A Good Servant

 

A Good Servant Introduction: A servant of Jesus Christ submits to Jesus as Lord and spends their life serving him. Those who will hear the words “well done, good and faithful servant” on the day of judgment will be those who have been faithful in carrying out their duties, Matthew 25. Sermon text:1 Timothy 4: 6-11 Body: 1.      Good servants are nourished in the faith (verse 6). “These things” in this context; some would depart from the faith, (verses 1 and 2). In principle, this means that they are departing from all that God's word teaches. A good servant warns others about false teachers and does what he can to prevent them from leaving the faith (2 Timothy 4:1- 5). Good servants must be nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine. Servants must feed upon the word of God and be sustained by it (Acts 20: 32).  Timothy had been nourished by the truth of scripture (2 Timothy 3: 14, 15 ). Good doctrine implies that there is such a thing as bad doctrine. Christians who feed upon bad doctrine become bad servants. “Which you have carefully followed” is extremely important. Good servants are diligent in learning the truth and following it closely. 2.      Good servants must exercise (versus 7- 9) being a good servant includes rejecting certain things: ·         Profane is any unholy belief and does not come from God's holy word. ·         Old wives' fables are fictitious stories or superstitions (Titus 1: 13, 14).  Instead, a good servant exercises with a view toward godliness. ·         “Exercise” - the noun form of the Greek verb translates gymnasium. Just as athletes must train vigorously to attain their goals, the good servant must strenuously exercise to attain a life of godliness. Developing a Christian character involves continuing, putting in the effort and practice. A life of unending study and effort is necessary ( 2 Corinthians 7: 1). ·         “Godliness” - means reverence and respect for God and his word. This must be The goal of every good servant of Jesus Christ.  Bodily or physical exercise only profits the outward man and is of short duration and limited degree. Its benefits pertain only to our time on earth. On the other hand, godliness provides benefits both on earth and in heaven, in both time and eternity. It is far more important to have a healthy strong soul that you have a healthy, strong body (Matthew 6: 33). ·         “Faithful saying” means Dependent and worthy of acceptance by all. 3.      Good servants must labor and suffer reproach (verses 10, 11) to receive that reward in heaven is why Paul labored and suffered reproach. All good servants must labor- work to the point of exhaustion! Christians must give their life to this effort (Romans 12:1).  To suffer reproach- all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3: 12 ). This means suffering for doing what is right! A life of service to Christ is a life of trust and should be fully confident in God's promise (Revelation 2: 10). How is God the savior of all men? ·         Jesus is the potential savior of all men. Jesus died so that all could be saved. ·         He is the savior of everyone who is saved. There is no salvation anywhere else. Saved people have an active and obedient faith (James 2 ). (Verse 11) there is something absolute that must be taught and obeyed.    Conclusion: A good servant places their faith in Christ and obeys him in all things, closely following the gospel and trusting the promises of God. April 26, 2020 Prepared by Bobby Stafford The church of Christ at Granby, MO Located at 516 East Pine St. P.O. Box 664 Granby, Mo. 64844 (417) 472-7109 For more lessons and Sermons please visit granbychurchofchrist.org/ granbychurchofchrist.com/ Christian Living

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