1 Timohty 1:1-11

1 Timothy 1:1-11

God’s Advice For Daily Living: Conform To Christ

October 14, 2007

Part 1 of “God’s Advice For Daily Living” Series

Do you read the “Advice” columns in the newspaper?

You know – the columns like Ann Landers and “Dear Abbey”?

Even if you don’t read these columns I’m sure you are familiar with them. People write in for advice with their problems – and the advice is given.

I don’t read these columns very often, but when I do I find that sometimes the advice is very good and I agree with it – and then again sometimes I feel that the advice is not worth the paper it was printed on and I begin thinking about what advice I would give in the situation described. Then there are times I am tempted to write and question the advice given.

I remember one letter from a member of a church where the minister made visiting members of his congregation a priority – but apparently stayed too long when he visited and visited at inconvenient times. The advice given was to politely tell the minister to call before visiting – and to tell the minister if it does not suit for him to come by at that time. I agreed with the advice – but then Ann – or Abbey – I can’t remember which column it was that the letter appeared in – proceeded to call on all ministers to not attempt to visit members of their congregations. At that point I thought her advice was wrong – and came close to writing her to tell her so. Sure – there are some ministers who fail to show common courtesies when it comes to visiting members of their churches – but that does not mean that visiting in the homes of the members is a bad thing.

Everyone is familiar with advice columns such as these in newspapers.

Some people follow the advice given and some don’t.

I wonder — what would it be like if God had an advice column in the daily papers?

What kind of answers would God give to the questions that would be sent to Him?

What advice would God give to help us live our daily lives?

The truth is that God has written advice for how to live our daily lives.

God has given us a book filled with advice on how to live our lives every day.

That book is the Bible.

For the next 5 weeks we’re going to look at one place in scripture where we can find God’s advice for daily living – the book of 1Timothy.

1 Timothy is what we call one of the “Pastoral Epistles” – a letter that – along with 2 Timothy and Titus – dealt with every day problems that the first Christians were facing. In 1 and 2 Timothy Paul (some scholars argue against the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles – and while I am aware of these arguments I am also aware of the fact that they are very inconclusive – so I’m going to take the easy way out and say that Paul wrote them) is writing to Timothy – a young man who traveled with him on occasion – and giving him advice on how to live as a Christian. I’m calling this series of sermons “God’s Advice For Daily Living” – and believe that, as we see Paul’s advice to Timothy, we’ll also discover God’s advice to us as we strive to live our lives every day in the ways God would have us live them.

We’re beginning at a good place to begin a series of sermons on 1Timothy – 1 Timothy 1:1-11. As we look at Paul’s advice to Timothy to be conformed to Christ instead of conformed to the world, I believe we’ll see God’s advice to us – don’t be conformed to the world, but be conformed to Christ.

Listen to God’s word to us here in 1Timothy 1:1-11:

Read Passage

How should be live our lives?

What advice would God give us for living our lives every day?

Here is 1Timothy 1:1-11 Paul is urging Timothy to not be conformed to the world, but to be conformed to the glories of Jesus Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God –

Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

One piece of advice God gives us for daily living is:

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

An ad in a London Newspaper read:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”

Would you believe there were thousands of men who responded to this?

I wonder what kind of ad Jesus would place in a newspaper if He were calling for people to follow Him.

It might read something like:

“Men and women wanted for the task of helping to build my church. You will often be misunderstood, even by those working with you. You will face constant attack from an invisible enemy. You may not see the results of your labor, and your full reward will not come until all your work is completed. It may cost you your home, your family, your friends, even your life.”

Who would respond to such an ad?

Well, Timothy was one who took this calling of Christ seriously. He took on some of the toughest assignments in churches Paul had founded. He faced times of discouragement – and in his letters to Timothy Paul tried to encourage Timothy for his task. He gave him advice on how to live the life of Christ in an environment that was not conducive to living in Christ’s ways.

Here is 1Timothy 1:1-11 Paul is urging Timothy to not be conformed to the world, but to be conformed to the glories of Jesus Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God –

Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

One piece of advice God gives us for daily living is:

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Don’t let the world conform you to it’s principles – let Christ conform you to His principles.

Don’t be conformed to the world – be conformed to Christ.

Don’t do what others want you to do – do what Christ wants you to do.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

These are good words – it is indeed good advice.

But – the question is – how do we put them into action?

How does this good advice become a way of life for us?

How can we be conformed to Christ?

How can we be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ?

How can we keep from being conformed to the world?

How can we keep from following the ways of the world?

How can we keep from doing the tings others are doing?

How can we keep[ from doing the things others want us to be doing?

How can we make sure that we are conformed to Christ – conformed to the ways of God – conformed to the things Christ would have us to be doing?

How can we be conformed to Christ?

Paul gives us several steps to take in these 11 verses that can help us be conformed to Christ and not to the world.

First — spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. (1 Timothy 1:3)

People may try to tell us that many things are ok to be doing that really are not. We might not find the “myths and genealogies” that Paul and Timothy had to deal with in Ephesus to be a problem – but there are many things people might try to get us to do that might look innocent – but are not what God would have us to be doing, and as innocent as they may appear to be are not innocent at all. Some things that we might think are innocent activities – or that others might try to tell us are innocent activities and not a problem – are not what God would have spend our times doing – and might turn out to be real problems for us.

To the ancient Greeks things like myths and genealogies might have seemed to be innocent ways to spend time. It was fun to indulge in these things – it took their minds off the stresses of their lives. And – while it may have appeared that these things were completely innocent and not a problem – Paul knew better. Paul knew that these things took the minds of Timothy and other Christians away from what God wanted them to be thinking about – and kept them from doing the things God wanted them to be doing.

