Running Man Of God

Written By Adam Dragoon

Running Man Of God

Our New Identity in Christ Flees evil and Pursues Righteousness

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound impact of words and identity in shaping our lives and spiritual journeys. We began by acknowledging the power of words, both negative and positive, and how they can influence our self-perception and destiny. Many of us carry the weight of negative words spoken over us, but we are reminded that words of faith and encouragement can transform our lives. The Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy serves as a powerful example of this, as he speaks words of affirmation and identity over Timothy, calling him a "man of God" despite the challenges and accusations he faced.

We delved into the importance of redefining ourselves according to God's perspective rather than the world's. Our identity in Christ is not based on our past or failures but on who God says we are. This new identity empowers us to live differently, to pursue righteousness, and to flee from evil. We are called to run from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money, which can lead us astray. Instead, we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness—fruits of the Spirit that grow in us as we align ourselves with God's will.

The life of Jesus exemplifies this secure identity, as He served others with humility, knowing who He was in relation to the Father. We are encouraged to embrace our identity as saints, set apart for God's purposes, and to live confidently in that truth. As we reflect on our lives, we are challenged to consider what we are running from and what we are running toward. Our pursuit should be toward a life that honors God and reflects His character.

“Our identity in Christ is not based on our past or failures but on who God says we are. This new identity empowers us to live differently, to pursue righteousness, and to flee from evil.”
— Pastor Adam

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Key Takeaways

  1. The Power of Words: Words can shape our destiny, whether negative or positive. We must choose to speak and receive words of faith and encouragement, allowing them to transform our lives and align us with God's purpose. [44:52]

  2. Redefining Identity: Our identity in Christ is not determined by our past or failures but by who God says we are. Embracing this new identity empowers us to live differently and pursue a life that honors God. [51:35]

  3. Fleeing from Evil: As men and women of God, we are called to flee from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money. These distractions can lead us away from God's purpose for our lives. [01:10:01]

  4. Pursuing Righteousness: Our pursuit should be toward righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. These fruits of the Spirit grow in us as we align ourselves with God's will. [01:22:13]

  5. Confidence in Christ: Like Jesus, we can serve others with humility and confidence when we know who we are in relation to the Father. Our security in Christ allows us to live boldly and fulfill our calling. [01:03:39]

Bible Reading

  • 1 Timothy 6:11– 'But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. '

Observation Questions

  1. In 1 Timothy 6:11, Paul instructs Timothy to "run from all these evil things." What specific evils does Paul mention in the surrounding verses that Timothy should flee from? [01:09:30]

  2. According to the sermon, how does Paul redefine Timothy's identity, and why is this significant for Timothy's ministry? [51:35]

  3. What analogy does James use in James 3:3-5 to describe the power of the tongue, and how does this relate to the sermon’s message about the power of words? [57:53]

  4. What are the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, and how do they contrast with the works of the flesh discussed in the sermon? [01:25:35]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How does Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to embrace his identity as a "man of God" serve as a model for how believers should view themselves in Christ? [55:46]

  2. The sermon discusses the importance of fleeing from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money. How might these issues manifest in a modern church setting, and what are the potential consequences if they are not addressed? [01:10:01]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that Jesus’ secure identity in relation to the Father empowered Him to serve others with humility? How can this understanding impact a believer’s approach to service? [01:03:39]

  4. The sermon highlights the importance of pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. How do these pursuits align with the fruits of the Spirit, and why are they essential for a believer’s spiritual growth? [01:22:13]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when negative words affected your self-perception. How can you begin to replace those words with affirmations of your identity in Christ? [44:52]

  2. Consider the areas in your life where you might be tempted by false teachings, discontentment, or the love of money. What practical steps can you take to flee from these temptations? [01:10:01]

  3. How can you cultivate a secure identity in Christ that empowers you to serve others with humility, as Jesus did? Could you identify one specific way to serve someone in your community this week? [01:03:39]

  4. Choose one aspect of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to focus on this month. What specific action can you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? [01:25:35]

  5. Reflect on your current pursuits. Are they aligned with pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness? What changes might you need to make to ensure your pursuits honor God? [01:22:13]

  6. Think of a person in your life who needs encouragement. How can you use your words to speak life and faith into their situation this week? [45:38]

  7. Identify a distraction that prevents you from focusing on your identity in Christ. What steps can you take this week to minimize that distraction and deepen your relationship with God? [51:35]

  • Let's open up our Bibles, 1 Timothy chapter 6, if you join me there this morning. 1 Timothy chapter 6.

    One thing that I have marveled, I have been amazed by over the years, is the power of some key words spoken in the right moment. I don't know if you've had this experience. I hope you have. I hope you have somebody in your life that speaks good things over you.

    The power of words to transform your life. Because how many know we get a lot of negative words, right? Most of those negative words that are directed our way come from bullies in school, come from abusive parents or families. Negative words and criticisms come from the world. No doubt words can be used to belittle, to destroy, to denigrate, to abuse. And words are powerful. Some of you are still dealing with words that have been spoken to you when you were a child.

    Somebody called you worthless or useless. And for many years, it is easy for us to receive those words. And what's amazing is that words have the power to destroy, to denigrate, to abuse. And words have the power to shape your destiny. That someone speaks negative words can literally have an impact over your life to cause you to be useless and worthless. Because when you believe that, you start making decisions.

    The same is also true when it comes to positive words. You are able to speak over people. And people are able to speak over you words of faith and encouragement. That when we are going through difficult situations, sometimes in my life, I have been going through difficult situations. And one word, one word of encouragement from my pastor, an encouragement, I'll call him on the phone and say, "Pastor, this is what's going on." He'll say, "Let's believe God." Simple things. Doesn't have to be profound.

    But words of direction and purpose spoken over my life. Ladies, if you want to transform your husband, speak words of encouragement over him. Remind him that he's a good man. And even when he is discouraged and getting beat up by the world, a wife's words to her husband have the power to shape him and to give him strength.

    And I want to encourage you this morning because what we're going to find in our scripture is the Apostle Paul. He's writing to his, as he calls him, his beloved disciple, Timothy. And there's a verse here, there's some words that are spoken over Timothy that are meant as encouragement and strength and courage. And he gives us incredible direction for our lives. I'm praying that you'll be blessed by this message today.

    1 Timothy 6, verse 11. I'm reading from the New Living Translation.

    One verse here, but you, Timothy, are a man of God. So run from all these evil things, pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

    Let's pray. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. I am so grateful that this audience has gathered together today, your church, your people, the ones you've called and set apart for your glory. I'm praying, God, that you would use this word to transform their hearts, God, to draw us closer to you. Lift up, God, to the title that you call us. We are saints of the living God. And I'm praying, Lord, for your anointing and grace over this service in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, amen.

    This message I've titled, "Running Man of God." And let's look, first of all, at redefining ourselves.

    As I mentioned, the context of this verse is a letter being written from the Apostle Paul to his disciple, Timothy. Timothy is a younger man. He's of another generation. He's younger in the faith also. The Apostle Paul has ministered to him and brought him into the faith. He is what you could call a spiritual father to Timothy. There is care and concern. There's relationship over time.

    But as we, if you know the context of this letter that Paul writes to Timothy, Timothy is struggling, as every young pastor would. And he is struggling because people are talking about him. People are accusing him. People are saying evil things about him. And so Paul is writing this letter to Timothy, who is the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul is the one who has commissioned him and given him that role in the church and trusted him with that role of leadership.

    And now what Paul's role is, as he has left him there in Ephesus to lead that church as a young man, a young pastor, as Timothy begins to question and begins to maybe listen to some of the lies that are being spoken about him. You know, we all tend to do that sometimes. The tricky thing about lies is that there's always an element of truth to them. That's why they're believable.

    And perhaps Timothy is swirling in a sea of accusations. He's questioning whether or not this is really God's will for his life. Maybe he's even thinking of quitting. Say, "Paul, you better come back to Ephesus and put somebody else in charge because I don't think I'm equipped for this. I don't think I'm the right guy for the job."

    Have you ever had imposter syndrome? You think about your life and say, "God, why did you bring me to this place? I don't think I can do it. I don't think I can be the father you want me to be or the husband. I don't think I can be the wife that you've called me to be, Lord." And this is very difficult.

    And so often what is necessary in those times, you know, we want to pull the plug and we want to do radical extreme measures. But so often what is needed in those situations is simply a redefining of how we see ourselves.

    Thinking a little bit about Timothy's background, Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. That means he's mixed race. That means that when the Jewish people looked at him, they would not see necessarily a Jew to the same level that they would see themselves. They would say, "Oh, you're half Greek, Timothy. What kind of Jew are you?"

    Also, we don't read that his father was any kind of a believer, only that he had a legacy of faith that came from his mother and his grandmother. We know all of these things about him. But he came to faith in Jesus, and he gave himself to the ministry as a young man. And we're grateful that there are young people who make decisions like that, decisions to become disciples of Jesus and even of the Apostle Paul.

    But see, one thing that can go missing along the way is the necessary ingredient of identity. Somebody say the word identity. It is so important how we define our own identity. Because as I mentioned before, the way we see ourselves is going to play out in the way we live our lives.

