Get on the Roller Coaster
-Encouraging Words for New and Growing Christians-
I Timothy 1:1-3
The roller coaster and the Christian life have a lot in common. Both have their ups and downs.
I enjoy a good roller coaster ride. When our children were growing up I enjoyed riding on the “Blue Streak” at Cedar Point in Ohio: For me the faster and higher the roller coaster the better.
I checked the internet and found 159 web pages and 3,966 different roller coasters listed. I saw one that I would like to ride located at Six Flags, Jackson, N.J. It’s 456 feet high and goes from 0 to 128 in 3.5 seconds. The Kingda Ka is 151 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty. As of 2005 it is the tallest and the fastest.
I’m not as fanatical as the person who has the record in the Guinness World Records. He spent 9 days and nights riding a roller coaster.
The Apostle Paul understands the ups and downs of a person committed to following Jesus. Paul gives excellent counsel to young Timothy a new convert. In I Timothy and II Timothy Paul writes to Timothy as his spiritual father. Timothy probably came to faith at the age of 17 when Paul visited Lystra. Timothy’s mother and grandmother became followers of Jesus when Paul first visited Lystra and young Timothy became a Christ follower during Paul’s second visit (Acts 16:3). Timothy’s father was Greek and his mother was a Jew.
Paul realized his time on earth was coming to a close so he wanted to pass on basic truths to Timothy and the next generation. Paul’s instructions to Timothy are helpful to all of us to grow and become stronger in the Christian Faith.
We might summarize the instructions Paul gave Timothy in four areas:
1. Know God’s Word
2. Pray and Worship
3. Participate in Christian Fellowship
4. Witness to Others
As we follow Paul’s instructions our highs and lows will even out more and more as we walk with the Lord. (Flip Chart Illustration) Sin verses Struggle verses Surrender
I. Know God’s Word
Paul admonished Timothy to study and know God’s Word. “Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV)
Your serious study of God’s Word will keep you from going off on tangents that do not align with God’s Word. Last Sunday at the close of our picnic a young man walked up to me – he had not been in the worship services – he walked in from the street. He asked me what translation of the Bible we use. I had an idea where he was coming from so I answered, “King James.” He said that’s a good answer. Then I added, “NIV, Living NT, Hebrew and Greek.” He said he was looking for a church that only used the KJV. I asked him what was wrong with the other translations. He said they fell short of the KJV. I told him that KJV was translated from Hebrew and Greek and if he wanted to have the best Bible he needed to read from the Hebrew and Greek Bibles.
His mind was set and he believed that only KJV was the true Bible. He went on his merry way.
Paul was concerned that Timothy knew the scriptures so he encouraged him to study the scriptures so he would be guided into truth. He told Timothy to be alert to false teachings and look out for people who don’t practice what they preach.
I Timothy 1:3b “…stay away from those who are teaching wrong doctrine.” One of the false teachings in the early church was “Gnosticism.” Gnosticism taught that Christ was divine but not human. The human body was evil so Jesus could not be associated with a human body. But, if Jesus was not God in human form then He was not tempted in every way as we are yet sinless. I John 4:2-3 teaches that the incarnation of Jesus – God became man – is the test of true teaching against false teachings. “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the anti-Christ, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
God’s Word will stand up to all criticism and critique. God’s Word has an answer for every false teaching. Let me suggest ten myths and the scriptural answer. An insert is in the bulleting for your copy.
1. Jesus Christ is only a great moral teacher. Matthew. 13:34-35
2. There is no evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. Matt. 28:1-10
3. Science is in conflict with Christian faith. John 4:48
4. It doesn’t matter what you believe, all religions are basically the same. Acts 4:12
5. Christianity is just a crutch for the weak. I Corinthians 1:26
6. People become Christians through social conditioning. I Corinthians 15:9-10
7. Christianity stifles personal freedom. Galatians 5:1-12
8. Christianity is other-worldly and irrelevant to modern life. Hebrews 12:1-2
9. The Bible is unreliable and not to be trusted. 2 Peter 1:16
10. All the evil and suffering in the world prove there is no God. Rev. 20:1-10 - (The Word in Life Study Bible - p. 732)
I encourage you to make “knowing God’s Word” a priority for you life in the days ahead. Know what you believe and why you believe what you do.
To get on the heavenly roller coaster with fewer ups and down Know God’s Word and second Pray and Worship.
II. Pray and Worship
Paul instructed Timothy, I Timothy 2:1, 8, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men… I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”
Jesus is our model when it comes to prayer. Jesus, the Son of God, prayed before every significant event in his life. He prayed before choosing the 12 disciples, (Luke 6:12). He prayed before he revealed that he was the Messiah, (Luke 9:13-21). Jesus prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration; at the last supper; in the garden of Gethsemane; on the cross. Jesus died praying.
Just as Jesus made prayer a daily habit in his life so we need to pray and talk with the Lord on a daily basis and in the routine activities of life.
What is prayer? It is talking and listening to God. I find it helpful to have a Bible study and prayer plan. For me at the beginning of the day before I read the newspaper, have breakfast or do anything I spend time in Bible reading and writing in my prayer journal.
A prayer journal helps me to keep on track by writing out prayers. Keep a prayer list and note answers to prayer. A couple times a week I pray in a small group. A small group helps us to be accountable. We experience success for failure in our Christian life over the long haul depending on what is going on in the secret compartments of our life. As our prayer and devotional life to so goes our spiritual vitality and joy in the Lord.
To keep your life on an upward curve make prayer a priority.
III. Participate in Christian Fellowship
The Apostle Paul placed great value in the companionship he had with Timothy. He knew his time on earth was coming to a close so he asked Timothy to come and keep him company. II Timothy 4:9, “Be diligent to come to me quickly.” Only Luke was present with Paul. Verse 11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.”
The Apostle Paul knew the value of friendship and companionship. In his closing hours he wanted to have close friends with him.
Jesus did not try to carry out God’s mission on his own. He chose 12 disciples to work with him. Jesus found strength in communion and fellowship with his disciples.
Fellowship in the early church was characterized by a loving and caring fellowship: as Christ followers they prayed for one another, bore one another’s burdens, confessed their faults one to another, admonished one another, and ministered to one another through the written Word of God. Their relationship might be compared to a large extended family. When one person in the family hurts all in the family feel the pain. When one person rejoices they all rejoice.
When love is practiced in the local church, minor irritations are overlooked. Persons in the fellowship are patient with each other’s weaknesses. Enthusiasm in the body comes through building up one another in brotherly love. Critical remarks and negative attitudes are out of order in a loving caring fellowship.
As Christians living in a fallen world we experience challenges and hardships. We need the encouragement and prayer support of a loving and caring community of believers. Being part of a local church helps us keep our life in balance.
Timothy had a personality that tended to be timid and easily intimated. In 2 Timothy chapter 1 Paul uses a positive approach to speak to a discouraged young Christian, Timothy. Verse 2, “Dear Timothy, this is your friend Paul speaking, I look t you as my dearly beloved son. I want you to know that God still loves you.” Verse 3 “I am praying for you.” Verse 4 “I want to see you.” Verse 5, “Don’t think about quiting now, think about your Christian heritage, call to remembrance the faith of your grandmother, and the faith of your mother.” Verse 6 “Timothy, stir up the gift of God in you.” Paul knew that Timothy had the potential to be a vital Christian. Timothy just needed to rekindle the potential he had and become excited about serving the Lord. Verse 7 “Don’t be ashamed of your faith. Don’t crawl into a corner. God has not given you the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 2:3 - “Endure hardness as a good solider of Jesus Christ. Don’t quit when the going gets tough.”
I know several individuals who testify that they are committed Christians, they read their Bible every day, they pray every day, and don’t need the fellowship of a local church. Yes, a person can be a Christian and not attend church, but I believer a person misses many blessings by going it alone for the Lord. I wonder where they give their tithe and offering as commanded by the Lord. I know they miss out on many opportunities to serve the Lord and reach out in missions both at home and around the world.
Stay on the upward curve by being part of a loving caring fellowship and community of believers – the local church, the visible Body of Christ.
Paul taught Timothy the value of “Knowing God’s Word, Prayer and Worship, and Christian Fellowship with other believers.” He also instructed Timothy to be a witness for Jesus.
IV. Witness for Jesus
2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have herd me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
2 Timothy 1:8, “Don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, Jesus Christ…”
The fact is too often we are ashamed of the good news about Jesus. Too often we are guilty of indifference.
C.S. Lewis in his book, The Screw tape Letters, has the devil brief his nephew, Wormwood, on the subtleties and techniques of tempting people. The goal, he counsels, is not wickedness but indifference. Satan cautions his nephew to keep the prospect comfortable at all costs. Satan gives Wormwood his job description: “I, the devil, will always see to it that there are bad people. Your job, my dear Wormwood, is to provide me with the people who do not care.”
The philosopher Soren Kiekegarrd said, “This age will die, not from sin, but from a lack of passion. There is deadness everywhere. High schools are apathetic. Colleges are apathetic. I mean, everybody’s gone to sleep.”
Paul admonished Timothy to reach out in love by stirring up God’s gift in him. God’s gift to all of us is the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. To stir up that gift means to put our faith and love in action and reach out beyond ourselves. We are to reach out with Christ-like love.
We freely talk about sports, politics, work, weather, but do we talk about the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior?
#Dr. Martin Neimoller was an outstanding German pastor during the time of Adolf Hitler’s reign. Neimoller was sent to prison for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Before being sent to prison Neimoller had a 30 minute visit with Adolf Hitler. Hitler tried to persuade Neimoller to join his forces and turn from the stupidity of Christianity. For thirty minutes they discussed philosophy and the ideology of Nietzism. Neimoller would not give up his living faith in Jesus so Hitler sent him to prison.
Years later Neimoller was released form prison. He testified he had visions that haunted him. He dreamed that he saw Hitler standing before the judgment seat of God and Neimoller was standing off to the side watching the panorama of events. In his vision he saw Christ turn to Hitler and say, “What is your excuse for all your crimes.” In reply Hitler says: “No one told me the Gospel.”
Neimoller said he wasted 30 minutes arguing philosophy with Hitler. He never told him about the love of Jesus Christ.
May all of us say with all our heart, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life.
This morning if you are on the downward curve you can turn to Jesus and get on the heavenly roller coaster. If you on the roller coaster that has great curves that go way up and down you can surrender to Jesus and make him Lord and Master of your life. He will empower you with perfect love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
For new and growing Christians Paul instructs you to
Know God’s Word
Pray and Worship
Participate in Christian Fellowship
Witness to others.
