The two distinct things that must be in sermons. If they're not, pastor, repent. If he won't, dude, get another church. 1 Timothy 4:11

(11) Command and teach these things.

In this verse, the apostle Paul commands Timothy, a young pastor, to command teach the things that he’s just been writing about.

What has he been writing about?
1) The Holy Spirit says that these ‘last days’ will be characterized by teachers in the church who are teachings things which contradict the implications of the Gospel
2) The Gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose for our justification, and reigns – and that our justification is by belief in him.
3) The implications of that Gospel include that this physical world can be used for the glory of God – as we are hearing the Gospel and in prayer.
4) As people are nourished by the Scriptures, the Spirit produces godliness in them, and this godliness draws us nearer to the presence of God – and ultimately is the path of the Christian towards heaven and the full experience of God’s presence.
5) These things, particularly starting with nourishment through the Scriptures, are worth working hard for.

These are the things that Timothy, as a pastor, is to command and teach.

Paul used two words, didn’t he? ‘Command AND teach.’ Why is that? Well, the things he’s been writing about include both exhortation and doctrine – or commands and theology. Thus, Christians need both truth/doctrine/theology AND exhortation/commandments/practical implications of that theology. Pastors are thus required to give it. Neither must be assumed. We are in dangerous territory if either are assumed – being heady and forgetting we live in the world – OR – trying to be practical – and doing so for reasons not in accordance with truth. These heretics in 1 Timothy 4 looked very ‘godly’ by the worlds’ standards – and even in Christian eyes.

The Greek words ‘command and teach’ are in a verbal tense that is explicit about when these things are to be done – and that is, all the time, on a continuous basis. Pastors must, must, must be always presenting the Gospel, the truths of Scripture, and contradicting those things that contradict them – and they must, must, must always be giving Jesus’ sheep commands that flow out of the Gospel and the Scriptures.

And that’s because we need it. God has created us, as we’ve seen, to be nourished, just as one is nourished by foods. Pastors must continuously be nourishing themselves, and they must be continuously nourishing the sheep of God.

And the sheep must run to nourishment – they must run from false teachers, false preachers – preachers who are failing to preach the Gospel – and preaching things not from Scripture – and they must run to preachers who are preaching the words of God.

And when they get there, they must pay attention. They must not expect to be like babies being fed – but they must pay attention to the Word of God.

This is grace – that God has spoken to us promises. Jesus came in the flesh, into our world. His deeds, his death, his resurrection are recorded for us. The implications of those events are recorded for us. His commands are recorded for us. When he said ‘make disciples of the nations’ he was talking about making disciples of himself – teaching them to obey what HE has commanded.

And as his people hear his promises through the preacher, he produces godliness and we receive the presence of God, in part now, and in full when he returns to bring us home to him forever.

SUMMARY:
1) Preachers are to give both doctrine and its practical implications all the time, as well as contradicting things in the church that are in opposition to write doctrine. That is, what is in 1 Timothy 3:15-4:10.
2) Preachers must continuously be nourishing themselves on the word of God.
3) Sheep need nourishment from the word of God regularly, and must pay attention to the preachers.
4) God in his love has given us his word and pastors to communicate it to us.

PRAYER:
Holy God, set your name apart in us as holy!!! You are worthy of all praise, loving and gracious God. Help our pastors to regularly be nourished by the word, to regularly feed your sheep. Help us to feed on your word! Make it clear to us, implant it in us, and produce godliness in us. We yearn for you and want your promises. Thank you for the grace you’ve given to us in giving us the good news about Jesus – in giving us faith – in giving us all that accompanies salvation – and in giving us preachers. Cause us to pay attention to your word. Cause us to honor you here on earth.

Because Jesus stands vindicated before you, we pray confidently – amen.