Lawrenceville Conference: 1988
Table of Contents
2nd Reading
3rd Reading
The Lord's Coming 2
1 Timothy Timothy an Example
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Older young people are. I just like to speak about Timothy. You know, there are some characters in the Bible that are of special interest. Perhaps there are three that seem a very special interest to me, and that is Joseph and Daniel and Timothy. I look at these young men as ones who faced very difficult circumstances and yet circumstances that really are similar to what we have to meet in a day like this. I think it is so.
Wonderful that the Bible doesn't just accept the path before us, but actually sets before us living people who walked in that path. Of course, the one and perfect example is the Lord Jesus himself, who can't help but bow in adoration and worship as we trace His pathway of perfection and love. But it is very beautiful to see the life of Jesus manifested in his people and to see that God has given us these stories in His words.
Of people who face situations similar to our own and who were given the grace and strength from the Lord to overcome, to be faithful, to be fruitful for him. As with this thought in mind that I would like to speak this afternoon.
I might say in connection with Joseph, when we think about Joseph, we think of a young man who really didn't have it easy by any means. We think of how he loved to do what was pleasing to his father, but he was an object of jealousy with his brethren who turned against him and sold him. And you know, we meet similar circumstances. Maybe you tried to do what was right. Somebody was jealous and hurtful did.
Something that really hurts you a lot. Did you give up or did you use it as a fresh opportunity to display the Spirit of Christ? You know, it's easy to give up when situations arise like that and say it's no use. I tried, but Joseph didn't. Well, perhaps he thought when he got down to Egypt, sold there by his brethren, that things would be better. But things seemed to get worse.
His employer? Really.
Really made it difficult for.
Him through trap that his wife laid for him, and yet he tried to be faithful and he was faithful to his God, but things reacted in a different way than what he might have expected. Perhaps you say I tried to be faithful and the Lord didn't seem to come in on my behalf, and things went against me instead of for me. Joseph was cast into prison. Hope arose again that perhaps the Butler would remember him, but he forgot him.
And years seemed to pass by with disappointment. But oh, how brightly in the end he shines and is often spoken of as one of the most beautiful figures in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus himself. And so I just want to encourage you in seeing these. Just think of Daniel. Here was Daniel one day the Babylonians came down and he's taken from his home and carried down into Babylon, not for anything that he had particularly done, but now.
Finds himself in Babylon. He goes to school there and he finds that it's not easy. He has to be faithful. It's going to cost him something to take a stand, but he does. He's faithful to his God. More than this, he's an encouragement to his friends. Because you know, none of us live us to himself and no man dieth to himself. Our lives help or hinder others.
As I look back, I think of young people who were.
A tremendous help to me their influence. And so we find that Daniel had a great impact on his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego help them in their school life and gave them to have courage to stand faithfully even when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Then in Daniel's job when he got quite a bit older, why? Then again circumstances seemed to come up very difficult. His Co workers were jealous.
Of him and he landed in the den of lions but again his God cared for him well, I'm telling you these things dear young people because life is like that and if I were to tell you that if you follow the Lord Jesus that everything is going to run smooth and wonderful and all is going to work out just the way you'd like it to. I wouldn't be telling you what the scripture tells us the scripture tells us that it may be difficult unto you it is given in the.
Path of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Path of our precious Savior was anything but easy. As we all know, all the apostles, but perhaps one, died violent deaths for their faithful testimony. And so we find that it's not easy. But the question is, is it worth it? Is it really worth it? Is it better? Is there a brother was saying yesterday too, seek after the things?
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Things that this world has to offer and really try to make our mark in this world and get somewhere for ourselves. Or is it worth living for the one who loved us enough to go to Calvary and die for us? Is it worthwhile? Oh, I'm sure that anyone who has attempted, no matter how difficult his path has been, would say, as Mr. Darby once said.
The path of the Christian is worthwhile, even if it were 1000 times.
Harder than it is, it's worth it because of the glorious end of the journey. And so, as I say, I'd like to just look a little at Timothy because he's the New Testament example. In the old, I've mentioned a couple like Joseph and Daniel, but there are many others. And in this one that we have about Timothy, I just like to trace a little bit of his pathway.
If you turn to the 16th chapter of Acts.
This is Speaking of Paul here. Then came he to Derby and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman which was a Jewess and believed, but his father was a Greek.
Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium him would Paul have to go forth with him and took him and circumcised him, because of the Jews that which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Well, here is the first introduction we have to Timothy. It is true that in the 14th chapter, Paul had visited in Derby and Lystra. Derby was the place where Timothy lived, and perhaps it was on that occasion that Timothy received the Lord as his Savior.
Even in that situation, if you read the story in the 14th chapter of Acts, you will see that Paul was preaching in Iconium and persecution broke out and he fled to Lystra and Derby. So that when the persecution broke out, God so ordered that he should go to these places. And that might have been the occasion on which he met Timothy. So Timothy in first learning about the things of God.
Learned it from a person.
Who was persecuted, a person who was at Lystra taken for dead because they stoned him. And it was only an answer to God's goodness that he was restored and was able to be useful to the people of God. So I might say that Timothy's salvation.
Was probably in connection with a very difficult pathway. Sometimes a person might profess to be saved in a comfortable meeting place like this with friends around that just are rejoicing because someone has received the Lord as Savior. Parents moved to tears. They're so happy because their boy or their girl confessed the Lord, but with Timothy.
Why? He was in a very trying situation, so I didn't identify himself.
With a man who was flying, fleeing there because of persecution and moreover, at his home situation was probably not the best because his mother was a believer, we learned from the Epistle of Timothy. But his father was a Greek, perhaps not a believer at all. In fact, he's never mentioned as being among the believers. And I rather take it that perhaps.
It was a situation where there was.
Isn't the full harmony in the home? I'm saying this because there might be a young person says, oh, but I just covet a Christian home where things go on happily, but our home is kind of divided and how can I be faithful? The background is not easy for me, but God presents to us people who had difficult backgrounds, and Timothy was probably one of these, perhaps as a little word of encouragement for parents. I've mentioned this before, but perhaps it bears.
Repeating that the mother of Timothy's name was Eunice and the grandmother's name was Lois. And I suppose when Lois saw her daughter Eunice marry an unbeliever, she must have felt very sad because that was contrary to the word of God, as it's contrary for us. Now be not on an equally yoked together with unbelievers, the scripture says. But may I say if there is?
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A parameter, you say? I'm discouraged because that's what.
What happened in our family? Don't give up.
Don't give up. This Timothy was the product of a girl who married a man who perhaps wasn't a believer, but God and grace came in in the second generation. And here we find that the result was that Timothy comes out very faithfully and brightly for the Lord. Oh, it's wonderful when we submit to the ways of God and when we count upon him in prayer. And so I say the background of Timothy was not the easiest. It was probably.
Be quite difficult when he came from a home like that. But when he heard the gospel, his heart was open. There was real faith, as it tells us, unfeigned faith spoken of in Timothy that is unpretended. It wasn't just a profession, it was reality. And now he has gone on. I don't know just how much time had he lapsed since he had first met Paul.
But now Paul makes this probably second visit to Derby.
And he finds this young man going on. Her brother was talking about following on. And it's very lovely to see this young man from a home like this brought to know the Lord amidst persecution and difficulties. And here he is. He's going on. And his brethren notice it because our brethren do notice.
Tells us in Hebrews they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they might do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Those of us who have a real interest in care for young people, we watch, and nothing makes us any happier than to see evidences of a desire in the dear young people to please the Lord.
They watch for your souls because we are responsible, we who are older.
Do we feel it, brethren, to try and be a real help and encouragement to our young people? They need it so much in this difficult time.
Are we encouraging them? Do we take notice? We take notice of things that often grieve us. Do we take notice of those good things, those commendable things that really show a desire? Well, they did take notice because it says he was well reported of by the brethren. Now he gets an opportunity. Timothy gets an opportunity because.
Paul wanted someone, a young man probably, to go along with him.
