Exemplary

God has called us to be lights to this world. How do we live in such a way that we show forth the glory of who God is? Open with me to First Timothy chapter 4 as we consider how we become good examples of our faith to this world.

Good morning! While you're standing, would you take out your Bibles and open them with me to the book of First Timothy? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. First Timothy is right near the end of your Bible. Open to the last book, Revelation, and turn to the left; you'll find First Timothy. We are in First Timothy chapter 4, about halfway through the chapter. Today, we're going to pick it up at verse 9.

First Timothy chapter 4, verse 9. There the Apostle Paul writes, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end, we both labor and suffer reproach, but we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine, and continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

Father, I ask as we stand here with our Bibles open that you would, by your Spirit, open our hearts, our minds, and our ears to hear from you and to receive from you your word. Lord, we believe that your word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. We believe that it is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that we would be ready for every good work this week. We pray, God.

That our time spent here today would be, Lord, that it would be profitable and good for the growth of our lives into more and more character like You. Lord, work in us, we pray. Make us more like You, Jesus. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those agreed said. Then you can be seated.

I was about 10 or 11 years old when a new kid moved into the neighborhood. When he moved in, there was instantly a disturbance in the force. There were not a lot of kids in the neighborhood where I grew up, the neighborhood my parents still live in. Among those that were there, a few were right around my age, and I was pretty good friends with a couple of the kids who lived across the street from my parents.

However, when this new kid moved in, I found myself instantly like the fourth man out. He was a bit of a bully, and I remember very clearly one day when my older brother Alan, who is eight years older than me, was watching the whole thing take place. Clearly, Alan did not like what he saw. So, Alan did what Alan does; he came and grabbed me, pulled me aside, and said, "You don't let that guy push you around. You're bigger than him, and I'm going to teach you how to fight."

For the next twenty or thirty minutes, he gave me a talking-to about not letting people push me around. That's just the way Alan is. Then, I'm pretty sure that very same night, very late, around 2:00 in the morning, my older brother Alan came in and woke me up.

"Miles," he said, "you remember that stuff I told you about fighting this morning? Yeah, forget all of it. Get up; I need you to come in the bathroom and help me." He dragged me into the bathroom to hold a flashlight on his face, which was bloodied and bruised, as he stitched his own eye up. I'm not kidding; he used a needle and thread. He went on telling me how not to get in fights and to forget all the stuff he had told me that morning.

Now, seeing his bruised and bloodied face, I can't imagine what the other guy looked like. I can guarantee he was not sewing his own eye up like Alan did. That was just the way that Alan is. It is really important to have good examples in life. I will leave it up to you to determine whether or not Alan was a good example in that situation, but it is good to have good examples in life.

Timothy was left by Paul in the great city of Ephesus to pastor a church that was off course. He was given the task by the Apostle Paul to help that church get back on course, and it was clearly not going to be an easy task. It was a task that was easily stated but hard to accomplish. He was called upon to write the course and get them back to where they needed to be.

Among all the hardships that Timothy would face in doing that— and there were many things standing before him that would be challenging— one of the significant challenges for Timothy was his youth. When we think of youth, we instantly think of someone who is in junior high or high school, in the youth ministry, maybe 13 to 18 years old. However, Timothy was well beyond that at the time he was called upon to lead and pastor this church. He was probably in his late 20s or early 30s, around 28 to 32 years old.

When he first met the Apostle Paul, he was a teenager, but he had now been with the Apostle Paul for about 14 years, during which Paul had poured into him. In the culture where he was going to be ministering, in first-century Asia Minor, being in his young 30s would be a hindrance. It would be difficult for him to fulfill that task, as age was a very important factor in leadership in that culture.

I've been thinking a lot about this over the last week because I remember being young. I realize that for many of you, you might think I'm still quite young, and I agree. However, I'm not quite as young as I was when I first started out in serving in ministry. It became rather clear just...

About eight months ago, I was sitting down talking with my good friend Pastor David Guzik. We were discussing young pastors in the ministry, and at one point, he casually looked over to me and said, "You do realize you're not one of those young pastors anymore." I looked at him, confused, and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Many of you know that I teach at the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Marietta. This last fall semester was the first semester where it hit me. As I stood there looking at all these students, especially the first-semester students, it struck me that I am technically old enough to be the dad of those in their first semester. This realization was shocking enough for me to think about it for the entire rest of the day.

I remember when I first began pastoring the church at 28. This passage of Scripture, especially, was often on my mind. Even before that, when I first started teaching the Bible and leading a youth ministry at 19, this passage from First Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, was something I often reflected on. I recall the very first funeral I conducted when I was 21 years old. Stepping into that situation brought a lot of nerves and anxiety, especially given the circumstances; it was a couple that had delivered a stillborn baby.

