Jump Start # 3004

1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.”

Our verse, written to the young preacher Timothy, is layered with three obvious principles. The first two leads to the last one. Without the first two, the last one wouldn’t happen. The last of these principles is progress. It’s movement. It’s moving in the right direction.

Your progress is evident to all. Everyone sees it. Everyone knows you are growing and the faith in Christ has become the center piece of your life. It’s easy to see. You’ve made progress. These words remind me of my ole’ grandma’s house. We grandkids would line up in a doorway and she’d make a mark and put our names by that mark. We’d witness how fast we were growing.

And, with this one principle comes a few thoughts:

First, God intends for us to make progress. Just gettin’ by as some call life doesn’t cut it with the Lord. Be strong is what the Ephesians were told. In Peter’s second letter it’s, “grow in the grace and knowledge.” The Corinthians were told, “Act like men. Be strong.” Progress. In football, the team with the ball has four downs to make progress. If they don’t the other team gets the ball. In finance, if we are not making progress, we are losing money.

Second, progress is visible. As the passage says, “It is evident to all.” Better Bible knowledge. More compassion. Quicker to forgive. More willing to volunteer. You are simply not the same. You’ve changed, and you have changed for the better. It’s hard to tell any progress when all we see is someone sliding in a pew on Sunday morning. A few shallow conversations and then little contact until the next week. And, it’s the same thing all over, again. How would we notice progress? Maybe you’re teaching and you have never done that before. Maybe you are leading public worship by singing, or praying or giving lessons and no one has seen you do that before. But there must be some other ways. Maybe ways beyond public worship. Maybe in the interaction with others during the week. Maybe it’s seeing you at the funeral home for a visitation. Maybe it’s hearing that you took food to someone getting over an illness. Maybe it’s learning that you gave a family a few dollars that made a difference. Progress. Doing things you have never done before. Doing the right things. Doing the things that others not only see but are benefited from.

Third, progress takes time. Growth can be slow and that’s ok as long as progress is being made. It’s when things have come to a stand still that progress stops. Without forward movement, there is no progress. It takes a while for a seedling to become a mighty oak. It takes time to become comfortable with the Bible. Don’t hurry progress. Things have to fall into place in the right order. Sometimes we are the last to see any progress in ourselves. But if we are putting the time into our study of the Bible and if we are connecting more with the Lord and His family, then progress will happen. Some grow at different rates. Some have more to overcome. Make progress.

Fourth, the result of spiritual progress is stronger churches and more people who have been enriched by your good deeds. What makes a church lukewarm or stagnate is the lack of progress. When we coast along, or no longer put effort into what we are doing, progress stops. And, when progress stops, our personal growth stops. And, when that happens to enough of us, the church stops growing. And, it is at that point that the beginning stages of death takes place. Growth isn’t measured just by the number of people sitting in pews. Growth must also be measured internally, spiritually. Strong faith, resists temptation more. Strong faith, doesn’t collapse in times of worry and fear. Strong faith comes from those who have progressed.

Take pains with these things. Be absorbed. Let your progress be evident to all.

We are marching to Zion…onward and upward we go!

Roger

Jump Start # 2530

1 Timothy 4:15 “take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.”

Earlier in the week I wrote about the subject of anger. Specifically, when our anger is noticed by others. It leaves a mark and it ruins the good impression that others may have about us. Well, there is another side to being noticed. It’s when someone steps up and becomes more engaged, involved and active with the Lord. That too, is noticed.

Our verse, written to the young preacher, touches upon this. Paul said, “your progress may be evident to all.” Progress, it’s the same as growth. We progress through grades and semesters until we graduate. The idea of progress suggests one getting better, stronger and more spiritual.

I saw this recently in one of our members. Since the first of the year, her attendance has greatly improved. She not only is coming to Bible classes, but she is connected. You just see progress in her eyes and in her heart. She has a growing love for the Lord and His kingdom. She sees the difference. But more than that, others are seeing it as well. Her progress is evident to all.

And, that is the very nature of the Gospel in our lives. We ought to be getting better and better. All those sermons we listen to. All those Bible Classes we sit through. Our own personal study of God’s word. Jump Starts. Podcasts. So many wonderful ways to learn, grow and become as God wants us to. And, in a short time, it should show. Just as you see a little boy growing and growing, so should our spiritual hearts be growing.