Help him in his travels. And Timothy takes this as an opportunity now that he can go along with Paul and of course not only be a help, we might say, and looking after some of the things for Paul, but having the privilege of listening, as it tells us in the epistle of Timothy, the things which thou hast heard among many witnesses, the same commit thou a faithful man who shall be able to teach others also. And I can just imagine.
Dear Timothy, sitting down and listening as Paul opened up the things of God to him.
He wanted to learn, He wanted to be useful, He had a purpose in life. Dear young people, to you and I have a purpose. I know that it's necessary to get a job and to find things that are necessary, perhaps a suitable partner who will be a help to you in the things of God. But what is the real purpose in your life and mine? Is it to go on for the Lord Jesus? I believe it was with Timothy and we can see.
Shining out so nicely in his pathway.
Helen, Paul was going to take him. It says he circumcised him because of the Jews in those quarters. But without speaking a great deal about it, I would say it was a very painful experience. Sometimes when we want to go on for the Lord, it begins by some very painful experience. Yeah, we often have a very painful experience.
And the enemy would try to turn you aside. You say I tried and something just happened. Everything seemed to collapse.
My world seemed to collapse and I I just couldn't. I couldn't continue. But here we find Timothy with his painful experience of circumcision, a figure of death to the flesh. For that's what circumcision is, a figure of the circumcision made without hands, as the Bible says, putting off the sins of the flesh.
So he started with that, but he still continued on. He wanted to be faithful and may I say, don't allow some.
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Bitter circumstance, something hurtful to hinder you. The devil would just delight to see you turn aside by something that happens, something that really was hurtful, instead of using it as an encouragement to you to go on and overcome that obstacle with that strength from the Lord and go on and live for Him.
Well, now if you turn over to 1St Thessalonians 3.
Verse One. Wherefore when we could no longer for bear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and comfort you concerning your faith, That no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves. No, that we are appointed thereunto, for verily, when we.
With you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass. And you know.
Now we find Timothy has gone on. Hello, he himself, he's been taken by Paul, he's going along with Paul. And as they went about from place to place, he's learning, he's experiencing some of the hardships and difficulties. Now Paul gives him an opportunity to go, shall I say, a little on his own responsibility, and he is sent to go there and visit these dear young believers down in Thessalonica.
Now the time comes, perhaps when someone asks you to do some little service for the Lord, perhaps to preach the gospel, or perhaps to do something where an effective testimony can be produced for the Lord's glory. And now it's nice to see Timothy responding to this. Timothy had gone through some things in the school of God.
Because, you know, God passes us through experiences, as Paul tells us.
That we the Lord who comforts us in every tribulation, that we might be able to comfort those that are in any trouble, where by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Did you ever think that those hard experiences you going through are just part of the school of God? For God is fitting you? You can help somebody better than another person who has not been through a similar experience.
How nice it is when you're in some problem for somebody in love to come and say, I understand I was through something like that, I know how difficult it is. But the Lord helped me. He stood right with me and he sustained me. And Paul had learned this and Timothy had learned it with him, that the path of following Christ is not easy. It is beset with persecutions, trials, misunderstandings.
Those who disappear.
US and grieve us. And he had experienced these things and now he's put on something, so to speak, on his own.
And he goes down for, you know, young people help young people. I'm a bit older, as you know, but I can look back on my life and think that things that young people went through and what they said to me, if they had been through similar things, was a tremendous help. And so Timothy was only a young believer, a young man at this time. And these people at Thessalonica had only been saved a very short time too, and so.
To have a young man come down and encourage them because he also had gone through some of the similar things was no doubt a tremendous help. This assembly of Thessalonica shines out in the Word of God as a group of young believers who were faithful. As we learn in the 1St chapter, they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven.
They are really taking a stand amid their countrymen and they were waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus. And how encouraging it must have been for them, for this young man. Maybe Timothy might have wished that Paul would have come along with him, but now he's, as it were, he's put on his own counting on the Lord, of course. And those circumstances do come. And if somebody says to you.
That they would like you to do something, perhaps to give a little message to.
