Whether it is being a father, mother, pastor, elder, deacon or missionary, Scripture never hints at having a casual attitude toward the role God has given us. One prime example is Paul’s words to his son in the faith: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15).
These two phrases are very similar and point to a continual cultivation by habit of what is very important for the life of a godly person who honors the Lord. What Paul told Timothy to do were to be carried out with care and concern that he would correctly represent God in all he did. There was a reason for Timothy to be intentional about his life and conduct among others, “so that all may see your progress.” He was to have a testimony of what a godly man should be, especially since he was young. Therefore, he must “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (4:16). The same force is given in the word “persist” to indicate there was no time to be casual about his life. How much sorrow and regret would we avoid by following this instruction? How would we impact others in this generation and those that follow us if we took Paul’s words seriously? The results are long term and must be carefully weighed by us now.
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Every year around Father’s Day there are a plethora of articles, sermons and books offered to help, encourage, and sometimes make fathers feel like failures. They are full of statistics about what has happened to fatherhood over many decades. They usually leave out men who wish they could be fathers or fathers who wish they had never been a father. That is not my purpose.
In this short blog, I want to take you back to one of the most encouraging statements ever made to fathers. The Apostle John in his first letter addressed fathers this way; “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). What is so interesting about the way John writes this is that he repeats this statement in the next verse. The next question we might ask is whether John is referring to God or the Lord Jesus. Going back to the introduction of this letter John says that “our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ”(1:3). In the context, I believe it could be either or both. What is the point? If you remember nothing else from this brief article, remember that the highest qualification of any father is having an intimate relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus. This becomes the basis for success no matter what we face or what the culture throws at us. I have asked many persons what they think God has gifted them with. Most have no idea. Paul knew that Timothy had received a gift from God and directly tells him, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14). Clearly, there were witnesses to his gift and the development of Timothy’s life and ministry, and Paul did not want him to lose the vision or purpose for his gifting.
Can you imagine what influence Christians could have on this world if every believer were to understand how and why God has gifted them? Instead of sitting in our comfortable pews with no sense of purpose, we could follow what the early disciples did; “these men…have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). With what? The gospel! Many who know what their gift is say they don’t know how to use their gift. They attend seminars, read books, and hear sermons on using their gift but neglect the very powerful tool each one has been given - the Holy Spirit. Jesus said of the Spirit, “He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). I am convinced the Church would have an extraordinary ability to finish the task of reaching the unreached and preparing for the Lord’s return very quickly if this one problem was properly faced. It is interesting to trace the instruction Paul gave to Timothy back to its origin. “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13).
This was a practice dating back to Moses and the children of Israel. As the nation comes to the end of their wilderness journey, just before crossing the Jordon River into the promised land, Moses gathers the people and reminds them of all God did for them and reads the Book of the Law, which is the book of Deuteronomy. Joshua follows this practice as commanded by the Lord in Joshua 1:8. After Joshua died, there was a long period when the Law was not read until young king Josiah. Hilkiah the high priest “found the Book of the Law” and read it to the king. Sometime later, “Ezra…set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Jesus also continued this practice. After His temptation in the wilderness, “He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). In our digital age, it would be a healthy thing to do so persons who make little time for reading Scripture can hear it read. Start in the home with your family or friends. I have no doubt this would help create a greater appetite for God’s Word. As I look back on my developing years as a young man, I am so thankful for the examples God placed in my path. Older men and women who put the Lord first and were not afraid to tell me the truth. What they did not realize was they were preparing me for major decisions ahead.
This is the kind of influence Paul had on Timothy and Paul wanted Timothy to have the same on others. It started very early. “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him” (Acts 16:1–3). A key factor in Timothy’s development into leadership was that he came to the attention of Paul because of his reputation among the believers at Lystra. This was the building block that Paul wanted in a young man, plus the fact that Timothy’s mother and grandmother were women of strong faith (2 Timothy 1:5). At the end of Paul’s life, he is reminding the young man Timothy to be an example to others as Paul had been to him. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). The need for this today is huge! It starts with you and me. The resources for this kind of example are without limits if we give ourselves to the power and control of the Spirit. Through Him we can impact the next generations. Content:
We often quote 2 Timothy 2:2 as the model of perpetual training of the following generations of leaders “who will be able to teach others also.” This same principle is set out in Paul’s first letter as he writes to Timothy, “command and teach these things.” Two words in this short sentence need to be unpacked. “Command” means to “order what must be done through direct instructions.” There is no room in this statement for any other option. When we think of all that Paul taught Timothy in both letters, there is much we may overlook that is applicable, not just to leaders, but to the whole church. What are we missing that is essential for strong, effective leaders and churches? The Spirit was speaking “expressly” or stated in clear understandable terms (4:1) when Paul wrote this and because what Paul wrote Timothy came from the Spirit, every word is still applicable today. Are we heeding the “command”? The word “teach” is equally important. It indicates a formal or intentional way of presenting biblical principles to others, so they are able to pass them on to the generations after them. That makes the force of these letters just as powerful as when they were written. This may seem like a very demanding requirement, but God wants strong biblical leaders who will prepare the next generation of leaders and not leave behind them a weak church. Perhaps we need to rethink how we are preparing tomorrow’s leaders. Because of a recent surgery, I am committed to an exercise routine so my recovery is the best it can be. Paul addresses this type of bodily training as well as another type of training. “Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7–8).