When you step into that role, one of the questions people often ask, especially when you're just starting out, is, "So, you've done a lot of these?" You want to respond, "Yeah," but you also think, "What do you mean? This is my first time." I would find myself returning to First Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, and I still think about these verses quite a bit today.

Even though you may never be in a position to lead or pastor a group of people within the church, and even if you do not count yourself as youth or young, these words still have great application for us, no matter your age or stage of life. God wants to speak to us through this passage. Paul says this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. These words are worthy of our trust, our acceptance, and our consideration. They are worthy of our application, whether we are early in our walk or have been walking with the Lord for a long time. The exhortations in this passage are significant for all of us.

It is important to consider Timothy's situation. He had a wonderful example in the work of the ministry through Pastor Paul. It was through the church planting and pastoring endeavors of the Apostle Paul that Timothy, along with his mother and grandmother, became Christians. When Timothy was somewhere between 14 and 18 years old, the Apostle Paul returned to his church—the church where Timothy had grown up—and said, "Listen, I want you to come with me. You are useful in the ministry."

For the next decade and a half, Timothy traveled with Paul all around the known world. He was able to observe Paul's pattern of life: the way he planted churches, the way he pastored people, the way he wrote, and the way he preached. This was Timothy's example.

Now, however, Timothy was left in the city of Ephesus to pastor, to lead, and to be upfront before all these people. He was called upon to be the example. You may not consider yourself to be in the same kind of situation as young Pastor Timothy, and you may not see yourself as a leader or an example to others. However, we need to understand that point number one is very true: you are an example to someone at every stage of your faith, whether you like that truth or not.

It's a reality. If you are a follower of Jesus today, you are an example to someone at every stage of your faith. People are watching you; they are taking close notice of who you are and how you live. This includes friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, especially a spouse or your children. They are watching to see what it really means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus, to be a disciple.

People notice if you have a Cross Connection Church sticker on the back of your car or a license plate cover. They see you getting up early on a Sunday morning, dressed and ready to go, and they wonder what you are doing on a Sunday morning. Don't you know this is time to sleep in? People notice that you go to church. They notice if you carry a Bible or if you read that Bible. They take notice of these things, and we are an example to people in our faith.

Paul reminds Timothy and us in verse 10 that bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end, we both labor and suffer reproach. We are working towards this end. If you trust in the Living God, if He is your Savior and you have put your faith in Christ Jesus as I have, then you and I need to labor in the exercise of godliness, as Paul says.

We need to labor in the exercise of godliness because people are watching to see how this Christian, Jesus-follower, disciple thing actually works out. That's why Paul would say to the Philippians in Philippians 2:12, "Work out your salvation by grace through faith." God has saved us, given us a new heart, and made us a new creation. That which He has done internally, we need to work out so that people will see the transformation that has taken place.

This is one of the reasons Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, would say, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Because we trust in the Living God, because He is our Savior, we must labor, work, and sometimes struggle and strive in this work to work out this salvation. We want the internal to become external, that which is hidden to become seen, so that people would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. We are called to be a light to the world.

Light is important; light is powerful. In fact, light is powerful. A couple of years ago, my dad and I made a frivolous purchase in a crowdfunding campaign. I saw this thing online, and I was enamored with it.

I had laser envy, so I showed it to my dad. He said we should buy it, and I agreed. We plopped down twenty-five hundred dollars to purchase it. It just arrived last week, and I've been cutting things with lasers all week long. It's awesome!

This experience reminds me of how powerful light is. While we don't necessarily need it, it serves as a reminder of how important it is for Jesus to shine brightly. This world is in darkness, and it needs to see the goodness of our God and His power—His ability to transform us. This transformation is evident in our lives; we are the canvas on which God desires to show forth His glory.

In 1 Timothy 4:11, it says, "These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity." The New International Version translates it as, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young."

You may not consider yourself to be like Timothy in this situation. You might think, "I'm not exactly young; I'm not in a place of leadership." However, we must recognize that we are an example to someone at every stage of our faith journey. People are watching us.

In context, Timothy was in a difficult situation. He faced challenges in a culture where age was highly exalted as an important factor in leadership. He was younger than many of the people in the church at Ephesus, so he had to work hard to be an example to the community there.

One commentator on this passage said, "Give no one any ground by any fault of character for despising your youth." I might adjust this for us today and say, "Give no one any ground by any fault of character to despise or disdain your faith." It's not just about your youth; it's about your faith.

How is our life instructing others about Christ and our faith in Jesus Christ? We should give no one any grounds upon which they might be able to disdain or despise our faith.

