A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): At Christmas and birthdays, we love to give our friends and family gifts. But how would you feel if the person you gave it to never used it? Here's Pastor John Randall.

John Randall: Every single believer in Christ has been gifted by the Holy Spirit in some way. In some way, you have been gifted by the Lord. God wants you to use whatever those gifts are in different ways in the church, outside of the church, but don't neglect it. For one thing, we're going to give an account of what we've been entrusted with. How did you use what I gave to you? How did you use the gift that I imparted to you? How did you use that platform to promote me? Did you use it to promote me or did you use it to promote yourself?

Whatever gift that you've been entrusted with, use it for the glory of God. Don't neglect it. Don't allow it to go dormant. Paul would say in another place, stir up the gift of God that's within you.

Guest (Male): Hi there, friend. Great to have you in our listening family today. This is a daily walk. Our teacher is Pastor John Randall. We pick up where we left off in 1 Timothy today. So make your way over to chapter 4 if you would. Paul is describing for Timothy what it takes to be an effective minister or servant of God. And John believes these are qualities that make for a good minister today. By the way, if you're a Christian, you are a minister. So this is applicable to all of us as believers in Christ.

John Randall: A good minister works hard. Works hard. It says in verse 9 and 10, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, for to this end we both labor. That's an interesting word, labor. And we suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Paul as well as Timothy, for them, the ministry that they were involved with was demanding, physically demanding, spiritually demanding, emotionally demanding. I mean, that that's what they were involved with. Paul would write about especially if you want to see this in greater detail, read 2 Corinthians sometimes when you when you have an opportunity.

Read that book and you'll find as Paul describes what he endured, outside were conflicts, inside were fears. He talks about being pressed and squeezed to the point where he felt like he couldn't be squeezed anymore. He talks about carrying inside of himself the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ that he might experience the resurrection power of Christ. But he went through it. It was demanding and he worked hard. He labored with his hands. He he would make tents and he would then preach in the evening and then he'd wake up early. The word labor here means to labor to the point of exhaustion.

If you're going to do it, do it 100%. If you're going to if you're going to serve the Lord, don't just do it half-heartedly. Do it with everything you have. It's worth it. It's a good work, but it 's a work. It's the work of the Lord. This is eternal kingdom business we're talking about. So to be a faithful minister, to be a good minister, to have a ministry that's worthy of of being accepted, it says here, work hard. Work at it. It was J. Oswald Sanders in his book Spiritual Leadership, he said, if a man is unwilling to pay the price of fatigue for his leadership, it will always be mediocre.

True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the whole man. And the more effective the leadership is, the higher the price to be paid. But it's worth it. Yes, it makes demands on you. You serve the Lord in any capacity, it it will require something of you, but it's so worth it. Listen, nothing we do in the name of the Lord will will go unrewarded. We don't labor in vain here. We labor for a purpose, for the glory of God. Whatever you do, do it as under the Lord and not unto men, for the glory of God.

A good work. He works hard. It also says here, you remember Jesus, he said, we need to work while it is day because night is coming when no man can work. He said, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field, workers. Guys, there's so much work to be done, isn't there? Sometimes it just seems overwhelming. I mean, you look in any direction in this world, any direction, even in our own community Lord, the work seems so great. It's so vast. It's so so expansive in every direction. How do we We just do what we can.

We do what God puts in front of us and we do it with everything we have. We give it 100%. You remember when if you've ever read through the book of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah set to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem that have been torn down, he put people in different positions to labor on the wall. And it says there was a group that was laboring on the wall known as the Tekoites. And it says their nobles were there to work, but it says they did not put their shoulder into it. Meaning they did it half-heartedly.

Everybody else is laboring. Everybody else is is going for it, but they were just kind of well, I don't want to put my shoulder to it. I'm too noble. Not Hey, when it comes to the kingdom of God, man, let's work hard. Jesus is coming. And we're not going to have an opportunity to work forever. And so we do it while we can with everything we have. We retire ultimately when we're in glory. And what a retirement plan that is. Government can't touch it. But anyhow, the next thing we see here is the sixth thing.

To be a good minister, he is an example. He's an example. Look at verse 12. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, and in purity. We know from other passages of Scripture that Timothy was by nature somewhat timid. Paul would tell Timothy that God hadn't given him a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Timothy didn't necessarily like confrontation. Also, he was a young man. In that culture, he was considered to be young, surrounded by elders.

