Day 1

1 Timothy 4

.6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[a] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

1st Timothy chapter 4 is a chapter that is aiming at helping the pastor, the spiritual leader to understand how best he can help his congregation to grow and be established. It opens by telling you, hey! There are people who may have started in the Lord, but could change their faith. So be careful how you deal with them. So he is telling them, the minister must instruct the church, the brethren in the faith. Instruct means to teach, give new information. Do not a pastor type of person who says Sunday 1, get saved, Sunday 2, get converted, Sunday 3, get redeemed, Sunday 4, know Jesus. The congregation never grows as you keep repeating evangelism all the time. Remember the disciples were told, for those who believe you have a job of teaching them, to obey in all areas.

So, instruction is the responsibility of any spiritual leader and they are hoping that you yourself would be nourished in doctrine. For you will spend time feeding yourself, otherwise what will you be feeding others?

Paul is also advising that the pastors avoid fables. Fables are stories not based on scriptures. Instead a pastor should become a prisoner of God’s word. If there is something you feel nice to say, popular to say, the fun of the day, if it cannot be settled by the scripture, it is a fable! As a man of God, you must avoid it, even when it seems acceptable for it is still a fable. So you must avoid it as a preacher, and you know fables are there in our churches even today. You hear people say, ‘”it is the year 2022, therefore this will be a good year because it is even number.'”Yet that is not in the bible! You are just telling a story, which is repeated until congregation believes the story as God’s word.

It is not in the bible, that is your own telling the story,so those are fables. Any spiritual leader is advised to avoid telling such fables . Other people can develop those stories, but you should not put your rubberstamp on them instead you should be a prisoner of God’s word.

in other words, as a preacher: say only what God says.

You know for example some of the difficult areas, cause you to tell stories. People tell stories about difficulties in marriage, and the somebody says, ‘”surely! My husband is simply not interested in me, am I to stay in such a marriage?'” The word of God says, if you are the one saved and your husband is not, you must stay with him. Only your backslidden husband can leave. This is because he can’t be controlled by the Lord.

The fact that the circumstances pragmatically suggest that you should support divorce, as a pastor don’t support it because you don’t have that freedom! You are a prisoner of God’s word. You only say what God says.

Isn’t that what Balaam was telling Barak the king? However much you pay me, I can only say what the Lord says, I cannot curse the one the Lord has blessed. This is because he knew that blessings are not from man. They are not from a prophet. They are not from a parent. They are not from an apostle. An apostle cannot bless you. He can only pray for you to be blessed by the only source of blessing .Yet you hear pastors talking like they are the source of blessings .Even the Aaronic blessing is actually a prayer showing the high priest was not a source of blessings .

Balaam knew he was not source of blessings.so, Balaam said, Iam helpless, yet it is true I am a prophet but I can only say what the Lord tells me. So really .Balaam wanted Barak to know, blessings are not from human beings.

Day 2

1Timothy 4

7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

I am just giving examples of the various fables that people allow currently in their church. I don’t know which one yours is, but as a preacher you need to avoid it, don’t put a rubberstamp on such beliefs. Be a prisoner of God’s word.

We also learn that as men of God, we should practice godliness for in that way, the congregation can also practice godliness. Why? because that’s what we are taught to do, teach them godliness, teach them to obey what God has said.

Then Timothy is told the best way of communicating and helping people to be discipled is to set a good example yourself. A good example would be in reading God’s word, a good example is by encouraging others to do so, a good example is teaching the bible. All these are areas you should be setting a good example in as a leader.

Then this spiritual leader, Timothy is told to be diligent, not lazy. You as a leader should be somebody who takes his work seriously. You don’t make promises that you can’t keep. You do your best to ensure that you are doing things in God’s way. Do not be negligent, saying’… ‘”sorry, I forgot'” often.no, no, no! That is not for a man of God .Paul is teaching Timothy to be diligent in all he commits to do.

So the major message Timothy is being told as a leader is’… take heed yourself, then take heed to your doctrine. That means be careful not to move a away from the correct doctrine also. Continue in them and I think that will be something very, very important.

