It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know
Introduction
1 Tim 4:12
Who was Timothy?
Who was Paul?
Paul was an apostle to the gentiles, the most well known church leader of the time. Great man of influence, a man who would have hundreds of church goers flocking to him? You think...he wasn't the most outstanding of men, short, balding, probably had glasses if he were around today, yet what was it that made Paul the power house that he was.
1 Tim 1:1 God our Savior and Christ Jesus commanded me to be an apostle
What God says, goes! Deep I know...
So where does Tim come into this?
You would think that whoever Paul would disciple would end up being absolutely amazing...
They did ie Titus, he had to look after Crete? Liars, Evil Brute and lazy gluttons.
He was a tough strong leader.
Here in this verse (12) what does it say...
Don't let them look down on you because you are young but set an example
- Speech
- Life
- Love
- Faith
- Purity
So many people preach the keys to being a good teenage Christian. They harp on about purity, love, speech etc.
Blah blah blah I say.
But whatever was my profit I count as loss - that is what Paul writes. All his life he was taught, don't swear, read your Bible, pray this many times a day, and he did it flawlessly.
But when he met Jesus the Christ, the Saviour the King of Kings the faithful one, everything changed.
Timothy was the lead pastor at "Ephesus International Christian Fellowship Centre Church International".
Who know you don't get to lead a church unless you got those other things down pat.
After all Paul would have to be an idiot to have appointed him, if only know he is teaching him to do that.
So Tim leads this church, and from time to time Tim, like all young Christians, start to ask this question...
Am I really meant to be doing this?
I am so not cut out for this leadership gig, heck stuff leadership this Christian stuff is hard.
Which brings me to the title of my message...
It's not what you know, it's who you know
So who is Tim? He is just like me, and you...a young passionate yet worried Christian.
Paul here is not writing to timothy here because timothy has gone off the rails, is back sliding, but Paul is writing because Tim has taken his eyes off the most important thing in the world, Jesus.
For me this year first year of ministry and it nearly killed me,
He who desires to be an overseer desires a noble task, I'm not an elder but I'm full time...
But let me say, the Japanese guy who flew his plane into a battle ship in WW2... he thought he too was desiring a noble task!
Sometimes I seriously would have traded places with him
But here I stand alive and well, fit and fighting.
And I stand here not because I got smarter, or read my bible more, but because I didn't take my eyes off Jesus.
There were times where I was like Tim, worried if I would be able to continue on, would I be disqualified, am I really being a good disciple of Jesus, would I still be allowed to lead the youth group, after taking them all on a mystery tour down Glenelg and not getting them back till midnight, yes will I get fired were the only thoughts running through my head.
But Tony said at our prayer meeting, don't look down on him because he is young, he can't help it if he's an idiot, it comes with the age.
At that moment I thought...hey I'm just like Tim.
Always have your eyes on Jesus. The author and perfector of our faith.
It is with him that we get through life. It is with him that we stay sane, it is with him that we have the grace to continue on in victory.
So quickly what are...
The keys to staying with Jesus
Believe HIM...
God is a Holy God, he can't lie for there is no evil in Him. When he says you are, you are. Hence Paul can write God our Savior and Christ Jesus commanded me to be an apostle
God said it Paul believed it and there is no reason for him to doubt it. That goes for us too. In the 2000 years since Paul wrote those words God has proved himself faithful and true countless times. Today if God has said something to you believe it, for God is believable. For some it may be a call to leadership, and call to worship, for some it may just be a belief in your salvation. To which Jesus say none can be snatched from my hand. Find the scripture
Believe HIS WORD
You know there are people out there who believe that God has told them some pretty far out things. There are people out there who think they hear God in all sorts of ways, even people who believe their dogs speak to them.
Now the bible talks about a man being told off by a donkey in the Old Testament, the stupid part to that story is that the guy argues back with it. But nowhere in the new testament do you read about animals receiving the baptism of the holy spirit.
Could you imagine being in church and Biscuits, you best mates Chihuahua, gets up and prophecies. Firstly smack your friend in the head for owning a Chihuahua. But it just doesn't happen in the bible, it just isn't there, so don't believe it.
However where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. The bible does say that so if you are struggling depression or are in some way bound buy the struggles of life, Gods word declares freedom for you in Christ, now that is something you can believe.
Believe in YOURSELF
What you can't say that, its meant to be all about God. Believe in yourself? Why? God does. He believes in you enough that he sent his only son for you, he believed in you enough that he entrusted his bride, the church to you, he believes in you enough he has called us to co-labour with him. But mostly he believes in you enough that he has entrust his gospel to us to declare to the lost.
The church today lacks the strength and boldness that God intended it to have. Paul is writing to Timothy to put strength into him and to back himself, to keep doing what it is he is doing, to lead the way by example.
I can do all thing in Christ who strengthens me, self confidence is a Godly quality that started with Him. Don't be proud but have your confidence firmly rooted in Jesus.