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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?
**The point of that story is this you might be the only Jesus some people will ever see
*If we call ourselves Christians we need to be an example
**Let’s look at some things that Paul told Timothy to be an example of:
(1) IN WORD!
*In what we say and the way we say it.
*We have to control our tongues at all times!
A) We are warned in God’s Word
Matt.12:36-37
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
B) Watch the way we talk!
*Some of you want respect, but you talk just as bad as the world!
*If you want respect you've got to earn it
*You earn respect by Living right.
*At your job
*At school
*With your friends
*when things don’t go right,
*By what kind of words you use.
**We need to pray everyday the words of the Psalmist in
Psalm 19:14;
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
C) Consider these verses
Colossians 4:6
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Proverbs 16:24
24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Ecclesiastes 10:12
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
(2) IN CONVERSATION!
*This is conduct or behavior.
*This is the way you behave.
A) If you're saved then act like it!
*We are to demonstrate that we are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ
*that we are living for Him!
*people will know if we are saved or not by the way we act!
B) "Preacher, it don’t matter how I act or what I look like on the outside, it’s only what's on the inside that counts! "WRONG!
C) Ephesians 4:22-24
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
*Those verses tell us to put off the old man and put on the new man.
*Our conduct should change when we get right with God!
*I’M FOR LIVING RIGHT!!!
*I believe in the words that are hanging in my home church that says "Be ye holy"
D) The only way I can show you that I love Jesus is to prove it
*Talks cheap
*If we want others to know what we stand for we have to show them
*be an example in conversation (conduct).
(3) IN CHARITY!
*This is love!
*Love is a powerful thing!
*I don’t know of anything more
powerful than love!
*Love is the strongest power in the world.
A) I’m talking about the kind of love that lets you get along with another person even when it's not that easy to do with some people
*When you really love somebody, you can put up with their differences.
B) All believers, especially those in positions of leadership, should be living examples of pure Christian love!
**Love provided our Salvation!
**Love brought that Salvation down from God to man.
Romans 5:5
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
C) If our hearts are not filled with love, it’s our own fault, because every believer that says they have Christ in there heart should naturally possess the love of God,
**meaning a love that overflows in our hearts for God is love!!!
D) The church needs Gods love for lost people
*We can win souls by loving them!
**Think what that lost person can be for Jesus instead of condemning him!
**We are commanded to love one another!
1 John 4:20-21
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
(4) IN SPIRIT!
*Bible authorities agree this is enthusiasm!
*This is lacking in most churches today!
A) I don’t believe in holding a barnyard dance in the house of God or anything like that
**We need to remember that we are standing on holy ground
**things are to be done descent and in order
*we can be enthusiastic and still be in order!
B) We can sing from our hearts with enthusiasm because we love Jesus and want the whole world to know it!
*We can witness with enthusiasm.
*We ought to be the most enthusiastic people on this earth!
*We need to let Jesus stir us up!!!!!!!
*Then let the world know we got what they need
*We got the answer to all of this worlds problems
*We got Jesus
*We need to be excited about that and tell somebody
(5) IN FAITH!
*The Greek word is faithfulness!
*Loyal to Jesus Christ and the church!
A) No matter what the circumstance, Timothy was to be faithful!
If you are loyal to Jesus, you will be loyal to your church!
I WONT MISS CHURCH ON SUNDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS
at least not without being totally sick or something else is seriously wrong
B) We may not be able to do everything in life as good as we would like to, but we can be faithful to our churches
*There are some of you who are loyal to your church.
*Whether you feel good or bad, you’re there
**God honors that!!!!!!!
C) Be an example of faithful Christian living.
*People look at you and see when you come to
church faithfully.
*They notice when you don’t come too.
**We need to be faithful
(6) IN PURITY!
*Live moral and clean lives!
*Live a just and honest life!
*Live a life that far exceeds the standards of the world!
*Practice holy and pure living!
A) Not sinless, but blameless and spotless as taught by the scriptures.
B) Psalm 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
**Again it comes back to are you a Christian if so then prove it by the way you live your lives
CONCLUSION
*I have one final example of a young person being of faithful service to God Jesus Himself at age twelve
Luke 2 : 41-49
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not [of it].
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among [their] kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
**In closing we might all ask ourselves: "Are we being about our Father's business?"
**Whether young or old if we call ourselves a Christian then we should be!
**Let's pray**
