The Book of 1 Timothy - Step Up!, Part 2

If you're finding it very difficult to be a bold loving public Christian in the world that were living in. I want you to know you're not alone. It is really hard to be the kind of follower of Jesus with the kind of challenges that it brings the criticism that it brings in just that downright pain can often bring how you keep faithful to the Lord. When you feel like giving up. That's today. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram. I think your interests are Bible teacher international discipleship ministries focused on helping Christians live like Christians for just a minute. You will pick up where he left off the series from first Timothy by showing some challenging words for how we should respond to the unpredictable world around. But before we get started. If you happen to miss a portion of this book. Let me encourage you to catch up to the chip and remap. It's a great way to listen to Living on the Edge anytime.

I was chip with part two of his message. Step up from first Timothy chapter 1 verse 12.

He says I think Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me into the service.

Even though previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. How's that for I got some issues of my own Timothy yet.

I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the little box around again the faith in the love which are found in Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance and you might underline this in your Bible that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners noticing those among whom I am foremost did you get the tense of the verb, did you hear what the apostle Paul said, and say, among whom I was decent, and you understand I killed a lot of people yet.

For this reason, I found mercy purpose clause so that in me, as the foremost center, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who believe in him for eternal life. You said you know what it Timothy.

I know it's hard. I know there's a lot of pressure. I know I'm asking to step up. I know you little timid. I know you're struggling but here's what you get, understand, here's what's at risk. You can't let that stuff go on because this is why Jesus came, and these guys are trying to feed this garbage religion do this don't do that. I actually grew up where the theology that I got out of my very social nonbiblical church was if it was any fun. God was against it. You always just killed you're always messed up.

You never measured up his like I need that because the people were telling me they were doing the things he said I was supposed to do and you straighten him out. He sisters Jesus was the kind of love and the God of grace. He didn't minimize things became to rescue us in the notice.

He ends with a charge okay Timothy I remind you what you need to do we address what the problem is I told you I love you and for you talk about where I messed up in the past and will God's done for me. Now get this. This is the fourth quarter timeout speech when you're down to and all the guys are looking to join coach. I'm really tired this command I am trusting you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you by them.

You fight the good fight will how keeping my put a box around this again faith and a good conscience, then notice the bookends, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. And so what Paul is actually coaching Timothy to do is the very thing that God wants to coach us to do so. I hope you have a general understanding of the chapter and then you'll notice each each time I'm getting you want to call coaching nuggets.

So what I want to do someone a pull out what I think is the most important truth and in our response.

Most important truth, i.e. if you don't remember anything else but the goal of our instruction. The reason you read the Scriptures.

The reason you go to a Bible study. The reason you have fellowship. The reason you go to a men's retreat, a women's retreat. The reason that you have a mentor. The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart a good conscience and a sincere faith.

If not, that your religious. It's not that your little bit nicer than most people it's not. Some people think you're a nice person. The goal is that you love God and you love people and that's not a feeling it's sacrificial other centered relationships where the life of Christ in you, gets poured out to demonstrate his love for other people to give you my definition for love. I'm sure I've stole it from multiple different places, but I'm claiming it is my own now. Love is giving another person what they need the most when they deserve it the least a great personal cost roll that out and see if it works for the cross love choice, not a feeling is giving another person what they need the most. Your wife might need acceptance.

Your son might need forgiving your boss might need understanding when they deserve it the least.

After the way she is treating me after what he went and did after I told him this is like the third time after my boss has written me off. Love is giving another person what they need the most when they deserve it the least at great personal cost and if you follow-up what you realizes you can't do that and I can't do that.

But God by his spirit working in you through his word and the community of God's people can supernaturally do that through you.

That's what the Christian life is all about.

The second truth is in Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I don't know your background, I don't know if you're a master non-massacre. I don't know if you're a vaccine or non-vaccine or a blue state or red state that stuff but I'll tell you what, whoever they are, in your mind. God loves them and he wants you to love them. We can disagree with people we can even be passionate and how we see things were called to love everyone, our responses to fight the good fight can, can we just start off saying it's really really hard to be a follower of Jesus. It takes a real man fight the good fight.

Keep the faith in a good conscience and then notice some have suffered shipwreck regards to their one their faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God need understand that you have be really careful who you listen to what you allow into your mind it into some of the words were defined as the they get shipwrecked they drifted they turned away. A lot of these are like someone woke up sitting up and really follow Christ the last seven years of last 30 years. I think today I'll just blow it all off. It didn't happen like that incremental most of the men that I've sat in tears as they have lost their families often lost their job loss or reputation. After a sexual addiction or an affair, some that I've worked with recently. One day ago I dismissed my whole life is a harmless flirting just casual.

Wonder what she's doing after 20 years of high school just a little pop-up thing.

Don't you guys get these all the time, knowing from foreign countries, you know, click on this text or something like that. If you don't know who it is. Delete at every level were bombarded so I tried to do is basically say okay I did my best to study this passage and say in the first century.

This person called the apostle Paul with his dramatic conversion in his writing 13 books New Testament had a personal relationship with one guy named Timothy that he loved deeply who he left in a very volatile situation and metropolitan area in Ephesus and he said this is what you need to do and when I try to do is say okay there's there's there's there's a map there that what was true in the first century. What are the takeaways for us. Where's the application so Paul's coaching for us. First of all, that the subject is false teachers and teachings affair enough in this chapter. The underlying issue is truth in the underlying issue is, they drifted they they're confident they say this, they're saying that the issue is truth. According to the glorious gospel of our blessed God. That's the underlying issue here is the underlying question am I willing to defend the truth of God's word in a hostile environment but that's that's what I'm asking me to put it in first person.

Are you are you willing to defend the truth of God's word in a hostile environment truth about what's right what's wrong truth about marriage truth about the value of life truth about false teaching truth inside and outside the church about why what you learn is apostle Paul's going to say you really have to stand for truth but but don't jump to maybe how you think you do it is going to say if the vice of truth doesn't have velvet bumpers around the need understand what you doing but you kind of presumes that in order to stand for truth. You would you know the truth and you believe the truth in a cancel culture world when you say one thing like I it's not. You don't have to be mad I just don't agree with you, and you can get canceled when I'm watching a lot of Christians do is, here's how not to get canceled during conversations at work.

Your conversations here in our day. Your conversations in church and it kinda comes up in conversations around the table working to learn how to point things out.

I don't want to be disagreeable. I certainly understand where you're coming from and you had every right to hold that position could I ask you a few questions about why you believe that because I love to share if you give me the opportunity with your permission. What I I don't think that's correct, and instead will or have his people just, you know what I don't want one more argument I want people to cancel me.

I don't want to be viewed as are you willing about away this I'm not talking about out there on, in your churches. There is a drift in the churches today like never before. There is a drift in some I mean bellwether institutions in universities that have drifted from what's very very obvious and very very true. Not on minor things on big things. I wonder, am I willing to take a stand for the truth. Here's the action step up and we all hear that right every NFL season Roco 20 you do you know you lost quarterback last weekend. Well, this can have someone step up Scott step up and I mean we so understand that exports do you understand basically if there were two words you appall the Santa Timothy to step up man.

Yeah, I love you Emporia. I've been there, but at the end of the day.

I command you in the presence of the living God, who lives in approachable light visible immortal fight fight. Keep the faith. Step up. That's a word for me if I had a really good day. I think I can get us in a frenzy but we we we we will get to stand up to you like I can get you all pumped up and you leave out here doing what the meaning step up means.

We had a rally. Anybody have a rally.

There's a world of difference between believing something even believing something sincerely and convictions you believe something until it's tested and although I cannot tell you for all of us.

You don't know what you believe. I mean, I know you think you know what you believe but you don't know what you believe, until cost you something big and precious and are you willing to stand on that belief. If it means rejection or loss or alienation or even a job, or money.

The unspoken needs to develop right the word convictions. I can't tell you over the years I pastored for gosh almost 40 years and I've had all kind of families you believe in life at conception. Absolutely insane. Interesting how people's theology changes when their daughter who has a full ride gets pregnant and they urge their daughter to have an abortion so she doesn't lose her scholarship and I can give you a dozen examples and if all of us were honest, beginning with me. I really thought I believe certain things and I found myself in sort of a situation where, while if if I step up and out on this one. I think I'm to be the only one in the room. I just kept my mouth shut just one thing to okay how many of us believe we should be generous. There's a good one.

Jesus is generous right, although he was rich he became poor, that we by his poverty might become rich. Write better, more blessed, even God's favor rest upon you. Better to give than to receive. So horribly that some of your so smart. I am going to my hand like I know I know the next questions, and so then my next question. We will have. How many of you off the top. Give the first portion of your income to God's work and and and and are looking for graduated ways to keep increasing the percentage realizing it's all God's annual along to help other people. I was doing a series on generosity. So I took a clipboard and I just hope no one would ever recognize me from our church and I just said I have a survey excuse me new people walking away like this, like, but had progressive please is just one question just yes or no.

Would you consider yourself a generous person I just I just ran the people. 90% of everyone I surveyed said yes so I asked all the people of our church.

But what they did knows I know over half of them don't give anything zero Nata what I did know that only 2.7% of Bible believing Christians.

Even Cadiz is my conviction. But what the people do have have experienced this, how does it work that I give, but I don't just think you think money is generated generosity just about money. Money is the training wheels of generosity. You start with your money than your time than your reputation, then I me and then the more generous you become given to be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over back into your laptop does amazing things but but just my point is convictions. So let me give you a head, heart, and hands to develop convictions number one know the truth John 1717 Jesus last prayer is what he prayed father set them apart or sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth to first of all, you gotta know the truth that the second Timothy passage talks about study to show yourself approved to handle God's word. Learning the Scriptures. Secondly, living the truth I he would say to a group who had believed on him living the truth. John 831 and 32 to those Jews who had believes on him. He says if you continue in my word, no words put into practice or abiding it. Don't know the truth and the truth will set you free. Hebrews 313. This is why were here but encourage one another, day after day, less any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin left to myself less. I hang out with other guys and have times to be honest and share. I just get think I'm doing way better than I am. And then I get I find myself in the ditch so you know the truth you live the truth and noticed the first has to do with God's word and the second I think you got have a coach or mentor think you need someone whom I do in life with.

Who can I be honest with and then finally the hands this year the truth. Jesus didn't fill his group well you been to the three year seminar on checking out. I'll see you later. Make sure you have all your green yellow and purple notebooks.

In order when I get back is that I want you to go and make disciples every people group every F and as you go is not like you don't need to go to China. You don't need to go to LA you don't need to go to West Virginia don't need to go to your Afghanistan verbally, grammatically, it's as you go verb make followers in the way you make an issue baptize them. You help them come to the point of this used to be identity as a sinner and now Christ is coming to my life now have a new identity as a saint and I'm going to just physically be baptized. The died of my old way of life because I've been resurrected with Christ in it since power.

I live and this not just this big event. But then I want you to teach them to actually live out and obey everything and when that happens, manages consumer rich and is it easy absolutely not is awesome absolute will be right back application this message and step up the book of first Timothy life coaching from the apostle Paul.

Our mission as many of you know is for Christians to really live like Christians, but that's a lot easier said than done nowadays right through this new series based in the book of first Timothy chip highlights the vital warnings and pieces of advice.

Paul shared with Timothy that helped him navigate the hostile society lived in. Don't miss how we can put this wisdom into practice in our everyday Christian lives to get plugged in with a series visit LivingontheEdge.org that's LivingontheEdge.org trips back with me in studio now with a quick question for all of you ship thanks so much Dave.

I want to ask you something really important. Would you choose to become a financial partner with us not using that language to disguise the fact that I'm asking you to giver her trying to be fancier asking for money, but when you invest in this ministry is more accurately saying yes I will partner with you. Yes, I'll go to work with you. Yes I want to be on this mission with you when you give, you become a part of all that we do a part of the hundreds of thousands of people hearing God's word. A part of discipling new Christians and encouraging persecuted Christians in China and the Middle East is a part of supplying teaching and training and resources to pastors right here in the US so will you ask God what part he would give you and all of this and then just do whatever he shows you if all of us do our part.

However, God leads it will be exactly what we need to fulfill exactly what God wants us to do. I want to thank you in advance for whatever God leads you to do and thank you. Thanks so much for being a partner.

Thanks, Chip will as you heard God has called this ministry to help Christians really live like Christians both here in the US and all around the world. So if you'd like to help us fulfill that mission. We'd love to have you join the team by becoming a monthly partner set up a recurring donation@livingontheedge.org or via the Chip Ingram up or you can now text the word donate 27 4141 that's donate to 741 41 thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do over that ship. Let's get your application for this message.

Thanks so much Dave, you know, today is a sobering message in many ways it's couple thousand years ago, but the real issue is am I willing to defend the truth of God's word in a hostile environment mean the truth of God's word right now in areas of morality is very unpopular that the truth of God's word about Jesus saying I am the way the truth and the life like it's unique very unpopular in the truth of God's word in terms of the value of life for a family is is very unpopular and you know what it was just as unpopular, then in fact more so because there was persecution where their lives were being taken to stand for Jesus and what I want you to know is that listening to podcasts listening to me or someone else teach even going to church and watching online will not give you the strength or the convictions to take a stand for Jesus when I say take a stand. This is in a militant thing I'm talking about lovingly when simile living the life and doing it in a sensitive way, but not being afraid of being bold, being kind. Being a Christian that people know you're a follower of Jesus. The issue is are you developing convictions, and to do that you have to know the truth. To do that you have to live out the truth and to do that you have to share the truth cannot just speak to you very directly and say I know it's hard. Don't buy the lie don't shrink back. Paul is saying to his son in the faith step up what I want to tell you right now.

Step up if it gets hard. Step up if you get some pushback step up. But step up with grace be winsome, be loving, be kind, but don't back down just before we close.

Would you pray for those who are responding to trips encouragement today.

There's always a spiritual battle when we feel prompted to draw near and obey God, thanks for taking a minute to do that and if there's a way we can pray for you.

Let us know just call AAA 333-6003 or email chip@livingontheedge.org. We'd love to hear from you until next time, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge