The Big Read – 1 Timothy

Powerpoint Pictures: Messy bedroom; Messy Desk; Messy Bookshelf; Messy Calendar

Are you someone likes mess, hates mess, or will put up with a mess?

If your bedroom, desk, bookshelf, calendar etc was mess would you freak out or would you not be that bothered?

The problem with mess – regardless of whether you mind or don’t mind it – is that it can be distracting.  Instead of getting on with what you need to be doing, you waste time searching for something hidden in the mess.

Did you know that churches can be messy too? (and I’m not talking about a new type of service)

Many years ago, in a place called Ephesus, there was a church that was in a right old mess.  False teaching had confused people in the church about what to believe and how to live, and this had distracted the church from getting on with its mission of preaching the good news about Jesus and making disciples.

And it was left to a young man called Timothy to sort out the mess.  To tidy it up, so the church could get back to its mission.

How was he going to do this?  He needed help?

So the apostle Paul, his mentor, wrote him a letter, telling him what to do.

The letter in our Bibles called 1 Timothy.  In it Paul tells Timothy that to tidy up the church, he needs to stop the false teacher from teaching wrong things about God, he needs to make sure that only certain men are leaders in the church, he needs to teach the church what is right and be a good example for them.

It was vital Timothy did this because it was vital that the church got back to its mission otherwise people wouldn’t hear this good news:

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

People needed to hear that Jesus is the only Saviour and that He could save them if they put their trust in Him!