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Living from the Inside Out: A Call to Truth and Transformation 0:02 Hello, men. Welcome to the men's global livestream. My name is Dusty Davis and halftime's over. Right? We are we are squarely in the second half of our series, in first Timothy a series that0:14 we've entitled from the inside out and and my prayer through this series has been this it's that Jesus has spoken to you through his word. I pray that you've been0:26 challenged by that. I pray that you've been encouraged that you've learned something new about God's heart that that his his word has been revealed in a way that is useful for where he has you and that it's resulted in0:37 new understanding and that my prayer is that things in your life have begun to shift. Right? Because that's that's kind of the pattern that we've been unpacking in this series. As God begins to change us on the inside,0:49 that comes out and our lives start to change on the outside that God gets inside, that God brings his truth into us, changes us, and then through us begins to influence the people around us.1:01 And as we've been saying first Timothy is a conversation between Paul and Timothy. They had spent years together. Right? They had spent so much time together. Paul had been starting new churches and in doing so he had1:13 kind of developed a team. A team of co workers of co laborers in the gospel. Timothy was 1 such dude but Timothy had a special place in Paul's heart. It's like a son to him in the faith.1:26 Yeah. When Paul got word that a church that he had planted was now under attack by a group of people who are teaching things contrary to God's word, contrary to the truth. Well Paul sent Timothy1:38 to confront them. To restore the church, to to set this people straight. And first Timothy is the first of 2 letters, that Paul sent to Timothy during this time.1:50 But it brings up a really important truth for us as we consider not only the passage of scripture we're gonna look at today, but how we encounter and value God's word as a whole. You see, first Timothy, just like2:02 all of scripture, is not simply the opinion of a man. First Timothy is not just good ideas that Paul cooked up out of himself. As with all of God's word, it was not written2:15 by humans. Now, it might have been their hand that put the ink to the paper but all of God's word was authored by and inspired by the Holy Spirit through men. Now2:27 first Timothy, like we said, is a word that God himself gave to Timothy through Paul, that God has given to us through Paul through Timothy. To2:38 the church at large to all of us as God's men to all of us as God's people and so it's good for us to make that distinction because the way that we approach God's word is different when we2:50 recognize that these are the words of the Lord to us. We approach the scripture then humbly. Right? For for coming to it, that it sits in judgment over us, that it3:02 is here to change us. This is something that we see Paul reiterate right out the gates as we begin chapter 4 of first Timothy. Grab a Bible and start turning there. This is first Timothy3:14 chapter 4. This is gonna be the New Living Translation. Here's verses 1 through 3. Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true3:26 faith. They'll follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars. Their consciences are dead. They will say3:37 it's wrong to be married, wrong to eat certain foods. So take a look at that passage. Just those first 3 verses. Right out of the gates, Paul reminds us that the credit for the3:49 wisdom that follows is not due to him. That it's due to the Holy Spirit the source of all wisdom. The 1 who lives to testify to the truth. He says that the Spirit of God clearly4:01 told them, revealed something to them. Specifically that in the last days people would begin to turn away from the true faith. That people would begin to pervert the4:13 truth, pervert the true faith, changing what it is that they had originally believed, and even spreading preaching a false gospel. But isn't it interesting man? Look at the audience.4:26 Paul's words are not aggressive words towards the people who were teaching things contrary to God's word. He was not there to shame or correct the false teachers. Paul's encouragements are to the4:38 church. And the emphasis is that we should not we must not be fooled by this teaching. Paul's putting the onus of truth finding upon the4:49 listener. It's a good reminder for us. We have to become discerning men. We have to become men who test and approve whatever is presented to us as truth. We have to5:01 test it against God's word. We have to be men who handle the truth so often that untruth becomes obvious. Because men, if we don't know the5:13 truth, then we can't spot the lie. If we don't know the true gospel, how can we spot a fake gospel? You and I will5:25 only be susceptible to false teaching to the extent that we have neglected God's