    What we believe about who we are will determine the kinds of decisions that we make and the kind of path our future will take. If Timothy would just believe that I'm half Jewish, I am unequipped to do the work of God, if he would believe those things about himself, he could easily throw away his ministry and the opportunity that God would give to him.

    And so Paul, in our scripture, is seeking to give him a new identity. A new definition of who he is, even if he can't believe it at first. Definition and identity is critical.

    Listen carefully this morning. Jesus didn't just die to change your actions and behaviors. The reason Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood is to change who you are. To give you a new nature. A new identity. A new identity in Christ.

    Some of you remember Evangelist Richard Brooks before he went on to be with the Lord, but he had a statement that I want to give to you this morning. You should listen carefully because it's important. Listen. He said, "It's not what you do that determines who you are, but it's who you are that determines what you do."

    What you believe about yourself will create the kind of life that you want to live. The kind of life that you live. Either you believe that you are broken and lost, and no wonder, you'll be broken and lost, or you'll believe that Christ has set you free and you are a new creation in Him.

    And that does require faith. Because how many know that the Bible calls us saints? Forty-eight times in the New Testament, Paul referred to the church as saints. You know what a saint is, right? A saint is a holy person. The Bible calls you a saint, but I'm not sure about you. When I wake up in the morning and I look at myself in the mirror, I don't always see a saint. I see a guy who is messed up. I see a guy who has fallen short. I see all of my failures and my sins of my past, but when God looks at me because of the blood of Jesus, He doesn't see what I see.

    He sees beyond those things into who I could be in Christ, who I am by faith in Jesus. And so Paul wants to remind Timothy of this truth. In the moment where, actually, accusations are swirling against his ministry, in a moment where the negative self-talk, the vortex, the whirlpool is spinning in Timothy's mind, he's wondering if he's up to the task. He's wondering if he was never called in the first place. He's wondering about all these things.

    Paul wants to bring definition to his life. And he does this by speaking words of faith over him. And I want you to catch what he says. But you, Timothy, verse 11, you are a man of God. You are men of God. Women, you are women of God. If you are saved, if you are bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, God does not see you the way you see yourself.

    He doesn't see all your faults and your failures. He has separated your sins as far from you as the East is from the West. What does God see when He looks at you, oh man? He sees man of God. And that term comes with some baggage, right? It comes with some reputation. And that's why we're often afraid to embrace a title like that.

    Are you a man of God? Oh, I don't know. There's, you know, expectations there. I don't know if I can live up to them. Guess what? Nobody can live up to them. We can't. We can, however, submit our lives to the Holy Spirit and pursue this calling that God has put on our lives.

    Paul spoke this over Timothy. You are a man of God, Timothy. You better not forget that. Remember who you are. Definition came through the words of Paul. This is so important, church. This came within the context of a relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual son.

    You better have some people in your life that you trust to speak over you. You better be close enough to somebody that they can speak encouragement into your life when you're on the edge, when you're on the side of the cliff ready to jump. You better have somebody that can speak sense into you when you're stuck on crazy.

    You ever been stuck on crazy? Like you can't change the channel? And your thinking is leading you down a path that you don't want to go. It's a path of wickedness and unbelief and carnality.

    Let me remind you, oh man of God, woman of God here this morning, don't you remember who you are in Christ? Embrace your identity. And this is done through relationship. So important. This is what the church exists for. We are not made to do this thing alone.

    This is the power of words. Remember James chapter 3 verse 3. We can make a large horse go wherever he wants by using a small bit in its mouth. Also, a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses, even though winds are strong. And in the same way, like a bit in a horse's mouth, like a rudder at the bottom of the ship, in the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches, but a tiny spark can set a great forest afire.

    James understands the power of words. He understands how powerful it is when we speak over our lives. What Paul is doing, he's speaking encouraging words to a discouraged young man. Timothy, remember who you are. You're a man of God.

    Why? Why is that so important? Because when we can allow these words to be spoken over us, we can gain greater perspective. As I said, we need to see ourselves the way God sees us.

    I love the story of Moses. We find Moses on the backside of the desert. After 80 years of life, what do you think Moses thought about himself? He said, I'm sure, in his mind, Moses says to himself, "I'm washed up. I'm used up. Nothing left for me. I can watch these sheep. I can take care of my family. But my life is done. All the important things that I'll ever do have already been done at 80 years old."

    And one day he's walking through the desert, and God meets him at a burning bush. And He tells Moses, "You are going to be my deliverer. You are going to speak for me."

    See, listen. God saw. He saw Moses in a way that Moses could not see himself. Here's my question for you this morning. Man of God. Woman of God. Can you gain a bigger perspective for your life? Or are you stuck with only the things you can see and understand?

