Let No Man Forsake Thy Youth
Notes
Transcript
One of the most well-known scriptures in the bible around youth can be found in, Ecclesiastes 12:1
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don’t enjoy life.”
This is a consistent reminder to use your youthful days wisely. There will be a time when the energy you once had is depleted as life’s issues and obstacles arise. Therefore, we should be diligent in using our time wisely.
You may be young now, but you will not always be young!
8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
9 You young people should enjoy yourselves while you’re young. You should let your hearts make you happy when you’re young. Follow wherever your heart leads you and whatever your eyes see. But realize that God will make you give an account for all these things when he judges everyone.
Accountability is key to this verse as this is an area of life that a lot of young people and old people both tend to steer clear of. There is the fear of taking ownership of our actions.
The truth is, whether you want to take accountability for everything you do in this life or not, God is still going to hold you accountable when standing before him.
No one will escape the eyesight of God, nor the process of accountability.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.
The author commands that we be careful of the hidden dangers of life. This includes wasted time in our youth and being absent minded or clueless about the accountability you will have to give to the Lord concerning your required participation in the Kingdom of God.
Early in life, I would hear people say that God doesn’t hold children accountable until they reach the age of 12. Looking and researching scripture, there is absolutely no reference to an age of accountability.
However what I did find was:
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
Some of the common mistakes that I have seen and continue to see consist of:
Denial or lack of understanding regarding their purpose.
God has spoken in your life and you have hesitancy about how to proceed with the call on your life. These are individuals who continue to spend their time working on items that will never render righteous fruit because they don’t fulfill their purpose.
The desire to fit in with our peers and communities.
The always present peer pressure. Peer pressure is not only a problem in adolescence, but it can be an issue for those in their advanced years also.
Acceptance of unwise advisement.
These are individuals who allow others to pour into their life without vetting and discerning the intent and content of the person doing the pouring. All advice is not good advice, especially when the advisor is lacking in the area of advisement.
PAUL’S COMMAND TO TIMOTHY - (Timothy’s Example of Youth in Leadership)
Paul gave an express mandate to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.
For those of you who may not know who Timothy is:
Background on TImothy (Timotheus) - Name means “dear to God”
First time we hear of Timothy is in Acts 16:1–5 “Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”
Paul met Timothy when arriving in the city of Lystra.
Lystra was part of the Roman province of Galatia.
Timothy/Timotheus was already converted and considered a disciple.
Timothy was well reported of by the brethern that were in Lystra and Iconium, neighboring cities in Galatia.
A good reputation can open doors in rooms where you may not always present.
Timothy’s mother is Eunice who was a Jewess, and his father was a Greek.
Because his father was a Greek, Paul circumcised him to appease the Jews of that time.
This goes back to our studies in Matthew 5:9 about being a peacemaker.
In the book of Timothy, Paul has left Timothy in Ephesus by Paul, as Paul continued his journey to Macedonia.
In Ephesus, false teachings had become prevalent as well as wasted time on useless conversations about fables/myths and discussions of genealogy/heritage.
Paul’s goal was to eradicate these teachings and issues that had crept into the church by leaving Timothy, who was of good reputation, behind to re-establish sound doctrine and tend to the church.
1 Timothy 1:3–7 “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”
Like Timothy, we sometimes need a reminder of our purpose. Our flesh makes it too easy to get sidetracked and off course as we see with the church in Ephesus. This is why scripture tells us to be reminded of our adversary who is consistently working to through us off the path of salvation.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Paul tells Timotheus to not allow anyone to allow his youth to be a barrier to acceptance of the calling that God has placed on his life. Timothy was to show behavior that is acceptable to God and edifying/building the Kingdom of God. This was to be done by his:
Word
His communication, whether verbal or written.
Conversation
How you conduct yourself in private and in public.
Charity
How you show affection/love to others.
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
Dissimulation - Not as an act or staged. Without hypocrisy.
Spirit
What you are inclined to do in situations. Your actions should match what you profess. Your actions give us a glimpse of what is truly inside of you.
