A Good Servant Part 1 (1 Tim. 4:6-10)

Outline: A Good Servant Part 1 (1 Tim. 4:6-10): 

1. The desire to be a good servant
2. The discipline it takes to be a good servant

Summary:  There is an assumption in v.6 that looms large over vv.6-16, namely, that Timothy  desires to be a "good servant" of the Lord Jesus.  In fact, God inspired this passage in order to stimulate and channel this desire in every genuine Christian.  In v.6 Paul seeks to stimulate the desire by essentially saying this: "you do desire to be a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus, don't you?  Implied answer: "yes, most definitely!" Paul then channels this desire vv.7-10 by telling Timothy to discipline himself in order to make that desire become a reality.  Christians are commanded to discipline themselves spiritually for the purpose of growing in godliness.

Main Point: Self-discipline is essential to living a godly life

Discussion Questions:

• What part of this sermon was most helpful or instructive to you? Why?  
• How should we as Christians feel about the title "good servant"?  Why do you think Paul would include that phrase at the beginning of vv.6-16?
• What is the meaning of the word "godliness"? 
• What is valuable about bodily or physical training/discipline?  
• Why is godliness (i.e. the fruit of spiritual discipline) more valuable than physical discipline?
• What might it look like to exercise self-discipline for the purpose of growing in godliness?
• What fueled Paul to exert himself in terms of spiritual discipline? (v.10)

Application Questions:

• On a scale of 1-10, how strong is your desire to be a "good servant" of the Lord Jesus?
• In what ways do you currently discipline yourself for the purpose of growing in godliness?
• Do you exert yourself in spiritual discipline/training to the point that you can you say " I toil and strive"?  If not, this might suggest a misplaced hope (v.10).  Confess this to the Lord and ask him to help you re-focus on what is truly valuable in this life and the life to come.

Prayer Points:

• Praise the living God for saving us and using us to save others
• Praise Jesus for the privilege it is to be His servants 
• Ask God to help us grasp more deeply the value of living a godly life
• Ask God to empower us to discipline ourselves for the purpose of growing in godliness