Man of God

About this sermon

Introduction: This weekend we consider what it means to be “men of God.” Paul, as he exhorts Timothy, makes use of a description found often in the Old Testament, but only used twice in the New Testament (1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 3:17), both times referring to Timothy. He addresses Timothy as “man of God.” That title is significant. When you zoom out a bit, and you consider what Paul is saying to Timothy through this letter, you get a picture of the kind of character that belongs to a man of God. Paul is not just ADDRESSING Timothy as a man of God; he is EXHORTING Timothy to be a man of God. I. THE MEANING OF MAN OF GOD Let’s just begin with the designation itself. “Man of God.” Why it’s use? What does it speak of? In it’s Old Testament uses it refers to men who carried out a prophetic ministry. It’s the man sent by or designated by God to represent God and to speak for God. ESV Deuteronomy 33:1 This is the blessing with which Moses athe man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. What was used to describe Moses became a designation for others who spoke for God in the Old Testament. HE IS GOD’S MAN HE IS GOD’S SPOKESMAN HE IS GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE Paul is addressing Timothy in a way that reminds him of his calling. It reminds him of the privilege and the weighty responsibility of his calling. John MacArthur – “All of the Old Testament uses point to an individual who represents God by proclaiming His Word. By calling his young protege a man of God, Paul places Timothy into that rich Old Testament tradition. He, like those before him, was called, ordained, and responsible to preach the Word of God.”1 Although the description belongs to those who serve in ministry as proclaimers of God’s Word, what is true of those men of God is true of all faithful men in various ways. Let’s think about the designation for a moment. A. “MAN OF GOD” SPEAKS OF POSSESSION A man of God is a man who belongs to God. He is not a man of God who is only God’s man by way of reputation. A man of God is God’s man for real. He is a redeemed man. He is a regenerate man. He is a true disciple. He is a child of God, a member of the family and kingdom of God. This is really a good starting place for this weekend. It’s a good starting place for self-examination. Do you claim to belong to God and is your claim true? Do you have a before and an after? NO ONE IS A MAN OF GOD FROM BIRTH. NO ONE IS A MAN OF GOD BY NATURE. GRACE MAKES MEN OF GOD CHRIST MAKES MEN OF GOD Faithful prophets were first objects of grace before they were instruments of grace. And so, it is with every person’s service in the church. There is a reason that spiritual gifts are describes gifts of grace. They not only require the grace of God for their operation. They require the grace of God for their possession. B. “MAN OF GOD” SPEAKS OF DEVOTION But a man of God, as in the case with Timothy, is more than someone who simply belongs to God. He is God’s servant. He is a man who can be exhorted. He is a man who can be reminded. He is reminded and he is exhorted to be BY DEVOTION what he is by POSSESSION. YOU BELONG TO GOD, NOW BE FULLY DEVOTED TO GOD. This is precisely how the New Testament exhorts all of God’s people. Romans 12:1–2 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Colossians 1:15–18 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Christ is to have first place in the church, and that preeminence on the collective level must be reflected on an individual basis. WE (THE PEOPLE OF GOD) make up the church universal, and the church local. If Christ has preeminence in the church, by God’s design, then He is meant to have the preeminence in your life. Paul’s own attitude about this is clear: