Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.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.Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.
5 sermons cite this verse
we ask, gracious Father, that you will take your truth, plant it deep in us, and shape and fashion us in the likeness of your Son, in whose name we pray. Amen. Well, what I want us to spend this first session doing is taking seriously the notion of being a good servant of Christ Jesus, as Paul puts it here to Timothy. If you do these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. Now, the framework in which we consider this, indeed the context in which chapter 4 is set, is very, very straightforward. forward. If you look at verse 14 of chapter 3, there Paul explains, I hope to come to you soon. He's not there, but I am writing these things to you so that if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. So, at the moment, he says, I'm not with you, but it is imperative, Timothy, that you know and that your congregation also understands what it means for you to fulfill the calling that you have. And very specifically, although we won't spend time on this, the opening five verses here of chapter 4 further provide the context. What he's describing there is departure from the faith, people who have been led astray by deceitful spirits. These deceitful spirits have come to them, not in some magical way, but demon-inspired doctrines had gained an entry into their world …
… That's our hope. My breakout session is about one verse, 1 Timothy 4, verse 12. The Apostle Paul says, Let no one despise you for your youth, but set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Before I get to the verse, though, I want to tell you about Brian. As I was getting ready to fly here and I was thinking about what I wanted to say to you this afternoon, I started thinking about Brian. It was for a couple of reasons. One, it's because he now pastors down the street here in Louisville. He has now for a long time, and I don't get to see him as much as I'd like to see him. The second reason I thought about Brian was because he was about your age when he changed my life. He was actually a little bit younger than most of you are. I met Brian when I was 14. It was the summer before my freshman year in high school. …
… in just these few short minutes I want to take you to 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 12 is the famous verse where Paul's talking to young adult Timothy Timothy's not 8 years old or 12 Timothy's in his 20s or early 30s this is a good correspondence for you like Timothy And Paul's talking to a young Timothy, and he says, set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. And what I want to do in our few minutes is make one simple observation in 1 Timothy 4, especially verses 11 to 16. I want you to see the outputs that Paul expects that are above the waterline and the private inputs beneath the surface that are necessary for Timothy to be who he should be. So two parts here in 1 Timothy chapter 4. 10% above, 90% unseen. So look with me at verses 11 to 16. And see if you see the two parts while I read. And then I'll point them out here briefly. …
God sent his Son into the world to be the light of the world these two ways, viz. By revealing his mind and will to the world, and also by setting the world a perfect example. So ministers are set to be lights, not only as teachers, but as ensamples to the flock, 1 Peter v. 3. The same things that ministers recommend to their hearers in their doctrine, they should also show them an example of in their practice. Thus the apostle says to Timothy, 1 Timothy iv. 11. “These things command and teach;’’ and then adds in the next verse, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” So he directs Titus, in his teaching, to recommend sobriety, gravity, temperance, patience, and other virtues, in the beginning of the 2d chapter of Titus. But then adds in the 7th verse,. “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works.” We see in natural bodies, that when heat is raised in them to a high degree, at length they begin to shine: and, as I observed before, a principle of true grace in the soul is like an inward heat, a holy ardour of a heavenly fire enkindled in the soul: this in ministers of the gospel ought to be to that degree, as to shine forth brightly in all their conversation; and there should as it were be a light about them wherever they go, exhibiting to all that behold them, the amiable, delightful image of the beauty and brightness of their glorious Master. …
Beside the obligation that rests upon us to follow the good example of all, and beside the eminence of his example, there are some special reasons why we are under greater obligations to be influenced by the good example of this great apostle, than by the very same example in others. This appears if we consider, 1. In general, that those whom God has especially appointed to be teachers in the Christian church, he has also set to be examples in his church. It is part of the charge that belongs to teachers, to be examples to others. It is one thing that belongs to their work and office. So this is part of the charge that the apostle gives to Timothy, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” The same charge is given to Titus, “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works. ” And this is part of the charge the apostle Peter gives to the elders and teachers of the Christian church, “The elders which are among you, I exhort; feed the flock of God. Neither being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. ” Thus Christ, the chief Shepherd of the sheep, whom God ordained to be the greatest teacher, he also ordained to be the greatest example to his church. And so those shepherds and teachers that are under him, according as they are appointed to be teachers, are also to be examples. They are to be guides of the flock in two ways, viz. by teaching and by example, as shepherds lead their flocks in two ways; partly by their voice by calling them, and partly by going before them, and by leading the way. And indeed guiding by word and guiding by example, are but two different ways of teaching; and therefore both alike belong to the office of teachers in the Christian church. But if this be so, if God has especially set those to be examples in the Christian church whom he has made its teachers, then it will follow, that wherever they have left us good examples, those examples are especially to be regarded. For God has doubtless made the duty of teachers towards the church, and the duty of the church towards her teachers, to answer one another. And therefore the charge is mutual. The charge is not only to teachers to set good examples, but the charge is to the church to regard and follow their good examples: Heb. xiii. 7. “Remember them which have the rule over you, which have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” It is with respect to the good examples of the teachers of the Christian church, as it is with their words, their instructions and exhortations. We ought to hear good instructions and good counsels of any one, let him be whom he may. But yet we are under special obligations to hearken to the good instructions and examples of those whom God has made our teachers; for that is the very office to which God has appointed them to teach and to counsel us. …