Inspired By The Fire

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT): “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. But Set An Example.

My Story and Illustration:

My last Year in College: Winter Break Meeting with District, My Call. My Installation Service Packed The House, Standing In The Back. “Don’t Let This Go To Your Head,” Let This Go To Your Heart!!! Psalm 119:11 (NLT): “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

“Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT).

Timothy Was To Set An Example To All Believers – Why?

Because Timothy Was a Leader?

Because Timothy Was a Business Man?

Because Timothy Was a Pastor?

Because Timothy Was a Christian!!!!

Timothy Wasn’t Just Representing The Church, He Was Representing Christ!!!!

People Are Watching Everything We Do, We Say and Everything We Post!!! You Might Not Have A lot of Friends But You Might Have a lot of Followers!!!! Everybody Is Following Somebody.

Paul Said, “Follow Me As I Follow Christ.” We are to set an example for others. Why? We sample examples!

5 AREAS WE ARE TO SET EXAMPLES AS BELIEVERS:

In What We Say: CONTROL

Ephesians 4:29 (NMB): “Let No Unwholesome Talk Come Out of Your Mouths.”

James 1:26 (NLT): “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.”  The Tongue – James 3. The Bit and Bridle Control the Horse. The Rudder on a Ship Controls the Direction of the Boat. The Spark That Sets a Forest on Fire. 

Proverbs 18:21 (NL): “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” 

In How We Live: CONDUCT

Philippians 1:27-29 (NLT):  Live As Citizens of Heaven

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.”

In The Way We Love Others: COMMITMENT

John 13:34-35 (NLT): “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT): You Want To Know What Love Is: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; [a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages [b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. [c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 

In The Way We Exercise Our Faith: CAUSE

Jesus Commended People For Their Faith in Matthew 8: The Roman Centurion For His Great Faith, Matthew 8:10 (NLT): “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!’” 

The Disciples For Their Little Faith, Matthew 8:26 (NLT): “Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV, NASB 1995): “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT): “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” 

In Our Pursuit Of Purity: MOTIVES  

Psalm 24:3-5 (NLT): “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.”

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Rev. Bryan A. Tomes 

Crossroads Community Church 

www.crossroadsconnects.com