Encouraging A Son In The Faith

Encouraging a Son in the Faith

1 Timothy 4:1-5, 12-16

Good Morning…Happy Father’s Day!

Mark Twain once said, “When a boy turns 13, seal him in a barrel and feed him through a knot hole. When he turns 16, plug up the hole.”

Mark Twain also said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.

But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Being a parent, is the most rewarding, yet, painful tasks you can ever face in life.

I have four sons, and at times, I understand how Mr. Twain felt. Here are some dad-isms I have said to my sons

• I brought you into this world and I can take you out just as quick.

• If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?

• If I told you once, I told you a thousand times.

• "Who said life was fair?"

• "When I was your age, we didn't have all the conveniences you have, we had to (whatever) and we were happy about it"

• "Because I said so." "And that's that."

• Stop complaining, "It will build character."

• "Do you think I'm talking just to hear my own voice?"

Since today is Father’s Day, I want to describe Paul and Timothy’s spiritual father and son relationship.

Please open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 4…

We are told that Timothy was a faithful servant of Christ, a grounded believer, a Pastor, and a missionary.

Where did Timothy learn to be a mature Christ-follower?

Three different times in his writings, the Apostle Paul calls Timothy, his son in the faith.

1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, 2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith…NKJV

The awesome responsibility of being a parent is the most underestimated ministry in the universe.

Many Christians want to be in the lime light while serving Jesus; but, we will never have more responsibility or reward in serving the Lord, than raising children to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

I often wonder what impact I will have on my Grand Children, because of the faith that I taught my sons.

Timothy is mentioned in the Book of Acts, Hebrews, and several of Paul’s letters; his name means “God’s Honor”

If your Bibles are open to 1 Timothy 4, let’s hear a Spiritual Father’s instruction to his son in the faith…

I. Take heed to your ministry.

Read 1 Timothy 4:1-5, 12-16

After his conversion, Timothy grew quickly in the faith.

When Paul came to Lystra on his second journey, Timothy was a disciple there, who was well respected by other believers.

Paul must have seen something special in this young believer and decided to take him under his wing and mentor him.

Paul asked Timothy to go with him on his next missionary journey. Timothy was willing to leave behind family, personal plans, and ambitions, to go with Paul.

Timothy travelled with Paul and Silas through Asia Minor, and several other locations. It was on Paul’s 2nd missionary journey, he visited Ephesus and evidently planted the church there.

On Paul’s third missionary journey, he spent three years teaching at the Church at Ephesus and then left for Macedonia; that is when Paul made Timothy the Pastor of Ephesus.

Paul wrote 1 Timothy to advise his coworker Timothy about issues in the church in Ephesus, and false teachers in Ephesus were one of the main reasons for this letter.

What can we learn from Timothy’s example, which he learned from Paul?

God doesn’t measure a follower by their physical age.

Notice 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth” i.e., don’t let anyone look down on you because of your age.

Timothy was a young man, so there were some people in the church who had difficulty accepting his leadership.

How could he overcome the uncertainty to him, being so young?

There was only one way: Timothy had to prove he was mature enough to fulfill the calling of God in his life and ministry.

Key: Maturity in Christ has nothing to do with amount of years a person has been a Christian.

There are some people who have been Christians for years, who still behave like Children;

Some immature Christians insist on getting their own way, and when they don’t get their way; they rebel even further.

But on the flip side; there are some newer believers who live surrendered to Christ and His calling for their lives, immediately after their profession of faith in Christ.

So in order for Timothy’s leadership to be accepted; he had to live a mature life, as an example to other believers.