The Book of 1 Timothy - Step Out!, Part 1

Can you think of someone that used to be a really strong, vibrant follower of Jesus, but today isn't walking with Him at all?

What happened and why? That's today. Stay with me. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's our Bible teacher for this daily discipleship program motivating Christians to really live like Christians. That mission of ours has never been more relevant than right now because, sadly, we can all relate to the disappointment Chip just described, admiring a Christian leader or mentor only to learn they don't really practice what they preach. Well, today Chip continues his new series, The Book of 1 Timothy, by looking at what causes believers to fall away and how we can stay committed to God and His Word no matter what. There's a lot to cover today, so here's Chip for his talk, Step Out. Are you guys ready to dig in, get a little more coaching from the Apostle Paul?

If you have your notes handy there, you can pull them out. We're going to look at Chapter 4, and each time we want to get a little tip, and you can fill this in at the very top. Tip number 4 from the Apostle Paul is this, adversity will either make you or break you. Adversity, difficulty, will either make you or break you.

Challenge, difficulty, distress, jealousy, betrayal, losing a job, losing your retirement, losing a mate, divorce, failure, an injury, cancer, the death of a loved one. There is no escape in a fallen world. In a fallen world there is evil and evil people. In a fallen world there's human mistakes, just a mistake. Someone didn't ratchet a bolt all the way on an airplane and it comes loose and that leads to... And then there's willful choices that are just sinful by other people that affect us and ours that affect other people. The only question in all of that is how are you going to respond? And some of you have had lives that have not been scarred very much.

Fasten your seatbelt. I don't mean that badly and it's not some fearful life of waiting for the other shoe to drop. In this world, according to the greatest authority, you will have tribulation.

But, he said, I've overcome the world. But adversity comes into people's lives and it literally, I mean there's just, it creates two very clear paths, victims, thrivers and thrivers. Adversity comes and some people blame God, they blame other people, they blame themselves. Sometimes it causes you to persevere and do things and overcome things and builds character in your life and causes you to see things you never saw, causes you to take steps you would have never taken, forces you to relocate or think differently about everything and you'll go back to multiple windows in your life where that adversity was the worst thing in the world on the front end and you look in the rearview mirror and you think, wow, where would I be if that had not happened to me?

Right? The apostle Paul now is going to do some coaching with young Timothy and what he wants to do is he wants to help Timothy build resilience. He wants to set him up that the worst thing that can happen in your life is having the false expectation that difficult things aren't going to happen. Or this even worse false expectation, if you can live in some certain way where you really love God and you're really disciplined in certain areas and you meet with God and you're good with your money and you're kind to other people that it'll happen to everyone else but not you. I mean, you go back to Job who was blameless.

There are no exceptions. And so the apostle Paul's going to coach this young man and us to say, here's how you respond. Here's how you keep your antenna up and recognize stuff's going to happen.

Here's where the real issues are and here's what you need to do. So with that, let's look at chapter four . He opens it up, you'll notice in your notes, with a description of false teachers and where the evil comes from. But the spirit explicitly says that in the latter times, here's this phrase again, he's talking about church people.

Some will fall away from, have you put a box around this enough times yet? The faith. Why? Paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. And by the way, before you get like, oh, paranormal and that's got to be really bizarre stuff or it was like where I lived in Santa Cruz and we had, I mean, audio and visual manifestations of demonic activity and we had witches and warlocks.

It was the most bizarre place in the world. I would suggest to you, much of the teachings of the enemy are as simple as follow your heart. You deserve to be happy. If you do good, everything good will come your way.

Very, very subtle. God wants you to be healthy and rich and prosperous all the time. I was on a number of calls with pastors around the world in the beginning of the pandemic and then we started building relationships and we began to talk every month and first it was just some pastors in the Middle East and then it was a number of India and then it spread to Africa and then pretty soon we were coordinating with about 10,000 pastors in 60 countries that all were really hurting and over and over they said, the prosperity gospel is crippling us. These people have been preaching forever that if you believe certain things and can speak them into existence and that God is always going to make everything wonderful, well guess what? They're dying and there's not prosperity and the markets are closed.

What we need is biblical living hope and that's what God wants to give us. The number one means of spiritual warfare is not bizarre stuff, it's three little letters, L-I-E. It's lies. Lies about the future, lies about yourself, lies about success, lies about your past, lies about who you are, lies about what makes you a person significant, lies about security, lies about relationships, lies about all those Democrats, you know they're Marxist, right?

Lies about the Republicans, they're all racist. The enemy will attack through the left, he'll attack through the right, he doesn't care. He just came to kill and to steal and destroy you. And if it can get you to buy a set of lies and go down the path of those lies that set expectations, lie, I'm not in love anymore, I must have married the wrong person.

No, you just stopped doing the things that built intimacy and so you've drifted apart and you're gonna have to go back to the things that you did in the beginning. And you need to own your part and you need to ask for forgiveness and you need to extend forgiveness. But instead we believe the lie, we take some steps, we make some decisions. And he says, they come by the means of hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. By the way, these lies are coming through people inside the church, right? So what it says, are you, Chip, are you telling me that deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons by the hypocrisy of liars who are seared in their conscience with a branding iron, who are actually teaching things like they forbid marriage, they advocate abstaining from some foods what God has created and trying to take people away from the knowledge of the truth?

Yes. It was happening then, it's happening now. And then he gives a little corrective, for everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it's received with gratitude, for it's sanctified by means of the word of God in prayer. And basically he goes back to, remember he started with the false teachers, he said this is what you need to do, chapter two is how we need to address it, chapter three we need a long haul strategy, we need to develop really godly men with character who can lead the church in the future.

And then it's like, now Timmy, I don't know if you've ever called him Timmy, but you need to understand that the source of these lies aren't just these quote bad people, they're energized by the enemy. And the enemy is energizing false teaching inside the church and it has the appearance of godliness, they're super disciplined, they don't eat these foods, they don't worship on these, they don't, they don't, they don't, they don't, and here's all these things they do and it's some works religiosity to somehow put burdens on people instead of experience God's grace and forgiveness. And so he's just telling them everything that God gives us is good and if you receive it with thanksgiving in the word in prayer it sanctifies it. And then in verse six through ten he's gonna give him a prescription to be a good teacher. He says in pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of good doctrine which you have been following.

Now did you notice something, because this is gonna be really key, the people who were genuine followers at one point to some degree started paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons and he is going to do well by pointing out these things and he's constantly nourished on the words of faith and good doctrine. Do you understand, I mean just write this in your notes, you are the product of your thought life. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. How you think, how you view yourself, your emotions, your perspective, your world view is a product of your thought life. And that's why Colossians three it'll say set your mind on the things that are above not on the things that are on earth. That's why Paul in Romans eight will say the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. So it's so so important that later in Romans chapter 12 when he talks about how real life change he doesn't say go to church, do a lot of good things and try really hard to be nice and try hard to be decent and try to be godly. He says stop allowing this world system and its lies to squeeze you into its mold by contrast allow your mind to be renewed that your life and lifestyle would actually prove, experience, taste what God's will is that it's good, acceptable and perfect.

And that's why, are you ready for this? This sounds crazy the most important decision you'll make every single day, multiple times a day is what you allow in your mind. What you watch, what you listen to, how long you linger in this conversation.

And by the way it's not just media, it's not just culture, it's your friends. Proverbs 13 20 says he who walks with wise men will be wise but the companion of a fool will suffer harm. I remember a mom was kind of giving it to her 14, 15 year old boy that was kind of letting her know that she kind of, he knows kind of what life is all about and was hanging with some people that she being a little older said you know I see where this is going and I'll never forget overhearing her.

She said son show me your friends and I'll show you your future. And I got news that's true of 14 year olds and 24 year olds and 44 year olds and 64 year olds and 74 year olds and 79 year olds. I wanted to make sure everyone got included.

So he says you'll be a good servant if you point these things out but notice again the content but stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women rather discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For bodily training is this translation says just slightly beneficial. The idea it's beneficial for this life. It's physical training, working out, eating healthy.

It's super helpful for now but it's limited. But godliness is beneficial for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. And then he gives us one of those statements. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.

What? That godliness, discipline, going into spiritual training benefits this life and the next. And then look at the little purpose clause and then he says for it is for this becoming a godly man we labor and strive and that word labor we get our word gym or gymnastic athletic training. It's pushing.

It's the third set and your arms are shaking and someone has to spot you but you know it's the third set or for some of you the fourth set or the fifth set that that's where things are tearing down and there's where things are gonna build up. He says for this we labor and strive because we have set our hope on the living God who is the savior of all mankind and especially of believers. And then he gives him this personal challenge. He says prescribe and teach these things.

And listen this is Paul really coaching individually. Let no one look down on your youthfulness but rather where should he be godly? In your speech, in your conduct, in your love, in your faith, in your purity show yourself an example of those who believe.

In other words you know what? You need to step out. You need to set an example. You need to be godly in what you say. You need to be godly in your relationships, godly in your thinking.

A better word maybe is Christlike. Prescribe and teach these things he says. Then he goes on in verse 13 until I come give attention to the public reading of God's word and to exhortation and teaching. In other words again it goes back to do you understand the threads all through this chapter are where's your mind going? The people who drift away start paying attention to other things.

They start drifting. Oh have you heard about this? Have you watched this?

But you nourished yourself. Pay attention to the reading of God's word. And then he goes on the exhortation that means putting it into practice and exhortation takes more than one person. That's like hey come on together let's go. We're down 10. We got four minutes left. That's exhortation.

Come on everyone step up, step in, let's go. And then he says teaching. That's explaining what's true and applying it to real life. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you which was granted you through the prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Take pains with these things. Be absorbed in them.

Why? So that your progress will be evident to all. What progress? You're becoming more like Jesus. You're more loving. You're more patient. You have more joy. You're more forgiving. You're a better dad. You're a better husband.

You're a more pure single man. Take pains. Absorb.

Soak them in. I mean hey Timothy this is what you need in order to survive the world that you're living in. Pay close attention finally he says to yourself and to the teachings. Literally the doctrines.

What's true? Persevere in these things. Some of you that lift weights would love this word persevere.

It's everywhere. James 1 says consider it all joy when you encounter various trials knowing the testing of your faith produces perseverance and allow or let perseverance to have its outworking in your life that you might be teleos or mature right perfect and complete lacking in nothing. That's this word.

He says persevere. It's hupo meno compound word. Hupo means to be under meno under pressure or stress. Some of you actually pay to be under pressure and stress.

And you usually have a partner. You put it on here. Hupo meno. Hupo meno.

Hupo meno. And then it's come on come on right. And you understand how it works.

I'm sure most of you do. Is when you get to that third set is what you're doing is you're tearing the fibers of the muscle just ever so slightly. And the reason you don't want to lift hard two days in a row the same muscles is you don't want to tear too much. But what you do is you tear them a little bit. Then if you're smart you get some protein in you. And then in about 24 to 48 hours as it heals back.

Guess what? That's why your muscles get bigger. Your muscles get bigger because of resistance. Your soul expands with godliness when you go through adversity. God uses suffering. He says for Christ has given us an example 1 Peter 2 that we should follow. That since he suffered we should also suffer following in his steps. And he says if you suffer for doing wrong what good is that? But when you suffer for doing what is right this finds favor with God.

How we respond literally there's little banquets and things going on in heaven and people high fiving one another. Did you see what that brother went through? What that sister went through? Did you see how they persevered? They wouldn't give up. They wouldn't give up.

They wouldn't give up. And what happens is just like your body gets stronger your soul, your faith gets stronger. That's how you build resilience. That's how you bounce back. And we all want to be that person but we don't want the process right? I was giving the guy a hard time who had a kind of a tight shirt on and some of us could tell he lifts weights. And so as we were standing next to each other I let him know that this is really a very very loose shirt and I wear these loose shirts because I'm completely ripped underneath.

And that would be a lie. But I'll tell you what you know if you've ever gone through that cycle and you get with a buddy and you know it's three times a week and they always I don't know why they always want to lift at 6 a.m. or some stupid hour right? And you know the first three days you do it and you think this is the dumbest idea in the world and they shame you into it and you do it another week and everything still really hurts and about the third week you look down and you go I think a little something's happening there right? You do it about six weeks.

Do it about three months. Pretty soon you start looking like a different person and what you're doing physically is willfully taking your body through resistance and breaking it down so that it can grow back stronger. There's a guy in the wine country who did a weird deal every day he got up and he'd get a paper and he'd roll it up real tight and put a bunch of rubber bands around it and he'd walk through all his vines and just whap em, whap em, whap em, whap em. People say what are you doing? I'm getting stronger. Well aren't you gonna hurt him?

He goes no. Tell you what I'm whapping him every day because we're gonna have storms here and there's gonna stuff happen and every time I whack him what happens is those roots are responding and realize if we don't go deep we're gonna have a problem and when everybody else's vineyards when the stuff came through his was strong. Could you imagine what would happen if you would rethink adversity rather than oh God why me or this is so terrible or life's not really fair and you saw it more as the hand of a kind and loving God in the midst of a very fallen world of which he allows people the freedom to make decisions including you and me, some of which really hurt other people and some it's just a fallen world that if you would receive that as this is a test of my faith, hupo meno and I'm gonna get up each day and like Timothy I'm going to take pains. I'm gonna absorb myself. I'm gonna renew my mind.