Just look at what Timothy is being told by Paul,verse 13,

Until I come,

devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

It then means that a church where the bible reading before preaching is not part of the program is a suspect. It does not set a certain time in the program of the Sunday service or fellowship, to just read the bible! We are not talking about teaching or preaching. It is simply, being called, public reading! So the leader is being told, aa aa! If you are leading your church well, there will be time for public reading of God’s word. Of course, everybody has a quiet time in their family altars, wherever but in addition to that when the church comes together, they read the bible together publicly . This is the public reading of scripture.

Of course you then have to be careful not to relegate scripture reading only in church. You must teach people the importance of reading the bible privately before you can emphasize the reading of the bible publicly. The point is, when the word of God is so clear, how can then a church avoid reading of God’s word publicly as some Pentecostal churches do ? Or you have a preacher who read one verse, one phrase and teaches for one hour on a phrase. And people have gone out of that service hearing the preacher’s voice but they have not heard God’s word.

You can see this young pastor Timothy is being told that is not a good thing. Before you start preaching, first of all read God’s word publicly for all to hear but of course it doesn’t mean preaching will not be important. It just means it is a separate exercise, it is not really at the same time.

Day 3

1 Timothy 4

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. ‘…..13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

You know some of the so called historical churches, they do two readings. They have a New Testament reading, and an Old Testament reading, irrespective what the sermon will be all about. The preacher might do a third reading. Obviously I encourage that the sermon is related to the reading so that you are helping people to understand what the scriptures they read is all about. You remember the Ethiopian eunuch reading and was not understanding, and God sent Phillip to explain to the eunuch what he was reading. So public reading of the word is important, but preaching has a role. So I think it will be a good idea if you are able to read God’s word, and after reading God’s word, the preaching later is actually on the same subject so that people start loving God’s word, understanding God’s word and hopefully, obeying God’s word.

So after the public reading of scripture, Paul says there should be preaching. He is being told, add to public reading of Scripture, preaching and teaching. My understanding is, when you are preaching, it is a word of exhortation, when you encourage people to love the Lord more, to grow in the Lord more, to trust in the Lord more. That is a word of exhortation,and so you are preaching.

I don’t know whether your church has time for preaching, and time for teaching. There is a time when you want to preach and win people to Christ; every church must do it, and even do an altar call after the preaching.

Day 4

1 Timothy 4

14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

However ,the next thing after public reading and preaching, is also teaching. This time you pick a doctrine and teach on it. Maybe you are running a series for a whole month, covering a certain doctrine. That is not preaching, you are teaching. The methodology differs, and the objectives also actually differ. But I think it will be important that that is something every church does. So, I ask you, in your church, in your congregation, would you say that all those things are happening in your Sunday service? That there is public reading of God’s word, that there is preaching of God’s word? and that there is also in addition to that time when you expound doctrine, you teach.

But when you say about teaching, I think it goes deeper than just preaching. It is your responsibility of taking what people are going through in their personal lives or public lives and teaching about it!

For example, if it is a time of elections, shouldn’t you teach people on what the bibles says about it. That is discipling them on the area of elections. What’s the role of a Christian in elections? does the bible support the idea of one of the Christians becoming a politician? If you become a politician, does the bible show you how to live your life as a politician? So that you continue loving the Lord and walking with him. Or maybe you are going through an epidemic like corona. Maybe then people are having so many questions about calamity.Your teaching will be on what God says about suffering. What God says about you do when you are going through a challenge or a dry patch. What does the bible says about it? So, the idea of having in your church things which that you will cover, will be something that helps you to help your congregation to be discipled in all areas.

You know, sometimes you meet these teachings even in small groups. Forexample you are only teaching them about assurance of salvation, teaching them about prayer, teaching them about reading God’s word. But you also want to go beyond that and teach people how to be married, what does it mean to be a husband, what does it meant to be a wife, what does it need to be a mother, what does it mean to be a son, how do you deal with your adult children as a parent . As an adult, how do you deal with your old parents.

all that, the bible says something about them. Remember the great commission was,

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'”

Thus those who believe, must be taught , what? Everything I have taught. So it means whatever the bible has taught from cover to cover, must be covered. and I think that’s something that you will have to ask whether your church is actually doing something like that.

which other areas of discipleship are yet to be covered? What about what it means to be an employer? You need to disciple employers to understand what the scriptures say about employers? What about to be an investor or an entrepreneur? You need to teach people what the bible says about being entrepreneurs so that they can be Christian entrepreneurs. What about being employees? What does it mean? What does the bible say about being a Christian employee?

