PAUL'S FINAL CHARGE TO TIMOTHY 1Timothy 6:11-12
by Reece Sherman
1. FLEE
1.1. God gives us the strategy for responding to temptation: FLEE!
1.2. False teaching, envy, strife...
1.3. "the love of money" with its evil results
1.4. Love of the world
1.5. One of the longest evasions in history was logged by then Captain Roger Locher, now a Colonel serving as director of safety for the Pacific Air Forces headquarters at Hickam A.F.B. near Honolulu. After his F-4 Phantom was shot down 45 miles northwest of Hanoi, Vietnam on May 10, 1972, he successfully evaded the enemy for 23 days until he was rescued by Air Force combat search and rescue helicopters about 11 miles from where he ejected. He survived because he evaded the enemy!
1.6. It is surprising to know that the phrase "resist temptation" is not in the Bible. Neither are the phrases "resist false teachings," "resist heresies," or "resist danger." On the other hand, the Bible in many places exhorts God's people to flee or escape. God's emphasis is on fleeing temptations and deceptions rather than "resisting." He knows our chances for success and survival are much greater when we remove ourselves from the temptations or deceptions.
1.7. Flee these things & Take up the things of God
2. FIGHT
2.1. It is a good fight, it is a good cause, and it will have a good issue.
2.2. We can’t do this without a fight. The enemy will try to stop us any way he can
2.3. "Fight (literally, 'strive') with such striving earnestness as to lay hold on the prize, eternal life."
2.4. same word where we get our word "agonize" from, to agonize the struggle of faith.
2.5. Joe Louis - heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1934 and successfully defended the title twenty-five times over the following fifteen years. The sports voice of those days, Bill Stern, asked Joe how he had been able to knock out his opponents so quickly in almost every fight. After a few moments, he answered, “Two things—first, I study my opponent until I know him better than he knows himself, and second, I make a plan of attack.”
2.6. Eph. 6:13-18
2.7. He showed that we are now in a spiritual warfare. We are not fighting in the same way as those of this world and its governments. We do not use physical weapons, but our weapons are all spiritual, Ephesians 6:11-18. We are not in a warfare with the people of this world, but with Satan and his legions of unclean spirits. We are also at war against entanglements and weaknesses of the flesh.
2.8. In our own strength we are utterly helpless to face such a powerful enemy as the devil. In fact, true victory in spiritual warfare demands that we acknowledge our helplessness and weakness. God has given us three specific steps that enable us to be conquerors: First, we are to lay hold of the complete protection of Christ, what the Bible calls the full armor of God. Second, once fully armed, we are to pray. Effective prayer is the result of actively putting on the armor of God. Third and finally, in the face of Satan's attacks, we are to stand firm in our faith with the certain knowledge that the battle is the Lord's. Our faith in His victory a victory that is already accomplished on the cross is what overcomes the world.
3. FOLLOW AFTER
3.1. pursue
3.2. 1, Righteousness
3.2.1. life toward men
3.2.1.1. a life of integrity
3.3. 2. Godliness
3.3.1. life toward God
3.3.1.1. being as like God as we can be
3.4. 3. Faith & 4. Love
3.4.1. help you to live 1 & 2
3.4.1.1. Trust in God/Caring for People
3.5. 5. Endurance
3.5.1. enduring perseverance amidst trials
3.5.2. patience
3.6. 6. Gentleness
3.6.1. meekness
3.6.1.1. the willingness to let God lead us and surrender our wills to His.