The Book of 1 Timothy - Step Out!, Part 1

Can you think of someone that used to be a really strong vibrant follower of Jesus, but today is walking with him at all. What happened and why, that's today stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chip survival for this daily discipleship program motivating Christians to really live like Christians that mission of ours is never been more relevant right now because sadly we can all relate to the disappointment you just described, admiring a Christian leader, only to learn they don't preach today. Chip continues his news. The book of first Timothy by looking at what causes believers to follow away how we can stay committed to God and his word no matter what is a lot to cover today, so here's chip for his talk. Step out for you guys ready to begin get a little more coaching from the apostle Paul. If you have your notes handy. There you can pull them out. We look at chapter 4, and each time you know we have one a little tip and you can fill this in.

At the very top Tip number four from the apostle Paul, is this adversity will either make you or break you. Adversity, difficulty will either make you or break you challenge. Difficulty, distress, pain, betrayal, losing a job, losing your retirement losing a mate divorce failure and injury cancer.

The death of a loved one. There is no escape in a fallen world in a fallen world. There is evil and evil people in a fallen world. There's human mistakes. Just a mistake.

Someone didn't ratchet a bolt all the way on an airplane and comes loose and that leads to an and then there's willful choices that are just sinful by other people that affect us and ours that affect other people. The only question in all of that is how you respond and that some of you have had lives that have not been scarred very much. Fasten your seatbelt. I don't mean that badly, and is not some fearful life waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In this world, according to the greatest authority you will have tribulation, but he said I've overcome the world. But adversity comes into people's lives in it literally.

I mean there's just it creates two very clear paths victims, survivors and drivers. Adversity comes in. Some people blame God. They blame other people blame themselves. Sometimes it causes you to persevere and do things and overcome things and builds character in your life and causes you to see things you never saw causes you to take steps you would've never taken forces you to relocate or think differently about everything and you go back to multiple windows in your life where that adversity was the worst thing in the world on the front end and you look in the rearview mirror. You think while where would I be if that had not happened to me right.

The apostle Paul, now is going to do some coaching with young Timothy and what he wants to do is he wants to help Timothy build resilience. He wants to set him up. The worst thing that can happen in your life is having the false expectation that difficult things are going to have to order this. Even worse, false expectation if you can live in some certain way. Were you really love God and you're really disciplined in certain areas and you meet with God and you're good with your money and your kind. Other people that it will happen to everyone else but not you. When you go back to Job, who is blameless. There are no exceptions. So the apostle Paul is going to coach this young man and us to say. Here's how you respond. Here's how you keep your antenna up and recognize stuffs going to happen. Here's where the real issues are and here's what you need to do so with that, let's look at chapter 4, he opens it up. You'll notice in your notes with the description of false teachers, and where the evil comes from, but the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times.

Here's this phrase again is talking about church people. Some will fall away from you. Put a box around this enough times, yet the faith. Why paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons and by the way, before you get like all paranormal and that's got to be really bizarre stuff for was like where I lived in Santa Cruz we had.

I mean, audio and visual visible manifestations of demonic activity and we had witches and warlocks. It was it was most bizarre place in the world. I would suggest to you.

Much of the teachings of the enemy are as simple as follow your heart. You deserve to be happy.

If you do good, everything good will come your way very very subtle.