We should endeavor to live an irreproachable life that is worthy of imitation. We must give our best effort to live in such a way that no one has any opportunity to criticize the church, Christ, or Christians. It is important to avoid giving anyone a reason to justify their criticism. The Believer's Bible Commentary on this passage highlights that this is not necessarily easy to do, but it is something we need to be aware of, especially as we live in a culture in 21st century America that is increasingly becoming hostile towards people of faith.

While it may be a small minority, this group is very vocal and hostile towards the church and Christianity. Therefore, we should strive to live in a way that exalts the glory of Christ. Sadly, there have been many instances where Christians and churches have negatively affected people's perception of who God is and how He works. Christian history, or church history, is not exemplary in this regard. Nevertheless, we should endeavor to live irreproachable lives that are worthy of imitation.

We are called to be an example to believers. Not only should we live in a way that is beyond reproach or criticism, but we should also work to be good examples—both to those within the church and to those outside of it. There is a difference in the translation of this passage. The King James Version says, "be an example of the believer," while the New King James and many other English translations say, "be an example to the believer."

This raises a discussion among translators: Should it be "be an example of those who are followers of God to a world that does not follow God," or "be an example to believers who are followers of God"? I would argue that both interpretations are equally valid and important. We should strive to be an example in our lives to other Christians, as well as to those who are not yet Christians, so they can see the way we live.

I love the Apostle Paul's words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1. This verse serves as both an encouragement and a challenge, as Paul says, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." I long to be an example in this way.

Able to say that with total sincerity, I can imitate me as I imitate Christ. In some ways, I feel no problem saying, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ," but I'm just as much a sinner as any other person. Paul was not being pompous or arrogant in any way when he said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." He was endeavoring to be an imitator of God as a dear child, and he could say to other people, "You can follow my example." What a great blessing it is to be able to say that with sincerity! We should endeavor to live our lives in such a way that we can say to those who are Christians and to those who are not yet Christians, "This is what it looks like to be a man or a woman of faith seeking to follow Christ."

Paul exhorts Timothy to be a good example here, and he encourages him to be a good example in six areas: in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. First, in word, let no one despise your faith, but be an example of and to believers in word. There are at least two ways to interpret this exhortation. One is to interpret it as being an example to Christians and non-Christians alike in your speech. That is a perfectly valid way to interpret this passage, and it aligns with Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 4:29: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

I love the way the New Living Translation renders that: "Do not use foul or abusive language." It's very simple. As a Christian and a follower of Jesus, we should be an example to people who are also followers of Jesus and to those who are not yet followers of Jesus. We should not be those who use foul language or abusive language. Paul says, "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear you."

We should be an example in our speech, but we should also be an example in our knowledge and our use of the Word of God. Be an example to the believer in word, in your knowledge, and in your use of the Word. The way we use our words and our speech, as well as the way we use the Word, is crucial.

The Word of God is very important. You probably remember as a kid the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, I've long since forgotten the sticks and stones that hurt me, but I still remember some words from when I was a kid that were very painful. We all do. So, we know that this saying is completely absurd. The way we use our words is something we must be very careful about.

Additionally, we need to take note of how we use the Word of God. Do we have a good knowledge of it? Do we exercise it and use it in the right way? Perhaps one of the greatest compliments and encouragements I remember receiving was when I was 23 years old and taking a class on biblical counseling. The first hour and a half of the class was lecture for 20 weeks, and the last hour of every class was spent in small group discussions. We would divide into small groups, both men's and women's groups.

I was in a small group of about 12 guys, and we were about two-thirds of the way through the course when one of the guys, who was more than 20 years older than me, said, "You know, Miles, one of the things I really appreciate about you as a young man is that you always follow up whatever it is you have to say in this class with the Word of God. You always have some passage of Scripture that you are using to substantiate what you say." I still remember that to this day; it was a great encouragement.

Now, that was not necessarily intentional. I didn't go into that class thinking, "I have a Bible passage for everything I say." It was just that as I had spent time in the Scriptures, the Word of God was in me, and it just came out. That should be the case for all of us: we should have a good knowledge of the Word of God and use it. We should be exemplary in how we use the Word of God.

So many of you here, whom I know, are already doing this, and it is such a blessing. I think of Mike Phillips. Just about every time I talk with him, he always has Scripture he wants to share with me, and it is always an encouragement and a blessing. We should strive to know and use the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul says to be an example to and of the believer in the Word, but also in conduct. This very same word that is translated as "conduct" here in 1 Timothy chapter 4 is used by the Apostle Peter in his letter, 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 1, he says, "But as He who has called you is holy, so also you be holy in all of your conduct."