word. In the same way, we will only be strengthened and able to cast off false teaching to the extent that we have steeped5:37 ourselves in the Word of God. And today brothers more than ever we are being assaulted by untruths. False teaching, large claims come at us all the time.5:49 They're more frequent. They're easier to find. And and they cover a myriad of topics. But I mean, think about it specifically. There is not some form of spiritual filter. Right? There is not the the Internet gospel6:01 police running around there running every podcast or reel or blog, social media post, any video that makes itself to you through some sort of a truth filter. The6:13 content in our world is constantly being created but not curated. It's not being filtered. There's just not a barrier of entry anymore.6:25 I mean ideas are thrown out with such fervor and such a wide shot. They reach so many people that it can be so easy to become convinced of really anything. I mean, it happens with everything not6:37 just the gospel. You watch this documentary and you realize you should never eat meat. Then you watch that documentary and you realize you should only eat meat. I mean plastic is killing all the animals in the6:49 ocean. Wait there really isn't plastic in the ocean. It's all some giant conspiracy. Who knows what to believe and these examples are kind of silly. But what about when people are listening to teaching7:00 about God that is false? Perversions of the scripture, untruths about the nature of the Holy Spirit or even salvation itself. How will they7:12 know that what they are hearing is not true? Well, like we said, in order to spot the fake, we have to spend a lot of time around the truth. In order to discern what7:24 is true, we must be so filled up with God's truth and listening to his Holy Spirit who testifies, who scripture says reminds us of everything that Christ has taught us. But how are7:36 you and I gonna be able to spot the fakes? What are the patterns of the false teachers? Well, remember, we talked about this extensively in first Timothy chapter 1. Remember we kind of went through the mathematics of the7:47 occult. Go back and listen to it. Right? Adding to the word of God, subtracting from the person of genius Jesus rather, multiplying the requirements of our own salvation and then always seeking to divide7:59 the people. Right? Kind of the mathematics of false teaching. But in this chapter, we're talking specifically about perversions of the gospel narrative. And in this case, like so many8:11 other places, we see a consistent pattern is that false teachers will always seek to widen the narrow path. They'll seek to widen the narrow path. Jesus was clear.8:23 Right? That he says this in Matthew 7 14, small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life only few find it. Jesus Christ himself is that small8:35 gate. Right? Jesus testified about the way that salvation comes only through him. This is an idea that was just as unpopular then as it is today. It seems8:47 so unloving. It seems so exclusive. The reality is truth is always exclusive by nature. If something is true, then all else is8:59 false. Jesus Christ the embodiment of love, the most loving being that has ever walked this planet made statements like this in John 14 6. I am the way, the9:11 truth, and the life, and no 1 can come to the father except through me. Nowadays, that type of view is so criticized. I can't believe you think you have a bead9:23 on truth that you guys have the exclusive ownership over truth that, you know, all roads don't sort of lead to Jesus that false teachers always try to widen the path to include all forms of false spirituality. But9:34 men make no mistake, there is no path to the father that does not run through Jesus Christ. Period. Now the idea that Paul was already encountering this in the early church9:47 shows us this stuff runs deep. What follows what Paul begins to correct after that is another false belief known as asceticism. Right? So Paul was addressing this specifically in the passage where he said9:59 that there were people who were against marriage or certain foods. So this type of false teaching asceticism had grown into the church. It's the false idea that all things, all material things are bad. That10:11 all matter, all the things that I can see and taste and touch and smell all that stuff is bad. And in order to be holy, I gotta get away from all this stuff. Right? This heretical view came from the10:23 early Gnostics, who who looked at this false truth. They looked at marriage and said marriage is bad. Marriage that our God himself created. Marriage that Jesus10:35 constantly referred to as the picture of him and the bride of the church that that that is somehow a bad thing. The same teachers were saying that we have to abstain from certain foods and not just the religious,10:47 specific dietary restrictions. This is all food that God gave us to eat. They were picking and choosing and