WWUTT 642 Immerse Yourself?

Though the Apostle Paul had sent Timothy to Ephesus for a limited period of time, he was instructing

Timothy to be fully devoted to that congregation. And you must be as devoted to your church when we understand the text.

You're listening to When We Understand The Text, an online Bible ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty.

Find videos and more at our website www .tt .com. Now here's our host,

Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you, Becky. We continue with our study of 1 Timothy chapter 4, verses 11 through 16, where Paul writes to Timothy, "...Command

and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example, in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy, when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

So I want to come back again to verse 14, which is what we were looking at yesterday, with Paul saying, "...do

not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy, when the council of elders laid their hands on you."

And this is a charge that can be made of anyone. When it is said, don't neglect the gift you have, you have a spiritual gift that you have been given.

And to better understand what that spiritual gift is, maybe you should ask the elders of your church, or a

Sunday school teacher, or your small group, or somebody that you fellowship with on a regular basis, who knows you well, who has seen the way that you interact with other people in the body.

And maybe they have been able to decipher or discern what sort of gift of the spirit that you have been given.

And maybe going by the list that we looked at yesterday, out of Romans chapter 12 or another place,

Ephesians chapter 4, 1 Corinthians 12 or 14, they are useful lists for spiritual gifts.

But again, what we're talking about there in 1 Corinthians are primarily the sign gifts, which are not as in effect anymore.

The more practical gifts, when you're talking about service to the body of Christ, are going to be those that we see in a list like in Romans chapter 12 or Ephesians chapter 4, and not limited to those things.

But there may be also kind of subdivisions of those particular gifts. It would behoove us maybe for me to elaborate, but I'm not going to.

We're going to stay focused on what we're reading here in 1 Timothy chapter 4. So don't neglect the gift that you have been given.

And as I mentioned yesterday, if you don't exercise it, you will lose it. That applies to anything.

If an athlete doesn't exercise, they will lose the athletic ability that they have acquired through conditioning and through training.

If a baseball player doesn't go to batting practice, he's not going to improve on being able to hit the ball or maintain his consistency in being able to hit the ball.

Eventually, he's going to lose that skill if he doesn't keep up with it and doesn't practice. So likewise, if you don't practice your faith, if you're not regular in your reading of the scriptures or even fellowshipping with the body of Christ, loving your brothers and sisters in the

Lord, hearing the word of God proclaimed, singing together, your own quiet time with the

Lord, prayer, meditation, evangelizing, sharing the gospel with others, some of these kinds of things.

If you're not regular in this, you won't grow at it. You won't get better at it. In fact, your ability to do it will diminish.

Even in your faith, you will languish and you will suffer if you are not regularly submitting yourself to the authority of the word of God, filling up your mind with his words, which as I pointed out yesterday, is the mind of God.

If you want to know the mind of God, you read the Bible. And so don't neglect these things that we've been called to do as Christians, as believers regularly walking in this.

And this is even what Paul presents to Timothy, where he says, practice these things, immerse yourself in them, verse 15, so that all may see your progress.

Timothy is supposed to do all of this, not just related to the gift that we're looking at in verse 14, but everything that he's called to do as a pastor and as a

Christian to show himself as an example, growing in sanctification. So they see that he is progressing in godliness.

And that's a point I want to come back to again toward the end of the devotional today or when we get into verse 15, because as a pastor, that's something that I should be showing to my congregation that I'm growing in holiness.

So I understand the charge there very well. Verse 14 again, let's stick with that for the time being.

Do not neglect the gift you have. So we've talked about that. Let's go to the next part, which was given you by prophecy.

Now, I talked about this word prophecy yesterday. There are two possible understandings of this word as it applies in the context of this verse.

Number one, it could be that during this period of time in which Timothy received the gift that he had, it indeed came by prophecy by the council of elders.

It was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. This is the gift that has been given to Timothy.

Pray for him that he may use it in the work that he is going to be called to do for the Lord. So this was a gift given by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

And this was during a period of time in which the sign gifts were at work. Miraculous healings were going on in the church.

The dead were being raised. The lame were walking. People were speaking in tongues. The actual gift of speaking in tongues, not the gibberish that goes on in charismatic churches today that's called speaking in tongues.

This was during that period of time in which the word of God was being affirmed through these miraculous sign gifts.

It was during that time that Timothy received this gifting by the laying on of hands and a declaration by the council of elders.

Now, Paul puts this a different way at the start of his next letter. In second Timothy chapter one, he says that Timothy had received this gift when specifically

Paul had laid his hands on Timothy. So we know that this is something that was gifted to Timothy by an apostolic authority.

And again, as we read in first Corinthians 12, was it either yesterday or last week by the

Holy Spirit as he wills. So it was by the will of God, but the apostle Paul declared it upon Timothy.

It's not some ability that all elders have to be able to lay hands on somebody and declare a specific spiritual gift upon them.

