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Good Tuesday morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends.
Two weeks ago today was New Year’s Eve… May I ask, have the first 13 days of 2020 lived up to your expectations? Where is your HOPE rooted this morning?
Let’s rejoin Timothy as he’s reading a letter he has just received from his mentor the Apostle Paul. 1 Timothy 4 starting in verse 9. Paul writes: “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God…” (4:9) Do you suppose Timothy said to himself, ‘hmmmm, now this is the third time Paul has used this little phrase “this is a trustworthy saying” in his letter to me. I remember it back in chapter 1 vs 15 and chapter 3 vs 1. So clearly Paul wants me to pay attention here’!?
We human beings hunger for truth, for wisdom that will strengthen us in hard times; guide us in confusing times; encourage us in frightening times… right? So three times Paul says “Pay attention Timothy, here’s a word that will stand the test of time and serve you well if you’ll hold on to it.” (that’s my paraphrase). My friends, consider please that God is teaching you and me, maturing us, not only for our own good but so we can give godly wisdom to others, which will stand the test of time and may help them years after we are gone! That’s especially true with our grandchildren! Please don’t minimize the power of our influence in their lives. Keep nourishing your soul in God’s Word so the wisdom you give them will last their lifetime!
Throughout history God has spoken to our human race. “Listen” God says...“because I made humanity and this universe, if you’ll follow My guidance it will go well with you. I’m the engineer, I designed life and I know how it can function best. Will you listen to Me and follow Me?” Would you agree that is a fair summary of God’s persistent invitation to humanity? So, is your hope rooted in Almighty God and is your relationship with Him, your understanding of Him, growing each day, so your hope is strengthened?
I hope what Paul writes to Timothy in second part of vs 10 doesn’t confuse you: “…we put our hope in the living God who is Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”? Does that sound like Paul is telling Timothy, ‘don’t worry, God will save everyone’? Oh no my friends. We know that is not the truth about salvation from sin. Paul means two important things: First, God desires to save everyone (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4) and second, that Jesus’ full payment of our sin debt on the cross with His death is sufficient to be applied to the sins of the entire world, every living person. That’s called ‘unlimited atonement’. We see that in John 3:16 & 5:24 and other verses which say ‘whoever’ when talking about Jesus’ salvation.
But, not everyone will believe God, not everyone will trust Jesus. In fact at any moment in history the majority of the living human beings at that moment do NOT believe in God’s offer and will NOT trust Jesus for their salvation. But for those who do… salvation from our sin through Jesus is absolutely certain! Do you see that in verse 10?
We don’t know exactly how old Timothy was when he joined up with Paul in Paul’s second missionary journey, (Acts 16:1-4) but here in verse 12 I imagine young Timothy takes some encouragement, as Paul urges him not to be intimidated by older people. Rather Paul challenges young Timothy to “…set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Wow, that covers just about every area of life doesn’t it?
So you can already hear my question, can’t you… is this true of you and me? You see my friends, the whole world is always asking… ‘so what difference does Jesus Christ really make in a person’s life’? ‘What does it look like when a person says they are following Jesus or ‘walking with Jesus’? Of course the simple answer is…it looks like Jesus! That’s what Discipleship is all about!
As we walk through life with Jesus, the Holy Spirit works in us to refine us, change us… our speech, our life, our love, our faith, our purity… to make us more and more like Jesus, so the world can say… ‘oh I see, I understand, I see Jesus in you!!’ And hopefully the Holy Spirit will then stir in them and they’ll say ‘will you please help me become like Jesus too?’
Now let’s pull up a chair, alongside Timothy, and listen to him, as he’s probably reading this letter from Paul out-loud. Paul now gives him very specific instructions as to HOW Timothy can become more and more like Jesus. “…devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” Remember, my friends, there were very few copies of Scripture (the Old Testament) available. How much Timothy had memorized or was able to gain access to, we don’t know, but Paul’s first priority to Timothy was… immerse yourself in God’s Word. Read it often, and read it to & with other people. That should be our priority too, my friends.
Secondly, Paul challenges Timothy to preach and teach God’s Word to others. All of us have had the experience of being asked to make some type of speech or presentation. We studied and prepared well, and then we presented. When finished, I’m sure you realized you had learned much more through your study, than those who heard you learned from you, right? I think Timothy understood the power of learning by teaching, and Paul’s urging motivated him to become one of the best of his generation. So with whom are you sharing what you are learning from God’s Word, either from the “Walking with Jesus” or your own study of God’s Word? Do you have any idea how much your sharing what you are learning pleases your heavenly Father?
I wonder if Timothy smiled when he read verse 14, and remembered the event when Paul and other mature Christians gathered around him, prayed for him, and then commissioned him to journey with Paul, and become a true follower of Jesus? I see Paul mentions it again in 2 Timothy 1:6. How about you my friends? What anointing of the Holy Spirit is upon you? What gifts has God given you, that He desires you use to bless other people, as you ‘walk with Jesus’? I wonder if Timothy put Paul’s letter down for a moment, closed his eyes and thanked God for the journey that he’d been on with Jesus, since that day of commissioning? Hey, why don’t you do the same, right now? Just pause here, reflect on your journey and thank God.
Finally, I wonder if Timothy took a deep breath, picked up the letter and then felt Paul’s mentoring hand on his shoulder as he read “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim. 4:15,16) Can you see Timothy looking up into the sky as though he’s looking for God’s help, then looking back at these words. Then rolling up the scroll, I can see Timothy getting down on his knees, to once again ask God for His Holy Spirit power to live what Paul has challenged him with!
Diligence… honestly now friends, are we as diligent in our spiritual development as we are in other areas of our lives? To what in life do you give yourself wholeheartedly? What would happen in 2020 if you and I wholeheartedly pursued developing our relationship with Jesus?
How do you and I watch our lives and our doctrine… meaning our understanding of Jesus and the truths of God’s Word? Honestly now, how well do we persevere in our Christian faith when times are difficult?
Finally… whose watching you and me? Whose life is being affected by your life and mine? When we are ‘walking with Jesus’ there’s never a time we can say ‘it doesn’t matter how I act or what I say’. Oh my friends, it ALWAYS matters, because there are always eyes watching and ears listening, learning from us. Human eyes/ears, angelic eyes/ears, demonic eyes/ears, God’s eyes/ears, our family eyes/ears, our neighbor eyes/ears, our friends and co-workers or fellow students eyes/ears, and one more… people you don’t even know, but who are watching and listening to you.
There’s a song I just discovered with a wonderful story about a little boy who wants to be like his daddy and says to him often “I’ve been watchin’ you and I want to be just like you…’ In closing today I invite you to take 3 minutes and watch this YouTube of this song, and then invite Jesus to talk with you and tell you how He’d like to help you, so those who are watching you are drawing closer to Him!
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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