. He would be content to preach and teach, to oversee, be available to the people and to encourage and exhort based on doctrine. 

This would be the mindset of the pastor if he was content with godliness. Godliness in himself and godliness in the people that God has entrusted to him. We saw this earlier in the epistle, right? He encouraged Timothy to take heed to himself, to the doctrine, to be an example, to live in holiness, and to encourage others to live in holiness. 

In verse 8 he said, "...for bodily exercise profits a little," chapter 4, "...but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, for to this end," listen, "to this end we both labor," we work ourselves to exhaustion, Paul says. "We both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. These things command and teach," he said. 

Godliness with contentment is great gain. But I fear that the temptation is to want more, to want a big church, a lot of influence, admiration, theological prowess, plenty of adulation. Paul keeps telling Timothy. He keeps reinforcing the truth that Timothy, as the pastor of the church in Ephesus, as the preacher-teacher, must be focused on doctrine—doctrine that leads to, that is in accord with godliness—and that he should take heed to himself, to the doctrine. He should give himself entirely to it so that he might live a godly life and those who hear him might as well, so that the church might accomplish the work of ministry that God has given her to effect His will in this world. 

My friends, this is the simplicity. And with this, we should be content. But we see in our text this morning some great reinforcement of the doctrines that Paul taught through the course of this letter. First, conform. Have an attitude of submission to those in authority over us with a view to our witness. Conduct. Be concerned with holy living and understand that holiness is a result of sound doctrine coupled with faith and trust in what God says and obedience to His Word. Confusion. Don't listen to, don't entertain those who teach any other doctrine. But focus on biblical truth in preaching and teaching and in your personal study. Continuity. Seek unity through truth and expect agreement and clarity in purpose from church leadership. 

Contentment. Be content with godliness. Be content with Christ and the simplicity that we find in Him and His Word, His truth and His plan for our lives on this earth. These are tremendous principles. They're principles to live by regardless of what comes in this crazy world next week. We must keep coming back and renewing our minds to these truths.

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for Your Word, Your truth. We're so thankful that You are sufficient, that Jesus, in Him we find all wisdom and knowledge. We thank You for the salvation You've given us, what You've done in us. We thank You for Your intent for us to live in light of who we are by Your power, that we abide in You by faith one day at a time, Lord, just to produce Your life through us. 

What a beautiful picture we see in John 15 of the vine and the branches, abiding in the vine and fruit being produced through our lives. Help us to hold on to that simplicity and understanding, Lord, and in practice in our lives. We thank You, we worship You, we praise You in Jesus' name. Amen.