Living In The Household Of God

In our world, being involved with the life of a local church is generally perceived to be a nice option for some people. Far too many consider church about the same as their gym membership. They come when they feel like it, and when it's convenient. They might even feel a bit of ambient guilt about their habit, but they still don't make it a priority. So we return to our Christian Family talks from Paul to Timothy to us.

1 Timothy is the next Bible book written after the close of the events of the book of Acts. Paul wrote his first 10 canonical letters during the time covered in Acts 13-28. He was released from prison in Rome and went back to traveling to build up the churches he had planted between Rome and his sending church in Antioch of Syria. Along the way, he dropped Timothy off in Ephesus with the instruction to eliminate some strange doctrines being taught there. This letter was his follow up, and we get a glimpse into his plans.

1 Timothy 3:14: I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;

Apparently Paul had not been able to finish what he was doing in Macedonia as soon as he might have hoped, so he sent this letter. What we have here is important instruction intended to be shared with all the Christians in the Roman world. By extension, it is at least as important now, for us, through the inscripturated word of God. You're going to see four essential truths that both define what we are as Christians, and tell us what we need to do as a Church. The first is that we are:

1. A Spiritual Family
2. Called By The Living God
3. Anchored In Truth
4. Focused On Jesus