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Some other young people or something just look to the Lord, maybe an opportunity. You say, oh, my knees shake, that's good. If they do, I'd far rather that they did shake than if you said, sure, I can do it. Because the Bible teaches us that we need constant dependence. Jesus said without me, he can do nothing. I'd rather listen to somebody whose knees shake than somebody.
Who's confident and thinks like Peter, that he would never deny his Lord? Peter had to learn that he had shaking knees too, and even shook before a little maid who said, Thou hast also with Jesus of Nazareth? He ought to have shaken as he realized how weak he was in himself, and he would have proved how wonderfully the Lord could sustain him. I'm sure he did after that.
Experience learned to lean on the Lord because he stood up and preached it through 3003 thousand.
And people got saved. Blessing came from it. Well, we find Timothy then in this little instance here that he is, He is sent there alone to establish them and comfort them concerning their faith.
I doubt if he did a lot of teaching that might not have seemed too fitting for such a young man, but he could.
Establish them and comfort them concerning their faith. And so it's very important that we don't try to go beyond just to do what the Lord gives us to do. And very often it's the things that we have made our own, the things that we have enjoyed that have the greatest impression.
Upon others.
Now we read about him again in Philippians. He turned back to Philippians Chapter 2.
In verse 19.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state.
For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ.
But you know the proof of him, that as a son with the Father, he has served with me in the gospel.
Here we find Timothy again now, and Paul can speak so nicely about this young man. I might just call attention to way Mr. Darby translates that 20th verse he says.
Who would care with genuine interest for your condition or need? I forget the word that he uses, but I think that's a very lovely thing. Genuine interest.
I I know that when somebody comes.
And you're in a problem and you feel there's a genuine interest, a genuine interest. Then you respond, don't you? You say, I feel that person cares. I feel they enter into it. People can tell me things, but that person has a genuine interest who cares about the situation that I find myself in. Wasn't nice that we see this growth in Timothy. We start with him.
Saved at a time.
When persecution was overtaking the apostle Paul and his services in the midst of it all, he goes on and his brethren speak well of him. He goes with Paul, he learns a great deal from him, makes his little journey down to Thessalonica, which I'm sure was a great encouragement, and now Paul is going to give him a second opportunity to do something.
And he adds this beautiful little commendation.
And dear young people, may I say this, ask the Lord to help you to develop a genuine interest in others. All you say, but I feel so alone. People don't always appreciate what I say and do because I seem to be very much alone. So it was Timothy. It says here all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ.
It isn't that Timothy. He was surrounded by a nice little group of active young people.
And he could just feel, oh, I've got really a nice little group of warm supporters here. It's wonderful. That would be wonderful. It is awfully nice when you have a group of warm supporters who stand with you. But sometimes you have to stand alone. But never stand alone in a critical spirit. Never stand alone as looking down upon others, but have a genuine interest in them. Have a genuine interest in the most worldly person. Have a genuine interest seeking their good and their.
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Blessing. This was what seemed to characterize Timothy, and I think it's so wonderful that he could say this about him. And you know, the Lord is writing a book, too. He's writing up the people, as the Bible tells us. And when you read in the 16th chapter of Romans, you see a number of names mentioned there. Some got more commendation than others.
And so the Lord is writing up a book about you, and he's writing up a book about me, and he's given us this.
In His word, dear young people, to show us that it's possible to go on for the Lord in the most difficult circumstances, not only persecution from without. Now he had experienced that persecution from the Jews and from his countrymen, but now it comes a little closer. He finds himself surrounded by others who were seeking their own, as her brother said yesterday.
Lovers of their own selves. Can Christians be like that? Of course we can.
There's an awful lot of self love in a good many of us and we have to watch it, don't we? But isn't it lovely to see this genuine interest? And Paul could send him and then he say, he says, you know, the proof of him that as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. Where did he learn these kind of things?
Well, he learned them by being with the Apostle Paul.
And it tells us about Paul when he is writing to the Philippians. It speaks about him caring for them as a nurse cherisheth her own children. He saw that in Paul. Brethren, what do our young people see in us? Do they see in us as we get older that we kind of become critical and we look down on the young people and say they're worldly? They didn't see that in Paul. Paul was getting older.
But he saw as he watched the apostle, that he had a genuine interest in a care for the Saints, and it affected Timothy, and Timothy learned to copy it. Timothy learned that he also could be a help. And what is it that counts so much? I used to wonder about that verse in Timothy where it says if one desires the office of a Bishop, he desires a good work. And I thought, well.
Seems like you want to set yourself forward if you wanted to be in the office of a Bishop or overseer. But I think of it in this way. What was really the office of the Bishop? Well, it was one who watched the Saints of God for their good, who really sought as he watched them, just like we his parents, we watch our children, we see certain trends in them, we try to correct it, we try to help them.
And the better parents we are, the more hardly trust.
To try and watch those little things that we see developing so that we could correct them. And Paul had that kind of a feeling. And those who are overseers in the assembly ought to have that kind of a feeling. Somebody does something for your child. You appreciate it, don't you? And God says if you do something for my children, I value it too. They're dear to me.
They're purchased with my own blood and if you do something for them, that's a good work.
Because it really is my desire for them. So we find then with Timothy here and with Timothy here in Philippians, that he was one who had a genuine interest in the things of God. And now let's we'll turn a little more about First Corinthians. We read a little more.
About him in First Corinthians 16.
And verse 10.
Now if Timothy has come, see that he may be with you without fear, or he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren.
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Perhaps the other visits where Timothy went, they were young believers. When he went to Thessalonica, they had only been saved a short time and he was able to be a help there, I am sure. And when he perhaps went to Philippi, Paul spoke of possibly sending him. He would have gone to a very happy assembly because.
The Epistle to the Philippians is one of the most precious epistles. It isn't an unfolding of.
Doctrine, but just an encouragement for devotedness. And Paul could say so many wonderful things about that assembly. He could say that they strove together for the faith of the gospel. He could talk about so many commendable things in that assembly at Philippi. There was perhaps a somewhat nice place for Timothy to go to. But now.
He's going, he's sent to Corinth. Well, that wasn't quite so easy a place when he went to Corinth tells us they came behind in no gift. And he might have said, oh, what's this young fellow doing? We don't need him here. He's he's just a young person. And they were well taught in Corinth. But there were things there were deep needs in Corinth. There was as we know in First Corinthians 5.
The necessity that there should be discipline.
In the assembly which hadn't been carried out and there were those who were denying the resurrection, there were a lot of things that were grieving there. But as I take it, perhaps we could cause an assembly that was very self satisfied and Timothy might come there and say I I can't accomplish anything here. The people all know a great deal more than I do.
And they won't listen to me because I'm just young, but.
It's very nice to see the apostle using this little word, saying, see that he may be among you without fear. He said he's working the work of the Lord, as I also do. Isn't it very nice to see here that Paul gives a special word here to support Timothy when he came to Corinth, because there might have been those who wouldn't have appreciated this young man.
And so he writes this little word, see that he might be among.
You without fear, because we can see from what we read about Timothy and the epistle that he wasn't a forward young man. He was actually very timid young man, no doubt easily moved to tears because in the epistle where Paul writes to him, he says that he was mindful of his tears and he had to be encouraged to go forward. He wasn't a pushy kind. He was a kind that naturally according to his dispos.
Would have held back a bit and now he needs to be encouraged but he also.
We find Paul writing this little word, and so isn't it nice when we recognize that there are those whom we can help and support, we can recognize that they do the work of God? I think this is so humble on the part of the apostle. He might have said, well, he's just a young worker, but don't discourage him. But he said he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Isn't that nice?
He said perhaps he's doing just as.
Important to work as I'm doing because God measures things by the measure of devotedness. And so there may be sisters who are not in a public place who are going to get a far greater reward because there's more devotedness, there's more trueness of heart. So let's encourage one another. Let's recognize everything that is of Christ Let's be careful, brethren, that we're not guilty sometimes of pushing a person down because we think they're.
A little bit younger, or perhaps something that we feel they don't have as much knowledge as we might have. As I said, there was much knowledge in Corinth. In fact so much so that Paul had to say that knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. So he encourages them to not be hard on Timothy, but let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace that.
He may come unto me now, that is, give him a helping hand. Support him.
And so this is a this is a word perhaps for those of us who are older to recognize that devotedness, to encourage it, and to remember that we all are learners to some extent. There was only one perfect servant. There was one, only one who knew all the answers. And so we need to learn to appreciate one.
00:35:13
Another and those who were young, to appreciate those who were old. It's very lovely to see when the foundation of the temple was laid, that there were those who were young and there were ancient men and they were all working together. And when it was all finished, there was sort of a mixture of tears and rejoicing because the ones who shed tears made comparisons. I've often said we were older, we can make comparisons.
So we look back and say it didn't used to be that way and we looked back. And young people can't do that because they didn't see some of the days that we saw. And they don't make comparisons. They rejoice in the present. They rejoice in what they see, the work of God in the present. And we need to learn to work together, those of us who have been in the past and who can rejoice in what we have seen in the past. We can be a help in a special way because.
Because truth of God doesn't change, doesn't differ in 1988 than it was 50 years before in 1938. It's it's still the same truth of God. But we have to realize that there are young and they're old. It's very beautiful. When the temple was laid, that young and old rejoiced together. And there's just this little word given to those Saints that Corinth, not to discourage Timothy, who was a devoted young man.
But who perhaps?
Didn't have as much knowledge as some of them in Corinth, and so they were not to despise him, but to conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me. Now we find Paul giving special charge, if you turn to one Timothy 4.
Verse 10.
For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior or Preserver of all men, especially of those that believe.
These things command and teach that 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.
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in me, which was given me by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself.
And them that hear thee.
Paul wrote 2 letters, as we know, to Timothy. He had a great interest in that young man. He outlived Timothy Paul. And so Paul realized that he was going to face situations that weren't very easy, and perhaps more so after the apostle Paul was removed from the scene. And so he has a special interest in this young man.
And as it were, he is giving him a charge here in this epistle.
To go on.
And tells us in this 12TH verse, Let no man despise thy youth.
You don't believe this means that Timothy was to say, I'm not going to let anybody push me down because I'm young. I believe that he ought to win the confidence of those who are older by his godly walk. Then they wouldn't despise him. And I believe that's what he meant, that they wouldn't look down upon him if they saw godliness, practical godliness in him.
And you can see that by what follows. But be thou an example not to the believers, but of the believers. That is, as others looked at this young man, he was to be an example of the believers. That is, they could see, well, here's a young man. He came from a difficult home. His father and mother were not in full agreement.
He was saved and seen in persecution and he's had some real trials.
We learn from Hebrews chapter 13 that he actually got in prison himself because Paul says in Hebrews 13 know that our brother Timothy was set at liberty. So you can see that he did have a very trying and difficult path as a believer.
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But he wasn't be an example of the believers in Word. You know, our words are very important and sometimes not just what we say, but the way we say it.
Says, you know, it says that our our words. It says whatsoever ye do in Word or deed. If you or I had been writing it to you, we might have said whatever you say or do. But he says whatever you do in Word or deed. In other words, our words do something.
Our words do something. Is there anybody ever said something to you and said it an unkind way and it did something to you. It just really upsets you. You found it hard to get over it. And it was only a word they said, but the word did something. Be thou an example of the believers in Word. Oh, you know, in the Lord Jesus. Everything he said, even the tone of his voice was perfect.
Even the tone of his voice.
Have a little paper at home and then think about the provoked spirit, and it starts off by saying what is a provoked spirit? And the answer is a wrong attitude about wrong things. I always say it's wrong, but I can have a right attitude toward it or a wrong attitude toward it. Moses is an example of a wrong attitude.
What he said about the people was true. They were rebels.
But his attitude toward them was wrong. When he said, must we fetch you water out of this rock? He rebels and smote the rock. He failed to demonstrate the heart of God toward his people. God hadn't said smite the rock. He said speak to the rock and whenever you see a problem, you say it's all wrong, but let's be concerned that we shall the right attitude toward it. Speak to the rock. Who is the rock?
For you say something to that person, speak to the rock. Does the Lord care? Does he know the whole situation? He'll help you to say the right thing, to say it in the right way. So it tells us here in Word, in conversation, which is really manner of life.
In love Charity, which is love.
Yes, how important that is, I heard a brother say. I was rather struck by his remark. He said the King James translation uses the word charity. And he said in some ways it's more effective because he said we understand charity as being you give to somebody who has nothing and who can't repay you. You might love a person because they love you, but charity always supposes that there's no return. There's no return you'd give.
Something in charity. And so perhaps there is an emphasis on this word charity. And I think we we look for love in return, but we ought to show love whether we get return or not.
That's what the Lord does. He shows love doesn't get much return from our poor cold hearts often, but he shows love. And so this was to be the character of Timothy. He was to seek grace, to develop this in Word, his manner of life, in charity and spirit. Be careful. You notice in the epistle to the Galatians there were things that Paul had to correct. In fact, he felt the condition of things in.
So much that he doesn't even speak words of encouragement. He goes right to the question and speaks how serious it was that they were putting themselves under law. But he closes it by saying the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.
With your spirit, all, brethren, we need that so much. We attack wrong doctrine, we attack wrong things, but we need to have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ with our spirit.
How often you have found some You were doing something you knew in your conscience it was wrong. Somebody spoke to you in a nice spirit. Somebody spoke to you in love. It touched you, it did something to you. Whereas if they had condemned you, why you might have come back pretty harsh. But instead was to be that all this is an exhortation to Timothy in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Faith is confidence in God.
All how much we need that confidence in God.
Is any situation too difficult for him?
No, there's nothing too hard for the Lord. There is nothing too hard for the Lord. And so we're to have that confidence in him. Not confidence in myself, not confidence in man, but confidence in the Lord that he can do the impossible.
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And then in purity, well, that's a very necessary one for this day. There's a lot of impurity. There's everything to put bad and impure thoughts into our minds. And may I say to your young people, watch that can spoil your whole life. Many young person has ruined his life because he didn't watch that side of his life. Oh, may the Lord help you, dear young people, and those of us who are older too, May He help us to maintain purity.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Keep thyself pure. What a needful exhortation for us. And so this is part of what's given to Timothy.
And then he's told to give exhortation to reading to exhortation to attendance, rather to reading to exhortation to doctrine.
Well, this is the time when sometimes we don't do enough good reading. We need to read God's Word, but we also can be very thankful for the books of ministry that are available to us.
Some of them may be written perhaps a century ago. The English might be a little old. But I want to tell you, dear young people, you're well repaid by reading it. You're well repaid by reading it. You'll find much more that will feed your soul and establish you in the truth than some of what is coming off the press today in many quarters.
I'll give attendance to reading. Read the word of God. Be thankful for the precious.
Volume of truth that God has left as a heritage for us. And read it. It'll be a blessing. It'll feed your soul.
I often say don't just read it to tell others and explain things to others. Read it as food for your own soul and as you make it, food for your own soul. The scripture says out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Why does it say that out of his belly? Well, it means you've taken it in, you've made it your own, and it comes out as something that you've enjoyed.
You know, sometimes you listen and you think.
Well, that's he's telling things, but there's a feeling behind it. But you know, if you take it in and it comes out as something that's enjoyed in your own soul, then it comes out of your belly as rivers of living water.
And then it says neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, that his Timothy had been marked out by the Spirit of God. He had a gift and he had the fellowship of his brethren. The presbytery means the the elderhood, and it means that it wasn't just that he thought he had a gift, but others recognized that he had a gift too, and he was told not to neglect that.
I believe there are many gifts lost to the Church of God through a lack of faithfulness.
Says in Colossians, and say to our Khipus, Take heed to the ministry that thou hast received in the word, that thou use it.
