Joel Suntz - Class 5: 1Ti. 6 - Exhortation: Keep the Which is Committed to they Trust

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Bible exhortations, classes, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. Bible exhortations, and talks. And as our brother Barry reminded us, our theme for this weekend has been how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.

2. 1:49

   This is a message for those who make up the ecclesia of God. And you'll have noticed that there's a thread that runs through this epistle that exhorts us all to seek after godliness. Last night in his class, brother Jay gave a very beautiful description of this term godliness. He says the Greek word Eusebia, godliness, is defined as a way of living that manifests the characteristics of the living God in our daily lives.

3. 2:19

   Now that word Eusebia, godliness, appears 15 times in scripture. Eight of those 15 occurrences are here in this first epistle. And four of those eight occurrences are here in this concluding chapter. Certainly, there is a wealth of practical exhortation for those of us who make up the house of God and who are striving to follow godliness.

4. 2:47

   It might seem like an odd place to begin our exhortation, but we want to look at the end of Paul's letter. In his concluding remarks to Timothy, he says in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 20, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust. The Greek word for trust here is a banking term, and it carries with it the idea of a deposit that is made in a financial institution with the purpose of gaining interest.

5. 3:19

   It's a very fitting term to use in this chapter in the context of wealth and gain, which is a central theme. What the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy is that, I have made a deposit with you, Timothy, and I'm expecting interest. The spiritual interest that the Apostle Paul was expecting was the growth and the strengthening of this ecclesia in Ephesus and more godly believers.

6. 3:50

   The question for Timothy was, how are you going to use your abilities? How are you going to use the gospel message and sound doctrine and the encouragement and exhortation of Paul to bring forward that spiritual interest? Now, brothers and sisters, we all have received the call of the gospel, haven't we? We've been given a pearl of great price.

7. 4:16

   What are you and I going to do, and how are you and I going to use our abilities to bring forth spiritual interest? How are we going to keep that which is committed to our trust? That's what we hope to uncover this morning in our words of exhortation. If we look at the chapter as a whole, from an overview, it might appear like it's a series of disjointed and unconnected thoughts.

8. 4:43

   But we'll find just the opposite. You see, the Apostle Paul is following a pattern. A pattern that doesn't just occur here, but in several times throughout Scripture, specifically when he's addressing the Ephesian believers. He begins with a slight digression that's related in verses 1 and 2. He looks at the idea of these servants, as it says.

9. 5:06

   The Greeks should more properly note that it's actually slaves. What the Apostle Paul is trying to highlight with these two groups here is that while they were slaves, there is a potential for discontent. They might not be content with their allotment in life, and therefore, they might be inclined not to serve as they should.

10. 5:28

    And so he exhorts them to serve appropriately. Then the Apostle Paul gets into the meat of the matter in this chapter. In verse 3 of 1 Timothy chapter 6, he identifies a group that he defines as other teachers in the Greek. These are the false teachers that were going to arise from within.

11. 5:50

    And after identifying them, the Apostle Paul spends a great deal of time identifying the false teachings and the false doctrines that they were going to bring with them and all of the problems that these teachings would come with. The Apostle Paul goes as far as to identify these false teachings as a sickness, a disease within the ecclesia.

12. 6:12

    If you look at verse 4, the phrase, doting on questions, you might have a marginal note for that word doting. In the Greek, it's the word sickness.

13. 6:25

    That's how the Apostle Paul viewed these people and these teachings, these other teachers. And one of the main goals that the Apostle Paul has in this chapter is to identify that these other teachers are not content with their position within the ecclesia. And so they are seeking personal gain. A gain of position.

14. 6:47

    A gain of status. And perhaps even material wealth. After identifying this group and the problems that they're going to bring, the sickness that's coming from within the ecclesia, the Apostle Paul is going to administer an antidote, a cure, if you will, and he's going to administer this in three stages. The first thing he says in verse 3 is that he wants Timothy to apply wholesome words.