Here are some things to remember:

First, the progress takes place on the inside. This is where it starts. Better attitudes. Better control of temper. Better choice of words. More thoughtful. More forgiving. More hopeful. More optimistic. And, all of that simply makes a person feel better. They will approach the day better. They will deal with troubles better. Progress makes us a better person.

Second, this progress translates into better choices and better actions. This is when the internal becomes the external. We open our hearts up to others. We find powerful ways to be generous and kind to others. We become more interested in others than self. We take on the heart of a servant.

Third, this progress is noticed by others. This is a great encouragement to shepherds and preachers. All the work that is poured into trying to help people become more like Jesus is often wondered if it is doing any good. And then, progress is noticed. Some one is stepping up their spiritual walk. What a blessing that is. What an encouragement that is. And, believe it not, that becomes very contagious to others. That spirit touches others. Excitement grows just as discouragement can grow. More good things start happening. People invite their friends to services. More depth is reached in Bible classes. More hands want to reach out and do good.

It is at this point that others start to notice the difference. Sometimes, as Peter mentioned about Christian wives married to non believers, they begin to notice. Even though some may not fully embrace the Lord, they make changes because you have. Around you, they watch their language. Around you, they know better than to bring up things that would upset you. Your progress has made a difference.

Fourth, as this progress continues, it shapes some men to step up to the leadership roles in the church. When it comes time to appoint more shepherds or deacons, these names are obvious. No one has to do any convincing or campaigning, which shouldn’t be done in the first place. Their obvious progress makes is a sure thing. They have shown tender care for God’s people. They have demonstrated a commitment to faithfulness of God’s word. They have been busy serving and doing for some time. Their progress has been evident.

Finally, the opposite of our verse is also true. There are some who seem to be stuck. They aren’t progressing. They have kept one foot in the world and they remain on the fringes of the kingdom. These are the ones who struggle with right and wrong. These are the ones who don’t seem to get what everything is about. And, sadly, some have stayed this way since they came to the Lord. For decades, they have remained idle. There has been so little progress, that they don’t even notice it. Their names are passed over without even pausing when folks think about future leaders. Why? There has been no progress. Other than showing up on a Sunday, nothing more has been done. They aren’t engaged. They aren’t connected. They have just enough guilt to keep them coming, but not enough commitment to make a difference in their lives.

And, just as those progressing bring great encouragement to the church, those stuck bring great discouragement. Elders wonder what more can be done to light a fire under them. Preachers go home Sunday evenings, feeling like a failure because they cannot reach those who seem to be content to be idle. They ought to know things by now, but they don’t. The simple concepts they do not understand. The reason, they have not progressed.

The progress is individual. It’s not based upon the church, the sermons, the classes. It’s what one does with those things. It’s what one thinks about during the week. It’s how much one believes and how active one wants to be. The progress takes place as much outside of the church building as it does inside it.

It’s amazing how you can have within the same congregation, some who progress and some who are stuck. They hear the same lessons. They have the same opportunities. Some take it and run and they have grown. They have progressed. Others, let them pass right on by. They are stuck because they are not interested. They are idle because they really do not care. They do not care because they truly do not believe.

Progress takes you places…for us, it takes us closer to the Lord. Are you getting better? Do people see it in you? Maybe it’s time to give ourselves a little push to get us moving again.

Thanks, Judy. Your progress is evident to all!

Roger

Jump Start # 2006

1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.”

NOTE: With Monday being a holiday, there will not be a Jump Start on that day.

 

The last Jump Start of the year. So many things to consider. Reflections. Resolutions. Backward. Forward. Inward. Upward. What has been accomplished. What needs to be done. Goals met. Goals to make. Plenty of ideas and plenty of passages to draw from. I chose this one from Timothy. It speaks well to the devotion and seriousness of what we are about.

 

Consider four truths from this verse.

 

First, take pains with these things. The “these things,” are what is found immediately before this.

