Be An Example

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Be an example

1 Timothy 4:12

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Introduction:

**Tonight I want to talk about being useful to God and his kingdoms work

*I want to talk about being about the Fathers business

*About faithful service to God

1.Who is useful to the Master when it comes to faithful service...?

a. Is it only the elderly those with the most experience?

b. Do the young people have an important role to fulfill?

2.In our text Paul was writing to the young evangelist Timothy...

a. he tells him "Let no one despise your youth..."

3.In this message I want to...

a. Illustrate how God often used young people to carry out His purposes

b. Point out the kind of young people God can use

I. Examples of God’s Use of Young People

•God used a young person To Save Israel in Time of Famine – It was through Joseph that God provided Israel a means to survive famine. He was seventeen when sold as a slave to Potiphar. Genesis 37:2.

• God used a young person To Deliver Israel from the Philistines – When David was used to defeat Goliath.

•God used a young person To Lead Israel to it’s Greatest Heights – God had David appoint his son Solomon to be the third king of Israel. When Solomon became king he thought of himself as a child.

•God used a young person To Restore Judah to the True Worship of God – When Josiah became king, he was only eight and according to 2 Chr 34:1-2, he was a good king. When sixteen, he sought to serve God, and when he turned 20, he instituted religious reforms throughout Judah. When he turned 26, he restored the temple, and the Passover.

•God used a young person To Prophesy to the Nations – Speaking of Jeremiah, who tried to escape his prophetic call, but God told him not to say I am young, that He would be with him (Jer 1:7-8)

•God used a young person To Bring the Savior to the World – through Mary, who was but a young virgin.

•God used a young person To Proclaim the Gospel to the Lost – Referring to Timothy, selected by Paul to join him on his journeys. Who must have been quite young, for it was over twenty years later that Paul tells him don’t let anyone despise your youth

*It should be evident that God had often used young people to accomplish great things!

*I believe He can do many great things through young people today

II. What kind of young people can God use?

*According to Paul God can and will use those that are willing to be an example

*Paul told Timothy that he had to live a life that was an example to the believers

*the word "example." means "a pattern; a model; something to be copied or followed.

*that means we need to live our lives as Christians in a way to be copied or followed

*that we need to be role models

*a pattern for christian living

Illustration:

A drunk was miraculously converted at a mission. Prior to his conversion, Joe had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for who there was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new life with God, everything changed. Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission doing whatever needed to be done. There was never any task that was too lowly for Joe to take on. There was never anything that he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing the toilets after careless men left the bathroom filthy, Joe did what was asked with a soft smile on his face and with a seeming gratitude for the chance to help. He could be counted on by the feeble men who wandered into the mission off the street, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care of themselves. One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still and sullen men with drooped heads, there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to the altar and knelt to pray, crying out for God to help him to change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, “Oh God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man, Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, “Make me like Jesus.” The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and asked, “Is he like Joe?