The Strength For Generational Faithfulness | 1 Timothy 1:18-20 | Richard Caldwell

Scripture

• 1 Timothy 1:18–20

About this sermon

Introduction: Time passes by faster than we sometimes recognize. In the midst of the daily grind of life, seasons can feel like they will last forever. But when we wake up at the end of a season of life, what we have just completed feels like it just began. One generation passes to the next. Things that were so familiar to us, some taken for granted, some so familiar they were barely noticed — are suddenly gone and the brevity of life and the momentary nature of life’s opportunities (for a moment) register with us. We recognize, with Moses, that our lives — on this side of eternity — are like a sigh. ESV Psalm 90:3 You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!" 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? Or as David writes: ESV Psalm 39:5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah What is true of life in general, is just as true of ministry. We strive to be faithful IN OUR GENERATION. ESV Acts 13:36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. We strive to be faithful WITH OUR ASSIGNMENT, as we run our RACE, as we finish OUR COURSE. ESV 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. But a part of that FAITHFULNESS (for each generation) is IMPRESSING UPON THAT NEXT GENERATION HOW TO RUN THE RACE WELL AND HOW TO FINISH WELL. That is what Paul is doing with Timothy. He is impressing upon his protégé the importance of maintaining a faithful course — of finishing his assignment — and he is giving voice to the things necessary for that to be accomplished. We will look at these verses under four headings. (1) The responsibility of ministry (2) The remembrances for ministry (3) The rigors of ministry (4) The ruins of ministry I. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MINISTRY (vs.18) Right away the gravity of what belongs to ministry is captured by the fact that Paul issues what amounts to the strength of a military command, especially in this context where he speaks of a fight that Timothy is engaged in. στρατεύω (var. in the act. or mid. since Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.; ins, pap, LXX, ApkEzk [Epiph 70, 6], Tat.) in our lit. always a mid. dep. στρατεύομαι 1 aor. ἐστρατευσάμην; inf. mid.-pass. (s. Schwyzer I 639, II 237f; B-D-F §87) στρατευθῆναι (AcPl Ha 9, 6 restored) ① do military service, serve in the army (X., Mem. 1, 6, 9; BGU 1097, 8 [I a.d.]; Jos., Bell. 2, 520, Ant. 17, 270, Vi. 346; Tat.) 2 Ti 2:4; 1 Cl 37:2. στ. ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις serve as a soldier at one’s own expense 1 Cor 9:7. στρατευόμενοι=soldiers (Thu. 8, 65, 3; Plut., Mor. 274a; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 41 §168; 3, 90 §371; Sb 8008, 49 [261 b.c.]) Lk 3:14 (SMcCasland, JBL 62, ’43, 59–71). ② to engage in a conflict, wage battle, fight fig. ext. of 1 (Lucian, Vit. Auct. 8 ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονάς) of Christians 1 Cl 37:1; w. the dat. for God, Christ IPol 6:2; AcPl Ha 9, 6f; of the apostle’s activity 2 Cor 10:3. On στρατεύεσθαι τὴν καλὴν στρατείαν 1 Ti 1:18 s. στρατεία. Of the struggles of the passions within the human soul Js 4:1; 1 Pt 2:11; Pol 5:3.—DELG s.v. στρατό. M-M. TW. The command he speaks of reaches all the way back to verses 3-11 when he is told to stay put in Ephesus so that he might fight in a battle for sound doctrine. In Timothy’s shepherding role he is not just a teacher of God’s people, he is a defender of God’s people. A. IT IS A GENERATIONAL TRUST The generational aspect of this is seen by the fact that Paul is ISSUING the charge. That CHARGE is described in terms of a TRUST. He is putting this kind of responsibility in THE CARE OF TIMOTHY. Elsewhere we see that this is not just something that exists between Paul and Timothy, this is the generational process that takes place in ministry.

Topics

• Faith
• Faithfulness
• Strength in Hard Times
• Victory Over Fear