And there were those apparently in the church who actually because of his age were despising him. And when it says that he wasn't to allow them to despise him, it's a word that means contempt, not just felt in the mind that they thought ill of Timothy, but they treated him poorly because of his age. And so Paul tells Timothy, listen, stop allowing them to despise you. Now how was he to do this? Was he to assert himself? You know, I remember this passage really coming to light in my own life and ministry. You know, by God's grace, uh the Lord called me into the ministry early on as a young man in my early 20s and was ordained to the ministry in my early 20s.

And so when I was an assistant pastor at a particular church, there would be times when people would come in for counseling. And they would be sent into the office where I was seated. And I would greet them when they came in. And they had this look on their face that I could tell how this was going to go. Like the look was, am I in the right room? Is this the children's ministry? What are we doing in here? You know, where's is the pastor coming or is there someone that I am going to cuz I have I I'm here.

How can I help you? I need somebody older. You don't know anything. And I I you know, it's probably true, but you know, the people come in, they have marital problems. They've been married, you know, 100 years and and they're struggling and uh and I've been married, you know, 10 years and what do you know? And that's kind of how it felt. That's kind of what it was like. And at first you say, you know what, I'm despise my youth, you know. Let's in fact, you know what, before we get started, let's open up 1 Timothy chapter 4.

I'd like to read you this verse and uh just so you know where we're going with that. You know, that's kind of how it felt. And then you we went out and we planted our first church and I was 25. I mean, fresh 25, just turned 25. And we started the church. And people would come in and the same look on their face they're visiting and I just you know, you come on in. Where's the Where's the pastor's church at? I'm right here. You're Aren't you the Are you the youth pastor? Are you like the the main thing?

Yeah. I do both actually because no one else is here. I mean, this was this is kind of how it was. And it's not uncommon It's It's less common nowadays, but in the early days it wasn't uncommon for me to show up somewhere and immediately be asked I'm talking in the first few lines of conversation, how old are you? I mean, you ever get in a conversation with somebody and somebody just immediately says, how old are you? How old are you? I always now it's how old are you? I mean, women get offended when you say, how old are you?

I mean, but that's that's in a matter of 2 seconds. Hey, my name's John. Nice to meet you. What's your name? Oh, I'm Joe. How old are you? What Why does it matter? You know? Older than you think. I've had a lot of work done. No, I haven't, but I'm just saying. It doesn't happen as much anymore. That's quite all right. But if you stick around long enough, I also will uh die uh eventually. So let no one despise your youth. How do you let no one despise your youth? What are you supposed to do?

Do you assert yourself? Do you say, hey, listen, don't despise my youth. No, here here's what Timothy was supposed to do. Says I want you to be an example to people. In what way? How am I to be an example in these people that are confronting me that really aren't glad that I'm here? What am I supposed to do? First of all, you be an example in speech. What you say with your mouth will be an example to the people. What you don't say will be an example. What kind of words are coming from your lips?

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, oh Lord. Let your words always be seasoned with grace. What kind of words are you speaking? Because whatever words are coming out of your mouth is a revelation of what's in your heart. And if your words are profane, if your words are impure, if you don't have a problem throwing expletives out at any given sentence, every other word is Listen, that is an indication that your heart is corrupt and needs to be repented of, that your tongue needs to be tamed by the spirit of God and that you need to allow him to wash your mind and wash your heart so that the words of your mouth will be acceptable in the sight of the Lord.

Listen, that's something that God changes. I mean, maybe you were a person that you just had a foul mouth. Every other word was a bad word and then you got saved and suddenly you stopped cursing. And it just dawned on you one day, wow, I don't I don't say what I used to say all the time. I'm really doing good. No, it's the spirit of God working in you, changing you and me. Timothy, if people confront you, let the words of your mouth be an example to them. How you respond, what you say, how you say it.

Not only in your speech, but he adds in your conduct. In other words, not just by what you say, but also by how you live. This is to be the example to these people that are despising your youth, how you respond to them, how you treat them, and and the life that you live in front of them will speak volumes to them and they will respect you because of that. Not just because of what you say, but also because of how you live. It matches. When When you have somebody who is saying something about Christ and then living what Christ has said, that is a powerful witness and a great example.

If you have the opposite, someone saying something and living contrary, that is a terrible witness and and it has a a negative impact. So for Timothy to be a good minister, for us to be good servants of the Lord, it's what we say and it's how we live together which is authentic, which is real. It's not not that we're perfect. Certainly there are times when we contradict what we what we said by how we live and we have to repent of that. But nonetheless, the goal is to let these two things match one another. An example, what you say, how you live.