• Prescribe these things (11)
• Be an example to believers (12)
• Give attention to public reading of Scripture (13)
• Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you (14)

 

Now, the “take pains” part also has an earlier connection. Paul said we labor and strive in these things. Take pains—we may say “sweat it.” Put effort and energy into what you are doing. Work hard. Initially, these words are fitting the preacher. Paul is instructing a young preacher. But don’t just keep it there. This is something that we all ought to endeavor to do. The lazy preacher and the lazy member become the lazy church. Laidback is often a nice way of saying, “doing nothing.” No hurry. No diligence. And with that spirit, things tend to fall apart. We see that physically. A little drip in the ceiling, is answered by, ‘we’ll get to that one of these days.’ After a while, that little drip has become a huge stain on the ceiling. One day, part of the ceiling falls in. Now a little problem has become a major problem. Had some effort and energy been applied long before this, all of this could have been prevented.

 

Take pains to know the Bible. Read it. Memorize it. Use it. Apply it. Take pains to set forth the godly example to all people, this even includes what one posts and likes on Facebook. Be an example. Use your talents. Little problems become big problems because nothing was done. Churches, as well as individuals need goals, spiritual goals.

 

The taking pains spirit is someone who is serious about their faith. They are seeing after things. They are trying hard. They are moving things around in their life to make themselves more pleasing to God.

 

Second, be absorbed in them. Saturated. Filled. Ephesians says ‘don’t get drunk…but be filled with the Spirit.’ Colossians says, ‘Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.’ If you drop a sponge into a bucket of water and then squeeze that sponge, lots of water will come out. It absorbed the water. What happens when you squeeze a Christian? Out comes the word of God. Out comes kindness. Out comes godliness. Out comes Christ. He is filled with those things. He is absorbed with those things. Just having a spiritual thought on Sunday morning isn’t really being absorbed. What about while at work? What about while at the store? What about while with the family at holidays? Kindness. Goodness. Christ. These are what fill our hearts.

 

Third, your progress. You are moving. You are progressing. You are getting better. You are getting stronger. These pains and this absorption has made your stronger, more faithful and more involved spiritually. There has been positive results because of this. Your time spent has paid off. You are stronger as a Christian. Your mind thinks spiritual first. Your schedule shows how serious you are about the Lord. Your daily habits reflect Christ. You are going places spiritually. You are better today than you were last year. Your attitude, your choice of words, your controlling your anger and your tongue, your thoughtfulness—all of this has gotten better. You are a better parent. You are a better spouse.

 

Fourth, this change and this progress in you is evident by all. Others see this. You are nice to be around. You are different. You are the best others have ever seen. These spiritual choices are paying off. You don’t engage in the smutting and offensive stories at work. You don’t flirt around with those you are not married to. You don’t live as if you are still part of the world. This change in you is evident. It will be one of the reasons people will ask you spiritual questions. It will be one of the reasons why people will take you more seriously now. Some may take you up on your invite to come to services. What is attractive to them is your progress. Molded by Christ, you are turning into something that others admire.

 

Take pains. Be absorbed. Make progress. Be evident to all. Great words to consider both backwards to this year and forward to the coming year. How are you doing with these things? There is something special about these words. They not only change us, but they change our family and they change our church. A better you, makes a better family and a better church. We often want things to change in a marriage or in the church. One of the best ways to change, is by changing ourselves. Get on the ball and get after it! Let’s turn it up a notch, by attending more, reaching out more, engaging more, connecting more, and helping more.

 

When folks don’t see any progress—you’ll look the same as you always have, then maybe we are not doing enough. It will show when you pour yourself into the Scriptures and your heart into Christ.

 

Imagine every member in the congregation following these four steps. WOW. Imagine every family member doing these things. AMAZING. Better yet, imagine you doing these things!

 

Roger

 

 

Jump Start # 850

1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.”

We’ve been looking at Paul’s words to Timothy these past few days. There are three expressions layered in this passage: (1) your progress will be evident to all; (2) be absorbed in them; and, (3) take pains with these things. We went backwards in this study, looking at the last expression first.

Today we come to, “Take pains with these things.” The NIV states this as, “be diligent in these matters.” The King James says, “Meditate upon these things.” The English Standard Version translates this as, “practice these things,” The words, “diligent,” “take pains,” “practice,” all involve effort. The original word means, “to attend to, or, to take care of.” Put some effort into these things. Look after these things.

I like the expression take pains with these things. Work until the sweat comes on the brow. Work until the blisters come on the hands. Work hard. Get at it. Bust it. Paul is not talking about yard work, moving a neighbor, building a fence. He is talking about knowing the word of God. Take pains about those things. Work hard at it.

Most don’t like pain. If it hurts, they quit. We have shelves full of pain-relief medicines. We want to relieve the pain. We want the pain to go away. We want to stop all pain. Not Paul. Bring it on. Take pains in these things. Don’t quit because it’s hard.

How does this all fit in with knowing God’s word? Study involves sitting in a chair, Bibles opened, a pad of paper and a pen nearby. Words are looked up. Thoughts are written on the pad of paper. You notice the order of words. You notice repeated words. You notice the thought and the idea. You notice questions. You notice how the questions are answered. Insight. Observation. You find yourself there, in the reading. You see why the Jews kept testing Jesus. You see why the apostles struggled in their young faith. You learn. You grasp. God’s will becomes your will. You know what God wants.

Learning is a process. There is no convenient store for knowledge, although I fear that we have tried to develop one. Too many ask someone else their questions without spending some time thinking about those questions. They want a quick answer. They don’t know, so they ask. That sounds ok, at first. However, we get in the habit of that, and we are rely upon someone else’s knowledge and study. If what they did was flawed or incomplete, then their answer will reflect that and we won’t know because we haven’t taken pains with these things. A young preacher once asked me if I knew what a certain passage meant. I told him, “I do.” He said will you tell me? I said, “No. Go figure it out for yourself.” I was trying to teach the young man to “take pain with these things.” Do your homework. Get some good reference books to help you. Chew on it for a while. Consider the opposite. Consider all that God has said. Don’t try to force the square peg into a round hole. God’s word fits easily. It is consistent. It doesn’t contradict itself.

We remember that the Psalmist meditated day and night upon God’s word. He was thinking about it and trying to understand it. He let God’s word simmer in his brain for a while. Take pains…be diligent…work at it. Find the application. Apply it to yourself. Become the person that God wants you to.

There is an effort involved with these things. It’s not for the lazy. It’s not for those who are always looking for the quick and easy. It’s not for those who lack patience. Learning takes effort and time. Stay with it and stay at it. Worthwhile things are like this.

Do you have access to good Bible tools? You need those to get the depth of God’s word. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Several different translations are helpful. Get a King James Version, English Standard, New American Standard. Open them all up. Look at passages in each of the translations. Many computer programs and websites, such as www.Biblegateway.com, will help with that.

2. A good Bible dictionary, such as Vine’s Expository Dictionary, will help you understand words.

3. A Bible atlas will help you understand places

4. A concordance will help you find similar passages.

5. A reliable commentary will bring further research and thoughts into your study.

6. Look at  Bible passages through the lens of the people who first received the message.

Every home ought to have these tools. If I wanted a garden, I’d buy a shovel, a hoe and the tools needed to make a garden. If I just threw some carrot seeds in my backyard, on top of my lawn, they aren’t going to make it. I have to work up a place, get the soil ready, put some effort into a garden. I’d need some tools to do that. I’d need some sweat time. Otherwise, what I do is a waste of time.

 

Is it any different with the word of God? When folks show up at the church building without a Bible, pad of paper or pen, what are they expecting? Is it any different when a person rarely opens the Bible at home? It it any different when someone has no tools to study? Is it any different when someone declares, “It’s too hard to understand,” and they don’t try to find what God says?

 

“No pain…no gain,” was a common expression years ago in fitness and exercise. The same could be said when it comes to God’s word.

 

Take pains…work at it. Know the will of God, is what the Ephesians were told.

Roger

 

 

Jump Start # 849

1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.”

We are looking at this great passage from Paul to young Timothy. This is more than good advice that works, these things are essential to growth. Paul knew.

There are three expressions in this verse. Yesterday we looked at the last expression, “so that your progress will be evident to all.”  Today, we consider the middle expression, “be absorbed in them.”

Be absorbed in them. First, we must know what the “in them” is about. Earlier, Paul told Timothy, to “point out these things” to the brethren. That included warning them about some dangerous times that would come with false teaching.

