A Youthful Maturation

Terry Siverd
06/04/17 - Sun AM

A YOUTHFUL MATURATION

Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd

Cortland Church of Christ / June 04, 2017

Promos:  Donation$ for tools …… Midweek DVD series on Daring Faith …… Camp 2:52.

Today we celebrate with Josh Espinosa and Anthony & Dominic Rossi on their High School graduation.

Thus far, they have come a long way - - but actually they have only just begun - - COMMENCEMENT.

Thus far you have engaged in “gettin ready” (as they say in the south).

The word “commence” is defined as:  to come into existence; have a beginning

Today, we welcome you to “the club” of adulthood.  You have moved the tassel, signaling a very important transition.

Now Lk.12:48b kicks in big time or big league.

From everyone who has been given much shall much be required;

And to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Open your New Testaments to 1Tim.4:12

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity,

show yourself an example of those who believe.

Paul is writing this epistle to the young man Timothy.

We don’t know his exact age at the time of this letter - - we just know that he was youthful.

In 2Tim.2:5-8a, Paul reminds Timothy of that which had been entrusted to him.

I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice,

and I am sure that it is in you as well.  And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you

through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Therefore DO NOT BE ASHAMED of the testimony of our Lord…

Over the last several years you teens have been given various privileges.  You can now choose for yourself optional courses of study and extra-curricular activities.  You have begun to make everyday decisions like what to eat…

when to go to sleep…what to wear…hairstyles…etc.  You might now even be driving a car and starting to date a little.

You have also come to acquire certain responsibilities.

When I was a young man, I was “the trashman”.  I made a designated cardboard box with handles for making my rounds.  

My mom used to tell me I was “her best dishwasher” (This was an impressive citation because I had three sisters). 

I was also the “pooper-scooper” for our boxer named Butch, a job I didn’t really

appreciate until a little later on when I also became the “lawn-mower”.

Now, let’s return to our text from 1Tim.4:12.

Paul admonishes Timothy to give special attention to five areas.

In each of these arenas of personal growth, Timothy was to SHOW HIMSELF AS A EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

SPEECH

This challenge coves a lot of ground including Facebook postings (what we say and how we say it).

What comes out of our mouths actually flows from the heart.

In Lk.6:45 Jesus says, the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good;

And the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil;  for his mouth speaks from that which fill his heart.

The tongue is difficult to tame (Js.3:8), but it helps a whole lot if you get a jump on it while you are young.

Negatively speaking, this admonition addresses various sins of the tongue:

Anger … Arrogance … Boasting … Complaining & Cursing … Deceit … Envy … Flippancy (whatever) … Gossip & Grumbling … Harshness … Idle words … Jesting … Kill-joy (negativity) … Lying … Murmuring … Nagging … Obsentities … Profanity …

Quarreling … Reviling … Swearing & Slandering … Taunting … Unkindness … Vulgarities … Whispering … X, Y & Z.

Read from Mt.26:27 (the way you talk gives you away).  Peter was a swearing Galilean.

Our speech must also be filled with the truth of the gospel of Christ – cf. 1Tim.4:16 

Stated positively, we are to let our speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were with salt… (Col.4:6)

CONDUCT

In Col.4:5, Paul states:  conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

The words & deeds that we speak and do (or don’t speak and don’t do) may pave the way for us to lead others to Christ.

It’s a good thing to behave well when our parents are watching. 

It’s an even better thing to behave well when our parents are absent.  That brings a real smile to mom and dad.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul writes (2Tim.2:19) - -

Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.

One of the difficult test that accompanies the act of maturing as a youth is determining, “What is WICKED?”.

What will be your standard for determining what is right and what is wrong?

God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Ps.119:105).

Just because everybody does it, it doesn’t make it right!  Actually seldom are everybody doing it, whatever it may be.

We urge you to let the Bible be your guide in all moral issues.

Sometimes the best choice we can make when we are tempted is to walk away from evil.

In 2Tim.2:22, Paul charges Timothy to FLEE from youthful lusts.

There is no shame in running away from wickedness, but this will require both courage and conviction.

LOVE

 This is a real litmus test of our discipleship.

We love our parents.  We love our relatives.  We love our friends.

Can we also learn to love and pray for our enemies?  This is the Jesus Way (Mt.5:43). 

Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom.12:21).

Sometime soon you may find someone very special that you will want to marry.

I want to urge you to look for a Christian mate.

Paul says we are not to be bound together with unbelievers (2Cor.6:14).

What fellowship has light with darkness?

Choose to get serious with someone who will help you be a better Christian.

One of the best decisions I ever made was to ask Jeannie to be my wife.

Having a Christian mate can make all the difference in the world!!

FAITH

Our faith is in Christ Jesus.

Jesus purchased the church with His own precious blood (Acts 20:28).

For the rest of your life, you will need the church and THE CHURCH WILL NEED YOU.

One of the disheartening developments is to see a young person come to think they have outgrown the church.

It is easy to sit back and criticize the church.

We ought to do this better and we ought to be stronger in this area.

As someone noted at our recent Think Tank On Church Growth:  YOU are part of “the WE”!

If you think you’ve outgrown the church maybe it’s because you’re growing in the wrong direction.

If our church is to grow as it should we need desperately for our youth to remain strong in the Lord.

PURITY

In the context where Paul appeals to Timothy to flee from youthful lusts (1Tim.4:22), he writes about being

A vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work (1Tim.4:21).

Spooner quoted this verse unintentionally as “flee from lustful youths”.

Bad companions can corrupt good morals (1Cor.15:33).

So we must choose our friends carefully.  Some that we meet will have a tendency to lead us astray.

Purity speaks of sexual purity regardless of one’s age - - teenagers thru prime-timers.

But purity is a word that covers more than just sexual behavior.

In Mt.5:8 Jesus speaks about the blessings that shall accompany those who are pure in heart.

In Philp.4:8 Paul encourages us to let our minds dwell on things that are:

true…honorable…right…PURE…lovely…whatever is of good repute.

The opposite of something that is pure is something that is base.

Base is thought and behavior that proceeds from having low moral standards.

All of you teens are invited to join with all of us adults as we all seek to develop our character and grow in Christ.

These five items are ever-present measuring rods:  speech…conduct…love…faith…and purity.

No of us will ever be able to sign off on these assignments.  May God help us all to stay focused.