15. 7:18

    You might remember our brother Ryan bringing our minds over to Titus in his class on Friday evening. He identified a Greek word, hygieno, and how it's where we derive in the English the term hygiene and hygienic. Well, that same Greek word appears here. It's the word wholesome. The Apostle Paul says to Timothy, if you're going to treat the sickness of this false teaching, you need to apply wholesome, hygienic, healthy, and nourishing words.

16. 7:47

    And they're defined in this chapter as the teachings of Christ. The second antidote that the Apostle Paul is going to administer to treat this disease is contentment. He says in verse 6, godliness with contentment is great gain. This is the exact opposite of the striving for power and position and wealth of the other teachers in this chapter.

17. 8:16

    And the third stage of the cure for these false teachings is found in verses 17 and 18, where the Apostle Paul exhorts those who are rich to be rich in good works. Now, if you were the Apostle Paul and you wanted to address this Ephesian ecclesia through Timothy, you wanted to give them words of encouragement, of correction, of guidance, and to provide an example for them, where might you turn in Scripture?

18. 8:51

    You might have noticed over the course of the weekend that there's been several references and citations from the law. I'd like to suggest to you that, at least in part, the Apostle Paul's mind is firmly back, not just in the law, but in the nation of Israel's history in the wilderness wanderings. You might wonder, why would the Apostle Paul, if he's trying to strengthen this ecclesia in a Gentile city with a mixed congregation of believers, why would he go to the nation of Israel's history?

19. 9:29

    Well, please keep a bookmark here in 1 Timothy. We're going to go back to the law, but first, on our way, let's stop in Acts chapter 7. Stephen, in his apology, uses a unique term to describe this time period in Israel's history, and it's pertinent for our class this morning.

20. 9:50

    In Acts chapter 7 and verse 38, Stephen is speaking of Moses, reflecting on the nation of Israel's history, and he uses a curious term to describe this nation. He says in verse 38 of Acts 7, You see, brothers and sisters, if the Apostle Paul is looking to strengthen this ecclesia in Ephesus, what better place to turn to in Scripture than one of the very first recorded ecclesias for us?

21. 10:30

    And so we'll find that he's going to draw lessons in this chapter from Israel's history in the wilderness wanderings, from this ecclesia in the wilderness. Now please turn to Numbers chapter 16 with me. Not only does the Apostle Paul refer to various events and cite passages of the law, if you look at the context of both of these situations, both of these ecclesias, we'll find remarkable similarities.

22. 11:02

    Both of these ecclesias had wonderful spiritual leaders who were absent as the ecclesia developed. But Moses could not continue with the nation of Israel, and Paul could not be with his ecclesia in Ephesus. And so both of these spiritual leaders would appoint a successor, Joshua in the case of Moses, and Timothy in the case of Paul.

23. 11:24

    And both of these men were going to continue on the work that Moses and Paul began. But this was not an easy task. It was going to be a challenge, especially given the temperament of both of these men, both who appeared to be meek and mild-mannered. Timothy was going to need encouragement, where the Apostle Paul has to fan the flame and tell this younger brother to let no man despise thy youth.

24. 11:52

    And wasn't it Joshua that needed constant encouragement to be strong and courageous? And the work that was going to happen in both of these ecclesias was quite similar. There was going to need to be elders set up for judgment and for oversight in the wilderness and in Ephesus. Both of these ecclesias are going to have to learn the lessons of the house of God.

25. 12:17

    In the wilderness, through Moses, God delivers the plans for the tabernacle. And they physically constructed this place of worship. And they would have been instructed in all the principles that surrounded that worship. Well, by the time we reach the first century, we don't have the same place of worship that's taught in the ecclesia in Ephesus.

26. 12:38

    But rather, the Apostle Paul takes all of the principles from the tabernacle and the temple, and he extends them to life in the ecclesia, where he encourages and teaches the brothers and sisters that they are part of the house of God. They make up this temple and this tabernacle. Both of these ecclesias are going to face challenges, similar challenges that would arise from within.