God wants you to be healthy and rich and prosperous all the time I was on a number of calls with pastors around the world. In the beginning the pandemic and then we started building relationships and we begin to talk every month and first it was just some pastors in the least. And then it was a number of India and then it spread to Africa and pretty soon we were coordinating with about 10,000 pastors in 60 countries at all really hurting and over and over. They said the prosperity gospel is crippling us these people been preaching forever that if you believe certain things and can speak them into existence and and that God is always going to make everything wonderful will guess what their dying and there's not prosperity and the markets are closed. What we need is biblical living hope this will God wants to give us the number one means of spiritual warfare is not bizarre stuff. It's three little letters LIE slice lies about the future lies about yourself lies about success lies about your past lies about who you are, lies about what makes you a person significant lies about security lies about relationships lies about you know all those Democrats you know their Marxist right lies about the Republicans. They're all racist. The enemy attack through the left he'll attack through the right. He doesn't care he just came to kill and to steal and destroy. You and if we can get you to buy a set of lies and go down the path of those lies that set expectations lie I'm not in love anymore. I must've married the wrong person know you to stop doing the things that build intimacy and so you drifted apart and you have to go back to the things you did in the beginning and you need to own your part and you need to ask for forgiveness and you to extend forgiveness, but instead we believe the lie we take some steps we make some decisions and he says they come by the means of hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. These bodily slides are coming to people inside the church right what it says teach our youth trip or you tell me that deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons by the hypocrisy of liars seared in their conscience with a branding iron were actually teaching things like they forbid marriage, the advocate abstaining from some foods what God has created and trying to take people away from a knowledge of the truth. Yes, it was happening, then it's happening now and then he gives a little corrective for everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it's received with gratitude for sanctified by means of the word of God in prayer and basically he goes back to whomever he started with false teachers.

He said this is what you need to do. Chapter 2 was how we need to address it.

Chapter 3 we need a long-haul strategy. We need to develop really godly men with character who can lead the church in the future. And then it's like to me ever calling to me, but you need to understand that the source of these lies aren't just these quote bad people there energized by the enemy and the enemy is energizing false teaching inside the church and has the appearance of godliness there super disciplined you know they don't eat these foods. I don't worship on the they don't they don't they don't they don't and here's all these things they do and it some works religiosity to somehow put burdens on people instead of experience God's grace and forgiveness and and so he just telling him everything that God gives us is good and if you receive it with thanksgiving in the word and prayer. It sanctifies it, and then in verse six through 10, he's going to give them a prescription to be a good teacher. He says in pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters.

You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of good doctrine which you have been following that dude, did you notice something because this is can be really key. The people who were genuine followers. At one point, to some degree started paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons and he is going to do well by pointing out these things and he's constantly nourished on the words of faith and good doctrine did you understand I mean is just write this in your notes you are the product of your thought life as a man thinks in his heart so is he. How you think how you view yourself, your emotions, your perspective, your worldview is a product of your thought life and that's why Colossians 3 José set your mind on the things that are above, none of things that are on earth.

That's why Paul in Romans eight will say, the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace to it is so so important that later in in Romans chapter 12 when he talks about how real life changed.

He doesn't say go to church do a lot of good things and try really hard to be nice and try hard to be distant and try to be godly. He says stop allowing this world system and its lies to squeeze you into its mold. By contrast, allow your mind to be renewed, that your life and lifestyle would actually prove experience taste what God's will is that it's good acceptable and perfect. And that's why are you ready for this. This sounds crazy.

The most important decision you make, every single day, multiple times a day is what you allow in your mind what you watch what you listen to how long you linger in this conversation about the way it is not just media is not just culture it your friends.

Proverbs 1320 says he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companionable fool will suffer harm a member, a mom was kinda given it to her. 1415-year-old boy that was kinda letting her know that she kind he knows, what life is all about and was hanging with some people that she being a little older said, you know, I see where this is going and I never forget overhearing her. She said son show me your friends and I'll show you your future and I got news that's true of 1414-year-olds and 24-year-olds and 44-year-olds and 64-year-olds and 74-year-old and €79.01 make Cheryl got included, so, so he says you be a good servant. If you pointing things out, but then noted. Notice again the content but stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women rather discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness for bodily training is this translation says just slightly beneficial. The idea if it's beneficial for this life it's physical training, working out, eating healthy. That's it super helpful for now, but it's limited but godliness is beneficial for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. And then he gives us one of the statements is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. What that godliness, discipline going into spiritual training benefits this life and the next and then look at the low purpose clause and then he says, for it is for this becoming a godly man we labor and striving that word labor. We get our original, a gym or gymnastic athletic training it's it's pushing it's it's this third set in your arms are shaking and someone has to spot you. But you know it's the third satyr for somebody. The fourth set the fifth said that that's where you'd that's where things are tearing down there so things are going to build up pieces for this we labor and strive because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, and especially of believers, and then he gives them this personal challenge. He says prescribed and teach these things and listened.

Listen, this is this is Paul really coaching individually. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather where she deeply godly in your speech and your conduct and your love and your faith in your purity, show yourself an example of those who believe in other words, you know what you need to step out. You need to set an example. You need to be godly in what you say you need to be godly in your relationship godly in your thinking a better word maybe is Christlike prescribe and teach these things he says that he goes on in verse 13, until I come give attention to the public reading of God's word and to expectation in teaching and other words. Again it goes back to the understand the threads all through this chapter are where is your mind going the people who drift away. Start paying attention to other things, they start drifting all of you heard about this and he watch this but you nourished yourself. Pay attention to the reading of God's word and then goes on the expectation that means putting it into practice and exultation takes more than one person.

That's like a come on together. Let's go were down 10 four minutes left.

That's exultation what it's come on everyone step up step in. Let's go and then he says teaching that's explaining what's true in applying it to real-life, do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted you the prophecy with the laying on of hands by the Council of Elders take pains with these things be absorbed in them. Why so that your progress will be evident to all. What progress you becoming more like Jesus, you're more loving your more patient you have more joy you're more forgiving your better dad. You're a better husband. You're more pure single man, take pains absorbed. So come in honey. Hey Timothy, this is what you need in order to survive the world that you're living in, pay close attention. Finally he says to yourself and to the teachings literally the doctrines what's true. Persevere in these things. Some of you that lift weights would love this word persevere.

It's it's everywhere in James one member says consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces perseverance and allow or let perseverance to have its outworking in your life that you might be telling sort mature right perfect and complete, lacking nothing. That's this word he says persevere its hoopoe Menno compound word hoopoe means to be under Menno under pressure or stress. Some of you actually pay to be under pressure and stress and and you usually have a partner you put it on here hoopoe Menno hoopoe Menno hoopoe Menno minutes, come on, right in any understand how it works. I'm sure most of you do is when you get to that third set is is what you're doing is your your tearing the fibers of the muscle. Just ever so slightly in the reasons you don't know lift hard two days in a row the same muscles is you don't want her to much. But what you do is you terrible little bit and if you're smart, you get some protein and you and then about 24 to 48 hours as it heals back is what that's why your muscles get bigger, your muscles get bigger because of resistance. Your soul expands with godliness when you go through adversity, God uses suffering. He says for Christ has given us an example.

First Peter two that we should follow that since he suffered.

We should also suffer following in his steps and he says if you suffer for doing wrong. What good is that.

But when you suffer for doing what is right. This finds favor with God. How we respond literally there's little little little banquets and and things going on in heaven and people high-fiving one another. Did you see what that brother went through what that sister went through to see how they persevere.

They wouldn't give up. They wouldn't give up. They wouldn't give up. What happens is just like your body gets stronger.

Your soul, your faith gets stronger. That's how you build resilience to bounce back and we all we all want to be that person. But we don't want the process right. I mean, I mean that I was given guy a hard time better, tight shirt on and some of us could tell he lifts weights and so as we were standing next each other. I've let him know that this is really a very very loose shirt, and I wear these loose shirts because I'm completely ripped underneath. And that would be a lie but I'll tell you what you know if you ever gone to that cycle and you get with the body and you notes three times a week and there was I don't know why there was one lift at 6 AM or some stupid our right and you know the first three days you do it and you think is the dumbest idea in the world and the shame you into it and you do it another week and everything still really hurts and about the third week look down you go up applicable sentence happened in their right you do about six weeks due to about three months. Pretty soon you start looking like a different person and what you're doing physically is willfully taking your body through resistance and breaking it down so that it can grow back stronger the guy in the in the wine country who did a weird deal every every day he got up and get a paper and he rolled up real tight and put a bunch rubber bands around any walk-through always binds and just what will happen.