But then he also says, here's another way I want you to be an example or be a pattern for people to follow in love. And the love that Paul speaks of here is the agape love of Jesus. It is the love which God is. It is the love which the Holy Spirit produces in the heart of a yielded believer. It is a love that impels the one loving to sacrifice himself for the benefit of the person being loved. Timothy, to be a good minister, you need to love these people. You need to love them with the love of the Lord.

And not just loving those people that love you. Jesus said, anybody can do that. Anybody can love somebody that loves them. I want you to love people that don't necessarily love you. In fact, Jesus put it this way, I want you to love your enemies. And by the way, Jesus didn't suggest that. He commanded it. And not only did he command it, but he lived it. He died for his enemies. And he tells us, I want you to love them. I want you to love them like I love you. Jesus told his disciples that the world will know that you're my disciples by your love that you have for one another.

Be an example in how you love. Listen, whatever culture you go to, whatever language you speak or don't speak, love speaks volumes. People know something about who you are by the way that you love. In your words, in your conduct, in your love, he also says, in spirit. And the word spirit refers here to an inner enthusiasm or an excitement about the Lord. You know, when you have someone who's genuinely enthusiastic about Jesus, it's contagious. I love to be around people who genuinely love the Lord. I'm not talking about weird, bizarre, you know, strange that looks like enthusiasm, but it's really not.

It's actually embarrassing. I don't know what that is, but that's not what you think it is. And I'm talking about people that genuinely they just love Jesus. They love his word. They love I just love to be around people like that. I love being a part of this church because this church is full of people like that. And it inspires me. Timothy, be an example and you're enthusiastic about the Lord. Because if you're not enthusiastic about it, nobody else will be. And it's not something you have to work up in yourself. It's something that the spirit of God works within you as you yield your life to the Lord, also in faith.

Be an example in faith. Timothy was to model a trust in God before the people. It's easy for me to tell you today, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. It's easy to say. But that's something that I must model in my own I need to live that in my own life. I need to trust God. I need to believe what God says. I need to rest on his promises. I want to model that for you and I want to pass that on to you.

Trust in the Lord. Faith in God. He is faithful, isn't he? He's never been anything but faithful. He's worthy of our trust. In faith and then finally he says, I want you to be an example in purity. While living in Ephesus, surrounded by sexual immorality, Timothy, an unmarried man had to walk in purity. You know the Bible says, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Sexual impurity will always cloud your vision of who God is. It will hinder your ability to see him for who he is. Walking in purity, walking in holiness, what I hear, what I see, where I go, I want to walk in purity before the Lord.

I don't want anything to contaminate or to block my vision of who Jesus is. I want to be pure in heart so that I can see more of God. Finally, he tells him that his priorities need to be in order. For Timothy to be a good minister, he had to have his priorities in order. And what were they? Well, he tells us in verse 13, till I come, give attention to the reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Verse 14, do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy and the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them. Pause there. Timothy's priorities. In order to be a good minister, he had to keep his priorities in alignment. And what was the priority? Give attention to the reading of God's word, the exhortation, the doctrine of it. Make sure that this is a priority for you, not only concerning the word of God, but also his spiritual gifts. He tells him here in verse 14, Timothy, don't neglect the gift that's in you. Apparently when Timothy came into the ministry, there were those that laid hands on him, prayed for him, and some spiritual gift he received.

And why would Paul say, don't neglect it? Perhaps because he was. Maybe he thought, you know, this is Ephesus. I don't know if I can use that spiritual gift here. Paul says, Timothy, listen, God didn't give you that so that you could neglect it. God gave you that so that you could use it. So you use the spiritual gifts that God has given to you. There are three lists of giftings in the Bible, in Romans, in Ephesians, in 1 Corinthians. Every single believer in Christ has been gifted by the Holy Spirit in some way. In some way, you have been gifted by the Lord.

God wants you to use whatever those gifts are in different ways in the church, outside of the church, but don't neglect it. For one thing, we're going to give an account of what we've been entrusted with. How did you use what I gave to you? How did you use the gift that I imparted to you? How did you use that platform to promote me? Did you use it to promote me or did you use it to promote yourself? Whatever gift that you've been entrusted with, use it for the glory of God. Don't neglect it. Don't allow it to go dormant.