27. 13:06

    So what better place to turn to for inspiration and guidance? When we look at Numbers chapter 16, we have the record of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, other teachers, false teachers, who arose from within this ecclesia in the wilderness, and they challenge the state of this ecclesia. Let's look at verses 13 to 14, specifically to the words of Dathan and Abiram as they challenge Moses.

28. 13:36

    Numbers 16, verse 13. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards.

29. 13:58

    Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up. Can you hear the spirit of discontentment in the words of these men? Can you hear them mocking the promise of God? You see, God, through Moses, had promised to bring the nation of Israel into a land flowing with milk and honey.

30. 14:20

    And they say to Moses, where is that land? It's not here in the wilderness. But they actually go one step further, don't they? They actually say, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey. You took us out of that land. You took us out of Egypt, where things were good.

31. 14:37

    And what do we have to show for it? Can you hear the challenge in their words? Look at everything we gave up, Moses. What do I get in return?

32. 14:51

    The challenge isn't there. It doesn't just end there, does it? They challenged Moses as their leader. Who made you a prince over us, Moses? We know at the beginning of the chapter that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are seeking to elevate themselves within this ecclesia. They weren't content with the position that they had, and therefore they were seeking to draw disciples away unto themselves.

33. 15:14

    Certainly these lessons can be applicable for us, brothers and sisters. We're quick to condemn the nation of Israel for their folly, for a nation that always longed to go back to Egypt. Brothers and sisters, we've been called out of the world around us, just like Egypt, or just like Israel was called out of Egypt, a nation that put them in slavery.

34. 15:42

    And yet, how often do they long to return back to Egypt? How do we feel about the world that we've been called out of? Do we view it as a land flowing with milk and honey? Do we long to go back to that world? And so with the challenge of these three men against Moses and God, we see them ask the underlying question, look at everything I've given up.

35. 16:09

    What do I get in return? Moses shows us exactly how to deal with that mentality in verse 26 of Numbers 16. And Moses spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. So the nation got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

36. 16:34

    And down to verse 31, it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. Because Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were seeking personal gain from apparent godliness, God swallows them up in the earth.

37. 17:01

    But before God does that, Moses pleads with the ecclesia in the wilderness, and he says, Depart from them. Have nothing to do with them. Don't even be near their tents, lest ye be consumed. Do you know the apostle Paul says the exact same thing to Timothy in chapter 6 and verse 9? He says, But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

38. 17:31

    But thou, O man of God, flee these things. Please come with me now over to Joshua chapter 7. We're moving forward in the time of Israel's history. This is now under the command of Joshua. We know the history, don't we? The nation has come into the promised land, and in Joshua chapter 6, God has just wrought a miraculous victory, and they've conquered Jericho, the first city that stood in their way of inheriting this land of Canaan that God had promised.

39. 18:03

    You can imagine how the nation would have been buoyed up with the success of this campaign. If God is for us, who can be against us? And on the horizon lay Ai, the next city to conquer. And so the nation goes out confident. But there's a problem. They lose. They lose the first time they fight against Ai.

40. 18:25

    Joshua chapter 7 is the record of the sin of Achan. And we know the details well, but let's remind ourselves of what Achan did by his own words. Look at verse 20 to 21 of Joshua chapter 7. And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.

41. 18:52

    When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver, a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and I took them. And behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and in the silver under it. Achan succumbs to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, doesn't he?

42. 19:17

    He covets the silver and the gold, and he takes them for himself. Can you hear the underlying attitude that this man had? What's in it for me? The apostle Paul warns Timothy of this exact issue. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verses 9 and 10, he says, But they that desire to be rich.

43. 19:43

    That's how the RV puts it. And he continues in verse 10, For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. As a result of his sin, Achan was stoned to death.

44. 20:04

    Have you ever stopped to wonder, why was the punishment against Achan so harsh? After all, Jericho lay as a smoldering ash heap. What harm did it do to take a few pieces of gold and some silver? Well, the problem is identified for us one chapter earlier in Joshua chapter 6. Joshua chapter 6 and verse 24.