    In that moment, all Moses could see was my little life with my little sheep, with my little family. God says, "I see opportunity for you, Moses. To do something. To do something greater." God gave Moses a new identity. "You're going to be my voice. You're going to bring the people out of bondage through my word and your actions."

    Think about Jesus. We also see it in the life of Jesus. You know why Jesus had such a powerful life? Because He knew His identity was rooted in His relationship to the Father. The life of Jesus is so powerful because the day that He goes to be baptized, Matthew 3, verse 17, there was a voice that came from heaven. And what did that voice say? The voice said, "This is my dearly beloved Son who brings me great joy."

    How would that feel for Jesus to hear the Father speaking from heaven? "This is my Son. Hey, listen up, y'all. He's got something to say." That puts Jesus on a path of knowing who He is and what He's supposed to do. "I am called by my Father to be the Messiah."

    I love the scripture in John chapter 13. Now we're at the Last Supper. Jesus is preparing on the next day to go to the cross. And He's having His last meal with His disciples as they celebrate the Passover together.

    And the Bible says these words, that as they finish their supper, Jesus takes off His outer garments and He appears to them as a servant. He pours water into a basin and begins to wash their feet. If you know anything about the traditions of the day, that was the job given to the least servant of the household. Nobody wants to wash feet. That's disgusting. Even Christians. Clean feet are kind of gross.

    But here are His disciples who've been walking around in the muck and the mire, no paved roads. And the only source of power, you know, power animals is animals walking up and down the street. Guess what the road is filled with? Not nice things. And they're out there in their sandals walking up and down those streets. No wonder they give this job. I mean, we don't even like doing dishes.

    But this job of washing the feet is gross. It's nasty. It's something that should be done by the least servant. But Jesus takes on the appearance of that lowest servant and begins to wash His disciples. Peter, he's like, "No, no, no, hold on. You can't do this to me, Jesus. I know who you are. You're the Lord and Master, the Christ, the Son of the Lamb. You don't wash my feet. I have to wash your feet."

    And what did Jesus say to him? "If I can't wash your feet, Peter, then you can have no part of me." He is exhibiting something to them. He is secure in who He is.

    How does Jesus do this without becoming embarrassed? The Bible tells us. John 13, verse 3. Jesus knew. Everybody say, "Jesus knew." What did He know? He knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything, that He had come from God and that He would return to God.

    Jesus has nothing to lose here. You know why? Because He knows who He is. He knows where He came from and He knows where He's going. He has security in who He is.

    The problem is many of us, we don't have that security of knowing who we are. That's why we are insecure. And people who are insecure are always trying to overcompensate by proving to everybody how important they are.

    You seen that before? Insecure people, listen, insecure people don't wash feet. Insecure people don't serve. Insecure people don't join ministry. Because they view that as a job that is beneath me. I don't have time for that. I got more important things to take care of.

    But Jesus, who is Lord and Master of all creation, He says, "I've got time to wash the feet of my disciples." Why? Because He is secure in who He is. "I know where I'm going. And I know where I've been. And I know who I am."

    He's got nothing to prove. What about you? Do you find insecurities in yourself? The proof is in how we serve others. And what Paul is trying to give to Timothy is to give him that security in knowing who he is.

    "Timothy, don't let these voices alter your course. Don't change your destination, Timothy. You're a man of God. So live like it. So do what you've been called to do."

    When the Bible calls us saints, as I mentioned, used over 40 times in the New Testament. Saint. You're a saint. You're saved. That means you're a saint. The word in Greek is very interesting. It's hagioi. It means holy ones or ones who are set apart. Sacred. Set apart for special usage.

    You know the story of John Newton? John Newton is the one who wrote the song "Amazing Grace," one of the most famous songs of all time. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." He wrote those lyrics. Do you know what his story is?

    John Newton, when he was a young man, was given command of a slave ship. In other words, it was his job to travel by ship to West Africa to purchase people as slaves sold by the African kings, put them, lock them up on his boat, and bring them back to England where then he would sell them again to the highest bidder.

    Now, you can only imagine the horror of having to do a job like that. Treating people like cattle. If they get sick, you don't do anything for them. If they die, you just toss them overboard. It's demeaning and it's wicked. And he says, "I lived that life." John Newton. That's who he was.

    And later on, he writes a biography and he says, "The ghosts of 20,000 slaves haunt my dreams." That man heard the gospel. He was actually the child of a minister. Grew up a church kid. He knew the gospel, but he rejected it his whole early life. Later on, he received Christ as his Savior and he went on to become a pastor and a minister.

    And that's why he can say those words, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see." You know what else is interesting about that? When he wrote that verse, he was actually losing his eyesight. In his older age, his eyes began to fail him.