Notice how Paul set the two activities in juxtaposition so we understand that one is very temporal and the other has eternal results. The principle of “godliness” is not gained just once in your Christian walk. In verse 10 he states, “to this end we toil and strive,” meaning that it must be pursued with intention on a continual basis since it affects all of our lives and witness. Let’s go back to those words “train yourself.” This infers self-discipline by keeping yourself under strict control. This is not natural for us, whether physical or spiritual, but necessary just the same. In a physical sense, I would not be able to do things I love with my family if I didn’t exercise on a daily basis. In a spiritual sense, we quickly get out-of-touch with the Lord and His will for us if we fail to maintain spiritual discipline of mind and heart. I would include in this discipline time spent in prayer and study of Scripture (see 2 Timothy 2:15). How are you doing with “training yourself”? As we launch into the next chapter of 1 Timothy, it has an eerie similarity with what we see happening today. Here is what Paul says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (4:1–2).
I am reading Strong Through the Storm by Jim Cymbala in which he unveils many of the things that are derailing the church today which is the same warning Paul gave Timothy. We may excuse some of the ‘church styles’ as different ways of attracting the current generation. But when doctrines of the faith are compromised, there is something working under the surface that has “seared” the conscience of leaders and biblical truth no longer has authority in the heart and mind. What is the remedy to such deviations from the faith? Paul addresses the problem immediately. “You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine” (6). Timothy’s ministry would be measured by how close it followed the “words of the faith.” Style means nothing if our teaching deviates from biblical truth set forth in the Word of God and misleads those under our influence. Jim Cymbala rightly points out that if we love people as God does, we will teach with His love and desire that they grow and mature through the application of Scripture. In the last few days, I have been challenged by a dear brother who truly models servant leadership and humility. He is now 87, but still serves in a limited capacity in his church and other venues as he is physically able to do so. Norm came into our lives around 1983 and we have maintained a strong mentoring relationship ever since. Our conversations led me to explore Paul’s teaching to Timothy on the subject of leadership.
While 1 Timothy 3 largely sets out the qualifications for bishops, overseers, elders (pastors) and deacons (which I will not repeat here), Paul ends the chapter with a general statement that is the premise for both letters. “If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:15–16). In just a few words, Paul is saying that leadership had its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. We know this by the statement, “He was manifested in the flesh.” From this summary, which Paul calls the “mystery of godliness,” every facet of God-honoring effective leadership takes on its qualities. Our challenge will be to see how we should apply each facet to ourselves. Remember, all of us exercise some type of leadership, making this series applicable to all. Writing from Burma in a letter to his grown-up sons who were studying in Worcester, Massachusetts, Adoniram Judson, called them to a relentless obedience to God’s Word. Read this as if it was written to you.
“Is it possible that I have letters from you at last? I had waited so long that I began to think it would never be. And I am so glad to hear of your welfare, and especially that you have both been under religious impressions, and that Elnathan begins to entertain a hope in Christ! O, this is the most blessed news. Go on, my dear boys, and not rest until you have made your calling and election sure. I believe that you both and Abby Ann will become true Christians and meet me in heaven; for I never pray without praying for your conversion, and I think I pray in faith…but, O, heaven is all. Life, life, eternal life! Without this, without an interest in the Lord of life, you are lost, lost forever. Dear Adoniram, give your heart at once to the Savior. Don’t go to sleep without doing it. Try, try for your life. Don’t mind what anybody may say to the contrary, nor how much foolish boys may laugh at you. Love the dear Savior, who has loved you unto death. Dear sons, so soon as you have a good hope in Christ that your sins are pardoned, and that Christ loves you, urge your pastor and the church to baptize and receive you into communion. They will hold back, thinking you are too young, and must give more evidence. But don’t be discouraged. Push on. Determine to do it. Determine to stand by Christ, come what will. Ever love to cherish the memory of your own dear mother-—how much she loved you to the last gasp—-and prepare to follow her to heaven. Your fond father, A. JUDSON.[1] [1]Eward Judson, The Life of Adoniram Judson, 523. Also quoted in Francis Wayland, A Memoir of Adoniram Judson, vol. 2:307-308. |
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