Havasu Christian Church
October 26, 2025
Study in I Timothy
“Paul, you’re just talking to Timothy…. Right?”
INTRO: As we continue our study in first Timothy, we read more of the Godly wisdom that Paul shared with Timothy, so he could share it with others.
It was faithfully copied, and recopied, so we could have it shared with us today.
Paul dropped a bunch of “truth bombs” on Timothy in this chapter…. There’s a lot for us to learn from it as well. Let’s dive in!
I Timothy 4:1-13 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;
5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.
10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
11 Prescribe and teach these things.
12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
- You CAN fall away from the faith.
- But someone taught me that once you are saved, you are always saved.
- There’s a BIG difference between leaving your house and being kidnapped!
- One is voluntary, one is not.
- You have the ability to exercise your free will when you leave on your own.
- Not so much when someone “takes” you.
- The same is true for us with God.
- He won’t allow anyone to take you.
- But He won’t stop you from leaving if you so desire.
- What kind of God would He be if He forced people who didn’t love Him to live with Him for eternity?
- If what we just read from Paul isn’t enough, there’s more.
- The whole Book of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to stay faithful to Jesus, rather than going back to Judaism. Here’s one of the passages that show us this.
Hebrews 6:4–6 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
- By what process does Paul say here that this can happen? How can someone “fall away?”
- Paying attention to deceitful spirits.
- Satan and his demons are loose in our world.
- People often “feel led” to believe things that are simply not true.
- It kind of reminds you of the events that took place in the Garden of Eden.
- Not everything that “religious people” say, comes from God.
- In fact, much of what “religious people say does not come from God!
- Ronald Reagan said it well… “Trust, but verify!”
- A good speaking voice and a winsome personality do not mean that truth is being told.
- Satan is a master at packaging bad ideas in pretty wrapping paper.
- Paying attention to doctrines of demons
- These lies come by way of the hypocrisy of liars.
- seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.
- When people lie and do wrong enough, they cause their conscience to quit functioning as it should.
- What are some of the lies that false teachers in Ephesus were peddling?
- They forbid marriage.
- Apparently, they were telling people that they were not allowed to get married.
- More than likely, they were telling them that sex was sinful.
- Perhaps they were twisting Paul’s words when he said that it would be better for Christians not to marry.
1 Corinthians 7:1–9 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
- Paul immediately went on to tell his readers that “It was better to marry than to burn.”
- These false teachers are also advocating abstaining from certain foods “which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”
- This is probably speaking of those who wanted anyone who became a Christian to live by the entire Jewish law. (Judaisers)
- Standing up for the truth is the right and proper thing to do!
- Paul reminds Timothy that he has a responsibility to speak the truth!
- He is to “point out these things” if he wants to be a “good servant of Christ Jesus!”
- What does a “good servant of Christ” do to prepare?
- Be “nourished” by the truth!
- Study it, learn it.
- Then you’ll have something to share with others.
- Don’t listen to “Worldly fables.”
- There are plenty of people out there, vying to get you to listen to them.
- Some of them come across as wackos.
- They are easy to ignore unless you get so far from the truth that you’ll believe anything.
- Some come across as intelligent, well-meaning and kind.
- But you need to pay attention to what they say, and compare it to Scripture.
- Discipline yourself for Godliness.
- Self-discipline is a GOOD thing!
- It’s good in a job.
- It’s good in how we care for our families and friends.
- It’s good in our lives in general.
- But it’s most importantly good, when we are disciplining ourselves to do what God says we should be doing.
- We PLAN to be more like Jesus, and then we Execute that plan.
- That may involve our prayer life.
- It may involve the way we serve.
- It may involve the way we lead our family.
- It may involve working on our integrity.
- It may involve many other things.
- Be the person God means for you to be!
Here, Paul gives Timothy another “Trustworthy statement.”
- A Christian is called to “Labor and strive” to serve Jesus.
- We do this because we have “fixed our hope on the living God.”
- It’s all about HIM and what HE Wants!
- A Christian “Rides for the Brand.”
From: ridewayoutwest.com
To ride for the brand was to sign on to the mission, goals, and aims of the ranch owner. It meant being a dedicated team player, promising to protect the brand as though it were your own. Red Steagall summed it up this way: “Son, a man’s brand is his own special mark that says this is mine, leave it alone. You hire out to a man, ride for his brand and protect it like it was your own.”
We are called to “Ride for the JESUS brand.”
- Everything we have, everything we are, everything we will be is staked on Jesus.
- He is the ONLY SAVIOR for all people!
- Timothy is reminded that he has been called by God to be a teacher.
- He must teach!
- Don’t stop because someone things he’s “too young to know anything.”
- Not everyone will listen, but we are still called to teach what we know!
- Timothy is called to be an example.
- His speech is to be an example.
- What he says, and the way he says it is all to be an example of how Jesus would have him speak!
- His conduct is to be an example.
- No “do as I say, not as I do…”
- He doesn’t “Turn his Christianity on and off” but he lives it ALL the time!
- His love is to be an example.
- Not “love” that comes from feelings.
- This love is a Choice!
- This is “in spite of” love.
- His faith is to be an example.
- His trust in God and his willingness to follow wherever God leads.
- His faithfulness in all his dealings with other people, in the church and outside.
- His purity is to be an example.
- His actions should conform to God’s moral laws in all things.
- His thoughts should also conform to God’s moral laws.
- Timothy is called to lead out in the reading of Scripture.
- He apparently is a position of some authority, where he can make this happen.
- He is also told here to make sure that something is done about what is read.
- Exhorting: Strongly encouraging others to do what is right.
- Teaching: Helping others to understand exactly what those Scriptures are saying.
- Helping them apply what they have learned.
WHAT SHOULD I TAKE HOME WITH ME TODAY?
- Like Timothy, we need to be reminded that we can choose to walk away from Jesus.
- If I’m doing my best to get closer, I don’t have to worry about falling away.
- It’s only when I’m trying to see “how far away I can get” that I’ll have any reason to worry!
- Don’t allow yourself to be misled.
- Make sure you are well grounded in the Word of God!
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
- Stand for the truth!
- This is NOT an excuse to be mean or hateful to those you are trying to reach with the truth.
- On the contrary, That will make it much harder for someone to accept that you are right.
- Make sure it’s God’s truth that you are standing on, not your own.
- You may be right in your opinions, but only in God’s Word are we to be certain in what we say!
- It’s “Thus sayeth the Lord!” Not “Thus says me!”
- We are called to a Christian life of discipline.
- Being disciples of Jesus.
- Plan to be more like Jesus this year than you were last year.
- MAKE IT HAPPEN!
- We are called to be examples!
- “Riding for the brand.”
- Doing nothing that would bring shame on the name “Christian.”
- We are to be examples in our Speech.
- We are to be examples in our conduct.
- We are to be examples in our love.
- We are to be examples in our faith.
- We are to be examples in our purity.
- We are to make time for ourselves and others for the reading of Scripture.
- We are to make time for ourselves and others for the explanation of Scripture.
- What it means
- How it applies to our lives.
We are called to live the lives that Jesus has given us to live! He’s the King… I’m not!