Now, if you've tried to be holy, you know that's a challenge. Be holy in all of your conduct, not just a little bit of your conduct on Sunday morning when other Christians are all around you. Be holy in all of your conduct at all times, knowing that people are always watching.

I think I need to qualify this exhortation by saying it is clear and understood that none of us in this life, because of the continuance of our fallen carnal nature, our flesh, will ever be able to conduct ourselves perfectly in holiness here. However, we should have that as our aim. We might only hit it 5% of the time, but that should be the goal we are seeking, as He who has called us is holy. We are to be holy in all of our conduct. Yes, we will fail, and we are grateful that if we fail, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is our intercessor, interceding on our behalf constantly, our mediator between God the Father and us. He brings us and gives us great forgiveness for our fallenness, and we will fall. But we should have it as our aim to be holy in our conduct.

In the very same letter, 1 Peter chapter 2, Peter says, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against your soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles." Among people who are outside the church, our conduct should be honorable. People who are not Christians should look up and say, "That's a person who has honesty, integrity, self-control, and humility." They should see that in me; they should see that in us. We should be laboring towards that end, even if we live in a culture that reproaches us, saying, "Oh, you guys are a bunch of fools. You actually think that God thing is true." Even if we live in such a culture, they should see in us honesty, integrity, self-control, mercy, grace, and love.

Point number three on our outline: we aren't saved by our good conduct, but we're certainly saved for good conduct. It is not your good conduct that will make you a Christian, but it is your good conduct that will show other people that you're a Christian. Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2...

Verse 80 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

So, we are not saved by our good conduct, but we are saved for good conduct. Paul says you should be an example to the believers in word and conduct, in love, and in the way that you love. You should be an example to believers and non-believers alike. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also should love one another. By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Would to God that our culture would say, "You know, we may not believe in God, we may not like that whole church thing, but those Christians, they love people." Let's be very honest about it: in the United States of America, in the last 15-20 years, the church has not been known by its love. It just hasn't, and that is unfortunate. We need to work to resolve that, so that people would see in us the same kind of love that they see in Christ. Jesus says, "As I have loved you, that you would love one another." How did He love us? Well, He laid down His life for us.

In what ways are we laying down our lives for other people? Are we being sacrificial? I can go on and on all day long about how giving and sacrificial this church is, but we should always be striving to be more so because our God did not spare anything for us. Therefore, be an example in word, conduct, love, and spirit.

Now, in verse 14, Paul will say to Timothy, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership." The gift there is an indication of spiritual gifts. First Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14 talk about spiritual gifts. God, when He saved you by grace through faith, came into your life by His Holy Spirit. If you're a Christian today, He gave you spiritual gifts. Did you know that you have spiritual gifts? We should be those who are seeking to exercise those gifts.

Neglect the gift. We would assume that the gift Timothy has here has something to do with pastoring and teaching, but there are many other gifts that God has given. We should be exemplary in our use of the gifts that God has given to us.

Not just the gifts of the Spirit, but even more importantly, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control. All of these things should be abundant and growing in our lives. It should be clear and evident in us that we are seeking to walk in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of our fallen nature. We should be exemplary in our walk in the Spirit.

Paul continues, saying that we should not just be exemplary in word, conduct, faith, or love, but also in spirit. We must exercise ourselves in godliness so that we are exemplary in our faith and trust in God. Our faithfulness to God should be evident in our lives. The more we walk with Jesus, the more we trust Him implicitly and fully. We trust Him with our finances, our children, our future, and everything we have in this life.

Not only do we trust Him, but we are also faithful to Him in following and obeying Him. We are faithful to Him in prayer and in the Scriptures, in every aspect of our lives. This faithfulness should be exemplary for us.

Finally, Paul says to be an example to believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. The word "purity" here is only used a couple of times in the New Testament, but the concept of being pure is to be unmixed and unalloyed. There should be no mixture. The purging of all the dross is necessary. If you were to find a large chunk of gold, it would be filled with all kinds of impurities and would need to be refined so that the impurities could be purged. In our lives, we are to be purged of impurities. What does that look like? Well, I think in Ephesians...

Chapter 5, verse 3 states that fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness should not even be named among you, as is fitting for Christians. It is fitting for Christians that there be no dross or impurities in this life. Of course, when we come to Christ, we are filled with impurities, but through the sanctifying cleansing process, God, by His grace, through His Word, and by the work of His Spirit, purges out these things. He begins to transform us more and more into the likeness of His children. Therefore, all these things should not even be named among you, as is fitting for the saints.

In verse 4 of Ephesians chapter 5, it says, "Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather the giving of thanks." Then, in verse 6, it states, "Therefore do not be partakers with them." Do not allow these things to be a part of your life. By God's grace and by our own working out of our salvation, we should labor to be exemplary.

How do we work that out? Paul provides guidance in 1 Timothy 4, verse 13: "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all."

How do we grow to be exemplary in word, love, spirit, faith, and conduct? I believe that what Paul exhorts Timothy toward in verses 13 through 15 is essential. While I am absent, Timothy, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. This is what we do when we gather here together on a Sunday morning. We give attention to reading; we open the Scriptures and read from them. From that passage, we provide exhortation and doctrinal instruction. We challenge you, and I challenge myself as I study through these things, to grow in these areas.

There are many different things that a church could do, and indeed churches do many things, but what we do is open the Scriptures.

The Scriptures we read inform our understanding of what is true, real, and right. We seek, by God's grace and His Spirit, to work those things out and apply them. He says, "If I'm not there, or if I am there, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Don't neglect that gift." Timothy, you were called to preach these things and to pastor these people. Do not neglect that gift, but meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to this; it is not enough to just give yourself partly to it.

It is not sufficient to have exhortation, reading, and doctrine for 40 minutes on a Sunday. That does not mean we are going to start doing 90-minute or 120-minute services. Don't worry! I am saying that you, with God on your own tomorrow and Tuesday, should be spending time reading the Word of God. Allow the teachings and doctrines of the Scriptures to exhort you and challenge you by God's Spirit to walk in these things. Give yourself entirely to it so that your progress will be evident. All people will begin to see that the you who was is no longer the you who is.

You can think about that; I will have to think about it too, because it just came out. Hopefully, that is what people begin to see—that you are different. In John, in one of his letters, specifically 1 John, he says that those you used to run with think it is strange that you do not run with them anymore. That is wonderful! May it be that there are some people who think it is strange because you are not the same person, and for the better, hopefully.

He says, "Till I come, give attention to these things." Exemplary lives are the product of a careful and thoughtful acting out of the things we attentively read and are exhorted to do from the doctrines of the Scriptures. In 1 Timothy 4:16, it says, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." The New Living Translation says, "Keep a close watch on how you live." That is a good exhortation. Keep a close watch on how you live. I would say that a very large portion of our lives are just...

We live much of our lives on autopilot. Just think about how many times you drive from point A to point B, from work to your house, and you arrive at your destination without remembering anything of the last twenty minutes. It's a bit scary. People are all worried about self-driving cars, but I guarantee you that most of the cars on the freeway are already autonomous; they are driving by themselves. So much of our lives is lived on autopilot.

This is a really good exhortation: keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. You may say, "Well, I'm living a life, but I'm not teaching." Point number five: remember that your life is teaching others how to live and walk with Christ. This is a sobering reality. After almost twenty years of teaching the Bible, I am convinced that more has been taught, for good or for bad, by my life than by my words.

Our lives are teaching every single day. There are people who watch you who may never come to this building, to this church, or hear a Bible study here. There are people watching you in your neighborhood, in your home, at work, at school, and out in the community. Your life is teaching someone. Our lives are teaching others how to live and walk with Jesus. What is our life saying?

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. It is my hope and desire for myself and for this church that our lives would be exemplary. We should be an example to both Christians and non-Christians in our exercise of love, faith, and the Spirit. People should see our lives working out the saving power of Christ in us.

For that to take place, we need to be aware of the fact that our lives are teaching something. With that sobering reality in mind, I think we probably need to pray and ask God to help us. Amen. Would you stand with me as we pray?

We close in prayer. Father, I thank You for the promise of the Scriptures that though we can do nothing in and of ourselves, we can do all things through You who gives us strength. Lord, I am not sufficient of myself to think anything as being of myself, but my sufficiency is from You, and it is You who enables me to be a good servant of the Gospel.

Lord, we come before You once again to admit that reality: our inability apart from Your strength and power at work in us to work these things out. In admitting that inability, we pray, God, that You would work in us to will and to do Your good pleasure this week. By Your Spirit, would You enable us to walk these things out?

But not just to walk these things out, Lord. Would You, by Your Holy Spirit, quicken us to remember to walk these things out when we are frustrated, when we are tempted to be impatient, or when we are tempted to be upset or irritable? Would You, by the quickening grace of Your Holy Spirit, remind us to walk in humility, patience, goodness, and self-control?

By Your grace and by Your power at work in us, Lord, we pray that You would give us Your patience and Your self-control so that the people who know us would see You at work in us. They would have to admit, "That's not you, but that's Christ in you." Do that work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name.