The Church Focused On Christ
Studies in 1 Timothy #17
Guard The Treasure
1 Timothy 6:20-21
July 1, 2012
When Paul met with the pastors of the church in Ephesus towards the end of his third missionary journey, he
warned them about false teachers who would arise in their midst…
Acts 20:29–30 — 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock;30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after them.
1 Timothy 1:18–19 — 18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies
previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good
conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
1 Timothy 6:13–14 — 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus,
who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or
reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
And that brings us to his closing words to Timothy…
1 Timothy 6:20–21 — 20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty
chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed
and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Treasure the GOSPEL by the GRACE of God!
A Strategy for Guarding the Treasure…
1. Guard the Gospel BESIDE US. 1 Timothy 6:20a
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you…
Paul had told Timothy that the reason he was writing to him was 1 Timothy 3:15 — 15…so that you may know
how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
support of the truth.
The Church is important because Jesus is the One who is building it… Matthew 16:18 — 18 “And I also say to
you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.
The Church is important because of what Jesus said He would accomplish through it… Matthew 5:13–16 — 13
“You are the salt of the earth…14 “You are the light of the world…16 “Let your light shine before men in such a
way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Church is important because of the mission Jesus gave it… Matthew 28:19–20 — 19 “Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
a. Finish your MISSION.
What’s God’s mission for your life? He didn’t leave you in this world after you came to faith in
Christ so you could live for yourself. You have a divinely appointed mission to accomplish.
Finish it for the glory of God.
b. Follow your SAVIOR.
What does the way you live your life say about Jesus? Can people see that the life of Jesus
resides in you by faith?
c. Faithfully proclaim the GOSPEL.
You may have heard the little saying, “Share the Gospel…use words if necessary.” The point
being that our lives ought to reflect the change that takes place when a person embraces the
Good News about Jesus…our walk ought to back up our talk. But I’m afraid in our effort to
emphasis the need for authentic Christian living, we have lost the urgency of actually sharing
the Gospel. I would change that little saying in light of that…Share the Gospel…words are
necessary. Romans 10:17 — 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2. Turn away from what is AGAINST the Gospel.
avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”
a. Avoid what is OUTSIDE the Gospel. Worldly chatter is the word that originally referred to
everything outside the sacred grounds of a Greek temple. It describes what is outside the
realm of the truth of the Gospel. Empty chatter is just so much empty sounds. This is a
description of teachings that have no real truth content. They make no real contribution to the
spiritual development of those who listen to them. Eugene Peterson, in his translation The
Message, calls it talk show religion.
b. Avoid what is OPPOSED to the Gospel. Opposing arguments are the antithesis of the Gospel.
Paul has run into those who had opposed the Gospel in the name of wisdom or knowledge
before. These were the kinds of people that apparently were plaguing the church in Ephesus
with their myths and endless genealogies and misuse of the Law and their arrogance in
believing that the Gospel was only for those in their little circle of knowledge. They were
promoting a form of asceticism that encouraged people not to marry and abstain from food, all
the time promoting a form of godliness that lined their pockets. Avoid that like the plague.
3. Beware the end of embracing a FALSE Gospel.
…which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
a. Don’t stray from the FAITH. To go astray from the faith meant to miss the mark with regard to
the faith. As far back as 1:6, Paul has been warning Timothy about the end of embracing a false
Gospel…some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion...he
even names a couple of them in 1:20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have
delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme…6:5 men of depraved
mind and deprived of the truth…6:10 for the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and
some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a
pang.
b. Don’t slip from the FOUNDATION. What is the foundation of our life in Christ? It is the grace of
God. Paul began his letter to Timothy expressing his desire for the grace of God to be evident
in Timothy’s life and he concludes his letter with the same desire…Grace be with you. He made
a point of mentioning the grace of God in his own life in 1:14 and the grace of our Lord was
more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. If we are going to
be effective at really treasuring the Gospel, we’ll have to do it by the grace of God. The grace
that saved us is the same grace that will enable us to guard the treasure that God has given us
in the Gospel…which leads me to one final reminder--The Christian faith is not an INVENTION OF MEN, but a TREASURE COMMITTED BY GOD TO MEN!
In the fifth century St. Leo gave Timothy’s charge classic expression: What is meant by the deposit? That
which is committed to thee, not that which is invented by thee; that which thou hast received, not that which
thou hast devised; a thing not of wit, but of learning; not of private assumption, but of public tradition; a thing
brought to thee, not brought forth of thee; wherein thou must not be an author, but a keeper; not a leader
but a follower. Keep the deposit. Know the Gospel…believe it, honor it, love it, obey it, defend it, study it and
proclaim it…let’s do this by the grace of God for the Glory of God!!!
1 Timothy 3:16 — 16 And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the
flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
Let’s talk about Guarding the Treasure…
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What do you think the Gospel is as described in the Bible?
What kinds of things can we do to make sure that we are treasuring the truth of God’s Word?
What do you believe God’s mission is for your life in relation to the Gospel?
How can you recognize what is outside or opposed to the Gospel?
Give an example of some teaching you have heard that is outside or opposed to the Gospel.
What am I currently doing to faithfully proclaim the Gospel? What could I be doing?
What happens to the Gospel when a culture says there is no absolute truth?
What are the truths God most impressed upon you during your study of 1 Timothy?