1 Timothy 1:18–20
18This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
Focused Thinking:
What is Timothy’s command?
It is the command to fight the good fight.
The way Paul speaks to Timothy reminds of the truth, “to whom much is given, much is required.”
- Paul saw Timothy’s heritage and chose to develop it.
- Paul saw Timothy’s potential and chose to maximize it.
I love this command.
- It is such a manly command.
- It is such a braveheart command.
- It is such a gladiator command.
What does it look like to fight the good fight?
It involves keeping faith.
It isn’t easy to keep the faith; it is hard to keep the faith.
It is easy to be distracted; it is hard to be focused.
It involves keep a good conscience.
We are born sinful and corrupt, so it is easy to remain sinful corrupt.
We are born conformed, so it is easy to remain conformed.
It is work to renew our minds.
It is work to move from conformed to transformed.
It is work to move from impure to pure.
What happens when people refuse to fight the good fight?
They suffer shipwreck in regard to their faith.
What does Paul say about Hymenaeus and Alexander?
Paul handed these two over to Satan so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
Wow! What a strong statement.
Can you imagine how confident you have to be in your walk with the Lord to make a statement like that?
- This statement also shows us how highly Paul valued God’s name and reputation.
- This statement also shows us how protective Paul the ministry and God’s calling.
I absolutely love the soldier in Paul.
- I love his determination.
- I love his aggressiveness.
- I love his competitiveness.
I can’t stand weak pastors and weak ministries.
- The church must be be faithful instead of fearful.
- The church must be proactive instead of reactive.
- The church must play offense instead of defense.
Personal Application:
What does it look like for me to fight the good fight?
What does it look like for the staff to fight the good fight?
What does it look like for the members to fight the good fight?
How do we prepare people at each level to fight the good fight?
- We must decide where the church has to be great.
- We must decide what demands our attention.
- We must decide what will make the greatest impact.
I must free myself up to lead us to do these types of studies.
I am not taking advantage of my strength of focus.
The staff and the church are my leverage, my strength of focus.
I must do less so I can do more.
I must constantly push us to raise the bar.
- Everything in our lives and in our world resists that push.
- That is precisely why I need to dedicate a high percentage of my time to focusing on key themes and targets.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, forgive me for being too broad. I need to be focused. This church needs me to be focused. I can take this church farther faster if I am focused. Father, help me to discipline everything in my life to be focused. Help me to discipline my life as a world class athlete disciplines himself for competition. Help me to discipline my life for godliness and leadership. Help me to discipline myself to fight the good fight.
Father, there is an incredible spiritual battle to be fought. Satan is waging war against our people daily. Help us be soldiers and take the battle to Satan instead of retreating. Father, help us bring forgiveness and freedom to people throughout this city, throughout this country and throughout this world. Father, cause Your Spirit to fall upon this church beyond our greatest imagination. Father, we can’t do it in our own strength. Father, enable us to do what we can do so that You can do what we can’t do. Father, give us the ability to teach the Word and to love the people. Take that teaching and love and make it Your words and Your love. Father, give us the ability to truly build an army of Joshuas and Calebs who follow the Lord fully, who are strong and courageous. Give us a church full of Timothys who fight the good fight. Father, grow this church spiritually, numerically and financially. Give us more favor with more hurting and broken people. Make us a “friend of sinners” to this city. Give us the unwanted and unwelcome. When people are forgiven much they love much. Heal our people and turn them loose to change this city.
You may have not intended to do so, but I think you have managed to express the state of mind that a lot of people are in. The sense of wanting to help, but not knowing how or where, is something a lot of us are going through.