That is not what's being said here. As a matter of fact, for all intents and purposes, this is narrative. Paul is saying this is what happened for you.

So therefore you must continue to grow this particular gift. Use it. Don't languish in it, but but grow and excel in this gift, which you received by the laying on of my hands again, which is what

Paul says in second Timothy one six. So again, it's not just something that any elder group of elders can do.

And I mean, to make that point clear, because this is actually a problem

I've run into before. Several years ago, we had a couple in our church who had previously come from a four square church.

That should have been my first red flag. Very charismatic denomination. But they claim they had this particular spiritual gift and they received this gift when their former pastors laid hands on them and imparted to them this spiritual gift.

And I, as the senior pastor, as the the newly minted senior pastor, and this was during a time when we did not yet have plurality eldership.

So I'm calling all the shots. I, as the pastor, was just supposed to roll out the red carpet for them and let them exercise this spiritual gift that they claimed they had been given.

Now, I cannot remember now what the gift was. I just remember that when the husband told me they had this spiritual gift,

I did not see that in them at all. I had known the couple for a little while now and the gift they claimed they had.

I did not see that that was their spiritual gift. They believed they had it because the charismatic pastors from their previous church said that they had it.

Therefore, it must be true. And the text that they used to justify this gift they'd been given was this one.

First Timothy 4, 14. If I did not let them use their spiritual gift, I was neglecting the gift that they had.

And the gift was given to them by prophecy when their previous council of pastors laid hands on them and declared them this gift.

And I absolutely could not change their minds that they did not have that spiritual gift.

But if they would let us, we would love for them to grow with us. And then maybe we can find out what your gifting is and use you in the church appropriately that way.

But they would have nothing of it. They would have nothing to do with it. I think just a couple of weeks went by after that.

And then they came to me and said, look, we're leaving because you won't let us use our spiritual gift here. That was the main reason why they were leaving.

He had a couple of other problems with some things that I taught, namely having to do with predestination.

But for the most part, he did not want to remain because we would not let them use the spiritual gift that they claim they got from a four square church they previously used to be members of.

You know, Paul goes on to say in First Timothy 5, 22, do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others.

Keep yourself pure. So as though Timothy had received this particular gifting, which came to him by apostolic authority.

Once again, he says to Timothy, don't be hasty in this practice, don't just lay hands on people and declare on them some sort of spiritual gifting, for that's not the way a person gets a spiritual gift.

Once again, as we read in First Corinthians 12, these gifts are imparted to the members of the body as the spirit wills.

And to know what gift you have, I think it is wise to consult the counsel of elders, but not that the elders would lay hands on you and impart some gift upon you as though they had the ability and the will to do that.

Rather, you're seeking their counsel and their guidance. And if the elders, after observing you and talking with you, praying with you, growing with you, encouraging you, if after a period of time they're examining you and they're able to say,

I think you have this gift, or I think you even have this calling. I think you're called to the mission field. It would be wise to listen to what it is that they have to say.

Just as Paul is saying that of Timothy here, he received this gift affirmed by a counsel of elders and was received by apostolic authority when you include, again,

Second Timothy 1 .6. Don't neglect this gift that you have, which was given you by prophecy when the counsel of elders laid their hands on you.

So let's understand that again in a proper context. This is not willy nilly, lay your hands on people, declare them a spiritual gift, and they will have it.

Not at all what Paul is saying here. But as you submit to the eldership in your church and you trust their counsel and you ask them for help and guidance to know what your gift is and how you can serve the church, that is a great approach to your eldership.

And I would listen to their advice. So going on in verse 15,

Paul says, practice these things, immerse yourself in them.

And I love the way that he puts that. I love that. As a pastor, I need to hear that.

I need to hear Paul say, immerse yourself. In other words, don't just tiptoe around these things and, you know, do only what's expected of you in your job description, but give your whole self to this calling that you've been given as a pastor and to this congregation that you've been called to shepherd.

Give your whole self to them. This work that you're doing in Ephesus, this is not a stepping stone into the other thing that you're going to do next, because Timothy is only there for a short period of time.

We've talked about that. He's not going to be there forever. He's just there for a couple of years. Paul's going to call him on to another work later.

But it's not like Timothy's just supposed to ho hum through the work that he's supposed to do, doing the bare minimum, getting through the job or the task as Paul's going to then move him on to something else.

This is not a launching point into his next thing. This is the work. This is the task at hand.

Devote yourself entirely to it. Grow in godliness, grow in holiness. Follow the instructions that I have given you.

Preach the word. Do this in season and out of season with complete patience. Hold nothing back.

Invest in these relationships, this people that you are called to weep with and rejoice with.

This is your work. This is your mission now. And that as a pastor, that's the way that I consider my congregation.

I don't know if the Lord is going to have me pastoring this church until my dying day, or maybe someday would call me on to some other work.

I don't have any idea. But for the time being, I know that what I'm supposed to do is give myself fully to this congregation.