45. 20:32

    And they burnt the city with fire and all that was therein, only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. God had given very specific instructions to this nation. When you come to Jericho, everything was to be destroyed and consumed from the people to the livestock to the infrastructure.

46. 20:57

    All of it was to be destroyed except for the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and iron. And what were they to do with those things? They were to put them in the treasury of the house of God. Can you see what the problem was here? Not only did Achan steal from God, Achan was approaching life in the house of God asking, what do I get out of this?

47. 21:28

    There's no room in the ecclesia for that kind of diseased mindset. Paul has an antidote to this problem. It's contentment. He says in 1 Timothy 6, in verse 8, Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. Have you ever wondered why the apostle Paul chose those two things? That's a pretty Spartan list.

48. 21:57

    Food and clothes. Perhaps he was reflecting on the spiritual symbolism in those items. Food being nourishment here. Perhaps he's thinking about the words of Christ when he says to the disciples and to the multitudes in John 6, Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part with me. Pointing forward to the type of life of discipleship we must live.

49. 22:20

    Perhaps the raiment points forward to the covering that we have through Christ's sacrifice. And while that might be true, I think at least in part the apostle's mind is still here in the wilderness wanderings. He's reflecting on a time when the nation had nothing but the clothes on their back and the food that God had provided.

50. 22:41

    At a moment's notice, they could pack up everything that they possessed and follow the angel wherever he went in the wilderness. Brothers and sisters, that's quite the challenge to us, isn't it? In our world of excess, would we be content with merely food and raiment? Would we be content with so few possessions that we could pack them up and carry them on our backs and never gain anything for 40 years?

51. 23:09

    Come with me over to Deuteronomy chapter 2. The apostle Paul is trying to use words of Moses as he stood on the edge of the promised land. He's retelling the law for the second time and he's seeking to encourage the people and remind them of their history, of where they came from and where they're going.

52. 23:33

    In Deuteronomy chapter 8, let's consider Moses' words beginning at verse 2. Deuteronomy 8 verse 2. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.

53. 24:01

    And he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that he might make thee to know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these 40 years.

54. 24:22

    Thou shalt also consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore, thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land.

55. 24:39

    Time and time again through the wilderness wanderings, Israel longed to go back to Egypt. By their own words, they said that they longed after the fish that they freely ate in Egypt and the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. The nation was not content with their situation in the wilderness.

56. 25:00

    They said to God and to Moses, look at everything we've given up. What do we get in return? And Moses' answer is direct and it's powerful. He says, God brought you into the wilderness to humble you and to test you. And he's testing you to see if you will depend on him. God will give you everything you need but not necessarily everything you want.

57. 25:31

    And if you depend on him and if you keep his commandments, then God will bring you into this good land. But Moses identifies a danger with that. He continues in verse 10. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

58. 25:53

    Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day, lest when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage.

59. 26:28

    Moses has to warn the nation not to forget God when they lived this life of luxury in the promised land compared to the Spartan existence they had in the wilderness. He has to encourage them to thank God because it's God who gives us richly all things to enjoy as the Apostle Paul puts it to Timothy.

60. 26:53

    Moses is trying to instruct the nation to be careful to make sure that you don't think that it's through any righteousness that you possess, through any apparent godliness that you have, through any checklist that you follow that you are given these things. What Moses reveals is actually a remarkable principle for us. He says God brought you into the wilderness to test you.

61. 27:21

    God is going to bring you into the promised land to test you. The question is what were you going to do with those blessings? Do you know that's exactly what the Apostle Paul says to the Corinthians? He says that God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency.

62. 27:45

    That word sufficiency is the same word contentment in the Greek. That you have all sufficiency in all things. So why would God's grace abound towards Israel and towards us? Paul finishes that you may abound to every good work. That's why God blessed Israel and that's why God blesses us. The question is what are we going to use those blessings for?

63. 28:14

    Do you know that's exactly how the Apostle Paul finishes this epistle to Timothy? He says in verse 17 and 18 of 1 Timothy chapter 6 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate.