He also said, “command and teach these things” (11). The “in them” is God’s word. That’s what Timothy was to stand upon and that is what Timothy was to teach. That is what was to occupy Timothy’s attention, mind and time. God’s word is what Timothy was to be absorbed in.

Absorbed. The NIV says, “give yourself wholly to them.” I like “be absorbed.” Soak it up. Be a sponge. Take in all that you can. We can understand that concept. When there is a spill at dinner, we want a paper towel that will absorbed the mess. Absorbing in this context involves learning, thinking, sharing, asking questions. This is not an easy concept for many of us. In school, we’ve learned how to study just enough to pass tests. We haven’t mastered the subject, only finishing the class. A day after the final, or in some cases, an hour after the final, far too many couldn’t tell you what the class was about. They didn’t learn. They certainly didn’t absorb. They attended with the intention of passing, and nothing more. We thrive on short cuts, condensed versions, simplified answers. We read just enough of the directions to complete the job. When we are confronted with something we don’t know, we ask just enough questions to get us through.

 

Absorbing carries the idea of being interested. Bored people do not get absorbed in things they are not interested in. Put on an old black and white movie and most kids today would run from the room screaming. No interest there.

We absorb what we are interested in. Some can tell you everything about their favorite team, their favorite singer, their favorite movie and their favorite hobby. Why? They are interested in those things. They have put time, money and effort into those things. They follow them. Absorption begins with interest.

Now our interest can change. Mine has. I was never a fan of classical music growing up. We had music appreciation in grade school, but it all sounded the same to me. Beethoven, Bach, Brahms were not my taste. I liked another “B” group—The  Beatles. Then I met miss Debbie. She was a piano major in college. She loved the Classical. She understood them and was interested in them.  I started going to concerts with her, not rock ’n roll, but classical concerts. I did a lot of whispering because I didn’t understand a thing. The more we dated, the more I liked classical music. We have been to many concerts, even one in Vienna, Austria. She was playing a song for the kids one day and asked them who the composer was. I nailed it! She was shocked. What happened was that my interests changed. The same can happen to us spiritually. It may be a person that introduces us to the Bible. It may be our own study. Once we start getting interested, the absorption follows.

 

Paul wanted Timothy to be a spiritual sponge. Take it all in. Soak it up. Be filled. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. Make this your passion, your interest, your ambition, your goal. Make this you. This is how Christ lives in us. This is how Christ becomes our life. This is how we walk by faith.

These thoughts are a lot different than being spoon fed every Sunday and hanging around on the outskirts of God’s word. Dive in. Get immersed into God’s word. Be absorbed in them.

Let me share with you some absorbing stories:

1. I know a man, he’s a senior citizen, who prints every one of these Jump Starts and keeps them in a notebook. He’s a quiet, humble man but he has the heart as big as a mountain. He’s still absorbing.

2. I know a family that recently traveled over two hours one way to hear the Gospel preached in a meeting. That’s a long way. It’s not far, however, when you have a hunger and an interest.

3. I know a man who reads through the Bible every year. He’s been doing this for years.

4. I know a guy who is a hoarder of religious material. He collects old class books, bulletins, religious magazines and anything he can get his hands on. He reads everything he collects. Folks turn to him when they need information, because he has it.

5. I’ve seen many people taking detailed notes during sermons. They underline in their Bibles, and write things in the margins. They are absorbing.

6. There are some people overseas who traded their dinner to get a Bible.

7. I’ve heard stories from long ago of families selling war bonds so they could have enough gas to drive to a gospel meeting.

8. I heard of an old preacher that was teaching a class. He was reading an entire chapter of Ephesians. Someone commented that his Bible was upside down. He smiled. He quoted the entire chapter by memory.

 

We start early by teaching the little ones the books of the Bible. We build upon that, adding layer upon layer of more thoughts, insights and observations.

 

Do you know what happens when you squeeze a sponge that has been sitting at the bottom of a bucket full of soapy water? Soapy water comes out. What happens when a Christian is squeezed by the world? The word of God will come out. It just happens because he has absorbed the word.

 

Interest…passion…absorbing…becoming!

Roger