Series: Extraordinary Men of Faith
Extraordinary is defined as very unusual or remarkable – not ordinary or normal! Yes, the opposite of extraordinary is normal! We were created by God to live and do extraordinary things in our lives with His power and presence. Do you want to be normal or extraordinary?
Scripture Verse for series: 1 Cor. 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Do you believe this promise from the Bible?
Introduction:
John Bevere states this from his book Extraordinary, “These words paint a picture of an unimaginable and extraordinary existence, one far beyond what any mere mortal has known or experienced. You may have heard these words before and related them only to heaven’s glory. But in actuality, they are penned for the here and now! For the writer, the apostle Paul, continues, “But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit” (verse 10).
We will be looking at the power of a person’s extraordinary story! A person’s life can make a difference in the eternal realm of God as they live their life story in tandem with the Lord’s will for their life. We all need to choose to live extraordinary lives for the Kingdom of Heaven! When we do it then it will impact our children’s lives, our families, our community, our church and the future.
The thought: Do you want Heaven? Do you want history talking about you? Do you want angels conversing about your extraordinary life of faith? If so, open your hearts to God and ask God to make your life extraordinary!
The truth is God not only desires you to live and extraordinary life but He has equipped and designed you to live an extraordinary life. He is your biggest cheerleader!
Thesis: Today we will be looking at a story of a young man Timothy and an old man Paul and see how they changed the world together for Jesus’ Kingdom. We will discover that when young and old unite – forgetting the generation gap - extraordinary things will happen within the church and individual lives.
Scriptures to ponder about extraordinary relationships between young and old:
Psalms 145:3-7 (NIV)
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
Psalm 71:17, 18: Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
Ephesians 3:20, 21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Scripture is filled with the importance of the older generation investing in the younger generation for the glory of God! The question you must decide today is are you willing to bridge the generation gap for the glory of God.
Yes, there are differences in generations not to be ignored but yet they should be embraced for example:
Illustration: Generations story -- funny?
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they
carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored
lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we
rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took
hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE
actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back
when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down
the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the
bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no
99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell
phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat
rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't
had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers
and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
T.S. – And so will this next generation God is raising up learn how to adapt survive and thrive in hard times and good times! But we have to do our part in mentoring this next generation and encouraging them in the Lord!
Sermon: Timothy’s Story
Scripture Text: I Timothy 4:6-5:2 The Message
6You’ve been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the Christians there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. 7Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! 8Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. 9You can count on this. Take it to heart. 10This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
11Get the word out. Teach all these things. 12And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. 13Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. 14And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use. 15Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! 16Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.
Chapter 5: 1Don’t be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. 2Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters.
Introduction:
We will be exploring the life of Timothy today a young disciple who changed the world for Jesus.
Timothy is associated with assisting Paul in the writing of 6 of his NT books and having two books addressed to him in the Bible. Timothy is revealed in Scripture as a young person who received Christ through Paul’s ministry during his 1st missionary journey see Acts 14:6 and then he seems to explode onto the scene of the book of Acts living up to his name which means “one who honors God and is precious to God.” His name fits him very well as we see from Christian History and Scripture.
Timothy put his faith and trust in the Lord at a young age thanks to his grandmother, Lois and mother, Eunice as a result of Paul’s ministry (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5).
Interesting facts to note about Timothy:
Timothy came from a mixed racial background but he chose to identify himself as a Christian more than his racial heritage. He was Greek father’s side and Jewish his mother’s side but not much is mentioned of Father in Scripture.
When Paul swung through Lystra and Iconium on his second missionary journey he kept hearing the name of this great young Christian Timothy (Acts 16:1-2). Paul saw his potential and his leadership qualities and added him to team Jesus. Paul knew that Timothy was a young man most likely late teens who if mentored and disciple could pick up the mantle of Jesus and change the world for the Kingdom. Paul decides to mentor this young man and this unlikely dynamic duo became the Batman and Robin of the New Testament.
So, a new team Jesus is formed, Paul, Silas and Timothy head west to tame the wild west with the message of Jesus. As Timothy grew in his knowledge of Jesus and wisdom of God he became a go to guy for Paul. He seems to handle congregational problems and becomes an effective problem solver for the church and for Paul.
Paul as we see from Scripture had a deep love and care for Timothy see 2 Tim. 1:2 like a parent would for their own child. 1 Timothy notes how Paul traveled to Ephesus with Timothy and ends up leaving him there so sound teaching could be established in the church. He becomes this church’s young new pastor (20’s) with the blessing of Paul and His backing. He was given the charge to keep the Gospel pure so that it would not be contaminated. He was to contend for the faith in an environment filled with deception and lies. False teachings were everywhere but Timothy stepped up to plate and guarded his soul and helped guard the soul of the church in Ephesus.