64. 28:45

    Come over with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1 back to Paul's instructions to this Ephesian ecclesia. We identified a pattern at the beginning of our exhortation that the Apostle Paul was going to follow when addressing these believers. It's the pattern we saw in chapter 6. That same pattern exists here in chapter 1.

65. 29:05

    He begins in verse 3 by identifying these other teachers in the Greek these false teachers that were going to come from within and he identifies the false teachings the false doctrine that they bring and all of the problems and then he shows the cure to administer for this disease that would plague the ecclesia.

66. 29:25

    He says in verse 10 that Timothy and the disciples or the ecclesia are to apply sound doctrine. We've already encountered that word sound before. It's the Greek word hygieno hygienic wholesome words nourishing healthy words. They're defined as the words of Christ. They're defined as the gospel of godliness. it's the word of god.

67. 29:51

    But as brother Jay pointed out to us last night there is a slight difference in the command that's given to Timothy here in chapter 1. It's tied up right in the very beginning of this epistle. He says in verse 5 the end of the commandment is love charity. He says yes apply sound doctrine but it needs to be done in love.

68. 30:22

    Love is not some theoretical concept. Love is a very deep and powerful emotion. It's an emotion that should change the way that we think, should change the way that we think about our brothers and sisters, should change the way that we talk about them when they're not around. It should change the way that we talk with them and it should drive us to do things for our brothers and sisters, to seek for their benefit and not for our own.

69. 30:55

    Now come with me over to Acts chapter 20, to the apostle Paul's words to the Ephesian elders as he's traveling back to Jerusalem. Paul is going to use the exact same format that we've already identified. He's going to follow the same pattern by identifying these other teachers that are going to come from within in verse 29 and 30.

70. 31:24

    They're not called other teachers here, they're defined as wolves in sheep's clothing, entering from within, seeking to draw disciples after themselves. And after Paul identifies these false teachers, he identifies their false doctrine. And in verse 27, he gives the antidote for this disease. This time, it's all the counsel of God. Wholesome words, sound doctrine.

71. 31:52

    Then the apostle Paul ends his remarks to these Ephesian elders in a very similar way that he ends his remarks to Timothy. All of a sudden, he focuses on riches. Look at verses 33 to 35. I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel like Achan. Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me.

72. 32:21

    I have showed you all things how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, it is more blessed to give than receive.

73. 32:36

    Brothers and sisters, if you want to know what love should look like in our day-to-day lives, the apostle Paul gives us the answer here. It's the word of Christ. It's more blessed to give than receive. when we come to the memorial meeting, what motivates us? What are we thinking about? Are we reflecting on what Christ has done for me?

74. 33:05

    What do I get out of this? What do I get out of the exhortation? What lessons can I apply in my life? What if we flipped the paradigm? What if instead of approaching the memorial emblems and asking what can I get? What if we asked what can I give? It might be helping with the physical setup.

75. 33:32

    It might be a kind word to a struggling member. It might be helping an elderly brother or sister to their seat. It might be the words delivered from the platform. It could be as simple as showing up to support someone. But brothers and sisters, if that's our attitude, if that's how we approach the emblems, that's how we show love for one another.

76. 34:01

    That's how we show that we have understood and are applying sound doctrine. And that's how we, as the apostle Paul says, lay up in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life. love. This is the love that we saw outworked in the first century ecclesia in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.

77. 34:25

    Remember when the ecclesia was growing at such a rapid rate that they sold their possessions, they distributed as there was need, and everyone had all things in common. They were in one accord. We're told that they were in one accord in the apostles' doctrine, sound words, wholesome teaching, in prayers as Brother Josh spoke to us on Friday, and in breaking of bread from house to house.

78. 34:58

    Do you know that breaking of bread from house to house would later be referred in scripture as love feasts? What a remarkable example that is for us to strive towards.

79. 35:13

    How are we going to keep that which is committed to our trust? Brothers and sisters, there's one thing that remains for us to do this morning, and that's to draw our minds to the Lord Jesus Christ before we partake of these emblems. So please come with me over to Philippians chapter 2.