You know a lot of people live in dichotomy, who they are in the church, is not who they are in the rest of week. Part of it can be blamed on lack of teaching! They think certain areas the bible says nothing about them. But it is because they are actually not being properly taught, and so it will be very important as a pastor that you cover all areas. That is the teaching Pastor Timothy was asked to do .

Day 5

1 Timothy 4

, Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Several things to note here. First of all, do you note that it was not a bishop who appointed Timothy pastor. Not even an apostle who appointed Timothy. There was a body of elders. It was not one elder. It was a body of elders. God appointed him ..the elders recognized it. Verse 14 says, in addition to all that list you have given above, the pastor is reminded several things .

Paul would like to teach Timothy about the plurality of Christian leadership. Christian leadership is not one guy led. Everybody is subject to a somebody else. You may be the vision carrier, so called. But your vision must be subjected to the body of elders who hear God just as you hear God. They are not your subordinates. The body of elders is a co leadership.They all ordained Timothy. Timothy is being asked, don’t you remember? God used the body of elders to establish you in your ministry.

So I want to ask you ask a spiritual leader, do you have a body of elders over you? Not people who rubberstamp your vision, but who are able to test whether it is from God? and they can guide you, they can correct you because they are not your subordinates.

Each elder could be your subordinate when he is coming to you as a person, but once they form the body of elders, the body itself is your supervisor.

So, he is being asked, don’t you remember? The prophesy that came through the body of elders when they laid their hands on you? and one of the things that happened as they did that, he was able to identify a spiritual gift. Your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

So Timothy is being reminded, you are not good in everything, there are some things you are better of than others. He is reminded of his gift and not to neglect it.

What is to neglect? If for example I gave my grandchild a bicycle, then I come three months later and still he don’t know how to ride, I stay there the whole week he doesn’t ride it, what do you think me as the giver of the gift will think? Will I ever give another gift? I will think twice!

Now, similarly, to neglect a gift means not use it and so to tell the giver he was not right to give that gift. Timothy is being taught, no, no, no! don’t go looking for other people gifts, and operating outside your gift because you think that is a very attractive. Remember you also have a gift, operate within your gift. Don’t neglect it. If you neglect it, you are dishonoring the one who gave you the gift.

So, you as a spiritual leader, do you operate within your gifts or you try to imagine all gifts are resident in you? So, you understand that if the body of elders there are people with gifts you don’t have. That in the congregations, there are body of gifts you don’t have, the work of a pastor is you facilitate the operation of these gifts from different people. But you must operate within your own, and that will be something very, very important. So ,this issue of gifts is quite something that one needs to talk about when we talk about spiritual gifts.

Some people just think they are just about twelve gifts, the ones we see in 1st Corinthians chapter 12, and chapter 14, but the gifts are many. Yes , spiritual gifts are many. You go to various places in the bible you find other gifts you have not seen before. Whatever the gift God has given you, operate in it.

But also there are not just spiritual gifts, there are also natural gifts. Sometimes they were not visible before you got saved, but you are saved you have it. God cannot give you a gift to waste, the fact that he has given you a gift means there is something he wants you to do in order to benefit mankind.

Remember the gift is never given because of you, the gift is given because of the whole church. Or because of the world, because of the people around you. So, you cannot simply sit there with the gift and you are not using it. So, don’t neglect it, don’t neglect the gift, it will be taken badly by the one who gave you the gift in the first place.

But similarly , in the same way, do not be proud that you have the gift. Don’t feel like, ‘”it is my gift! others don’t have it!'” no! The fact that you have one gift and I have another, means you are not better or worse than me, we both must operate within the church for us to benefit the church in different ways. For I repeat, gifts are not about the one with the gift, they are for people around you.

Day 6

1 Timothy 4

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress

Which matters are you to be diligent on? The ones we have been talking about. That is the role of a Christian leader. All of the matters, not some of them, all of them you must be diligent in all these matters. When we talk about being diligent, it just means you take whatever God has given you seriously and you take the people you are discipling seriously, and that’s what it will mean you are diligent in all matters. Not some, but in all the matters. Are there some areas of need in your group of followers which you are ignoring? Then you cannot be called diligent! Some matters that you have to establish, be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them! hee!