This is what I'm supposed to do first and foremost. My first ministry is my family.

And second, it's my church before doing this podcast or anything else. And as I am called to lead and shepherd these people,

I'm going to share tears with them. I am going to share laughter with them. I am going to share my innermost thoughts, my hurts, my struggles, my fears, my triumphs.

This is my family, and I am going to put myself wholeheartedly into this work that God has put me in Junction City, Kansas to do.

I need to read this. I need to hear Paul say this. Practice these things.

Everything that I've told you to practice up to this point, everything else that comes in the letter, immerse yourself in it.

Fall in the dunk tank, man. Get wet, covered, head to toe. It is clear to everyone whom you work with, whom you are ministering to, it is clear that you are devoted to them and you're holding nothing back.

You're teaching the word fully. You are invested in these relationships fully. Practice, immerse.

Even though Paul is saying this to a pastor in the way that he deals with his congregation,

I must say to you, brother or sister in the Lord, be this way with your church.

Don't go at it half -hearted. This is something that I struggle with regularly in the church where I am called to pastor because as I've mentioned before, we're primarily a military church, 60 % military in our congregation, which means it's very transitory.

There is a lot of turnover about every 18 months to two years. We'll turn over half of the congregation.

The families that come into our church know that. They know that they're just there for a limited time and then the military is going to move them on to something else 18 months to two years from now.

It's a struggle sometimes to encourage those families to be totally devoted to this church while you're here because there's generally two different kinds of mindsets that we have to compete with.

It is the mindset that this is not my home church. It's the church I just came from.

Or there's the mindset of this is not my permanent stay of residence. I have another church that I'm going to go to later.

Therefore, they're withholding something from our congregation because they don't want to get too close. They don't want to get too invested.

It could be any day now that the Lord is going to move me on to the next thing. It's a struggle for me to have to encourage those families that come in, look, be totally devoted while you're here.

Sometimes we do have those families. They jump right in. They get wet with the rest of us head to toe.

They're swimming in the deep end. We do have those families that will develop relationships really quick and they'll be with us thick and thin all the way to the very end.

Most of the time, I'm trying to woo those families in. Come be with us, be part of our family for the time that you're going to be here.

Even if we don't even hear from you again after you go on from this place to the next, at least as you're in this process of sanctification in the place where you are in growing and holiness in your life right now, spend that time with us.

Help us grow and let us help you grow. It's a struggle trying to welcome those families in and some take a little bit longer to woo in than others.

But that's that's something that I'm constantly having to do as a as a pastor in the church where I'm at.

So I encourage you, brother or sister in the Lord, be totally devoted to the church that you are in, immerse yourself in the work that that church is doing in this sanctification, in this growth that this body is doing together so that all may see your progress.

My church sees my progress. I've been a pastor there now for eight years, coming up on eight years, very quickly on eight years.

I came in in the spring of 2010. I was ordained the following August.

I became a senior pastor two years later, and this church has seen me grow.

They have seen me make mistakes. They have seen me. They've heard me confess those mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

I've had to do that with my congregation before. It's not pleasurable. It's very humbling.

But I appreciate the work that the Lord is doing in my heart when it is pointed out to me my sins and my errors that I must confess before the body and ask for forgiveness.

And this body has been gracious enough to forgive me and see me grow in progress in the holiness and the godliness that I myself am pursuing.

If I'm going to be teaching that to my congregation, I have to be showing that to my congregation.

And that really only can be accomplished in a place where you are invested long term, whether you are a pastor or you're part of the laity.

You can only see this progress of godliness and holiness when you're totally immersed, when you're totally devoted, and you're devoted in the long term, that you become a witness and by that witness, you encourage your other brothers and sisters in their walk of faith.

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress.

And that's where we're going to stop today. One more verse to finish this up in First Timothy four.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this for by so doing, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Like I said, I love this paragraph. We spent two weeks on it and we'll finish it up tomorrow.

Let's pray. Our wonderful heavenly Father, what a gracious God you are whom we serve, who has adopted us into your family through your son,

Jesus Christ. And as children, and we came into this faith as babes, as infants, every single one of us did.

And as your beloved children, you have nurtured us, you have grown us, you have provided for us.

God, you have disciplined us. And I pray that as we continue to grow into mature men and women of the faith, that we would still be receptive to your discipline and your guidance and your instruction and not hate it, but knowing that when you discipline us, you do it in love because you are shaping us more into the image of our elder brother, of Christ, as is talked about in Romans 8 -29.

This is who we desire to be like, our Savior and Lord. And so continue to grow us in these things that we might practice this walk of faith, imitating

Christ. We immerse ourselves in them fully and others will see our progress and our brothers and sisters in the

Lord will help to grow us in this progress of faith as well. What a wonderful treasure and experience this has been, and may it be full of so many more joys in Christ Jesus.

We pray in his name. Amen. Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas.