Thank you for selecting this message by Dr. James Hoffman. Dr. Hoffman preaches verse by verse through the entire book of the Bible. From all of us at Living Water of Lapine here in Central Oregon, we hope that it will encourage you and feed you spiritually. And if you would like to leave a message after the sermon, our contact information is found on the sermon page where you found this sermon. Now may God richly bless you as you listen. Well, before we open to our passage this morning in 1 Timothy, I first would like to turn your attention to a different passage in scripture that isn't the main passage of our study. We're gonna begin with Psalm 78. Psalm 78 is a psalm of history, also known as a maskil. A maskil is a psalm that is designed to cause a person to stop and ponder a message. You know, there is so much from history that informs our present, isn't there? Now, the opening words of this maskil are this, Psalm 78.1. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. There's a sense of urgency here, isn't there? I have something to teach that is of such vital importance out of history. Now, if we were to continue reading on in all the context of these verses, it wouldn't take long to realize that the composer is recounting some rather dreary days of Israel's history. The time that the psalmist recounts are some days of Israel's rebellion against God, and this mascal contrasts God's faithfulness with Israel's stubbornness and disbelief. This psalm contains 72 verses, but we won't take time to read them all. In fact, for the purpose of introducing our main passage of study for today, I will only draw your attention to one more verse from this maskal. Psalm 78, verse nine. The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle. The psalmist uses a single tribe of the Israelites, the men of Ephraim, to characterize the faithlessness of all Israel. And it's quite a powerful illustration that he uses. It makes quite a statement. You see, the men of Ephraim were some of the most valiant warriors Israel had in their entire army. They were ancient Israel's crack navy seal team six. These men were particularly adept with the bow and arrow. They possessed skill, And then verse nine made it clear that they also had sufficient hardware to handle the enemy's attack. With tremendous skill and supplies in abundance, one might think that there was nothing more they could need. But that wasn't the case. You see, they lacked courage. So in that sense, I guess they were not at all like the Navy SEALs. Anyway, on the first day of battle, the first of what typically lasts for days, they immediately turned back. They ran. Apparently, the sound of battle made them as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, if I may borrow a Southern expression that first became a word to me by Chuck Swindoll. Although well-armed and very capable, these men lacked steadfastness. On the surface, it looked like they had it all together. You probably would have impressed anyone who saw them, who was looking on. The men of Ethreum probably loved the Memorial Day parades when they got to march in front of their countrymen, who must have felt very proud to see them. Target practice must have been a real joy for them. No one could out-shoot them, not even come close. But as soon as the going got tough, all the enemy saw of them was the cloud of dust they created as they ran back to the barracks. The true slogan of this company of soldiers was, make a good appearance. but behind this thin veneer of valor was a brittle plastic shell that fell apart on the first day of battle. I believe with all that is within me that the psalmist wrote Psalm 78 because he wanted us to see the men of Ephraim in this light, because it serves as point of contrast between the fickle Israelites and the faithfulness of God. This interpretation fits the message of Psalm 78. And I also believe that one of the reasons this incident has been preserved for us here in scripture is because Ephraimites live on. They've invaded the ranks of churches and families, and they are virtually undetectable until a real battle breaks out. Ephraimites look like heroic saints. Their godly words and prayers and Bible knowledge hit the very bullseye of their targets, just like the arrows of Ephraim. But let the hot rays of hardship beat upon their backs, and they melt like butter on a hot day at the Lapine Rodeo. They just can't handle the battle. They can't take the pressure. They opt for the easy way out. They rehearse the words of Scripture, but they reject its personal demands on their life. During our last time together, last week, we studied 1 Timothy 6, verses 11 and 12, and I talked about our need to fight the good fight. We are at war. and it will not end until God takes us home to heaven or Jesus returns for us at the rapture. Ignoring this war will only devastate us. We will not stand. So as I pointed out last week, we must flee, we must follow, we must fight, and we must fasten onto the things that are mentioned in 1 Timothy 6, 11, and 12. Now today, we'll be learning how do we stay motivated for the fight? The church has too many Ephraimites. How do we keep ourselves from becoming one? 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 13 through 16 tell us how. Now, I don't have a slide to put up here, that's my fault. It's not the technicians fault, that's mine. So let me just read this passage to you out of my Bible and the other verses you'll be able to see on the screen. And for those of you who are watching on our broadcast, you'll be able to see it as well. But for this one, let me just read it to you. 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 13 through 16 reads this way. I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time. He who is blessed and only sovereign the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Now therein lies the greatest motivating factor to any follower of Jesus Christ, to keep us from becoming an Ephraimite. You know what it is? It is our vision of God. Listen, I believe strongly, so strongly, that how a person lives is a reflection of what they really believe about God. Please let that sink in for a moment. how a person lives is directly tied to what they really believe about God. Some people who call himself a believer have a view of God that looks like this. God really doesn't care if I obey him. He lets me slide on a lot of matters. One day I'll straighten out. I'll straighten out the things that I know that he wants me to get right, but hey, he's all right with the way that I'm living now. It's my choice how and when I will serve him. Somebody who calls himself a believer and really has that as a real belief about God is gonna act much differently than this person. And then there's a person who has a more biblical belief about the Lord, who's more in line with, I've been bought with a price by the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not my own anymore. He has plans for my life and I'm to discover those plans each and every day. And then when he returns, he will reward me according to how well I have followed. Those rewards will be far greater than any pleasure this earth can give me." Now, a person who believes that about God is going to behave a lot different. Paul calls Timothy to fulfill his duty based on who God is. Paul sensed that Timothy might become an Ephraimite. Timothy was left alone by Paul in Ephesus. Verse three of chapter one says that Paul had to beg Timothy before he left him to this assignment. His assignment was to confront the errant elders at that church with their sin and to correct their heretical teaching, and Timothy didn't want to do it. We get the sense from 1 Timothy 4.12 that Timothy was looked down upon because he was young, and that he even had frequent stomach pains, perhaps from worrying. In order to bolster this young and struggling protege, Paul wrote these verses that we come to today. He's nearing the end of his letter. And all of his letter has been about this, bolstering him, building him up, and these are some of the final words of this letter here. These verses are some of the most magnificent presentations of God's character that are found anywhere in Scripture. Most commentators believe that at least part of this passage was a hymn that was sung by the early church as a doxology so that it could reinforce everybody's vision of God. And so let me say this again, this is how we stay motivated. We need to have the right vision of God and to keep reinforcing it. So that's what we're gonna do today. Paul gave Timothy, and now us, six attributes of God's character. that will serve as powerful motivation for us to stay motivated to fight the good fight and not become an Ephraimite. So let's take a look at them. The first is the power of God, verse 13. It says this. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate, made the good confession. God is the giver of life. Do you sometimes feel beaten? dejected, buffeted by more things than you can handle, at the end of your strength, then what you need is renewed vigor. You need life, renewed vitality and strength. God is the giver of life. He actually desires to infuse strength and vitality back into you again. Turn to him as the author and giver of life. God is in charge of all life, including Timothy's and including yours and including mine. Followers of Christ do not need to be concerned about the price of our faithfulness. The Lord can sustain us until we have finished his work that he has for us. Or the Lord can bring us home to himself when our life has accomplished his purpose in all that he has. Let it settle deep into your heart that God is the giver of your life. Your life is his. God's ability to give life to all is also seen in his ability to raise the dead to live eternally. The worst thing someone can do to a man or woman is to kill their body. Even if they did so, that would merely usher the man or woman of God into the Lord's presence. Without a firm belief that God is a giver of life, we're always gonna fear what other people can do to us. Ephraim will be written across our hearts. Belief in the power of God to raise us from the dead was exemplified by the Lord Jesus when he stood before Pilate. Do you find it hard sometimes to admit your Christian faith? At times when you're pressured by others? Unbelievers? Think of Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate. Pilate examined him and found no fault in him, and then Pilate asked him a question, and Jesus' answer would determine whether he would live or die. Pilate was anxious to set Jesus free, if he could, because Pilate recognized Jesus to be a righteous, innocent man whom the chief priests had delivered up because of their jealousy. Are you the king of the Jews? Matthew 27, 11. Jesus could have said no, but if he had done that, he would have denied his messiahship. He was the king of the