    But he still pens those words, "I once was blind, but now I see." What a powerful story. A man found a new definition of who he was. "I am no longer a slave master. I am no longer captain of a slave trading ship. That was the old me. I have to let that go and embrace a new identity in Christ."

    Can I ask you, have you done that? Have you turned from who you were and become who God wants you to be? God wants to redefine your life also.

    So, this verse is powerful because Paul goes on to describe what a man of God does. But you, O Timothy, are a man of God. So run from all these evil things.

    My second point is what are we running from? Men of God. Women of God. There are some things that we need to run from. That was a good place to say amen.

    As men and women of God, people who are, our identities are being changed on a daily basis, there are some decisions, actions, words, and thoughts that you and I must run from. The word in the New King James is flee. Everybody say the word flee.

    We're not talking about a tiny bug that makes you itch. We're talking about F-L-E-E. That means run away. Run, Forrest, run. When it comes to evil, Paul did not say negotiate with it. He did not say justify it. He did not say ignore it or defend it, make excuses for it, pretend that it goes away on its own. He said flee.

    You need to run from this, Timothy. As a man of God, this is what men of God must do. They must flee from evil. If you went home today and found that while you were at church that there was an infestation of cockroaches in your kitchen, would you just come to your house and look across the thousands of cockroaches and say, "Huh, that's weird. I'm going to go take a nap."

    No, you would do something about it. You would call the bug man. You would order some cockroach gel on Amazon. Like this, you need to do something. We can't just let this remain. We got to do something about this.

    I'm not living with a gaggle of cockroaches. But yet, there are men and women of God. God is redefining who you are, but we allow evil to live in our lives. There are some things we got to flee from, church. There are some situations. There are some relationships. Hello? There are some people that are not helping you live for God. We should run.

    The word is flee. In the Greek, it's "pheugo," which means to take flight, to run away, run as fast as possible, to escape. You know what happens when we negotiate with evil? It leads to us falling into it rather than conquering it.

    So rather than negotiating with sin and trying to face it head-on, instead, we should just get up and run. Remember the story of Joseph? Joseph in the Old Testament, as Potiphar's wife starts putting the moves on him, she says, "My husband's not at home. You come and lie with me."

    This is like the perfect scenario for every young man that he dreams about. But Joseph is a man of God. And she grabs hold of his coat, and he starts running. "I'm out of here." Leaves her with his coat in her hand. He ran so fast, he didn't even think to take his coat. He said, "I'm not doing this. I'm not going to negotiate with you, Potiphar's wife. Let's have a reasonable conversation about this."

    No, he ran out of her presence. Let your feet fly. You know, my grandfather, we call them Cliffordisms. He had some sayings that he would always say. And my grandfather was always, you know, in his youth, he was a tall, skinny guy.

    And he said when he was in World War II, he always told us, he was in the army in World War II. And he was one of only, like, 20. And out of his whole brigade, he was a truck driver. So many of them died. He was one of only 20 that came back with his group.

    And so, you know, the question was, "Grandpa, how did you survive when so many died?" And he would say, "My feet never let my face get hurt." There's some wisdom in that. That when it got dangerous, he knew how to run.

    That's not cowardice. You know, some people say running from a fight is cowardice. No, not when you know you're going to lose. You trying to face evil like you think you can defeat it with your own smarts and intellect.

    So there are three things that Paul mentions in this scripture. What are these things? Verse 11 again says, "Run from all these evil things." Well, there are three specific things that Paul mentions in the context of this chapter.

    The first thing that he mentions that we must flee from is false teachings. 1 Timothy 6, 4 and 5. "Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. It stirs up arguments which end in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt and they have turned their backs on the truth."

    Paul is calling out something that's happening there in the Ephesian church, that there is a spirit of controversy being stirred up, arguments and divisions, people who are declaring false gospels. And Paul says, "Timothy, you don't get wrapped up in this. You need to flee. It is unacceptable. This is a cockroach in the church. You don't allow divisions and strife to remain in the house of God. You need to learn how to judge this, Timothy, and in those that you lead."

    We, how many know we're supposed to be unified? We're supposed to be one body. What happened in the amens? False teachings and stirring up of arguments. Paul says, "You got to be careful about this. Flee, Timothy."

    The second thing he mentions is discontentment. Verse six, "True godliness with contentment is great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world. We can't take anything with us when we leave. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content."

    The evil that Paul mentions to run from is the evil of ingratitude or discontentment. Why is this such a dangerous thing that we must run from? Because ingratitude is self-focused. Gratitude is God-focused.

    Do you remember how Satan tempted Eve? Remember that? Genesis chapter three, when the Bible says they had freedom to eat any fruit they wanted. They had the pick of every tree. And you got to think about before sin, man, what kind of fruit did they have access to? We only can imagine.