Fulfill it. And so you know, if the Lord has given you a gift, maybe your employer appreciates it and he'll want you to work a lot of extra overtime and he'll pay you well because you recognize you're a person of ability. But I know that we have to earn our daily living. But it's nice to see young people who are willing to use their ability for the Lord, their ability. And there's young people, there's boys, there's girls. Hello, girls aren't committed.
The public speaking, but they have ability, they have a way of helping other people.
Away a service that they can do often even better than what is from the platform. And so you know, Timothy is exhorted not to neglect the gift. Paul speaks of it on another occasion too. Not to neglect that gift that was in him and to use it. And if the Lord has given you a gift, remember there's a great need among the Saints.
There's a longing to learn more of the things of God, and perhaps the Lord has something for you, dear young person, to do. Are you hiding your gift?
Are you like Archippus? You have it, but you're not using it, it says. You can hide your light under a bushel, which is business, or under a bed, which is laziness, but the light is given that it might profit the whole house, it says.
And it talks about meditation. Give thyself wholly to them. You need to meditate.
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We all find our minds taken up with things. It's good when your mind can be free to try and turn to the things of God. When you read those few verses or that chapter in the morning, do you just forget it? What do you think about it as you go to work? Turn over the verses in your mind. Chew the cud as the clean animal did in Israel.
And you'll often get some precious thoughts.
It'll fill your mind. And then it says, Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt save thyself and them that hear thee.
Now that is, we need to watch ourselves first. You say, well, I'd like to set that brother right. I'd like to get a hold of that young person and set him right. Well, first ourselves, it always applies to self first. Thou shalt both save thyself. This isn't the salvation of the soul, but saving ourselves from a fall, saving ourselves from getting away from the Lord. Thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee, that is.
As these things lay hold of us and become.
Part of ourselves then they become a blessing to others. And isn't it true? When you listen to somebody and you know that person is walking in the good of it himself and he's walking in it. Sometimes you'll listen to a person and it's sad to say, in your mind you say.
Well, I wish he walked in what he's saying. And it spoils it, doesn't it? It's the person that's the loser, and so are the hearers. But when a person seeks to go on himself and walk to please the Lord, then those that hear him, they get a blessing because they not only see they don't hear what he says, but they see it manifested in his life. Thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Just a couple of other passages just.
Close the last chapter of First Timothy of First Timothy and the 20th verse.
Oh, Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science, falsely so-called. And then two Timothy.
Two Timothy.
Chapter 3.
In verse 14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. I just want to leave those two special exhortations to you. Hold Timothy, Keep that which is committed to thy trust. And then in the other occasion he says.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast heard. I just command those two exhortations to you.
Here Timothy had something committed to him and dear young people as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus and sitting under the truth of God, having having the truth of God so available to us was never so in past in the times of the apostles. He could never have an assembly like this where everybody had a Bible on his knee and the whole word of God written. What privileged people we are to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
The enemy is doing.
All he can to turn aside our dear young people to get them discouraged because things are not the way they should be. Perhaps in the assembly where they are.
How difficulties come in discouragement. And Timothy had every reason to be discouraged. There was everything that must have been very difficult for this young man. He saw all those in Asia turn away from Paul, saw many, many things happen in his lifetime, all seeking their own. And now Paul is writing. And I want to say to you, dear young people, continue. Continue. Do you remember one time?
Moses said, Lord, what shall I do to this people? Be almost ready to stone me.
The Lord said Moses go on before the people. He didn't say pay them back, tell them what you think of them. He said go on before the people and bring water for them out of the rock.
Almighty the Lord encourage us to go on and keep what's been committed to us. This isn't the time to give up too near the Lord's return for us to think of giving up. The deposit has been committed to us and we have something to hold and we need to hold it fast. Well, may the Lord impress those two remarks upon us that Paul said to Timothy. Continue thou.
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Keep that which is committed to thy trust. May He give us grace then.
To go on, the time is short, the Lord's coming is near, but all it a privilege to be able to go on, spend the rest of our time for Him walking in this world, for His glory and for the blessing of others.
Faithfulness in a Difficult Day
The Lord's Coming 3