Jews. Jesus also knew that if he answered yes to Pilate's question, there would be no way he would escape being put to death. Because the Jews would then charge Pilate with befriending a traitor to Caesar. The answer of yes to Pilate is what sealed Jesus's fate. Jesus was not ignorant of this. He knew it. And yet he answered with the strongest affirmation that the Hebrew idiom has, thou sayest. Or better understood by us in English, Jesus replied, you are saying it. Matthew 27, 11b. And that cost him his life. Jesus stood his ground. He spoke the truth. because he entrusted his life to him who would raise him from the dead. To keep from ever becoming an Ephraimite, we must do no less. We will face similar circumstances. By understanding God to be the giver of life, that God has the power to raise the dead, is the key that allows any follower of Christ to freely give his or her life away in sacrificial service. Luke 9, 24. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake He is the one who will save it. Christian, there will be times when you will have to say no when you want to say yes, and everybody around you wants you to say yes. There will be times when it will be quite embarrassing to admit that you are a Christian. But remember Jesus. when he gave the good confession before Pilate. He set the good example. He was a faithful witness to the truth. Furthermore, Paul goes on to remind Timothy that although Jesus was put to death in weakness, he's coming again as the Lord of life, which is the focus of all history. Paul continues in today's passage to say, I charge you to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who was here in weakness is coming in great strength and will fill the horizon with life. Verses 14 and the first part of 15 says this. to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time. So the second attribute of God's character that will serve as a powerful motivation for us to perform as followers of Christ is the invincibility of God. Followers of Christ who don't want to be Ephraimites must have it clear in their minds that history will culminate at the appearing of our Lord Jesus. This event is the climatic conclusion of human history, and it will be the vindication of Christ and those who are his. At that very moment, all who thought that they had gotten away scot-free with all their evil will utter a collective, oh, no. This is when all the evil that presently seems to control the world will be reversed. And you know what? Believers at that time will also be vindicated. Let the world call you foolish. Let the world disrespect you right now because of your faith. Colossians 3, 4 says, when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. The man and woman of God must keep a proper perspective of this reality. This life is just a vapor. that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. God has provided an incredibly glorious future for believers. The man or woman of God keeps their focus on that truth, and as they endure the trials of living and ministering in this present world, it keeps us going. We're assured that the Lord will bring a glorious victory in the day of Christ's return. Look at the next part of verse 15. It says this. He who is the blessed. I'm gonna stop right there. He who is the blessed. Next attribute of God's character that will serve as powerful motivation to perform as a man or woman of God is the blessedness of God. The word blessed in the Greek makarios, means happy, content, fulfilled. When it's used in reference of God, it describes his lack of unhappiness. God's total lack of frustration and anxiety. When we envision the blessedness of God, we see him as content, we see him as satisfied, we see him at peace. He's fulfilled and perfectly joyful. Certainly, there are things that do displease the Lord, but absolutely nothing can disturb his heavenly contentment. Those who enter into a relationship with God enter into this marvelous sense of calm. We can be unperturbed because our God is so unperturbed. How true it is that the psalmist wrote over and over again in the Psalms how blessed are all who take refuge in him, the unperturbed God. No matter what trials or persecution you are going through, you can be at peace. As a man or woman of God, your peace is not based on external circumstances. It is based on the knowledge that this God who is unperturbed is in control. Our fourth attribute of God's character that you and I need to actively envision so that it'll serve as our motivation to keep fighting the good fight is the sovereignty of God. We see that in the third part of verse 15 here. Only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. There's no one to vie with our God for control of the universe. How utterly ridiculous for us ever to imagine that there is. Isaiah 43, 13, yes, and from ancient days I am he, no one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it? God's power to rule is inherent in himself. It's not given to him by some outside source. God omnipotently rules everything everywhere. He has no rivals, certainly not Satan, who he created, cast out of heaven, and sentenced to eternal death in hell. The sovereignty of God is the most encouraging and comforting doctrine in all of Scripture. If we fully envision this character of God, it would remove all anxiety from our life. We'd have courage to perform all our spiritual duties and have a willingness to face any danger, if we could