I'm gonna memorize the scripture. I'm gonna get with some guys that really want to do life and I will tell you what in the midst of adversity we will meet you two years or five years or seven years from now and you will have people say I don't even know you. You used to have a temper. I mean you used to be so negative about everything.

You used to just rag on your wife all the time when we were out hanging out. Used to always be talking about this and that and man what happened to you and they're not probably going to say something oh you're so Christ-like but they'll see it. You've been listening to part one of Chip's message Step Out. He'll be right back with his application for this teaching from his series The Book of First Timothy Life Coaching from the Apostle Paul. Through this new study Chip identifies six pieces of godly wisdom Paul passed on to his protégé Timothy and how these truths apply to you and me. Hear why characteristics like humility, dedication, integrity and respect are still critical to our relationships with others and God. I hope you'll listen to every part of this series either through the Chip Ingram app or livingontheedge.org.

I really think you're gonna learn a lot. I'll be right back to talk about today's message but before I do I want to give you a picture that I got to witness as a young pastor. There was a man there who is a master craftsman.

I mean he was a cabinet maker par excellence and I remember watching him literally painstakingly with a piece of wood use a lathe and little by little by little by little he did all these things that I couldn't figure out what was happening and then you know all those little moments led to this absolutely beautiful piece of cabinetry or furniture and you know sometimes we think little things don't matter even calling them little things and one of the quote little things that is the backbone of Living on the Edge are those people who support the ministry monthly. You know I don't know if you are a current supporter or you've been praying about being a supporter but let me tell you this when you give monthly it provides the bedrock and the consistency and the stability of all that we do here at Living on the Edge. So I want to thank you monthly partners for all that you do and I would like you if you're not a supporter would you prayerfully today ask God do you want me to support Living on the Edge? Do you want me to help Christians live like Christians?

And if so would you like me to do it on a regular monthly basis? And by the way thanks in advance whatever God leads you to do. Thanks Chip. Well as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I want to remind you that every gift is significant.

When you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do. To set up a recurring donation go to livingontheedge.org or visit the Chip Ingram app. You can also text the word donate to 74141. That's donate to 74141. We appreciate your support.

With that Chip let's get to that application you promised. Thanks Dave. As we close today's program I want you to pause with me. We heard some very very strong warnings and I think we're seeing some of the fruit of those warnings. The Apostle Paul says no one is immune from falling away and he ties that with false teaching and we're living in a day where there's a lot of false teaching and the false teaching isn't just this direct you know God doesn't exist and you're crazy to believe in Jesus. It's this journey of deconstruction and there's a whole generation of people that I'm spending a lot of time with right now that don't have clear understanding and they're deeply deeply confused and here's what I want to say to you. I want to say it to parents.

I want to say it to grandparents and I want to say it directly to you that are younger in the faith. You need to determine what you believe and why. You cannot listen to everyone. There are so many voices out there.

At the end of the day there is truth. There is a word from God and we've been given to it in his word and so I want to encourage you stand strong and clear on the truth of God's word. Your friends and what you allow in your mind is going to determine where you land five, ten, twenty years from now. Ask yourself what kind of conversations am I having with my friends?

What kind of faith do they have and are they walking closely with the Lord? What kind of stuff am I putting in my mind that's either raising questions, answering questions, developing doubts or are they pulling me away from God or closer to Jesus? I just want to encourage you. You so matter to the Lord Jesus.

He loves you so much. Let me encourage you. Be steadfast. Get into the scriptures and get around some fellow believers that are walking closely to Christ. None of us are immune from falling away.

Let's not be those people. Great reminder Chip. And let me just say if you're looking for a practical way to deepen your relationship with God, let me encourage you to sign up for Daily Discipleship with Chip. This is a free video resource we've created where you can study the Bible alongside Chip. For the entire course you'll spend no more than ten minutes with Chip in a particular passage of scripture. Then he'll challenge you to spend ten more minutes on your own.

It's so easy. You'll be blown away by how much you'll learn about God and his word. So sign up for any of our Daily Discipleship sessions today. Just go to LivingOnTheEdge.org, app listeners just tap Discipleship. Until next time, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.