Paul would say in another place, stir up the gift of God that's within you. Stir it up. Maybe you've let it go. Maybe you just kind of well, that I don't really No, stir it up. Use those things that God's entrusted to you. Another priority for Timothy in verse 15 was to meditate on these things, to keep thinking about it, to keep the the word of God, the gifts that he'd been given, exercising himself to godliness. This has to be a priority. Give yourself entirely to it. Means to care for the word meditate, to attend carefully, to be constantly in, throw himself fully into the ministry.

So Timothy had to stick to the task that he had been given. It's easy, isn't it, to get our priorities out of alignment? You ever found yourself coming to a point where you realize, ah I think my priorities are out of alignment. I've taken on too much of this and I'm neglecting that or I've I've taken too much of this and I'm neglecting that. I I have to keep my priorities in alignment. And so there are times when the spirit of God will just kind of say, hey, John. Yes, Lord. Um these things are you're kind of out of order here.

Need to get back to these are your priorities. Make sure that these are in alignment. This These priorities being in alignment affect every other aspect of your life. So where are your priorities at today? What is a priority? What was once a priority that isn't a priority, that should be a priority? It's not too late to get those things back in order. God wants to do that in your life. Maybe he's speaking to you right now this morning, knew you'd be here. This is the word for you. Get your priorities back where they need to be.

Make Jesus by the way be the first priority. He said very clearly in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these other things they'll be added unto you. That's the first priority. Everything falls under that as a Christian, as a child of God.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to a daily walk as Pastor John Randall described what it takes to be a good minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. He'll be right back. You can hear this study again at adailywalk.org or download our church app so you can listen through your mobile device. Just search for Calvary South OC. You'll also find us on most of the major podcast platforms. When a listener takes the time to write or call, it really blesses us more than words can tell. And yes, Pastor John reads your emails and letters. The Lord deserves all the credit for anything good that comes from and through this ministry.

And it's an opportunity to praise and thank him for what he's doing. Share a praise report or a prayer request at adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Here in the month of September, we're pleased to offer you a book written by Jack Hibbs entitled Called to Make a Bold Stand. Whether you realize it or not, you've been commissioned by God to live a life of meaning, purpose, and holy sacrifice. Called to take a bold stand will equip you to heed this call as you engage the sometimes hostile and hurting world around you. Learn to represent Jesus courageously to a world in need, influence our secular culture, and overcome the fear of intimidation or persecution.

It's available right now through our e-store for the cost of $11. Go to adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. Here at A Daily Walk, we also have the goal of pleasing God and always say and do. If you believe in what we're doing and would like to get behind us, we would very much appreciate your prayers and financial support. God is proven to be faithful to provide where he's guided us. And we look to him and you to help us continue. To make a donation today, drop by adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. Stay connected with Pastor John on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram and receive biblical encouragement throughout the week.

Follow him on X at pjrandall7 and on Instagram at johnprandall. There is one more quality of a good minister that we want to look at. And here's John to highlight it for us as we close.

John Randall: Finally, last one. For Timothy to be a good minister, he had to keep growing. To keep growing. That's why Paul says here at the end of verse 15, that your progress, your growth may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them. For in so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you. Timothy, if you will continue to grow, if you will continue to allow the Lord to do his work in you and his work through you, your progress will be known to everyone. And not only is it going to minister to you, but it's going to minister to everybody else.

Keep on growing. Every single one of us here today has room to grow in the Lord. Did you know that? None of us here have arrived. Even the apostle Paul said, I haven't arrived. God's not done with me. He began the good work in me. He'll be faithful to complete the good work in me until the day of Christ Jesus. But at the moment I want to still be growing. Some people they're I don't want to grow anymore. Why do you even want to grow? I know I'm done being stretched. I don't want to grow anymore.

Friend, there's so much more that God wants to do. There's untapped things that God wants to do in your life and he wants you to yield to it so that you can continue to grow and continue to progress, to be a good minister, to be a good servant. Got to keep growing. Keep abounding, the Bible says. And so I'm encouraging you and encouraging myself to do these very things. He says, Timothy, take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. These are the things that make a good minister, a good servant in the kingdom of God.

Guest (Male): Next time on A Daily Walk, Pastor John Randall speaks about meeting the needs within the church. We'll be in 1 Timothy chapter 5 if you want to read ahead. This program is brought to you by Calvary South OC and made possible through the support of our listeners.