In 1 Timothy 6:11 the apostle Paul urges – no warns young Timothy to shun all enticements of the world like riches, power and to instead focus on fighting the battle for the souls of the church. Timothy became successful in his Christian leadership and proclamation of the Gospel because Paul invested in him, taught him, discipled him, warned him, loved him and prayed for him day and night (2 Tim. 1:3). When they departed as Paul moved on to fulfill his divine destiny there were tears (2 Tim. 1:4).
Timothy became fearless in serving Jesus and pastoring the flock at Ephesus protecting them from the wolves. He protected the sheep through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 1:14). Timothy listened to Paul and he too invested in others passing on the baton of faith and power in the Spirit. Timothy also headed the wisdom of Paul to remain calm, patient, and endure affliction for the sake of the message of Jesus. (2 Tim 4:1-5)
Timothy lived an extraordinary life and is known as one who remained faithful to His Savior. He never wavered even when he was imprisoned (Heb. 13:23) or through the many times Paul was imprisoned and even executed. Timothy was martyred for his faith too in 97Ad now an older man for telling unbelievers their goddess Diana could not save them so in their anger they stoned him to death.
Lessons from the Life of Timothy:
1. He lived up to his name to honor Jesus!
a. Question: Do you live up to your name?
2. He was disciple and he in turn discipled others passing on the baton of faith.
a. Question: Do you pass on the faith to others?
3. He became the Robin with Batman (Paul) and changed the world for Jesus as Jesus super heroes of the faith.
a. Question: Are you a super hero of the faith?
4. He defended the faith even at a young age because he knew the truth of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit.
a. Question: Do you defend the faith, are you not ashamed of Jesus in public?
5. He kept his heart in connection with God and therefore left a legacy of faith for others to follow.
a. Question: Are you doing this with your life?
6. He did not do ministry alone he partnered with others.
a. Question: Are you part of team Jesus? Have you locked arms with others for the message of Jesus?
7. He affirmed Paul’s example to others and showed how young and old can work together to point people to Christlikeness.
a. Question: Are you bridging the Generation Gap for the glory of God?
8. He showed respect for Paul as did Paul for him.
a. Question: Do you show respect to people in different generations?
i. The big lesson from this dynamic duo is “Be sensitive and respectful to each other.” We need to be sensitive and respectful to the differences in each generation.
b. Scripture teaches us how to build bridges between generations by doing the following actions:
i. Ephesians 5:21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
ii. 1 Peter 2:17:“Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”
iii. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 11, 12, 13: “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.”… “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So, it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
c. So as Christians we need to be sensitive and respectful to each other’s differences generationally:
i. One of the hottest generational issues is usually music style. But we in Scripture are directed to be respectful to each other’s music style:
1. This goes for the various generations:
a. Interbellum Generation – those who grew up in the 1920’s
b. The Great Generation – Those born after World War 1 and were thrust into The World War 2 generation.
c. The Baby Boomers – Those born after the war and into the 50’s.
d. Generation X – Those born in the mid 60’s to the mid 70’s
e. Generation Y – Also known as the Millennials - Those born from the mid 70’s to the early and mid. 90’s.
f. Generation Z – Those born from the late 90’s and into the 2,000’s.
2. Each one of the generations described above have unique cultural traits.
a. They all had their musical style, cultural style, dress style and on and on. But it’s important for us all to be sensitive to each other’s styles.
ii. Let’s look at the hot topic of music: Gordon MacDonald stated, “…A piece of music can summon tears of sadness or feelings of incredible joy and well-being. Every culture (perhaps each generation) appears to have developed its own unique musical forms and expressions-the bundling together of sounds and their harmonic combinations that create a sensation of beauty or nostalgia or vision. To those sounds we often add words. And once the melody and the words are laced together and sung, we are likely never to forget them or the circumstances in which we learned them” (Who Stole my Church, page 92)
1. Many have shared Oral tradition in stories put to the medium of music.
2. Others share stories of battles and tragedies in their music medium.
a. Deborah which we learned about a few weeks ago.
b. Mark Schultz – “Letters from War” His song honors our soldiers and was nominated for a Dove award in 2004.
c. “It is well with my soul” the old hymn written by Horatio B. Spafford.
