Difference Maker - Week 5

Topic: In the same way that Paul charged Timothy to set an example and live boldly for Christ, difference makers are charged to impact the world around them as they live out their faith.

Passage: 1 Timothy 4

Big Idea: We are charged with the mission of being difference makers.

Introduction

Bible Context: Paul wrote both 1 and 2 Timothy to his younger apprentice and dear friend in ministry, Timothy.

Though he is young, Timothy is serving as the pastor of the church in Ephesus, and things in Ephesus are extremely challenging.

Ephesus was a port city that featured Artemis's temple (one of the seven ancient wonders of the world). It was, therefore, an epicenter for not only false teachers but lost followers.

When Paul left Timothy, he specifically challenged him to deal with the false teachers within the church. He then later wrote this first letter to Timothy to give him further instructions on how to go about dealing with such teachers.

The letter is extremely personal and can almost be seen as a personal note from an old man writing out all he knows to a young apprentice (think young grasshopper learning from a master or a padawan learning from a Jedi).

Paul challenges and encourages Timothy to stand firm in his faith and to continue to live his life in a manner that points others to Christ.

The letter is a clear call to live holy lives in response to the life-changing implications of the Gospel. Where we pick up, which is towards the end of the letter, Paul gives some final instructions to Timothy before concluding the letter.

Scripture

Charged to Stand Strong

1 Timothy 4:7

Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

Paul warns Timothy to stay away from things that would distract him from his relationship with God.

He encourages him to be self-controlled and disciplined.

Illustration: Training for sports - the weight room.

Ben just finished football, and Josh is heading into the wrestling season here soon. What do you guys do in the offseason?

In our relationship with God, we need to strengthen ourselves in God’s Word and through prayer so that we can continue to do what he’s called us to do.

Are there things that distract you? Things that you might be ashamed to admit - take a higher precedence in your life than Jesus?

It can be tough to resist things in our lives when other people around us are doing those things. But if they are not beneficial to your relationship with Christ, Paul says we shouldn’t waste our time.

We need to train to be godly.

V. 8… “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

The reality is that we tend to prioritize other things in our lives over our relationship with God.

I’m not going to just point out sports here, but when you are following God, and something in your life is of greater importance, it’s a distraction.

There are many “good” things to do in this life (sports, theater, dance, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, you name it), but the “best” thing we can ever choose is to follow Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Charged to Be Bold

1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Paul wants Timothy to set an example?

Yep! But he says that people are looking down on Timothy because he is young? How is he supposed to set an example?

This I’m sure is a question you may ask of yourself. Why would anyone expect anything from me? I’m just a kid. What can I do?

This is what I think is so unique about the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives as we choose to follow Jesus.

Making a difference isn’t contingent upon the fact that you’ve reached a certain age. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to transform our Spirit, Soul, and Body, so that we look more like Christ.

One of the main reasons I became a Youth Pastor is because I believe the next generation, you guys, can make a difference in our church, our community, and our world.

Often the world’s expectations of young people gives you an excuse to goof around, or to “waste time over godless ideas” as Paul says. It gives you an excuse to refuse to mature, and in your relationship with God, it can cause you to think that you have time to start following Jesus whenever you feel like it.

In love

The way we act, the way we treat others, and the way we respond need to reflect Christ.

The Bible says that they will know we are believers by our love because it looks like Christ, and not the world.

In faith

Making a difference requires you to have faith that God can and will work through you. Often it’s just remembering the fact that God has given us power through the Holy Spirit to do incredible things, and in order to increase our faith, we need to step out and try things that require us to be bold and courageous.

In purity

This is an important one, and one that I believe reflects the true heart of every believer. When purity is mentioned, it is not just in reference to sexual sins. This has to do with the way we think and view the world around us.

Do we view people from God’s perspective? Or do we have certain stereotypes that we allow to cloud our judgment and cause us to mistreat other people?

Do we think about heavenly things as Colossians 3 talked about last week? Or are we filling our minds with inappropriate things on social media, inappropriate language in our music and friend groups, or inappropriate movies and tv shows that if we really thought about the content, we see how it translates into our inappropriate behavior.

He asks that we think about the things of heaven and not the things of earth, because if we truly dwell on the things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good and worthy of praise, people would begin to recognize a change, and want to know what made a difference in our lives.

Charged to Make a Difference

1 Timothy 4:15

Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.

This is a call to action. When Paul says to “throw yourself into your tasks,” he’s not saying, do all these good things so that you might earn favor with God. He’s calling us to recognize the things that truly matter in our lives, and to put our full effort into those so that we can grow.

For some of you, you haven’t chosen to follow Jesus, and so the most important thing in your life might be your family. It could be sports, your reputation, your friends, but whatever it is, I know this for sure. It will never completely bring you joy and fulfillment in this life.

For others of you, you may have chosen to say a prayer at some point in your life, or you may have been at church for most of your life, but God isn’t the one you’re allowing to guide and direct your life, and so you still feel empty and uncertain of if your life has meaning.

I want you to know tonight, that if you “throw yourself” after the things of Christ, you will find joy, hope, fulfillment.

Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You might be thinking to yourself, okay how do I do that? I’m going to ask some questions, and I don’t want you to raise your hand, but I want you to answer this for yourself.

Well let me ask this question: How many of you read your Bible on a daily basis? (more than just the verse of the day)

How many of you pray and ask God to help you love other people as you start your day?

How many of you are seeing the fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in your life?

How many of you are finding yourself so busy with things in your life, that you have no time to read your Bible, or pray, or sometimes even to come to church?

I love reading the Psalms because of the fact that you can see how desperately David and other writers sought after the things of God. They delighted themselves in learning more about who He is, and how he created them for a purpose. There are even Psalms that speak of rejoicing in rules and commandments…

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

When we devote ourselves to God, when we throw ourselves into the things that God has called us to do, it’s incredible to witness how the Holy Spirit does a work in our hearts.

Our desires become Christ’s desires, and it says that when we delight in Him, He gives us those desires.

That is where a difference is made. Our desires become Christ’s desires, and just like verse 14 says, we can utilize the spiritual gifts that God has given us to make a difference in people’s lives.

Just to be clear, our greatest desire when we are seeking to make a difference is that people who don’t know Jesus would come to know Him.