As if diligent is not enough, give yourself wholly to them. In other words, you are not allowed to do touch and go kind of thing. Once you make a commitment to do something, you must do it fully.

You might be accused of not doing a good job, but you should not be accused of not trying hard enough. So, giving yourself wholly to the issues that are required of you as a spiritual leader, is a requirement, that is what Paul is saying must be done. And it will be critical that you take this seriously as a leader. Give yourself wholly to them. I pray that the Lord will help me in his power to do so. That word ‘€˜wholly’ is quite a word! Wholly means, there is no room untouched. Are you leaving out certain room? Everybody think you are doing such a good job, but you know you are capable of doing more! Then you cannot use the word wholly, because there is a something you are reserving, something you could do and you are not doing. Give yourself wholly to these things? Then there is no reserve tank. You have totally committed yourself to whatever it is that is being done or needs to be done. Wholly! You need to ask yourself: is there something you are not doing or not doing wholly? Can you use the word wholly appropriately. Can you be said to have given yourself wholly to these matters.

So, when we say wholly, it means that there is no reserve tank not in use. You are totally involved, you are doing your very best, and your time is fully extended on the areas we have discussed as a spiritual leader. That’s wholly. But wholly also means there are not certain aspects you are leaving out that need to be covered on any one of the matters we have been looking at. Therefore it will be important that all of them are things that you look at and find a way dealing with.

Day 7

1 Timothy 4

16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Look at the final verse, verse 16,

This young pastor is being told, number one, Watch your life, mmh! Can you imagine somebody tells you ‘”watch your life!'” What he means . Watch out! What will be happening for you to watch out? It means you are going around without fully assessing your surroundings, you are going without fully looking where you are stepping. You are going without fully being conscious of your sorroundings. You are absent minded.

Paul is saying that’s not a good way of serving God,or of being a spiritual leader. You must understand that you must watch your life fully. Watch your life means, you don’t take risks that are not calculated. You don’t do things that could give you trouble without fully thinking about what you are doing. That’s what it means. If you really are watching out your life you will preempt any problems.

But you are also asked to watch over your doctrine closely. That means you keep evaluating you sermons. That would be a good suggestion if you are preaching. Have your spouse or somebody else telling you whether what you covered came out clear or what they think that what you said is in line with the scriptures. Allow other elders to question you, because the idea is to watch out on your own doctrine. Tell people, whenever you see I am going the wrong direction, I am moving at tangent, after the service just come and approach me. So, watch out over your life but also watch out over your doctrine closely.

Next, Persevere in them. What is to persevere? Persevere has the connotation that there will be many discouraging things, there will be pains, frustrations, and tiredness, you feel ‘”oh! this is too much now! I have done it for too long!'” No, no, no! Persevering person means you keep going even when it is not easy to go on. You keep going even when you can’t see the benefits, you keep going just because God has told you to go.

That’s what we are talking about when we talk about persevering and you are being told that for you to be a good leader, you must have perseverance. That means you don’t go resigning at every insult you get. You start resigning when unappreciated. You stay with it, until you understand what else can be done.

So, persevere in them, because if you do, if you persevere in them, you will save both yourself and your hearers. So, all these things we are being told are important. The reason why Paul is teaching him about these commitment, and asking that you give yourself wholly, and balancing doctrine is because they matter. Why persevere in these issues?

Number one, back to verse one, is so that you don’t end up leading people off the line. Verse 1 says,

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

That’s why you are being careful because there is a possibility of them going offline. It actually means, if you teach them in correct way, they will understand this is the wrong way to avoid. Just like they say, if you want a cashier not be cheated with money, let him understand the look of the correct currency. He will always notice the bad one, in no time . His mind is fully clear how the correct currency look like.

But number two, persevere because you yourself, the devil is on your war path. He know if he gets you, he will get your hearers. The reason you are being careful, is so that you yourself don’t get lost. You must be a person who will go to them, persevere in them, why? Because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

May the Lord help us to understand about this requirements of an ideal pastor, or ideal the spiritual leader that Timothy is being trained to become.