The Integrity and Health of the Pastor and His Church.

Paul gives Timothy eight imperatives for living at the end of 1 Timothy 4. These instructions to a pastor are useful for every believer to live a well-disciplined life that shows progress in Christ-likeness step by step.

The Integrity and Health of the Pastor and His Church.

If you were asked to write a job description for a pastor, what would you include? Should a pastor's job emphasize creative ideas to be culturally relevant? What tasks are most important? 1 Timothy 4:11-16 tells us what God emphasizes in the personal and public expectations of pastor-teachers.

The Integrity and Health of the Pastor and His Church.

At worst, the doctrine of legalism teaches we can save ourselves. At best, it teaches what we can do ourselves to gain favor with God. Either way, the source is one of darkness. Those who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior no longer have to worry about pleasing God. Because of our position in Christ, pleasing God becomes natural to us.

In 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul has explained legalism's attempts to earn approval with God. Next, he outlines the contrasting virtues of godly servants.

Preaching truth mixed with a little error ultimately leads the church to turn from the Bible completely.

Fire drills and tornado drills can seem redundant, but they are necessary for collective safety. Paul drills Timothy on defending the faith in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. His words tie back to the instruction in chapter 1 on addressing falsehood in the church. Pragmatism or legalism is addressed through rehearsing the Gospel and individual believers' testimonies. Falsehood does not encourage outreach because it has no message to share outside the church. It works inside and divides the flock. Genuine believers embrace the Gospel and seek to take it outside the walls of the church.