The Aim of Our Charge Is Love

In one paragraph

This sermon opened a series through First Timothy by introducing Paul and Timothy before settling on a single verse: the aim of the charge Paul gives Timothy is love issuing from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Pastor Nathan used that verse as a lens for everything else in the passage and as a frame he said he expects to return to throughout the whole book. Paul's opening...

Read together

1. 1 Timothy 1:1-7 the main passage for the sermon, introduced as the starting point for the new series
2. Acts 16:1 quoted to establish that Timothy was a disciple at Lystra, son of a Jewish believing woman and a Greek father
3. 2 Timothy 1:5 quoted to describe Timothy's sincere faith dwelling first in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice
4. James 3:1 referenced as saying let not many of you be teachers, for you will incur a harsher judgment
5. 1 John 1:9 named as a favorite verse, quoted as if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness
6. Matthew 12:34 referenced as scripture supporting that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks
7. John 3:16 alluded to in explaining agape love, that God gave his only begotten son

Talk about it

1. Paul describes himself as an apostle 'by the commandment of God' rather than by his own choice. How does thinking of your faith or your role in the church as something you were called to, rather than something you chose, change how you approach it?
2. The preacher describes Timothy as 'a blend of amiability and faithfulness in spite of a natural timidity.' Have you ever had to act on your faith in a situation where your natural temperament pushed you in the opposite direction? What happened?
3. The sermon points to myths on one side and endless genealogies on the other as two ditches that pull people away from the gospel. Where do you see Christians today getting pulled into either kind of distraction?
4. The aim of the charge in verse 5 is love issuing from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. The preacher connects a good conscience to keeping short accounts with both God and other people. Is there a relationship or situation in your life right now where your conscience is not fully clear, and what would it take to address it?
5. The preacher says certain persons swerve away from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith and wander into confident assertions that are not scripturally grounded, sometimes out of a desire to be seen as teachers. How do you personally guard against letting pride or a desire for recognition shape the way you talk about your faith?