80. 35:31

    When we consider the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect example, we saw a man of lowly estate, someone who didn't seek to elevate himself within the nation, someone who didn't follow after the cares and the lusts of this world, the desires of materialism. After all, the only thing that he possessed was the clothes that he wore, and by his own words, he had nowhere to lay his head.

81. 35:59

    Yet at every opportunity, Christ was always looking to give. When he looked out over the multitudes, he was moved with compassion. He'd feed them. He'd heal them. And while those things only had a temporary benefit, most importantly, Christ always preached the gospel, something that has a benefit in this life and in the day of visitation to come.

82. 36:30

    Christ was always focused on others. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2 neatly ties all of these ideas together for us. Beginning in verse 1.

83. 36:41

    If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels of mercy, fulfill ye my joy that ye may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.

84. 37:12

    Look not every man to his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

85. 37:45

    Brothers and sisters, we have before us in these memorial emblems the perfect example of the Lord Jesus Christ, the example that we're all striving to follow. when the apostle Paul was writing these words, and he was thinking about someone that he could present as an example who tried to live up to the pattern of Christ, do you know who he puts forward?

86. 38:09

    Look at verse 19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state, for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

87. 38:32

    But not Timothy, brothers and sisters. He wasn't like that. Timothy had a genuine and a natural love and affection for the house of God. He put others' needs before his own. So, brothers and sisters, as we soon will partake of these emblems, let's not approach them and ask, what has Christ done for me?

88. 38:54

    Let's instead ask, what can I do for others that helps me follow the example of Christ? Before we conclude, I'd like to bring your attention to one final passage in Revelation chapter 2. Our brother Darrell pointed out for us in his opening remarks on Friday that the Ephesian ecclesia is unsurpassed in terms of the wealth of material that's recorded about it.

89. 39:24

    We know their inception and we know how they've done. Often we just have the words of encouragement and instruction and correction and we're left to wonder, were the words heeded? How did the ecclesia do? Brothers and sisters, do you want to know how the Ephesian ecclesias did?

90. 39:44

    We have it recorded for us in Revelation 2 and verse 1. Under the angel of the ecclesia of Ephesus, write down to verse 2, I know thy works, thy labor and thy patience, how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars, and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored and not fainted.

91. 40:12

    Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

92. 40:33

    There's a pattern that occurs in these verses. Perhaps you noticed it. In verse 2, we have the words of exhortation and correction that the apostle Paul delivers. We have four action words. first works, labor, patience, and bear. And we see that the ecclesia in Ephesus is commended for trying these false apostles and removing them in their false doctrine from within their midst.

93. 41:02

    And as the Lord Jesus Christ ascends this staircase of these four action words, he's then going to descend this staircase in verse 3. We start in reverse. We have born, and patience, and labor. And he's commending them for their efforts. But right when we get to the word works, and we expect it to appear next in the narrative, it's not there.

94. 41:24

    Christ moves from his approval to a reprimand of this ecclesia. He says, you've forgotten your first love. love. We don't have time to investigate that term, but it's actually a play on words. The Ephesian ecclesia was famous for two things. The Apostle Paul tells us in his epistle to them, in chapter 1 and verse 15, he says that they were famous for their faith in Christ and their love for all saints.

95. 41:57

    You see, what they were being reprimanded for was that while they tried the false teachers, they removed the false doctrine. They forgot to love one another.

96. 42:10

    And as a result, the Lord Jesus Christ says he's going to snuff out this ecclesia. Those are powerful words. They're powerful exhortations that arise from this ecclesia within Ephesus. The three lessons that we can gather from this ecclesia are pure doctrine, patient endurance, and love for all saints. And if we apply those lessons in our lives, if we use those things to help us strive towards godliness, well then it's our hope that we might hear the words that are penned at the end of this letter to this ecclesia.

97. 42:52

    to him that overcometh, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Weekc Weekc