If offended do you:
Get even with the person
Pray for the person
Hold the offense inward
What you are inclined to do speaks volumes of your character.
Faith
Your trust in God and his word.
The keyword is trust, because if you don’t trust God, it will show in your conduct and in the results you receive in life. God’s commandments always carry the principle of sowing and reaping.
Example can be found in Deuteronomy 11:26–28
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Purity
Your integrity.
It will be difficult to operate in the Kingdom of God if your character shows signs of untrustworthiness.
These are the qualities that caused Paul to trust Timothy with this work. When we feel like God is not trusting us with his work, the question should be do I posses the qualities that render me worthy of the responsibility?
In our natural life, we tend to seek advancement where we are not qualified.
Look how many people submit resumes and applications for jobs where they don’t meet the requirements. And when turned down, they take on an attitude of victimization. Likewise in the church, individuals submit themselves for the work of the Kingdom, without understanding the qualifications.
The bulk of the work is not what is done before the masses, but what is done in secrecy. Without true conviction, you won’t preach or work with conviction. This conviction is drawn from a deep desire and journey to be sanctified for the work of the cross.
Paul was leaving Timothy with the responsibility of correcting doctrine which meant that Paul had to trust that Timothy was properly indoctrinated.
Too many people want to operate in the church and are not properly indoctrinated. Not everyone is properly indoctrinated.
Drawing from our natural lives again, you have young people who don’t pursue higher education or skills but desire the benefits of the educated and highly skilled. Spending more time indulged in unfruitful activity and not spending the necessary time to improve yourself and prepare yourself for the windows of opportunity that will come your way.
In similar instances, individuals would like to enjoy the benefits of those who work for the Kingdom’s sake without actually working for the Kingdom. One of the reasons they are not working for the Kingdom is because they don’t understand or refuse to prepare for this same work in which they are looking to advance and enjoy the benefits.
Spiritually and Naturally, youth should be preparing themselves now for the opportunities to serve in the Kingdom. This is why Ecclesiastes 12:1 is so important, in reminding us to, “Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth”.
Walking in a leadership capacity in the Kingdom of God such as Timothy was exposed to, requires being an example of scripture in our daily walk. Indoctrination and discipline is required to properly represent God’s authority and be effective in pushing people into the Kingdom and giving further instruction.
Drawing from Paul’s original statement in this verse further indicates, too many people are trying to instruct and lead who are not proper examples.
Maturity is knowing where you are lacking and making an earnest effort to grow.
We always hear individuals tells us that they know they are not where they need to be as an admittance to guilt but also as a forfeiture of responsibility.
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
Notice Paul tells timothy to stay focused. With everything that was going on around him, it would be so easy to become unfocused. Similar to the present time with the entry of social media and enhanced communication.
There are times we start off on the right road, but somehow end up down a negative path with social media. We begin with watching church services and end with consuming the latest rumors, contentions and other negative information. This can really be seen with Facebook friends and Tik Tok algorithms.
Paul also encourages Timothy to continue with reading the scriptures.
While it is ok to watch church services, the Bible never gives us a deviation from studying the scriptures.
In the absence of studying scriptures, how do you know if what you are indulging in or what someone else is telling you is truth.
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Some people never read or study scripture, but want to be the first to give advice.
Young people will see this in school also as you will always have kids who raise their hand to answer questions and haven’t studied one chapter of the material. These are people who have a lot to say, but what they are saying is empty of substance!
As young people, it your obligation to study the scripture also. However it is the job of parents to prepare you by putting you in remembrance of who God’s authority, God’s power, and God’s plan.
2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
From the beginning, it was incumbent on the parent to teach the child so that they might know the ways of the Lord so that they would continue the work of God. God wants us to ensure the continuance of the work, and the way we do that is by keeping our offspring educated in the Kingdom requirements, qualifying them to be ready for every opportunity.
This is why we have spent so much time in the past weeks looking at Matthew 5.
We are teaching you the qualifications so that you might teach them the qualifications.
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
