Sermons | FBC Boerne

Sunday Sermon | Made for More: Develop Your Gifts

• FBC Boerne • Season 1 • Episode 2

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0:00 | 31:53

The relationship between Paul and Timothy demonstrates how God shapes us through spiritual mentorship and development. Despite witnessing Paul being stoned, young Timothy chose to join his dangerous ministry because he recognized the gospel's worth. Timothy struggled with timidity and fear, showing us that faith is a process where we don't need to have everything figured out. Paul consistently directed Timothy to build his life on Scripture rather than cultural opinions or feelings. God has uniquely gifted each believer with talents and experiences vital for building His kingdom. We should start serving in areas where God has already worked in our lives, trusting Him to develop our gifts over time.

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SPEAKER_00:

Well, good morning, church family. If you're a guest with us this morning, let me introduce myself. My name is Jason Smith. I have the awesome privilege of being the pastor here of First Baptist Bernie. At First Baptist Bernie, we help people discover their identity in Jesus Christ, develop their unique gifts, and deploy for kingdom adventure. About a year ago, a young mother came and visited our church for the first time. She was not a Christian, and if she'd ever been in church, it had been a very long time. But she had this longing inside, this need that there is more to life. And so she didn't bring her kids with her because she needed to check out the place ahead of time, and certainly her husband had no interest in going. But there she sat. Maybe this Jesus thing was what her heart longed for. And Sunday after Sunday, she continued to show up until one day she met with one of the pastors who answered her questions, and there in his office she gave her heart and her life to Jesus Christ. Then we began to pray for her husband. At first it was, I'm happy for you, honey, but that's not for me. Then it was uh, but he began to see a change in her. So at first it was, all right, I'll I'll help you get the kids ready for church, but you go on without me. And then it was, hey, these Wednesday night meals aren't too bad. But I'm gonna go sit in the car while you go to class. And then it was, well, maybe I can stick around and listen to the class. And before long, about six months later, he followed with her and gave his heart and his life to Jesus Christ. And now that family is here every Sunday, plugged into a growth group, learning and serving. Their lives have been radically changed from over a year ago. Because at FBC, we help people discover their identity in Jesus Christ, develop their unique giftings, and they are being deployed for kingdom adventure. Discover, develop, deploy. Now, church, I need to make sure you know, make sure that whenever you hear those words, that you understand that every one of us is continually doing these things. Okay? From the moment you become a Christian in every season of life. In other words, you don't have to complete, right? You don't complete the discover phase before you move on to the develop phase. And then once all of that is done, right? Once you're you're baked in the oven, and then when you're finally done, now I can be deployed on kingdom adventure. That's not the way it works at all. Truthfully, you serve from the start by getting your hands dirty. In fact, that is how you're gonna do so much of your maturing. And you never stop discovering your identity in Jesus Christ, especially as the seasons of life change. So last week we looked at discover your identity in Jesus. And this morning we're gonna focus on developing your unique giftings. Now, in this is the truth that God is shaping you into the godly man and woman that he has designed you to be for his purposes. And like an artist, you are ever growing in knowledge and skill. Now, when I this week when I was thinking about how to preach this, my mind went to, I would love for us to go to Timothy as the disciple of Paul. Now you may not know it, but we can actually piece together some important information about what it means, okay, uh, for you and I to develop our unique giftings by looking at Paul's instructions to Timothy. So turn with me in your Bible to 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4. If you do not have a Bible, there is a Bible in the Purec in front of you. You can take that as a gift from us to you so that you can have a copy of God's Word. I want to give us a quick introduction, background on who Timothy was. So on Paul's first missionary journey, he was going through the region of Galatia, and he came to a small country village of Lystra, not knowing how eventful that small country village would be. Now, this would be where Paul healed a man, okay, who had never walked a day in his life. This would also be where the townfolk worship Paul and Barnabas as Zeus and Hermes. This would be where Paul was stoned, and he was dragged out of the city and left for dead. But praise God that broken bones mend and gashes scar over. This would also be where a young eighteen-year-old Timothy will get saved and find a spiritual father in Paul. Even in Paul's sufferings, Timothy saw a truth in Paul that his soul longed for. So years later, when Paul came back through Lystra and asked Timothy to join his missionary journey. Now, I want you to imagine that moment, okay? As Timothy is contemplating, he's giving consideration. Okay? His introduction to Paul was Paul getting stoned. Paul walks with a limp. His back is littered with scars from the numerous beatings, scars that Paul will later call the marks of Jesus. He's been shipwrecked, imprisoned, everywhere he goes, there's always opposition. Hey Timothy, I want you to come with me. And Timothy goes. Eager to develop, eyes wide open, Timothy goes. Why? Why on earth would you go on that adventure? Because he sees in Paul that the gospel is worth it. Reaching the lost is worth it. Strengthening churches and even battling false teachers is worth it. Spending your life for the glory of the kingdom of God is worth it because Jesus is better. And Timothy will become one of Paul's most trusted partners in the ministry, an extension of himself. Rarely taking the limelight and yet walking through the same difficulties as Paul. Timothy will be who Paul longs for to come to his side, knowing his time is short. And Timothy will be faithful all the way until the end. And the fun part for us as we look at God's word is we can see how Timothy even struggles with his faith. How his faith is developing in the pages of Scripture. So listen as I read, 1 Timothy chapter 4, beginning in verse 11 through 16. Paul writes to Timothy, he's giving him instruction, he says, prescribe and teach these things. 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. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for as you do this, you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, this morning, as we read your word, as we contemplate the fact that we are a work in progress. Father, we say to your spirit that we welcome your instruction to us. That we are the clay and you are the potter. Father, would you mold us as we surrender to your word and to your will, Father, mold us, even through trials and difficulty of life, mold us so that we can be used by you for the glory of your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now the first thing that I want you to notice through this text and others that I'll point out is that faith is a process and that life is messy. From the bits that we can gather, Timothy is a little timid in personality. Okay, so on the personality spectrum, there are those who are naturally bold and they struggle with pride. And on the other end, there are those that are naturally more timid and they struggle with courage. Timothy is somewhat timid. And Paul knows this. So when he writes to him, all right, there are these tender moments where Paul charges at Timothy's heart. Let no one look down on your youthfulness. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you. And again, in 2 Timothy, the letter of 2 Timothy chapter 1, Paul says, For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of hands, for God has not given us a spirit of timidity or fear, but of power and love and discipline. You see, these statements of Paul are aimed at Timothy's heart. Okay? And for him to block out the lies of the enemy. The first is a fear of man. Timothy is in his late 30s, but according to Jewish custom, that is still a very young man who is susceptible to the elders' questioning. Who is this young pup that speaks to us this way? Okay? Who does he think he is? He's not qualified to address us theologically. He's too young. And the second lie is fear of inadequacy for the task. Who am I to lead the church? To fight spiritual battles, to uproot false teachers. I'm not equipped for this. I'm not Paul. Everyone wants me to be Paul, but I'm half the man that Paul is. And Paul charges Timothy. Let no one look down on your youthfulness. Do not give them an inch of space to pretend that they are better than you because of your age. Do not fear man. Instead, you prove that you are a man of Christ. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Timothy. God has called you to this. Look back and remember how he has worked in your life. God has led you to this. Do not shrink back from the moment. Okay? You see, Paul is wrestling with Timothy's faith, right? He's grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. Now, church, doesn't that encourage you to know that Timothy struggled for courage? And Paul, like a kind, tender father, charged him. It encourages me. Because it means that we don't have to pretend like we have it all together. Okay? It's freeing to say, you know what? I'm a work in progress. And I have relationships in my life where I can be authentic about my struggles, people that know me and pray specifically for me where I am. And as a church, we strive for authenticity over performance. That God accepts us in Jesus Christ. And because we are accepted in Jesus, God can move us forward into the outer edges of our faith, where we deal with junk, the junk of life. And we have the assurance that he loves me, and therefore we can deal with all the stuff. Secondly, I want you to notice how often that Paul charges Timothy to build his life upon the word of God. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching. And again, in 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul writes, he says, From childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. He continues in chapter four. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge, the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, and with great patience and instruction. Timothy, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. Church, if we are going to develop into the godly men and women that God is calling us to be, then you must base your life upon the truth of God's word. And not on culture or your feelings or your personal opinions. Now that statement may sound so simple, but it is being thought over in our culture and in your heart on a daily basis. In the 1970s, there was an Italian singer who actually, based on a bet, he released a song that went all the way to number one in several countries. Now the strange thing is that song wasn't written in Italian or English or any other real language. It was actually complete gibberish. Okay? You can play the video now. The lyrics were intentionally made up to sound like English to English listeners, but if no one understands English, then it doesn't really matter. And the artist himself didn't speak English. And guess what? The people loved it. Okay? They felt something. They assumed that it meant something when in reality it meant nothing. Eli let us listen to a few seconds of it. All right, that that was English. That is a picture of how our culture defines truth today. You see, if it sounds right, if it feels right, if enough people agree with it, then it must be true. But sounding like truth isn't the same as being truth. Our feelings can be moved by nonsense. Culture can celebrate that which has no substance. And a crowd can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong. And God never tells us to test truth by your emotions or popularity. He anchors truth in his word. Your word is truth, and it is the only foundation for your life. So quick application to each of us to quote Tim Keller. If your God never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idolized version of yourself. The challenge, of course, the call is for each of us to build our lives upon the word of God and to allow God's word to shape us. So are you? And are you surrendered to God's word? And then thirdly, as we can see when Paul writes to Timothy, there is a call to divide. Develop the unique gifts that are inside of each of you. Verse 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the Presbytery. Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for as you do this, you will ensure salvation both to yourself and to those who hear you. God has uniquely gifted you, church member, you with passions and talents and experiences. And you are vital for the building up of this church and for God's kingdom. But you say, oh, God doesn't need me. He can build his kingdom all by himself. Why are you making God so tiny and small as if he needs me? Well, that is true. God doesn't need you. And yet, what the scripture says over and over again is that God chooses to use you. That the primary means that God uses to build his kingdom and his church is or are the people of God. That is why the last thing that Jesus said to his disciples was, What? Go and make disciples. And here in 1 Timothy, God's word warns against neglecting the gifts within you. Because when you neglect the giftings that God has given you, God's church suffers and misses out. You say, but I don't know how I'm supposed to be used. Well, that's okay. Because truthfully, it changes over time and in different seasons of life. Did you know that Plato was originally invented in the 1930s as a putty-like cleaner for removing coal soot from wallpaper? And it was named Kudo Wall Cleaner. But its market declined after World War II, after the switch to natural gas. And then one day a nursery school teacher repurposed it as children's modeling clay. And then the next year in 1956, it was officially launched as a children's toy. Why did I tell you that? Because your gifts develop over time.

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Okay?

SPEAKER_00:

And where you serve and how you serve, it changes. Heck, I'm a former engineer. Okay? The goal is rarely, sorry, the end goal is rarely the point. It's the joy of development in the journey. Listen to me, the Spirit of God aims to work the fruit of the Spirit into your life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And as he works the fruit of the Spirit into you, your unique giftings and your experiences begin to come out. And again, as this text expresses that you have to put your yes on the table and be active. Do not neglect the giftings that God has put within you. Don't neglect them. You see, as a church, we are committed, okay, to being a church that serves oversitting, right? We need to talk about our culture, right? That quickly settles into comfort and passivity. But the truth of the matter is, is my job, our job as pastors and elders, leaders of the church, is to equip you for the work of kingdom ministry and service. My job is to stand up here and to charge you, to tell you, get in the game. Put your yes on the table. You say, all right, pastor, my yes is on the table. Where do I start? Well, if 2 Corinthians chapter 1 is any guide for us, there in that passage, Paul says that we go through trials in life, and God meets us in that trial with comfort and with strength, and then you are supposed to run to other people who are going through that sort of trial, and you are to give them the same comfort and strength that God gave you, you pass it along to them. So I would ask you, what have you been through that God has sustained you and now you're passionate about? That's where you should start. Run to those areas because God has gifted you and He's given you experiences. So go there and start getting your hands dirty. In closing, I want you to watch this video. This is visually impaired runner Libby Clegg. I promise you it's good. We lost it? It's not there. I don't know what this means, but keep going. Alright. There's no video, but let me describe it for you. It's a really cool video. It's amazing. It's a Paralympic Games, and Libby Clegg is, she's blind, and she's a sprinter. Imagine what I just said. A blind sprinter, and she's running wrist to wrist with a guide. And she won gold in the 100 and 200 meters in 2016. And as you watch it, they are running synchronized, okay? Perfectly in unison with all of their motions. Okay. Now, if you got to see the video, you would be, oh wow, that was amazing. And I would say to you, that was the finished product. Okay? That was the finished product. Now imagine with me all the trials and growth and what it took to get to that spot. All the strength training that every sprinter has to do, but then all the additional training that had to go in, being linked wrist to wrist to your guide. As you go around the curves, imagine the number of times that they tripped and fell. Imagine the number of times that she just wanted to quit to say, I'm done. This is impossible. That is a beautiful picture of what the Spirit of God is doing in each of our lives. Taking us where we cannot see, to greater heights and purposes than we ever dreamed or imagined. And I wanted that to be an encouragement to you that says, you know what, if she can do that, then I can trust that the Holy Spirit is going to lead me in the race of life. And I'm going to put my yes on the table. And I'm going to say, Alright, God, you can shake me. You can mold me for your purposes. I trust that you are going to work out all things for my good. Even if it hurts, even if there's trials, I trust you. You've given your son for me, and I trust you. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father. All across this room, as we, as your sons and daughters, put our yes on the table, we thank you, King Jesus, that you lead us, that you have died for us, and that you lead us as our shepherd through the trials and difficulty of life. Father, you know we dream. We dream of great things. We dream of being used by you. And so often we shrink back because we know that there's sin, that there's limitations and difficulty in our lives. And the enemy says to us, and we say to ourselves, there's no way you can use us. But Father, this morning, as we're encouraged by your word, we say to you, mold us. Keep working. We trust your word that when you say you're going to keep working. And we don't want to resist. We want to be active participants in that process. To say yes, you can mold us and you can chisel off the areas that need to be removed and we will not neglect what you are doing. We will participate. Father, we aim to be a church that is authentic, that is moldable, and where every member is getting in the game. We thank you for that. What an awesome, awesome responsibility and privilege. We pray all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. Church family, as the praise team comes and leads us in two final two songs of response, we give you an opportunity to respond. We'll have ministers down here at the front who would love to pray with you. Okay. If you came in with a burden, even as you listen to this sermon, if the Lord began to stir something up inside of you, okay, of what he is working on, and you need to respond with faith at this altar, laying your heart out before him in an act of surrender, or praying with someone, or standing and singing in faith, whatever the Spirit of God has pressed upon you, you be obedient to respond to him. Would you stand, church?