1 Timothy 4

Instructions to Timothy

1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10 (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Devotional on 1 Timothy 4:12-16: A Recipe for Respect

I would like to share a recipe for respect with you from 1 Timothy 4:12-16. You may very well be familiar with this scripture, but hopefully, this will be a new angle on it for you. I'm going to read it and as I do, I'd like you to watch and listen for ways that Paul instructs Timothy to earn the respect of the Ephesian church.

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Background

Question: Does anyone know something about the background of 1 Timothy?

Instructions from Paul to Timothy in his work with the Ephesian Church. There was a problem of false teachers and spiritually immature leadership. Timothy was to exhort these people.

• Chapter 1: Warning About False Teachers
• Chapter 2: On Worship
• Chapter 3: On Leaders
• Chapter 4: Personal Conduct
• Chapter 5: On Widows, Elders and Slaves
• Chapter 6: On Greed and a Charge to Stand Firm

I'm sure you've heard the first part of verse twelve on many occasions; "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young." Paul continues this verse and the verses following by giving instruction on how to keep people from looking down on you, or how to earn the respect of people. I've always been enthralled with the idea of being "Respected". Even before I knew the word, as a young child, I had a desire to be considered important and notable so that I would be included in everything that the older people did. I would get mad when decisions were made about me without talking to me first. As I became a teenager and the natural yearning for independence crept in, I only wanted more respect because with it came freedom from oversight and power over myself. As I grow older, I find that respect opens more doors than force of will, anger, frustration or begging. Respect is an important key to unlocking the power in your spiritual gifts.

The pursuit of respect can be very frustrating. Respect is often hard to acquire and can even be impossible with certain people. Unfortunately, some people turn away from the pursuit of respect, discouraged and bitter at the world. When looking deeply at myself, I often think that I would be one of these hurting and angry people if God had not had grace on me. If you feel yourself sliding towards discouragement, Paul has something in his recipe specifically for you.

Question: What instructions for respect did you see in these verses?

The first instruction in the recipe for respect is "set an example for the believers". In order to be respected, you need to present yourself as someone who is respectable. It is the first and foundational instruction. Paul encourages Timothy to be respectable in the way he talks, lives, loves, believes and in cleanliness. Being respectable is a lifestyle choice. You must have the style of respectability that permeates through every area of your life. However, you can live a life worthy of the respect of others and not be respected. That is where the next instruction comes in.

The second instruction is to "devote yourself" to serving others. In the context of this passage Paul is speaking specifically to Timothy, a pastor with the responsibilities of reading scripture publicly, preaching and teaching others. These are ways that a pastor serves others. I'm generalizing this a bit to fit you and I better. We earn respect by devoting ourselves to the service of others. If you stop and think with me for a moment, this makes perfect sense. Who are the people you most like to be around? Ultimately, most people find that they enjoy being around people who serve them in some way. Perhaps they provide interesting conversation or bake tasty treats or have a vast collection of the latest video games. As before, this instruction alone can not win the respect of others.

Instruction number three says "Do not neglect your gifts". Unlike Timothy, you probably did not receive your gift though the elders laying hands on you. However, every Christian has a spiritual gift that comes with the Holy Spirit when they accept the other gift of eternal life from Jesus Christ. Of course, the first thing you have to do is know what your spiritual gifts are. If you don't already know, make this a point of study and watch for opportunities to serve in ways that God may have gifted you.

Instruction four encourages us to "Be diligent in these matters". In other words, don't give up! This is for those of you who may feel discouraged and hurt. Everyone has times in their life where they just can't see the point of moving forward, but Paul encourages you to push through the ugly parts to reach the treasure. There is also another side to biblical diligence that helps understand how not to give up, one of those little nuggets of truth that gets buried in translation. Diligence is more than simply pushing on. It is the intentional, intelligent planning of the matter. You've heard the phrase, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Critics will tell you that if you try the same method again then you will only be repeating your failure. Albert Einstein restated this poignantly, "The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The correct understanding of diligence in the Bible includes a constant re-evaluation and adjustments to your methods with an eye on your goal.

Paul summarizes his previous remarks in the statement, "Watch your life and doctrine closely". In this instruction, he re-emphasizes the need to be diligent. He tells us to persevere or push through the tough times. In doing so he says "you will save both yourself and your hearers". This can be a difficult passage in scripture. I don't want you to get caught up in the idea that you can save yourself. This is not true. You know that there is only one way to heaven. This passage simply reflects on what we read in James and Phillipians that the proof of our faith in Jesus Christ is in our works. By drawing closer to the example that Christ has set for us, we demonstrate our faith before others and give them a path to follow to Christ as well.

In your personal pursuit for respect this week, remember this recipe

1. Set an example for the believers.
2. Devote yourself to serving others.
3. Do not neglect your gifts.
4. Be diligent in these matters.

Summed Up: Watch your life and doctrine.

As  you remember these things, be encouraged that your own pursuit of respect before God will become an avenue for others to learn about your faith. God will be honored and glorified through the quality of your life. Rachel has an activity to give you a chance to begin right after church. Through this activity you have the opportunity to set an example and devote yourself to serving others. It may even be an opportunity to discover a gift of encouragement. Tonight we will be speaking again. Anyone who diligently completes this activity will be rewarded. We have a sweet treat for you.

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