So what you doing I'm getting stronger but aren't you hurting because know what I'm I'm I'm laughing them every day because we can have storms here and is enough stuff happened and what every time I walk and what happens is, those routes are responding and realize if we don't go deeper in of a problem when nobody else's vineyards. When the stuff came through his was strong. Could you imagine what would happen if you would rethink adversity rather than oh God, why me or this is so terrible her life is not really fair and you saw it more as the hand of a kind and loving God in the midst of a very fallen world which he allows people the freedom to make decisions including you and me, some of which really hurt other people. And some it's just a fallen world that if you would receive. That is, this is a test of my faith. Hoopoe Menno and I'm going to get up each day and like Timothy. I'm going to take pains.

I'm going to absorbed myself time to renew my mind.

I'm going to memorize the Scripture. I'm going to get with some guys that really want to do life and I will tell you what, in the midst of adversity. We will meet you two years or five years or seven years from now and you will have people say I don't even know you used to have a temper used to be so negative about everything used to just drag on your wife all the time when we were out hanging out. You should always be you know talk about this and that that what what happened to you and and they're not probably gonna say something but the listening department's message to step out right back with this application. Teaching from a series. The book of first Timothy life coaching from the apostle Paul. Through this new study chip identifies six pieces of godly wisdom. Paul passed on to his protégé Timothy Albee's truths apply to you and me here why characteristics like humility, dedication, integrity and respect are still critical to our relationships with others and God I hope you listen to every part of the series, either through the chirping roadmap or LivingontheEdge.org. I really think you're gonna learn a lot.

I'll be right back to talk about today's message but before I do I want to give you a picture that I got to witness as a young pastor there was a man there who is a master craftsman. I mean he was a cabinetmaker are Exelon's and a member watching him literally painstakingly with a piece of wood. Use a lathe and little by little by little by little. He did all these things. I couldn't figure out what was happening and then you know all those little moments led to this absolutely beautiful piece of cabinetry or furniture and you know sometimes we think little things don't matter even calling them little things and one of the quote little things.

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Ask God do you want me support Living on the Edge you want me to help Christians are like Christians and if so would you like me to do it on a regular monthly basis and by the way thanks in advance whatever God leads you to do extra will is you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry. I want to remind you that every gift is significant when you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do to set up a recurring donation go to LivingontheEdge.org or visit the chirping roadmap. You can also text the word donate 741 41 that's donate to 741 41.

We appreciate your support with that chip. Let's get to that application. You promised. Thanks Dave. As we close today's program.

I want you to pause with me. We heard some very, very strong warnings and I think were seeing some of the fruit of those warnings.

The apostle Paul says no one is immune from falling away and he ties that with false teaching and were living in a day where there's a lot of false teaching in the false teaching isn't just this direct you know God doesn't exist and you're crazy to believe in Jesus. It's this journey of deconstruction and there's a whole generation of people that I'm spending a lot of time with right now that don't have clear understanding and are deeply deeply confused and here's what I want to say to you own estate to parents want to say to grandparents and want to say it directly to you that are younger in the faith.

You need to determine what you believe and why you cannot listen to everyone there so many voices out there at the end of the day. There is truth. There is a word from God, and we been given to it in his word and someone encourage you stand strong and clear on the truth of God's word, your friends and what you allow in your mind is going to determine where you land 510 20 years from now ask yourself what kind of conversations am I having with my friends. What kind of things do they have and are they walking closely with the Lord. What kind of stuff in my putting in my mind this either, raising questions, answering questions, developing doubts or are they pulling me away from God or closer to Jesus. I just want to encourage you you so matter to the Lord Jesus. He loves you so much. Let me encourage you, be steadfast get into the Scriptures and get around some fellow believers that are walking closely to Christ. None of us are immune from falling away. Let's not be those people great reminder chip. Let me just say if you're looking for a practical way to deepen your relationship with God. Let me encourage you to sign up for daily discipleship with chip. This is a free video resource we've created where you can study the Bible alongside ship for the entire course shall spend no more than 10 minutes with chip in a particular passage of Scripture. Then he'll challenge you to spend 10 more minutes on your own.

It's so easy. You'll be blown away by how much you learn about God and his word so sign up for any of our daily discipleship sessions today just go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just tap discipleship until next time. This is the thing. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge