Speculators and Stewards (1 Tim. 1:3-11)

Outline: Speculators and Stewards (1 Tim. 1:3-11)

1. Speculators 
2. Stewards
3. Stewards Confront Speculators
4. Big Picture Applications

Summary:   False teachers had swerved from the truth and were leading people astray.  They were poisoning the church with their bad doctrine and worthless speculations.   Therefore, Paul dispatched Timothy to Ephesus in order to protect God's flock by confronting and exposing the wolves that had got into the sheepfold.  How would Timothy do this?  He would confront and expose these speculators by being a faithful steward of truth whose constant effort was to love God and others out of pure motives.

Main Point:  Stewards must confront and expose speculators by fulfilling the aim of their charge.

Discussion Questions:

• Why did Paul urge Timothy to remain at Ephesus? (v.3)
• Name some characteristics of false teachers. (1:3-4, 6-7; cf. 1:19-20; 4:2-3, 7; 6:2b-5, 20-21). 
• What is the aim of the a faithful steward? (v.5)
• What is the relationship between love and pure motives (i.e. a pure heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith)?
• How is Jesus the ultimate steward?
• How does the gospel create stewards? (cf. vv.12-15)
• According to Paul, what is a lawful use of the law? (vv.8-11)
• Why is it so important that stewards confront speculators?
• What does this call for stewards to confront speculators say about God's care for His Church?

Application Questions:

• Am I fulfilling the aim of my charge, that is, am I marked by love for God and others?  If so, praise God and humbly ask for grace to grow all the more.  If not, take time to test and examine the purity of your motives in light of God's word, confessing any impurity, anything that is tainting your conscience, any way that that your interests are out of sync with Christ's interests. Receive forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9) and start focusing on loving God and others with fresh vigor. 

Prayer Points:

• Praise Jesus for being the ultimate steward who always operated out of pure motives and for dying on the cross so that I could too be a good steward marked by love and pure motives.
• Confess to God ways that you have failed to fulfill the aim of your charge.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love God and others out of pure motives.

Sincere Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)

Outline: Matthew 6:16-18

1. Explanation of Matt. 6:16-18
2. Why should a Christ-follower fast?
3. How should a Christ-follower go about practicing the discipline of fasting?

Summary: Having considered giving and praying, we now focus on fasting, Jesus' third and final illustration of this overarching point:"Beware of doing the right things from the wrong motives" (6:1)! Jesus warns us that God will not reward the obedient act of fasting if that act was fueled by wrong motives.  Motives are intensely important to God!  Our fasting should be fueled not by a craving to be seen and praised by others, but by a desire to be seen and rewarded by God.  Fasting is designed as a means of stimulating and expressing a sincere hunger for God, not as a hypocritical platform to attract the praise of men.

Discussion Questions:

• Review: how do giving, praying, and fasting relate to the warning given in 6:1? 
• Very basically, what is fasting?
• What is meant by the phrase "means of grace"? How is fasting a means of grace? 
• How should Jesus assumption ("when you fast") shape a Christ-follower's view of fasting?
• What is it about the activity described in v.16 that is hypocritical?
• What does it mean to have pure motives?  What motives should fuel our fasting?
• What is the purpose of fasting? In other words, why should a Christ-follower fast?
• What are some practical ways to go about practicing the discipline of fasting?

Application Questions:

• How often do I fast? Why do I fast that often?
• What is God teaching me about fasting?  
• What steps might God be leading me to take in order to grow in this discipline?
• What motives should fuel my fasting?
• What happy effects might fasting have on my life if I'm willing to make it a habit? 

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God your lack of hunger for Him and your neglect of the means of grace wisely designed by God in order to stimulate your appetite for spiritual things.
• Praise Jesus that He had enough hunger for the both of us and for teaching you to hunger and thirst after righteousness. 
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you cultivate the discipline of fasting and to increase your hunger for the things of God.  

Sincere Praying (Matt. 6:5-8)

Outline: Matthew 6:5-8

1. Sincere praying is fueled by pure motives  (vv.5-6)
2. Sincere praying is marked by child-like trust (vv.7-8)

Summary: Just when we've been freshly inspired to radically obey God's word and display God's character (ch.5), Jesus hits us with a sobering warning in Matt. 6:1: "Beware of doing the right things from the wrong motives!"  Jesus warns us that God will not reward an obedient act if that act was fueled by wrong motives.  Motives matter to God--big time!  In His second illustration of this warning, Jesus teaches us that sincere praying comes from pure motives and a deep trust in our heavenly Father's care for us.  Our praying should be fueled not by a craving to be seen and praised by others, but by a desire to be seen and rewarded by God.  Our praying should be marked not by the empty and mindless repetitions of a pagan, but by the assurance and confidence of a well-loved child of God.

Discussion Questions:

• Review: what is the relationship between ch.5 and the warning given in 6:1? 
• What is it about the activity described in v.5 that is hypocritical?
• Is it possible to be unsaved and still have a passion for prayer? Explain.
• What reward does a hypocrite receive?
• Why is God's special presence in the prayer closet and not on the street corner?
• What does it mean to have pure motives?  What motives should fuel our prayer lives?
• What difference is there between how Gentiles pray and how God's children pray? (vv.7-8)
• What rewards can be expected by those who pray out of pure motives and deep trust? 

Application Questions:

• How much do my motives matter to God?
• What motives have been fueling my prayer life as of late? What should be fueling me?
• What habits of empty, mindless prayer have I formed?  What are some remedies?
• What would it look like to pray like a pure-motived, active-minded child of God?

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God any impure motives or distrust that have hindered your prayers as of late.
• Praise Jesus for shedding his blood to wash away all your bad motives and distrust.
• Praise God for adopting you so that you can relate to Him in prayer as a well-loved child.  
• Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your prayer life by purifying your motives and increasing your trust in your heavenly Father's care for you. 

Sincere Giving (Matt. 6:1-4)

Outline: Matthew 6:1-4

1. Jesus' general warning (v.1)
2. Giving from impure motives  (v.2)
3. Giving from pure motives  (vv.3-4)

Summary: With unique authority, Jesus has resurrected the original intent of God's word from under the rubble of false teaching (vv.16-48), showing us that we display God's character when we radically obey the original intent of God's word (5:9, 45, 48).  But just when we are freshly inspired to radically obey God's word and display God's character.  Just when we are ready to shine.  Jesus hits us with a sobering warning: "Beware of doing the right things from the wrong motives!" People often separate the quality of the act from the quality of the motive, but God does not.  Jesus warns us that God will not reward an obedient act if that act was fueled by wrong motives.   It’s one thing to do the right thing; it’s another thing to do the right thing for the right reason.  Motives matter to God--big time!  To illustrate His warning, Jesus gives three common examples of acts of righteousness that can be done out of impure motives: giving, praying, and fasting.  Here we consider Jesus' first example--giving.  Our giving should be fueled not by a craving to be seen and praised by others, but by a desire to be seen and rewarded by God.  Heavenly rewards are for those who desire the Father's gaze more than people's praise.  

Discussion Questions:

• How would you paraphrase the general warning given in v.1?
• How does v.1 build a bridge between chapters 5 and 6?
• What is hypocrisy?  What is it about the activity described in v.2 that is hypocritical?
• What reward does a hypocrite receive?
• What does it mean to not let "your left hand know what your right hand is doing"?
• What are some strategies for giving discreetly and secretly? 
• What dangers may come from focusing solely on these strategies?
• What does it mean to have pure motives?  What fuel should drive our acts of obedience?
• Reflect on this statement: "Rewards will be received or revoked depending on the sincerity of the motives fueling the work."

Application Questions:

• What motives have been fueling my obedience as of late? What should be fueling me?
• When I get irritated or bitter due to being unappreciated, what might be amiss in my heart?
• How often am I aware of my motives and not just my actions?
• How much do my motives matter to God?

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God any impure motives that have tainted your good works.
• Praise Jesus for shedding his blood to wash away your bad works and your bad motives 
• Praise Jesus for dying on the cross so that His good works and His pure motives would be credited to your account.
• Ask God to purify your motives and help you do the right things for the right reasons.
• Beg the Holy Spirit give you the desire to attract God's gaze more than people's praise.