deciding what was right and what was wrong. Right? If you're a vegetarian that's awesome. You'll probably live10:59 longer than I will but I cannot live without the double double animal style. And I don't I don't actually want to try. But neither of us, right? Both of us in maturity have to understand that the 1 who eats11:11 meat and the 1 who does not does not have spiritual ground to declare that the other person is somehow living outside of God's commands or outside of God's standards. Never say something that11:23 scripture doesn't. Never prohibit something that scripture doesn't. Don't get in between the conversation between God and his people. Let the scripture speak for itself and never confuse tradition11:36 with God's inerrant word. That was the trap the Pharisees constantly fell into. And so Paul is encouraging us. He's saying, don't fall for false teaching. Don't take the opinions of men and start to interpret that as11:48 though it was scripture. But Paul gives us a second charge. He says, it's not simply enough to avoid false teaching men. I'm not just sending you out there to play defense.12:00 Our life is not just about avoiding untruth or or making sure that we ourselves don't speak untruth. Paul encourages us very specifically right after this. He says,12:12 pass along the truth. Be men who pass along the true gospel. Don't just be someone who avoids false teaching or points it out or make sure12:24 that that what you say is not incorrect. Be a verbal spokesperson for the true gospel. Look at verse 6. If you explain these things,12:36 the true gospel to the brothers and sisters Timothy, you'll be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus. 1 who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching that you followed. Remember God's man is not simply12:47 avoiding speaking untruth or just calling out fallacies. And look at Paul's specific encouragements there. Look at the efforts that we're called to. These are not casual or12:59 passing or half hearted. Paul isn't saying so make sure people know where you stand, make sure to slide a track under their door, make sure to put a bible verse underneath, you know, your your email13:11 signature. Look at the encouragement. He's saying don't just fly by and tell people what you think. Don't just drop knowledge on them out of context. Paul says, if you explain13:23 these things. The goal is not that we would get off our chest what we believe. The goal is that people would understand, that our conversations would be full13:35 of explanation. I love Peter's encouragement. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have. Don't just let people know your hope. Give them the reason. Explain these things.13:47 Paul is saying, if you take the time to truly pass on truth, this is what shows that you're a worthy servant of Jesus. Now I don't know why he did,13:59 but God decided to make his appeal to this world through you and through me. I don't know if that would have been my plan. He could have sent angels. God could have made the14:11 truth about himself known inherently to all people. He could have written it in the sky. He could have spoken through animals. Heck, he did it in the Bible. But God entrusted the truth of the14:23 gospel to us. And so men, the most unloving thing that we could ever do is keep it to ourselves. Imagine if you had a14:35 friend, a close friend who was dying of some terminal disease. Say you had cancer. Now let's say you had the cure in in unlimited supply.14:47 What if you had the cure to his greatest problem? The issue he thought about all day long, but here was the real rub is that he had to take that from you and inject himself.14:59 That you could only explain to him what the cure was. How long do you think you would keep that information from him? How long would you stay silent while your good15:11 friend suffered from a disease that you could help to cure? Well, how long brothers have you kept the truth about Jesus silent? In what places15:25 have you either knowingly or just felt too uncomfortable? In what places have you kept the cure from those that God has placed you15:36 around? I mean, all of the truth, the reality of our standing before God, revealing that to them, revealing our our fallen nature, the hopeless nature of of our stands before a15:48 perfectly holy God. The truth that Christ loves us, that he died in order to rescue us, that god desires a restored relationship with us and that's only achieved through Jesus by faith16:00 period. How long have we kept that truth from those who need it? Because make no mistake, men, the people in your life are there16:12 for a reason. And I'm not just talking about your best friends. I'm not just talking about your family, your in laws, or your16:23 neighbors. I'm talking about your postman, the guy you coach with. I'm talking about the people that work with you in your office, the people who work in the company next door to16:35 your office, the people that have been placed around you. The you have been intentionally placed, man. Intentionally by God Almighty. With the purpose of bringing the16:47 light of Christ into the spaces and places that you occupy. Your life matters. Your placement at your job. Where you live, the16:59 city, the block that you live on. What your hobbies are. God intentionally wired those into you to send you into those places. Who you hang out with, all of it matters. It's all by God's17:11 intentional and perfect and wonderful design that we might explain the hope that we have. I remember Jesus told the disciples that he was the17:22 light of the world in John 8 12. And then he said something absolutely crazy and world changing In Matthew 5 14 through 16 after saying that I'm the light of the world he said, you17:34 you are the light of the world. What? Because he is in us. Now we take Christ into all the places that we17:46 occupy. He goes on to compare his disciples to the light from a city. A light that's intended to give light to to cities that are around up on a hill. He talks about being a light that's been17:58 intentionally placed in a house. Remember, man, back then you didn't place lamps just for aesthetic purposes. It was super dark at night. No electricity. So you intentionally placed a18:10 light strategically where it would be of most benefit to the other people in the house where it would give off the most light maximum illumination. Did you know18:23 that the same is true of your life? Did you know that Jesus has carefully and intentionally placed you and placed me in our context in order to provide18:35 the maximum amount of light possible? So here's the encouragement. Embrace the assignment. Live as though it was all part of God's18:47 divine design because it was. Choose to be the light that points to Jesus and don't ever be the light that blinds people. Remember, our hope is not to win arguments18:59 or hope is not to get something off our chest. It's that people would come to a saving faith that people would believe in the 1 that was sent. Look at the encouragement in the next verse verse 7 it says, do not waste19:10 your time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. He's saying, let your light lead people to Christ19:22 and don't get so hung up on the things that aren't mission critical. The enemy will always seek to create disunity. And most often the vehicle are the smallest details19:34 of our faith. But if Jesus Christ is what unites us with another brother, I wanna ask you, what could be important enough to divide us?19:46 What could be big enough? I mean, to let our differing views over whether or not the world was created in 7 literal days or a longer time period, when the rapture is going to occur, things that we don't know about for19:57 sure. If we let those things divide us, doesn't that make those things more important than what unites us? And if we have unity in Christ, can't we20:09 have differing opinions over some of these things which are not salvific in nature? We should be able to because remember within the body of Christ, unity is not20:22 uniformity. Unity is not uniformity. Being unified over the key aspects of our faith there are certain things we absolutely have to get right. We have to get Jesus right. We have to get20:34 the nature of Jesus right. His humanity, his divinity, his work on the cross, how we are saved, who God is, the nature of sin. These things are absolute bedrock for the Christian.20:46 What Paul is saying is, don't get hung up on the things that are outside of that. Paul is encouraging us to see Jesus as he truly is. How we're20:58 truly saved, what it means to walk with Christ. Alright. All the big big stuff. We have to get that stuff right. Especially getting Christ right. Because this is 1 of the21:10 places that we see false teaching running rampant is is presenting a different view of Jesus. Kind of an updated view of Jesus. A little bit more all encompassing view of Jesus. But man, if we get Jesus wrong we21:22 get everything wrong. It is only in seeing Jesus Christ for who he rightly is that we'll have any direction in our own lives. Because when we know who he is then we know21:34 who we are. And that's really the domino that starts to lead our entire life. Right? Because our identity drives our activity. What we do flows out of who21:45 we are. And as God's men rescue redeem, we have a new trajectory. We have a new purpose. It it starts to order the rest of our life because our faith is not just something that's now reserved for Sunday mornings.21:57 It starts to impact everything. It starts to impact our worldview. Christ, Jesus becomes the lens through which we see all things. How am I supposed to treat my neighbor? I look to Christ.22:09 How do I honor my wife? I look to Christ. How do I honor those I'm at odds with? I look to Jesus and his example. He gives my life new direction. Through him, I have a new22:21 value system. What I