    And in that garden, they could eat whatever they wanted. But guess what the devil came telling her? "God didn't give you everything. He's holding out on you, Eve." Genesis three, verse five, "God knows that the day you eat of this fruit, your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it. And you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

    The devil puts this in front of Eve, and she has everything that she wants. But the devil says, "You don't have enough." Can I tell you, the enemy uses that strategy on God's people and on the church. That's something we must flee. We must run from it.

    "No, Lord Jesus, you have blessed me. I'm not going to let the devil lie to me and say I don't have enough. That the world has more to offer to me. That homeboy down the street is going to fulfill my life."

    If the devil can strip you into discontentment, then he can deceive you into disobedience. That was good. I better say that one more time. One more time. I'll say amen to myself.

    "If the devil can strip you into discontentment, then he can deceive you into disobedience." Flee this evil, Timothy.

    The third thing that Paul mentions that we must flee as men and women of God is the love of money. I thought it was quiet before. Now it's going to get quiet.

    Verses nine and ten, same chapter. "But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

    I looked up that phrase in the Greek, "pierced themselves." You know what? The original definition of this word, it goes like this: "Torture your own soul with sorrows."

    The love of money, the desire—I'm not saying we shouldn't be good financial stewards. The Bible does teach that also. Don't waste what God has put in your hands. But if the desire of your life is just to be rich, to heap up a pile of money, flee. Flee. Run away from this.

    Why? Why is this such a danger? Why is this a cockroach in the life of the man or the woman of God? Why? Because it diverts your attention, your love, your joy. It takes it away from the blesser and gives it to the blessing instead.

    What did Paul say? He said, "This love of money." He didn't say money is the root of evil. He said the love of money is the root. Think about the word root. You ever had a problem with roots?

    In my neighborhood, there are these giant trees that were planted back in the 70s. And they're right next to the sidewalk. And over time, as those trees grew, those roots grew with them. And there was a time in my neighborhood when you couldn't ride a bike on those paths. Remember that, Jaylee?

    Because the roots had grown under the sidewalks and caused them to bulge. Right? The roots. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. This can grow into many branches.

    Don't worry. We'll get through this real quick. Think about Hollywood. Think about what people in Hollywood have allowed themselves, sold their souls. Many of them sold their bodies to achieve fame and fortune. Why? For a bank account?

    The love of money is a root. People who win the lottery. Man, it's almost a punishment to win the lottery. You look at what happens to people after they win the Powerball and get $500 million out of nowhere. And they have no idea what to do with it.

    And all of a sudden, every friend and every enemy comes knocking on their door. And the suicide rate of lottery winners. Drug addiction. You say, "Oh, all I need is money." All I need is more money. No. You need more Jesus.

    You say, "Pastor, if I won the lottery..." No, you would. There's a reason why God doesn't give some of us some money. Because He knows if you had it...

    So do you notice any of these? Do you notice any of these evils in your life? Stirring up, contention, discontentment, or love of money? Run. Run, Forrest, run. Don't put up with it. Don't allow it in your life.

    Now, as we close, I've got to close quick. The life of the man of God, the woman of God, is not just running from things. There are things that we are running towards. Hello?

    Hello? This is what Paul says in our scripture. "Oh, man of God, Timothy, run from these evil things." Then he says, "Pursue." Everybody say, "Pursue." That means chase after.

    "Pursue righteousness, a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness." Oh, this is good. We're not just running from evil. We are running toward a new kind of life.

    The word pursue in the Greek, "dioko," it means follow after carefully. You know what I thought about when I was studying that word? I thought about a young man as he is pursuing a young woman. He ain't going to leave her alone.

    I can remember back in the old days, my wife, my girl at the time, she couldn't get rid of me. I was pursuing her. There's a reason why young men pursue young women.

    The word pursue, listen, as men of God, as women of God, there are things that we must pursue. Romans 14, 19, Paul says in Philippians 3, verse 12, "I have not attained, I am not already perfected, but I press on." Same word, "dioko," I pursue. "I pursue that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold. I press toward the goal, dioko, I pursue the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

    Can I ask you, what are you running towards? What is the pursuit of your life? What's the goal? What is the finish line? Because for some of us, it is something way out in left field or something that has no meaning in the Kingdom.

    Paul says, "What do we run toward? What do we pursue?" The first thing he says is the word righteousness. Somebody say righteousness. What is righteousness? Why are we running toward righteousness? It is living in the way that is morally upright and in alignment with God's standards. This is our first priority.

    If we are men of God, if we are women of God, what are we pursuing? We're pursuing righteousness. "Seek first the kingdom and what? His righteousness," Jesus. He said, "Matthew 6, 33, seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

    The next thing he mentions is godliness. And this is wrapped up, I believe, in righteousness, exhibiting a reverent awareness of God's sovereignty and committing to a life that honors Him.

    And the rest of these that Paul mentions are faith, love, patience, and gentleness. All of these are fruits of the Spirit. In other words, if we are men of God, if we are women of God, the fruits of the Spirit begin to grow in us.

    In Galatians 5, Paul describes the difference between works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. See, the works of the flesh are obvious. They're the things your flesh wants to do. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, and on and on he goes.

    Our carnal desire wants to do evil, yes? That's works of the flesh. A work is something that you know how to do, and that has a consequence. But in contrast to that, in Galatians, Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit.

    How many know fruit is not something that you do? Fruit is not something that you do. Fruit is something that you receive. It's something that grows. It's a seed that plants and becomes a tree, and then branches, and then fruit.

    Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Paul mentions faith and love and gentleness. These are fruits of the Spirit of the living God in you.

    Man of God, woman of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, and these are the fruits which will grow from your life. So let me ask you, as we reflect, let's give it a time period. Let's reflect on the last week of our lives. Since the last Sunday that we gathered, how have you been doing in the arena of love?

    I know we love our people. We love our families, hopefully. But what about the family of God? Could you give half a flip about somebody on the other row? What's going on in their life? What about not just our friends and family, but what about, Jesus said, your enemies? Love your enemies and do good to them.

    See, that's not something our flesh does. We don't do that. That's against our flesh. That's something that's a fruit. It's something that grows. When the Spirit of God is alive in us, the love of God, even toward enemies, begins to grow. It's a fruit of the Spirit.

    Patience. See, I've got to pause for a moment to make sure, because while I'm pausing, all of you are like, "Come on, hurry up. I've got a lunch to eat, Pastor."

    Fruit of the Spirit is patience. Patience, even through trials and difficulty, gentleness, approaching others with humility and kindness, avoiding harshness or aggression. You know, the Holy Spirit will make you gentle. That doesn't mean weak. It means we're patient and gentle and kind.

    Have you been kind in the last week? Can I just be honest with you? God's trying to work on me with kindness. It doesn't come naturally to me. I'm usually a little more sharp toward people, more than I need to be. Why are you smiling, Amanda?

    And the final call is to keep going. Verse 12. "Fight the good fight, Timothy, for the true faith. Hold tightly to eternal life, to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

    Oh, man of God, bring new definition to your life. The evidence of that is that we are running away from evil and we are running toward righteousness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in our life, and as we do that, we must continue in the faith.

    Do not grow weary while doing well, church. We can make it to the finish line. Somebody say amen.

    So I charge you, I challenge you, know who you are in Christ. Run from what is evil and run toward what is good.

    Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. As we bring this service to a close, what a blessing. A God in heaven who is showing us, gives us an example of who we are in Christ. Jesus is our example.

    Every day we're supposed to be changing from glory to glory into His likeness and His image. The world should look at you and see the life of Jesus, the thoughts of Jesus, the words of Jesus, the ways of Jesus. The world should look at how you speak, what you say, how you treat people, and say, "Wow, that's how Jesus treated people."

    This morning, before we close, we're going to have some time for prayer. I believe God has spoken to some people about running from evil and running toward righteousness, about redefining who we are in Christ.

    But before we open the altar for prayer, I believe there's someone here that's...morning, and if you'd be honest for a moment, you'd say, "Pastor, I'm not sure that I'm right with God. I'm not sure that I'm living for God. My sins are destroying me, and that's what the Bible says. The wages of sin is death. The default destination of our lives without Jesus is separation from God for all eternity, judgment for our sins.

    You're going to stand before God one day, every single one of us, and on that day, either you will pay the price for your own sins because God is just, or the price for your sins will be paid by Jesus. By virtue of faith, we put our trust in Him.

    So you're here today. Say, "Pastor, I'm not sure that my heart is right with God. I want to turn from my sins." If you want that today, please don't miss it. Please don't miss what God has for you. He wants to redefine your life.

    Jesus says you must be born again if you want to see the kingdom of God. We can't do it in our own strength or in our own intellect. We need the Spirit of God to transform us, new creations in Christ, and you're here today saying, "Pastor, I'm religious, but I'm not right with God. I know some scriptures, but I'm not saved."

    And if that's you, I want to pray with you quickly as we close this service. Honest hearts today. You want to lift up your hand. "Pastor, remember me in prayer. I need salvation." Is that you? Quickly slip up your hand. Thank you, dear. Is there someone else? Quickly. God's speaking. The Holy Spirit touching you right now. The Spirit of God is convicting you of sin and drawing you to Jesus. That's what He does.

    Don't miss this opportunity to pray and receive Christ as your Savior and your Lord. Is there someone else? Quickly, "Pastor, pray for me. I need Jesus." Is that you? Come on. Is there someone else? Quickly lift up your hand. Honest hearts right now. Young man on the front, is there someone else? God's dealing with your heart.

    Maybe backslidden, maybe prodigal. Maybe there's someone here who left the Father's house, went to the far country. You've been living in sin, and what you know is wrong. You want to get your heart right. Time to come home. Is that you? Quickly. Anyone else? Quickly lift up a hand. Honest hearts, is that you? Let me pray for you.

    Somebody here, lift up a hand. Say, "Pastor, please, I need Jesus." Is that you? Quickly. Quickly, I need forgiveness. Amen. Honest hearts.

    If you lifted up your hand, would you come and join me? I want to pray with you. Over here on the left, would you come? We're going to pray with you. I have somebody pray with you. Young man up here, you want to pray? You want to pray? You want to find a place? Young man, you can come too. Let's believe God right now. You can kneel down. God's going to help you.

    Man, come and pray with these boys. Thank you, Jesus. Church, I want to open up this altar for prayer. Some of you have believed, but you don't know the lies of the enemy. Some of you have had definition on your life. It doesn't belong. Would you come?

    Oh, man of God, woman of God, let's come receive definition from Jesus. Some of you have things you need to run from. There are some cockroaches, some evil in your life that you've been allowing. It's time to say goodbye to those things. I'm fleeing. I'm running. I'm not going to put up with it.

    Some of you, there's some things you need to run towards. Not enough to just run away from the world. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards.

    Would you come and join us here at this altar? Come on, church. Let's begin to lift up our voices in prayer, believing God to help us speak to us. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise.

    We're praying together as we sing a song of praise. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise.

    Salvation is more than mercy. Salvation is grace. Salvation is God inviting us into His family. We have a seat at His table. We are sons and daughters of the King, man.

    And some of us are living as second-class citizens of heaven. Let me tell you, there ain't no such thing. There ain't no such thing. You're either His child or you're not.

    So quit staying in the barn out back and come in for dinner time, man. Let's live like He is our Father, like Christ is our elder brother. And we've joined His family, and there's a place for you.

    So quit beating yourself up, because in Christ there is no longer condemnation. Leave that to God. Leave that to the voice of hell. But use your voice to proclaim, "I'm a man of God. I'm a woman of God."

    Use your voice to bless others, to speak faith and confidence over them. Let's believe God together. Let's lift up our hands in surrender to the Lord and say this prayer.

    Say, "God in heaven, forgive me for defining myself in ways that don't bless you, that don't honor you, for believing the voices of hell and negative self-talk. I cast those things away. And today, by faith, I choose to believe your words about me, that I'm your child, that you have set me free. I'm no longer bound. God, you've made me into a saint of the Lord.

    You're the living God. I'm not finished, but I'm not who I was. And thank you, Lord. You've set before me a path to follow. Help me today to run from evil, from those things that I know are causing problems in my life and drawing me away from you. I'm fleeing from those things.

    And in Jesus' name, I am pursuing your heart, the fruits of the Spirit. Lord, I need your presence in my life every moment. So strengthen me by the Holy Spirit in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

    Let's give Him praise right now. Lord, we thank you. Can I tell you, God wants to raise you up as a confident son and daughter of the King.

    Oh, the Lord knows that the church is filled with ambivalence, filled with people who couldn't care one way or another, filled with people who are weak and compromised. But God's will for us is not that we would be weak and compromised, that we would be confident in who we are in Christ.

    We would be confident in who we are in Christ. We would be confident in who we are in Christ, pursuing His heart. That's my desire, my prayer for each and every one of you, that we can be transformed into who God wants us to be.

    We're closing in prayer today, and we do want to once again invite you back for our service tonight. Again, we'll be coming together for prayer at 6 p.m. Service tonight begins at 7. We've got another word that I believe God would speak to us tonight.

    Let's come with the victory. Let's bring someone who needs Jesus. As you go, wherever you go today, to the grocery store, to the restaurant, bring an invitation. You never know, God will lead you to someone who needs Him. Can you say amen?

    Let's bring somebody tonight. Call a friend, speak to a neighbor, tell someone that needs Jesus. Be in the service with me tonight. You never know what God would do if you would invite somebody.

    Let's close with a word of prayer, believing God to help us as we go out from this place. Amen. Brother Mason, will you close us in prayer today?

    Hey, y'all, we got a very special birthday in the house today. Can we sing happy birthday to Miss Dania? She's turning 16? 16? Let's wish her a big happy birthday.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Adam Dragoon
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Why Plant?: Planting Seeds of Faith for Kingdom Growth [Acts 13:2-3]