grasp this one. Because God is in control all the time, There's no need to worry. There's no need to compromise, to manipulate, to try to achieve our goals. God is never surprised, and his will is never frustrated. Isaiah 46, verse 11, from the east I summon a bird of prey. from afar, a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about. What I have planned, that will I do. Now the next attribute of God's character that will serve as a powerful motivation to keep us fighting the good fight is the eternality of God. Verse 16, the first part of that says, who alone has immortality. Yeah. Angels and men will exist forever, but God is a different kind of eternality, this quality of life. God's eternality is not dependent upon anyone else. He is incapable of dying. We, on the other hand, we were created, we came into existence, and the eternal life that we now enjoy came from him. The follower of Christ derives comfort and motivation from knowing that this deathless, eternal one is our support. Second part of verse 16 says this, who dwells in unapproachable light. And the final quality that we need to see is the holiness of God. While it's true that God has made himself known to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and that we have the Spirit of God living inside of us, we must never treat God with such casual familiarity that we lose sight of His utter holiness. Look at what our text says. He dwells in unapproachable light. The imagery of God dwelling in blazing light expresses His absolute holiness. He lives in an atmosphere of such total purity that sinners cannot fully enter. 1 Corinthians 13, 12 says, now I see as in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. And when Paul wrote that, first century mirrors were just a shiny piece of metal. Their quality was not like our modern day mirrors. Back then, they only had a very dim image, and Paul compares that to the way we see God today. Right now, the image is murky. But one day, we will see him face to face. And until that time, we can be motivated by a clear understanding that God dwells in absolute holiness and purity. God is unable to make a mistake, folks. There's no misjudgment. He always does what is right. That brings great comfort to the follower of Christ. Not only has God in complete control, He never has a misjudgment of any kind. Wow. And then the last part of verse 16. to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. The proper response to our envisioning God should always be as Paul's response was here, that God always be respected and may his rule never end. My friend, have you ever found your Christian walk to be without power? Have you ever been lacking strength? drive, motivation. Lack of spiritual endurance and fear is always the result from our being negligent to meditate on the character of God. I'm gonna go out on a limb. I'm gonna say if you're experiencing a sense of lack of power, you need to meditate. on the character of God. I'm asking you this week to open up the Word of God, and before you read it, pause and pray this prayer. God, would you show me part of your character in your Word that I'm about to read? Pause, ask God to demonstrate something about his character in the passage that you have turn to and ask him to indelibly mark your heart with the right thoughts about who he is. Do you think Timothy was strengthened by these fresh reminders from Paul about the character of God? I do. I'm sure he was. Because Timothy never became an Ephraimite. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world. The mouth of this gigantic water source is 90 miles wide. So much water flows from the Amazon River that its current runs 200 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. One of the ironies of classical navigation was that just off the coast of Brazil, the wind dies down. This would catch many cutter ships of yesteryear in the windless and motionless situation. Sometimes ships would get caught for weeks in this standstill, which has a name that you've probably heard before. the doldrums. If they stayed long enough in the doldrums, the sailors would die of thirst, having used so much of their supply while they were caught there in the doldrums, without any wind to push them to a different source where they could get water. It was a desperate situation to be caught in the doldrums, especially for those who had no idea that the Amazon carried fresh water 200 miles out into the Atlantic. The locals knew it. And so ships from South America, I read about, would frequently come upon some stranded ship in the doldrums, and they'd call out, what's the matter? And from the other ship would come the cry, can you spare us some water? The local sailors would then call back, just lower your buckets. Now, if you were a sailor and you didn't know about the mighty Amazon, you might think that the recommendation to lower buckets and drink was foolish. Every sailor knows that drinking seawater never quenches thirst. It only makes drinking it alone a death trap. It'll kill you. Only those who trusted the advice of the local sailors lived, and many died because they would not lower their bucket. This morning, I'm urging you to lower your bucket and to drink the fresh water of God's character. Dip it into the word of God. Meditate on the attributes that we have been discussing today and live. Leave them alone. And it'll be like you're dying a slow death, a thirst. Would you pray with me?