God's Promises 4

A Disciples Faithful Endurance

1 Timothy 4:6–16 The Message

You’ve been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. Get the word out. Teach all these things. 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. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use. Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.

Endurance - The ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.

How some of us including myself relate to what I just read is by sports right? Football, basketball, track and field, swimming, band, and cheer leading. Anything that takes strength and muscle takes a mind of endurance and being faithful to the end of what you started.

We must remember what we are taught so it will be like second nature to us when we have to do it. Here in the scripture Timothy is being told by his teacher in a letter to remember to teach the people. Exercise their minds so that they will not go any other way but the way of the Lord. We cannot be flabby in our work for the Lord. We as disciples must be faithful in our endurance.

How do we do this?

Study the Word

Pray

Watch your character and cultivate it

Romans 5:3–5 NRSV

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

When we build endurance in our faith this is the promise that God says we will know him the more. He promises that our endurance is what will keep him close in our life. He promises that when we endure just as Jesus did on the cross we will have the opportunity to press on towards that mark of where Jesus is.

Endurance is not easy and it take work. You must get your muscle strong in heart mind and soul. You will need this endurance to stand against those who do not preach the truth of Christ and will try to pull you in their way because it looks more pleasing or easier to get what you want. Anything you want will not come easy and it will take time and a workout to get the best of the best.

It does not matter how young or old a person is if they have the teaching and endurance and training to show you a different way and that is the way the way of Jesus Christ. Timothy was young but he was educated and stayed the course to preach the word of God that he was taught.

end with 1 Timothy 4:15-16

1 Timothy 4:15–16 The Message

Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.