3. Music has the impact of touching us and creating memories which are then attached to their sounds.
a. All music has individual memories attached to them.
b. When I first became a Christian in the late 70’s “Sweet Comfort Band” was the hot Christian Band that my mind associates with when I came to the Lord.
i. Hearts of Fire was an album they made which impacted me in my early Christian Life.
ii. When I hear songs like:
1. “You can make it;” “Isabella;” “Hold on tight” a song and another one of their albums – these songs trigger memories from early prayer meetings and youth events from Outreach Church.
2. Bob Dylan “You gotta serve somebody.” Triggers memories for me.
c. Music and its expression will continue to change from generation to generation we need to realize that – it’s normal!
T.S. – In my research this week I discovered that our next upcoming generation of Mill. or Gen Y are already entering onto the scene and making a difference for Jesus!
The following young upcoming Christian leaders give us hope for the future for Christianity in America and in the world according to Christianity Today. From http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/july-august/33-under-33.html
Power point put up all the pictures of the 33 young Christian Leaders! Highlight the following young men and women of extraordinary faith:
1. The Hip-Hop Theologian, Trip Lee, 26 @TripLee | Washington, D.C.
a. Trip Lee has five rap albums, a book, and a seminary background, so when he takes the stage, he could be there to perform or to preach. Either way, he gets to brag about God. Lately, Lee has been doing more of the latter, shifting to pastoral ministry after years on the Christian and hip-hop charts.
b. Quote: "I have great hope for this generation, not because of hip-hop but because of the gospel. Music can't change hearts any more than good public speaking can. Only the gospel can do that," said Lee, now a senior pastoral assistant to Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. "I want to write, preach, and do whatever I can to tell people about the goodness of Jesus."
2. The People-Before-Profits Entrepreneur, Dale Partridge, 29, @DalePartridge | Bend, Oregon
a. When Dale Partridge has a new business idea, he asks himself, If Jesus started a company, what would it look like? And then he tries to create it.
b. Take Sevenly, for example. It sells apparel to raise awareness and funds for charities. Each week, the company creates a T-shirt or hoodie with a design inspired by the work of a different nonprofit. For seven days, Sevenly promotes and sells the gear, mostly through Facebook, giving $7 of each purchase straight to a cause—orphan care, autism research, and clean water, among others. Since launching in 2011, they've given away $3.6 million. (The number seven echoes the biblical symbol of fullness and completion.)
3. The Historian, Matthew Lee Anderson, 32, @mattleeanderson | Oxford, England
a. As the 21st century pushes young people to embrace all things new, Matthew Lee Anderson looks back to the century prior, namely to the thoughts of C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton. Anderson combined Mere Christianity and Orthodoxy for the title of the site he launched a decade ago, Mere Orthodoxy, now a popular go-to for probing cultural analysis rooted in the Christian tradition.
b. Quote: "There aren't many people among the living who can think and write with the depth that previous generations of Christians had," he said from Lewis's old stomping grounds at the University of Oxford, where Anderson studies Christian ethics. "If my only legacy is introducing a few people to that tradition, then I'll be a relatively happy man."
4. The Ex-Muslim Evangelist, Nabeel Qureshi, 31, @NAQureshi | Atlanta
a. As more and more immigrants call the United States home, American Christians get to evangelize cross-culturally without leaving the country. Nabeel Qureshi has been on both sides of that exchange. Raised in a Pakistani American Muslim family, Qureshi came to Christ in medical school after reading the Bible in order to debate a Christian friend. Now, he shares his testimony as a speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and in his recent book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (Zondervan). He clarifies the Islamic worldview (and debunks stereotypes) in lectures and debates, encouraging Christians to love, serve, and ultimately share the gospel with Muslim neighbors—of whom about 2.6 million live in the United States. According to Pew Research projections, that number is expected to double by 2030.
b. Quote: "We don't have to go overseas to introduce people to Christ. We can do it by loving our neighbors as ourselves while we love Jesus with all our hearts and minds," said Qureshi. "This generation has heart and compassion like no other, and God is the root of all such love. He is closer to them than we might think."
5. The Values Voter, Eric Teetsel, 30, @EricTeetsel | Washington, D.C.
a. Eric Teetsel never set out to become a Christian voice, or a conservative voice, or a millennial voice, in the contentious debates over gay marriage and religious freedom. But here he is, leading a movement centered on those very issues, speaking with bold conviction in op-eds, sound bites, and ongoing campaigns.
b. Following Chuck Colson's death in 2012, Teetsel became executive director of Colson's Manhattan Declaration, convening Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians to defend the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty.
c. Quote: It's an overwhelming task, "but my life is not my own.... Jesus promises that whoever loses his life for Jesus' sake will find it. I believe him, and so far, that's been quite an adventure," said Teetsel, who previously worked for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
i. Barna Research reported last year that support for gay marriage increased in the past decade across faith traditions and age groups. "It is easy to become despondent in response to polling about religious participation and viewpoints on foundational issues like marriage, but God is the wildcard," he said. "As it has always done, the gospel will bring hope and healing and compel believers to fight for the good of their neighbor."
