Who Cares What They Say?
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Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It continues to be my great privilege to share the Word of God with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church.
One of the great challenges in this life, is gaining the credibility to be able to speak into someone else’s life. There are certain situations in which credibility is assumed, like if you walk into a courtroom, people assume the judge knows what they are doing in regards to the law. People generally assume medical professionals can speak into areas of health concerns.
But there is a certain lack of trust between the general public and Christians in particular in regards to Spiritual matters. Despite our position in the middle of the Bible belt, there is a growing distrust between the general public and those claiming to be Christians.
Why is that the case? Well on one side, it is to be expected. We walked through this last Sunday Evening in our discussion about suffering for the sake of the gospel. We read Matthew 5:11 “11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” John 15:19 “19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” 1 Peter 4:4 “4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”
These verses are a providential warning from God to believers, saying that the World will not be fond of those living for His glory. So on this side, as I said, some distrust between the world and Christians is to be expected.
But there is a flip side to the distrust between the world and Christians. Here are a few of the reasons I found in a report this week: Many people perceive blatant hypocrisy among Christians. When professed beliefs don’t align with actions, trust erodes. Sexual abuse scandals within religious institutions have deeply damaged trust. Instances of cover-ups and betrayal have left scars. When leaders fail to address these issues transparently, it reinforces skepticism. Instances of abuse of power by religious leaders or institutions create mistrust. When authority figures prioritize control over empathy, people become wary. When Christians focus on certain moral issues while neglecting others, it raises questions. People seek authenticity. If Christians appear insincere or overly performative, trust diminishes. Genuine faith should be evident in actions, not just words.
So on one side, Christians are going to have a level of distrust or disconnection between them and the world because of our faith and standing against the current of lawlessness in the world, but on the other side, we lose credibility when we don’t practice what we preach. Church, we must remember that we are called to live our lives as a testimony to the grace of God. Living in accordance with God’s Word will give folks enough reason to dislike us, we don’t need to exasperate that divide with hypocritical living.
In fact, conducting ourselves in accordance with God’s Word while the world is set against us is one of the greatest ways we can witness to the World and see God save sinners!:
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
In this text, the apostle Peter is telling the severely persecuted church that in their suffering, they are to follow God and live with reverential joy, pursuing righteousness for His glory. They’re told to remain gentle and respectful, knowing that others will be set against them, but they are to remain rooted in Christ’s righteousness.
I bring thing up because even though all the world was seemingly against these dispersed, downtrodden Christians, they are still told to be good to their neighbors and representatives of Christ! When they hold themselves with dignity and righteousness, they are told they will have opportunity to give a defense for the reason for the hope that is in them. Basically people will see their good conduct and ask where sit comes from! There is an opportunity for evangelism through their suffering because of they way they live with honor and respect.
When Christians live in congruence with Biblical teaching, finding their hope in Christ and pursuing righteousness, the world takes notice. As we’ve seen, thus far this morning, they also notice our hypocrisy.
Church, what are we gonna be known for? Our Biblical fidelity or our hypocrisy?
This morning we are going to see how biblical fidelity walks hand-in-hand with credibility.
If you have not already, open you bibles to 1 Timothy 4. This morning we are going to finish out the chapter. As a refresher on where we are at, Timothy has been commissioned by Paul to lead revitalization efforts in the church at Ephesus. False teachers, diminishing and twisting the gospel, have taken positions of leadership and have been drawing the church away from gospel centrality. Paul is encouraging Timothy to correct and protect the church from false teaching.
Pick up with me in verse 11.
11 Command and teach these things.
Thus far this morning, we have considered the Christians validity in sharing the truth of Scripture with the outside world. It is as this point that we must shift the perspective to the pastors validity for sharing the truth of Scripture within the community of the church.
You would think that this is a given. You would think that all Christian churches would have the truth of Scripture at the core of their teaching and practice. You would think that that the congregation would willingly a joyfully follow God given, biblically qualified leadership. Well, you would think.
Remember what we learned a couple of weeks ago about the church in Corinth. While we still battle the flesh, while we are saints who are being sanctified, there will always be a struggle for biblical fidelity in the church. There are things that will need to be addressed. The pulpit must be guarded and the teaching must be in line with God’s Word.
When Paul writes, “Command and teach these things.” He is referring to the everything in the preceeding paragraph. Timothy is to teach the congregants at the church at Ephesus to toil and strive for righteousness, to put in the “holy sweat” and practice spiritual discipline, and to share their hope in the living God and see others come to belief in Christ as King.
All of this sounds so simple, so intuitive for the church, so what’s the problem? Look at the next verse.
12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
In the first half of verse 12 we see a major reason why there is a disconnect between Timothy and the church at large in Ephesus is his youth. Timothy is a young man. We aren’t given his exact age, but according to the ESV commentary this a bit different than someone in what we call a youth group, this term can refer to even a married man in his thirties. As a married man in my thirties, I’m happy to be able to claim the “youth” moniker! But without knowing Timothy’s exact age, what we know for certain is that he is younger than many other “leaders” in the church at that time.
It is very difficult for the young guy to come in and correct those who are older than himself. We know that a large part of wisdom is applied experience and experience comes with time and trial. But we also know that age doesn’t always guarantee wisdom. In the book of Job, Job’s oldest friends spend most of the book tearing him down with a false gospel until the younger Elihu finally pipes in with a large dose of truth. Elihu, addresses the group by saying, “It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. (9) But it is the spirit in the man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. (8)”
While we are to honor our elders and give respect and credit where it is due, it is not ultimately the age of a person that should give them credibility in the church. Rather, it should be how they understand, live, and communicate God’s Word. This is really easily said, but much harder in practicality. It is very hard for the young man to look at those who have been around much longer than he has and command and teach truth that goes against the grain of what has been previously instilled. Its often even harder then for those older than him to accept the teaching!
In some ways, I can relate to Timothy’s position. Being a young man and coming into a church with a history that dates back longer than twice my own age, it sometimes feels intimidating. Who am I to suggest a change here or make a correction there? Unlike Timothy, I am fortunate to say that our church had a great baseline of biblical fidelity and a congregation that welcomed me. I’ve never felt “despised for my youth” though that is not always the case in every church setting.
In my role with the Central Kentucky Network of Baptists, I’m given the opportunity to walk side by side with other pastors and help them consider how they approach division, correction, and obstinance in their local churches.
But, just as a brief side note, I want it to be clear that youth in and of itself is not a particular benefit or something that churches should necessarily look for in their pastor. The point of this passage is not that Timothy’s youth is the model or an asset. The point is that his youth should not be a roadblock for ministerial success. There are many aged ministers who faithfully lead their churches and deal with the challenges of a congregation that have gotten away from biblical fidelity.
But for the church in Ephesus, there is a disconnect between the leadership of Timothy and that of the false teachers and swaying congregants. How is Timothy to deal with the challenge? How should any pastor deal with doctrinal division or power struggles in the church? Are they to start throwing haymakers? Are they supposed to lay down an iron fist?
I find the guidance of Paul to Timothy quite insightful. He says in essence, when there is division, this time because of your youth, set an example for believers with a five pronged emphasis on godly character.
Paul instructs Timothy to set an example in speech. Most of the time when a minister gets himself in trouble, it is with his tongue. But this isn’t just true about pastors. The Proverbs are filled with reminders of the dangers of a lose tongue and the value of weighing one’s words wisely.
Then Timothy is to be an example in conduct. This is his manner of life. The day-in and day-out living. We’ve talked about the pastor’s calling to be above reproach and respected in the community. We’ve also seen the perceived hypocrisy from the outside world. People pay attention to the way we handle ourselves in our regular affairs. Speech and Conduct make the externally observable aspects of character
After these two, Paul directs attention to internal aspects of character: love, faith, and purity. While these qualities may be not be as easily measured by the outside observer, they permeate through one’s speech and conduct. “Timothy was to be loving in every circumstance and to all persons, exhibiting his faith through faithfulness, and to be pure not only sexually but also in matters of the heart.”
To put it in short, Paul told Timothy, in the face of adversity, continuing pursuing godliness for the glory of God!
Now, before we simply right this verse off as recapitulation of the elder qualifications given specific it to Timothy, we all need to notice something that causes ALL of us to pay attention: let no one despise you for your youth, but *SET THE BELIEVERS AN EXAMPLE*.
The godly character Timothy is to employ is not just for his own sake. He is setting the foundation for the rest of the congregation to follow suit. That means that though the context is given directly to Timothy, all of us, all Christians should be taking note and seeking to honor the Lord through our speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. The pastor has the burden of setting the tone, but all of us will be held accountable for our individual lives!
So where do we go for guidance? How are we to know what makes up godly speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity? Look to the next verse!
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Back in the original context of the letter, Paul was planning a return to Ephesus. He had left Timothy there to handle things while Paul went off to attend to other affairs in Macedonia. But Paul was intending to come back and would assist Timothy in making the necessary corrections in the church. Until that time, Timothy had a task to do. A task that is at the center of all pastoral ministry. Read the Word, Preach the Word, and Teach the Word.
I know I touched on this last week, but we cannot overstate the importance of the Word of God in our lives. It is truly a gift of God. It absolutely must be at the center of our gathering. These three categories make up invaluable aspects of what the pastor brings before the congregation.
The public reading of Scripture is fairly self-explanatory, it is reading God’s Word out loud in the presence of the assembly. This was a feature of worship that continued from the Jewish gatherings in the synagogues. In our context, we give considerable attention to read the Word as it is plainly written and have our sermon centered around a particular text. But as of a few years we have also made it a point to simply read the Word together as a specific part of our worship service. This month we are continually reciting Psalm 46:1-3. We aren’t just doing this to fill out time in our worship services. No, the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We will see in a moment the great value of preaching, but we must also remember that God works plainly through His Word. This is also why I read through the primary text at the center of the sermon earlier in the service. It is good for us to be reminded of the Words and truths of the Scriptures through the plain and public reciting of the Word.
Paul also tells Timothy to teach the Word. Teaching refers to the explanation of the text, breaking down what it means into doctrinal truth that the congregation can understand. Exhortation walks hand in hand with teaching. It is showing the congregation how to practically apply the doctrinal truth they have learned.
What’s being described here in verse 13 is what is called “expositional preaching.” It’s what I try to do each and every week for the benefit of the congregation. We take a particular text, focus on it, seeking to understand it, then learn to apply it. Each of these parts being beneficial for the spiritual health of the church.
When the Word is heard, understood, and applied, it has a massive impact on the church as a whole. As the Word is communicated, God increases our understanding and practice. He transforms our speech and conduct. We grow in love, faith, and purity. We see His standards and appreciate His goodness!
Paul is communicating to Timothy that the way through the conflict in the church is to keep God’s Word at the very center!
Church, what a blessing it would be in the life of our church, and in our everyday lives if we truly checked our egos and personal desires and sought to put God’s Word at the forefront of all that we do. We’d be quick to ask forgiveness and quick to forgive, we’d flee from temptation and keep our eyes on things that are above, we’d be anxious about nothing and evangelize the nations. But these don’t have to just be aspirational statements, they are the God given reality for the church committed to God’s Word! May that be us!
Paul next reminds Timothy that God has equipped him for this lofty task.
14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
“Timothy has been given the gift of exhorting and teaching as a sheer act of grace. The “prophecy” and the “council of elders [that] laid their hands on you” are the public attestations to Timothy’s pastoral ministry. Someone confirmed Timothy’s calling through prophecy, and the entire body of elders affirmed him when they laid their hands on him. A true calling to pastoral ministry will not be mere subjective feeling. It will also involve objective affirmation from the church. So Timothy has this gift—which has been affirmed objectively—and Paul is telling him not to neglect it.”
We follow a similar path for ordination in the church today. A man showing potential and desire for pastoral ministry is tested by a council to confirm fitness for ministry. After a period of testing, the group then affirm the individual through prayer in the presence of the congregation.
Paul brings this up to Timothy, because when the slog of ministry hits and the saints aren’t showing much sanctification, it is good to be reminded that God has equipped and prepared him to be in this spot and accomplish this task.
Now, most of us will not be ordained for pastoral ministry. A quick reading of this verse may make it seem as if it is of no importance to a general believer in Jesus Christ. But when we understand that the principle behind the the reminder is encouragement to work for God’s glory, then we can also understand that at times we need reminders to use our lives for the glory of God.
Dear church member, are you struggling to find purpose in following the Lord in your life? Then remember you are an ambassador for Christ, God making His appeal to the lost world through you! Are you struggling with the temptation for sexual sin? Then remember that you are not your own, you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body. Are you sliding into despondency and dwindling in self-worth? Then remind yourself that by the Grace of God you are part of chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light!
In a dark world, struggling with our flesh we need to be reminded of our positional reality given to us by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
And dear Christian, maybe you are not struggling in the faith at this moment. If that is the case then use the truth of Scripture to encourage your struggling brother or sister in Christ! Paul knew Timothy needed encouragement so he reminded Timothy of his calling. Most Christians aren’t called to be pastors, but all who know Christ as Lord have been saved and sealed! May we remind one another of that encouraging truth!
What’s interesting about Paul’s reminder to Timothy is that he doesn’t just tell Timothy to rest in his gifting. He encourages diligence! Look at verse 15:
15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
Timothy has been particularly gifted for teaching the Word, but even with his gifting, Paul encourages him to practice, to be immersed in handling the Word and as he grows, the people will see his progress. “The pastor should be working on growth. He must be absolutely absorbed with the Word of God, taking pains to learn and to obey the Bible. Timothy is to do so in a way that is evident: “so that all may see your progress”—so that he can be an example to everyone in the congregation.”
On a personal level, I am thankful for this position as a minister to give me the responsibility of stewarding this pulpit and preparing these messages week in and week out. I was speaking with someone recently and I said that I have grown more spiritually and theologically through sermon prep these last three years than I did even in the rigorous grind of Seminary. I am also thankful for this congregation. That you all have allowed a young man to come in and grow in understanding, handling, and application of the Word. I hope that there has been evidence of progress and growth. I still have a ways to go and know that there is no such thing as a perfect pastor, but I sincerely hope to lead this body by example and grow for the glory of God as each of you all grow in the faith as well.
But the principle for everyone’s application is similar to what we saw as we walked through verses 7-9 last week. We practice what we care about and it is good to pursue godliness in our lives! You may not be the best reader in the world, but it is good to read God’s Word so practice at it! You may not be confident in sharing your faith, practice at it! Immerse yourself in a gospel presentation tool. Practice it with your friends and family. God has called you to steward your life for His glory so immerse yourself in His Word and put in the Holy Sweat! We truly work at living godly lives because God is worthy is be served with our lives! As a church we will watch and celebrate as people grow in their faith and live out the truths of Scripture.
Which brings us to our final verse for this morning:
16 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.
Paul tells Elder Timothy that he is to keep a close watch on his own life and the teaching that he is giving. In doing so he will save both himself and his hearers.
Now this is another curious phrase that we have to process through the whole testimony of Scripture. We know and affirm that we are saved by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone. So what can it possibly mean that Timothy is saving himself and his hearers?
Let us first be clear that Timothy’s teaching is not adding anything to the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rather, it is the preaching of Christ’s finished work on the cross that does all of the saving! Paul speaks similarly in Romans 11:14 where he talks about reaching out to his fellow Jews so that he might save some of them. It’s not Timothy that does the saving, but the Word of God through which the Holy Spirit convicts the sinful man of their transgressions against the Holy God and shows the sufficiency of Christ to pay the cost of their sin and bring them into right standing.
We know that our God is a God of means. He has chosen to spread the gospel through faithful believers sharing the truth of Scripture in the same way that He has chosen the sun to give light to the earth. As Creator, He is rightly able to choose any means He wants to accomplish His will. It is an honor for us that He would invite us into this work! “God has chosen to use his people to bring his word to sinners, and a faithful preacher is a crucial part of God’s plan.”
This morning we have been considering the concept of having the validity to speak to spiritual matters. In the church a pastor, even a young pastor, earns the right to speak through faithful adherence to God’s Word, both in preaching and in personal practice. And church, in the world, we gain the validity to speak to the truth of the gospel to a lost and dying world through faithful adherence to God’s Word, both in our message and in our practice.
We can’t change the world’s marred image of Christianity as a whole, that’s a burden bigger than what we have been called to handle. But we can change our lost neighbor’s perception of what a Christian is through our speech and our conduct. We can put in the Holy Sweat to grow in love, in faith, and in purity. We don’t have to be another hypocritical church in the Bible belt.
Here is the last thing I’ll say this morning. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived and died and rose again to save whosoever believes in Him and restore them to a right relationship with God. That is the greatest gift ever given. A gift I am glad to have received. A gift I hope everyone here has received. If you here this morning and are uncertain if you have received that gift, come forward in the hymn of response. I would be honored to be the one whom God uses to show you the truth of Scripture. But if you are here this morning and you know you have received that gift, then the right response is to pursue righteousness in every aspect of your life, living for God’s glory and sharing His Word. As we do so we get a front row seat of God saving those who finally hear His gospel. Would you join me in that effort, church?
Let’s pray.