Television constantly bombards us with messages that things that are not ok or innocent or not right for us to be spending our time watching – things God does not want us to have anything to do with — are ok and innocent and even right – and that God doesn’t care.

Books — magazines – even newspapers constantly bombard us with messages that things that are not ok or innocent or right for us to be spending our time reading – things God does not want us to fill our minds with — are ok and innocent and even right – and that God doesn’t care.

There are things on the internet that might seem to be ok or innocent or even right for us to be spending our time looking at – things that we might think God doesn’t care if we look at – but that aren’t the things God wants us to be viewing.

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God –

Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

What’s the answer?

Not watch TV – ever?

Not read – anything?

Not use the internet – at all?

Well, that could be an answer – but I want to suggest another one.

Think about what you watch on TV.

Think about what you spend your time reading.

Think about what you spend your time on the internet viewing.

Ask yourself –

“Is what I’m watching – what I’m reading – what I’m looking at – what God would have me watch – read – or look at?”

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God –

Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

One piece of advice God gives us for daily living is:

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

One of the problem with watching things on TV that might not be exactly what God wants you to look at – or reading things that are not what God would have you to be reading – or looking at things on the internet that God would not have to be looking at – is that you run the danger of being shaped by these things – of believing that they are right – instead of being shaped by God’s things – and what God thinks is right.

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

There are a lot of good things on TV – things that help build your character – things that can educate you. There are a lot of good things to read – not only the Bible but books that teach morals have good messages and educate us. There are a lot of good things on the internet – things that help you become more the person God wants you to be or learn more about opportunities God gives you or learn more about the workd. These are the things God wants you to be looking at – the things God wants you to reading.

pend your time doing what God wants you to do.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God –

Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

One piece of advice God gives us for daily living is:

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to Christ.

The first step Paul tells Timothy to take to help him become conformed to Christ is:

Spend time doing what God wants you to do.

There’s a second step Paul gives:

2. Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with.

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with.

8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that law^[a] is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

This is a list of those who do not live lives that are conformed to Christ.

This is also a list of folks that Paul wanted Timothy to avoid.

This is also a list of folks that God wants us to avoid.

If we are going to be conformed to Christ, we are going to have to avoid people who might try to conform us to other ways.

Paul gives a quite a list of folks here:

Unholy, sinful, irreligious, murderers, adulterers, perverts, liars – just to name of few of them.

These were the types of people Timothy might meet every day in the large, cosmopolitan, pagan, Greek city of Ephesus. These were the types of people who – Paul knew – could lead Timothy down the wrong path – get him doing wrong things – and keep him from being conformed to Christ – so Paul warns Timothy to avoid them.

Unfortunately, we can relate to spending time with these types of folks easier than we can relate to spending time in “myths and genealogies” that Paul worns Timothy against. We still have to try to avoid these types of folks — folks who are:

Unholy, sinful, irreligious, murderers, adulterers, perverts, liars –

And many other types of folks can be added to the list.

Folks who are not living in the ways God wants us to live. Folks who might try to persuade us to join them in living in ways God does not want us to live – or doing things God does not want us to do. Folks who might try to persuade us that doing things that we really know better than doing is not all that bad. Folks who might get us to try something – just once – that we might regret. Folks who might laugh at us because we don’t do what they do.

The Greek city of Ephesus – being a mainly pagan city – was filled with folks like that. Our community – or world – is still filled with folks like that. Paul told Timothy to avoid these kinds of folks – and God still wants us to avoid folks like that.

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God – Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing

There’s a real problem with spending too much time with people who are doing things God does not want you to be doing. They can easily make you think that what they are doing is right – or that it doesn’t make that big a difference – or that you won’t get caught – or that God doesn’t care.

The problem is that if you have questions that what they are doing is right – or if you know it’s not right – then it’s wrong – and not what God wants you to be doing – no matter how good it feels to do it or whoever else is doing it or if “everybody’s doing it” – if you question whether it’s right, it’s probably not. But – if you hang around people who continue to do the wrong thing, before long you’ll be doing it with them.

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God – Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing

So – what’s the answer?

Go into your house – lock the doors – and don’t ever associate with anyone?

Well – that might help you keep from doing the things God does not want you to be doing – but I am not at all sure it will help you be conformed to Christ – or be like Christ. Christ didn’t seclude Himself from others – in fact Christ was criticized because He spent time with people who were less than perfect. If we are going to be like Christ — conformed to Christ – we have to spend time with other people – but we have to be careful that they are the people God would have us spend time with.

Yes – we can be God’s witnesses to those who are not doing the right things – but first of all we might need to spend time with those who are – those who are doing God’s will – those who are busy serving God and learning more about God.

There are a lot of people who in the world who are doing wrong things – but there are also a lot of people in the world who are doing right things.

There are a lot of people in the world who – if we spend too much time with them – can lead us down the wrong paths – but there are also a lot of people who – if we spend enough time with them – can lead us down the right ones.

There are a lot of people who might try to conform us to their image – but there are also a lot of people who can help us be conformed to Christ’s image.

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with.

Be conformed to Christ.

Be conformed to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be conformed to the world –

Don’t follow the ways of the world –

Don’t do the tings others are doing –

Don’t do the things others want you to be doing –

Unless you are – first and foremost — conformed to Christ –

Conformed to the ways of God – Conformed to the things Christ would have you to be doing.

God’s advice for daily living.

God’s advice for how to live our lives.

The first piece of advice we have here in 1 Timothy is – be conformed to Christ.

Two steps we can take in being conformed to Christ are:

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

and

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with

Spend your time doing what God wants you to do.

Spend your time with the people God wants you to spend your time with

Be conformed to Christ.

That’s God’s advice for daily living. Amen.