6. The Pop Singer, Francesca Battistelli, 29, @francescamusic | Nashville
a. Francesca Battistelli is contemporary Christian music's top-selling new artist in a decade, and the first woman to win the Dove Award for Artist of the Year since Amy Grant in 1992.
b. In a recent interview after performing on Good Morning America, the singer listed Sara Groves and Sara Bareilles among her inspirations, and Battistelli fits well between the two—a Christian artist with a catchy pop sound. Her Grammy-nominated "Free to Be Me" has sold more than a half-million copies with the hook, "Cause I got a couple dents in my fender, got a couple rips in my jeans / Try to fit the pieces together, but perfection is my enemy."
7. The 'Freak' Creator, Salomon Ligthelm, 28, @salomonligthelm | Sydney
a. Salomon Ligthelm may not be a household name, but millions of Christians know his work through the music, film, and design projects of Hillsong Church, based in Sydney. He helped write the lyrics to "Oceans," which has spent months at No. 1 on the Christian Billboard charts.
b. Quote: "A few years back, a pastor friend told me, 'Your work will possibly minister to and reach a lot more people than my sermons would.' I was struck by that," said Ligthelm, who grew up in charismatic churches in South Africa and Dubai.
8. The Pro-Life Headline Maker, Lila Rose, 25, @LilaGraceRose | Washington, D.C.
a. Lila Rose embodies the pro-life movement's growth beyond signs and marches to become a 21st-century multimedia force. She started Live Action ten years ago (yes, at age 15) to involve fellow youth in the fight against abortion.
b. Starting in 2007, Rose and other activists posed as teenagers seeking abortions in dozens of undercover videos to expose illegal or cruel practices at Planned Parenthood clinics. Live Action disseminates headline after headline of abortion news to rally support.
c. Quote: "Using online platforms, especially social media, has been a powerful way for Live Action to bypass traditional media structures that won't talk about abortion and human dignity," said Rose, a UCLA graduate and convert to Catholicism. Even though Live Action's stealth strategies have stirred controversy, "These tools have allowed us to reach millions on a monthly basis with the truth about human life." Live Action has celebrated the abortion restrictions passed in states such as Texas and the recent wave of regional clinic closures. "As more young people join the movement, we get closer to a day when every life is protected, by love and by law," she said.
The next generation is rising up in the Spirit and from the direction of the Lord and we need to rally behind them for the glory of God.
Thoughts from Pastor Donald – play video about our topic discipleship and the generation gap!
Thoughts from Pastor Brennan!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
We must work hand in hand across the generational lines if we want to transform culture and bring about revival in America. This is what Paul and Timothy’s relationship teach us!
Why do we need to know this?
Because the Devil is great at getting us divided – splintered – at odds with each other and getting us to not work in unity with each other. He seeks to get us disrespecting each other so we separate and don’t work together!
What do we need to do?
Respect each other – embrace each other – disciple each other and love each other! We need to learn from each other and challenge each other.
Why do we need to do this?
If we do this our world will change for God’s glory! The Devil and his lies will be driven back in our society and the truth will become more visible.
Closing thought: The reality check of Heaven!
From Mark Cahill “One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven!”:
Three-hundred-million years from now, what will be the only thing that will matter? Will it matter how much money you made? Will it matter what kind of car you drove? Will it matter who won the NCAA football and basketball titles this year? Will it matter who you took to the homecoming dance? Three-hundred-million years from now, the only thing that will matter is who is in heaven and who is in hell. And if that is the only thing that will matter then, that should be one of our greatest concerns now. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:11. “The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” If it is of the most importance for Jesus to reach the lost, shouldn’t it be a major priority for you? The real question then is: What are you doing of significance today that will matter three-hundred-million plus years from now? (Page 11).
In other word’s how are you young or old immersing yourselves into the spiritual realm of the Lord? How are you young or old being the living example that Jesus wants you to be? How are you today being extraordinary for the Kingdom of Heaven?
The challenge: Are you discipling the younger generation? Younger generation are you teachable and respectful of the older generation. Are you seeking a mentoring relationship to be all that God has called you to be? Come on, this is matter of life and death of 100,000 of people! This is not a video game you are playing this is about your life you future and your destiny!