pursue, what I'm willing to exchange my life for, I start to value and I even start to pursue the right kind of growth in my life. Paul gets right22:33 into this in verse 8. He says, physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better. Promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.22:46 It's good to take care of your physical body. 1 of my good friends, Josh Miller, owns a CrossFit gym. He is just a massive human being. This is the verse that he holds on to to make sure that22:58 the physical training that he is doing in his gym does not usurp the spiritual training, which is of greater value. Paul, under the inspiration of the spirit is saying, guys, it's good to take care of your body. It's23:09 right. The Christian cannot say my body doesn't matter, but the Christian should not rightly disorder their lives to say that my physical appearance is all that matters.23:22 There is infinitely more value to the strengthening of our souls, but it's time to get honest with ourselves brothers. Self assessment here. I want you to look at your week last week. I want you to23:34 look at your calendar and your efforts with regards to your physical body and your faith. Who got more of your time last week? Hours spent in the gym,23:46 on the trail, working out our bodies versus in the word in prayer, working out our faith. This is 1 of those verses that sounds23:57 great until we start to look at our lives and realize, I might believe this with my mind but am I living this out with my calendar? And again, Paul says that our studying is not supposed to24:09 end with just a bunch of knowledge. He's not just saying that, hey, so the kind of training we're looking for is really the accumulation of lots and lots and lots and lots of knowledge. That's not the aim for God's man.24:20 That's never the aim for God's man. We don't ever endeavor to just get filled up with great spiritual ideas or or bible trivial and then not ever let that come out of us in a useful way.24:33 I mean, just like thinking about exercise. Right? And in the same vein, that would be like taking in tons and tons of calories but not doing anything with the energy that that's produced in you. Now a couple years ago, I24:43 had the opportunity to go to Israel, which if you ever get the chance go. My oldest son, Caden and I went on an incredible trip and on 1 of the days we went down to the Dead Sea and it is a trip.24:55 It's so salty it blinds your eyes it feels like acid. It's so salty you float. I mean, not like buoyancy. I mean, like, on the top as if you had a board underneath you, you kind of paddle25:07 around on top of it. It's it's wild. It's beautiful. There's nothing like it. But there's also no life in it. Nothing can survive25:19 how salty it is. Do you remember a few minutes ago we were talking about light that we're the light of the world? You know that we were also compared to salt. Jesus also said that we're the salt of the earth. Now25:31 the Dead Sea has so much salt, so over the top salt that nothing can survive. Remember we talked about our25:42 knowledge, our faith, it's supposed to have a purpose. We don't wanna just gain so much knowledge that we're like salt that burns the eyes. Because salt had wonderful purpose at this time.25:55 When Jesus called us salt, what he was saying is this, salt's got a couple a couple key jobs here boys. Salt brings out the flavor. For those of you who cook, you know, Saul draws out the true flavors in your food.26:07 It helps to bring out what's really, really there. Jesus said, that's what I want you to do in this world, man. I want you to go I want you to draw the truth out. I want you to draw God's original intent for this world.26:19 So salt not only brings out flavors, salt preserves. It brings out flavors and it preserves. Now remember then guys this is pre refrigerator time. Really rough time to be alive.26:31 Consider yourself blessed to grow up in the refrigeration area. But salt was used to preserve food. You dry meat out with salt and then the meat would last. As26:42 followers of Christ, we are called to similarly act like a preservative in this culture. Preserving it, keeping away the rot untruth26:54 that would decay our society. But we've all had food that had too much salt on it. I was eating eggs this weekend, and it was 1 of those ones where the salt shaker just let27:06 out a whole bunch of salt. Food that's oversalted is no good. It's a good reminder for us. Just like the Dead Sea. So incredibly salty that27:18 nothing lives in it. That's not the kind of salt we're called to be. But do you know why the Dead Sea is so salty? You know why nothing lives there? You You know why it does not support life?27:31 Because the Dead Sea has no outlet. It empties into nothing else. The dead sea does not pour out into a stream, does27:42 not go into another sea. All it does is take. So we've been talking a lot about this in this session. Taking the truth of the gospel in and then giving27:54 it away. It's that flow. We're supposed to take the truth in our times that we spend in God's word, the time that we spend listening to teaching, the time that we interact with the truth, and then we give that away in28:05 our context. We don't withhold the gospel. Remember, we don't withhold that cure. We freely give it away. We want a living faith as opposed to a dead sea faith. What does dead sea faith look like?28:18 It's getting filled up a knowledge. A lot of learning, a lot of studying, but never doing anything to give it away. And then our faith will become dead. It will not cause anything else to grow28:30 besides us. What we learn, we pass on. Men we're not expected to know everything. God knows who we are, but look at every other area in your life.28:43 Did you think, you know what I wasn't drafted top 10 in the NFL. I'm not gonna teach my son how to throw a football. You know what? I don't have a Michelin star. I don't think I can cook with my daughter. I just28:56 I never played major league baseball. Who am I to teach her how to hit a ball? I mean, I don't I don't have any of my paintings on display in a museum somewhere around. Who am I to paint with my son? No. What we have,29:09 we give away. We make attempts to bring the things that we know to someone else. The same thing should be true of our faith. We're not expected to have the entire Bible memorized29:22 but what God has chosen to reveal to you, you are now accountable for. Deuteronomy 29 29 goes right at this. This idea that we're not responsible for the entirety of scripture, but there are things God29:34 has made clear to you and that comes with expectation. Look what it says. The Lord our God has secrets known to no 1. We're not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable29:46 forever for all that has been revealed to us. So that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. Look at verse 11 in29:58 our passage today in first Timothy. Teach these things. Insist that everyone learn them. He's saying don't be like the Dead Sea. Don't be so over salted. Don't take it in with no30:10 outlet. Let the goodness get in you and then leak out of you all over the people around you. God's truth. God's goodness. Let the change that's going on inside reach out and influence change outside.30:23 Let your actions in life be informed by what God is doing inside your heart and then let that newness out. For any of you that are listening that are new believers,30:36 especially those of you who would consider yourself young, take heart. Speak up. Don't let anyone think less of you because you're young. Be an30:48 example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Look at that challenge brothers. He's saying to Timothy, be an example.31:01 Be an example. Be someone who other people would look at and try to emulate. Be someone who someone would want to emulate. You might not think of yourself as an example. You might not think of31:13 yourself as a leader of any kind. You might not think you're a teacher. You might think no one's looking up to you. You might think this because maybe in your context you are 1 of the youngest. Or like we said you might31:24 be the newest follower in of Jesus in all of your friend group. Or maybe you look at the places you've blown and you think my life is just not worth imitating. I disagree.31:36 Paul disagrees. He says, stand tall. In humility, lean in. Be an example especially when you blow it. Be like31:48 David who pointed others to God in his repentance, in the ownership of his sin. Break the cultural mold that says display false perception or31:59 false perfection. Own your stuff. And then talk about how God's grace is big enough to cover over that. Put on full display a repentant32:11 heart. Not 1 that dismisses sin. Not 1 that tolerates it or toys with it or minimizes it, but rather 1 that confesses it. Don't explain it away. Just repent of it. And then lean into32:23 that beautiful grace that were offered as God's children. And in that way, be an example for other people to follow. Not someone living out a perfect life, but someone living out an authentic32:35 life of following after Jesus. Alright. We said earlier that activity comes out of identity. That when we know who we are then we know what to do. And when32:47 those 2 things line up, when our activity and our identity, when they line up together, when the things we say we're about and what we're actually about are consistent, brothers, when our32:59 intentions line up with our actions, now we become men of integrity. And that's the calling for all of us. To be the same person33:11 no matter the situation. Not to look to culture for our cues. Not to blend in when we're standing apart. Remember we said we're light and we're salt. We're not33:23 intended to blend into the culture, we're intended to influence it. Right? We're not supposed to be a thermometer that just takes the temperature. We're supposed to be a thermostat that sets the33:34 temperature. We're light by contract. Light by contrast and salt by contact. Light by contrast to the dark, living33:46 differently. Salt by contact by actually being there and being part of it. Isn't it interesting? We can't do either of these things from the sidelines. We33:58 can't do it distantly on social media, at least not in the way that God wanted us to. In both these situations, we gotta be down in the world interacting with the people of this world because the enemy wants to34:10 keep us on the sideline. Like we said, convincing us we're too young, too sinful, too new in the faith. We're called to be light by contrast. Brothers, light34:22 only has value in the dark Everything in that. What good is light in a lit room? As a follower of Jesus, if you and I are34:34 called to be the light of the world, you know what? God expects us to go where it's dark. If I'm called to be a light, I can't be surprised that I'm sent to the darkness.34:47 We're called to be salt by contact. Remember by infecting the lives of the people around us, drawn out that truth, that flavor, stopping the decay of the enemy, salt by contact. You know what that means? I need to move34:58 out towards my neighbors, towards my coworkers, towards my family members, towards people I haven't even met yet in confidence of who he is. Not based on35:09 trusting myself but in trusting his plan. And I don't keep the stuff that he reveals to me to myself. I recognize that all of the blessings I receive I'm intended to be a blessing with.35:23 Brothers, the work that God is doing in you is intended to go right through you to the other people in your life. So let's reject the lies of the enemy that keep us on the sidelines.35:37 I love how Paul wraps this up. Where does all of this bottom out? Take a look at verses 13 and 14.35:50 Beautiful encouragement to wrap up chapter 4. First of these 4 verse or sorry. For verse 34 verse 13 and 14. Until I get there, focus on reading the scriptures36:02 to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.36:14 Give complete attention to these matters and throw yourself into the task so that everyone will see your progress. Look at Paul's simple encouragement to36:25 Timothy at the end. He starts off by saying, until I get there focus on reading the scriptures. He's saying, read god's word. Keep god's word in front of you. Do not neglect the36:37 time that you spend. Do not neglect reading god's word. Continue reading god's word. But not only does he say continue on reading the word, he says, continue36:49 encouraging the believers. Don't stop. Keep encouraging the other believers. It's hard. Following after Jesus is hard. What people don't need to be called out,37:01 the men in your life need to be called up. They need encouragement. Verse 14, do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you. Don't neglect37:13 your gifts. In humility, we want everything we do to bring glory to the name of Jesus. We're not looking for fans of ourselves. But anytime we minimize37:24 the gift that the Lord Jesus has given us, It's an affront to the gospel. If the Lord has given you a gift, use that gift to bring him37:37 glory. Give complete attention to these manners. Throw yourself into the task. Brothers, I don't know where it is that God has you right now. I don't know which of those things you feel like you're37:49 in greatest need of. Time in the scripture, the encouragement of another brother, to revisit how it is that the Lord Jesus wired you to see the gifts that he's given you and to38:01 not neglect them, but rather to let them loose for his kingdom. He closes by saying, keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay38:12 true to what is right. What we need men are men who can finish well. Starting a task is easy. Starting a company is38:24 easy. Starting a marriage is easy. We need men who see the tasks that God has placed in front of them, who see the callings, who see the covenants and the commitments that they make all the way38:36 through to the end. That's my prayer for you, and that's my prayer for me. Heavenly father, I thank you for the places that you have placed us. I thank you38:48 for the homes that you've placed us in, the neighborhoods and the communities that you've put us to be a part of, the companies that we're a part of, the classrooms, the boardrooms, the38:59 courtrooms, the operating rooms, Jesus, all the places that we are. May we seek to be salt and light in those places. May we not tire of doing what is right. May we be encouraged by39:11 the reading of your word, and the fellowship that we have in you. Lord Jesus, strengthen us that we would be men who finish well what you have set us to do. It's in Jesus' name we39:23 ask. Amen.Show more In this video 0:00 Living from the Inside Out: A Call to Truth and Transformation39:24 Breaking Through Spiritual Plateaus: A Journey to the Promised Land
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