The Pastor’s Focus

I Timothy 4:13-16

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” (I Timothy 4:13-14)

Hatch, New Mexico claims to be the chili capital of the world. Growing up in New Mexico, chili was a major part of our diet. Red chili was made from the ripened pepper pods. They could be boiled into a sauce, or dried and ground for easier storage. Boiling the powder would also produce red chili which could be set on the table for people to use as a condiment, or mixed into the food as an important ingredient. Green chilies are frequently eaten as a vegetable. Mexican food tends to use chili as a spice rather than a main ingredient, and some restaurants now distinguish between Mexican and New Mexican food.

When I went to college, I decided to make some Mexican food and went to the store for some chili powder. It didn’t make very good red chili. As I checked the ingredients, I was surprised to find that it contained paprika, cumin. and garlic, but had no chili in it. How could they call it chili when it didn’t contain any? A particular brand of canned chili was recommended, and again didn’t taste right. It had so little chili as to be more properly called chili seasoned beans, but it would not class as being not truly chili.

Unfortunately, many sermons and church classes are the same way. Some use no scripture at all, while others use so little it is only one of the spices, not a major ingredient. In one of my practice preaching classes, the comment was made that you used too much scripture. It serves to illustrate the difference. Those who have learned to accept God’s word just as a spice find it more unpalatable, while those who are used to it as a main ingredient find the other unsatisfying, though it may be very pleasant.

Paul instructs Timothy to devote his attention to three activities in the church. The first is reading the Word of God. This is perhaps the single most neglected area in most churches, and even in those who do so, it is most often in the form of a ritual responsive reading than in a reading to understand the meaning. Without careful and thorough reading, opportunities for introduction of false doctrine abound. Deficiency of the word of God explains the problems in the church at Sardis described in Revelation 3.

The second area Paul said Timothy must devote himself to was exhortation. The fourth edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines exhort as to urge earnestly as by advice or warning, etc. Strong’s lists implore as a synonym. Timothy is not to dictate, but to urge, encourage and plead with the people to do as they should.

The final area of ministry he is to focus on is doctrine or teaching. The ability for teaching was a requirement for pastors, as would be expected from Matthew 28:19-20, the great commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The first teach is from the verb form of the word ‘mattatheno‘, meaning to cause to become a disciple. The second, teaching, is from ‘didasko’ and means simply to teach.

Timothy is not to neglect the gift he has been given, the gift of the Holy Spirit as we see from Acts 8:17-20, and from Acts 19:6. Galatians 5:24-25 tells us, “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Romans 8:11-12 reinforces the statement. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.”

Romans 6:13 describes the need to yield ourselves to God so the Holy Spirit can work in and through us. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 7 describes the conflict between the old human nature and the Holy Spirit and that victory will only come through Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to exercise control. It is the only way anyone will be able to satisfactorily do the job Timothy has been given.

Galatians 5:16-17 promises, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” The Holy Spirit can then produce his fruit in one’s life.

Timothy, and anyone else who wishes to pastor needs to focus on these things, to the exclusion of other things if they wish to affect others by their ministry. The effects in their own lives will be seen by those around them.

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (I Timothy 4:15-16)