I was talking to a young man recently who found himself frustrated at the present circumstances of his life. His chief complaint to me: "I'm so busy!" I feel like a number of us can relate. This is essentially who we are.
In fact, as Americans busyness is almost venerated as some sort of virtue. To be busy is to be a productive member of society. If you're not busy... not producing... not occupying your time being a benefit to society at large... well, then you're just looked down upon. Criticized.
As it would turn out, this young man wasn't all that busy. He had just tricked himself into thinking that He was. Upon talking to him I realized something... Although he was taking a full class load at community college and working on the weekends, his classes only took place on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. He had two days of the week that were scotch free! (I think plenty of us would take that!)
Now a number of us may laugh at the plight of this young man. Confronted with adulthood-lite, he was wallowing in a hole of worry and anxiety. Some of the thoughts that ran through my head were, "Goodness, I hope you're ready for real adulthood." And, "I'm so much busier than you man."
This isn't the first young person that I've run into that has been completely overwhelmed with "busyness." It's more the norm, than the exception. I've met grammar school students and junior high students who are so stricken with anxiety that they can hardly function. Athletes, artists, and the scholastic elite alike...They are all stressed. But, if they perform well, they will receive approval after all, correct?
Is it wrong in principle to hold high standards for young people? To push them beyond their personal limits for the sake of personal growth and for the benefit of society at large? No, not necessarily. But what I've witnessed at large in the midst of the rat race of personal accomplishment, busyness, and productivity, are young people (and eventually adults) who are growing up as a shell of human beings.
There is no joy and celebration in accomplishments for these people. There is just a deep seeded fear of criticism.
Living through criticism takes discernment. There is criticism that seeks only to tear down, and criticism that builds up. How can we know the difference? Also, criticism will come... so how can we learn to live through criticism? Specifically, how did Jesus deal with criticism? And overall what should be the aim of our lives? What should replace our fear of criticism?
As we open the word of God today, I believe we can answer these questions. We can live good lives, and please God, even in the midst of criticism. So as we bring ourselves to the wise words of the Apostle Paul today to a young friend of his, Timothy, let's ask God to guide us this morning. (Let's pray)
A guiding principle for everything we're talking about today is this NOT ALL CRITICISM IS BAD. This is supremely important to realize before we move forward. We've entered a time in the world where disagreement is tantamount to hatred. The logic goes... "If you don't affirm me completely then you must hate me." This has trickled all the way down to a culture wide refusal for basic instruction and correction (Particularly if someone disagrees with you). People don't want to be told what to do. They mostly want to be right.
Plainly spoken, This doesn't work. We need others. We need wise individuals in our lives that will love us enough to correct us. In this precise way, we meet Paul and Timothy.
Imagine a person in your life, where you always and only want what is best for them... It could be a brother or sister, a child, a student, a friend... Your love for them extends past anything they could do or accomplish, but rather you want to see God's will fully worked out in their life. This is the type of relationship that Paul had with Timothy. Who he calls "his true son in the faith."
The advice that comes in relationships like these are always for the greater good of the receiver... So what type of advice does Paul give to Timothy
In the first chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul shares these words to his young friend... "This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience." (1 Timothy 1:18-19a)
Paul isn't simply talking about a physical battle... rather He's talking about the cosmic battle for the fate of all humanity. Timothy's charge is to proclaim the good news... So Paul brings out his very best advice. First, he says "hold fast to your faith"... Faith meaning: grounded belief in the only God who has been faithful to all humanity by sending his son Jesus to die for sin once and for all, and raise Him from the dead... so that the Holy Spirit could live in all who call upon Jesus. Faith matters. For from sound faith comes sound living. If Timothy misunderstands who God is... everything else will be a train-wreck moving forward.
His second recommendation to Timothy: Have a good conscience. Good conscience meaning trusting the Holy Spirit. Trust the leading of the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead in your life. Listen to the still voice of the Spirit, as you hold out the word of truth. The Spirit will enable you, Timothy, to live a holy life pleasing to God in all you do. If Christians can't listen to the leading of the Spirit, then it is impossible to lead holy lives. Good Conscience Matters
THINK about all the LOVE wrapped up in that charge... this charge being very positive and life giving in nature. To be open to this type of leading is supremely important. Criticism... Correction... Exhortation. These are all very good things that help us to honor God.
We ought to welcome correction like that.
But not all instruction is helpful is it? I had a basketball coach throughout high school who tended to offer instruction in an interesting way.
Knowing the lineage of basketball in my family, and my father's height, my coach offered me the following words: "Thompson, if your mom weren't so short maybe you could be tall like your dad!" As accurate as that statement was, (6 Foot 6 and 4 foot 10) it wasn't very beneficial to me as a basketball player. Yelling at someone to get taller simply doesn't help.
Not all criticism builds up... So it's important that we name those types of criticism for what they are. Timothy was a young Christian leader who was being bombarded with criticism and opposition toward the core of his beliefs. Listen to Paul talking to Timothy again in 1 Timothy 4 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons, through the insincerity of liars who consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth... (V7) Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourselves for godliness;"
I LOVE what Paul does here... see in verse one, he relies upon the Spirit to warn Timothy... "in later times some will depart from the faith." In short and sweet terms, people are going to oppose the sound doctrine that Timothy preaches.
For Timothy, a main opponent likely would have been legalists and spiritualists who excessively prioritized physical disciplines. This likely meant abstaining from certain foods... and choosing to remain unmarried... using all of these "disciplines" as a means by which to place themselves on a pedestal of personal holiness. And these are just a couple of examples. Then there would be those who would trust silly myths rather than the Gospel message on which Paul and Timothy stood. For these individuals, what Timothy had to teach, wasn't enough.
Just like Timothy... we will all receive positive charges, and negative criticism. So how do we know the difference between the two? Here's a common clue:
Paul's charge to Timothy is rooted in the character of God... All the other criticism relies fully upon human effort
Good criticism is rooted in God's Character
Poor criticism relies only on human effort.
Paul says to Timothy, "Keep your faith in the one true God as He revealed Himself in Jesus. And trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit." This rest of the criticism says, "work harder, don't do this stuff... listen to our new fancy story."
If a correction or piece of advice leads us to know God more fully, we ought to accept it with Thanksgiving. However, if criticism only seeks to tear down... and makes no effort to point you to a gracious and merciful God... you have permission to quit listening. Seriously.
This past week while you were all enduring the winter wonderland of Springfield, IL, I was in sunny 90 degree Tennessee at Christ in Youth with our high school students. Perhaps one of the funniest moments of the week was one young student of ours electing to sleep on the pool table in the dorm lobby instead of on his bed... Or another student deciding to draw a mask on their face... in royal blue permanent marker...
But between the long bus rides, white water rafting, activities and meal times together, something far more important was going on. Our group of 41 students and leaders spent time rooting ourselves to the Character of Who God is.
One big thing we learned at CIY is that God is King. (Explain the deafening silence of 1400 people bowing before God the king) Far from simply choosing who we want to listen to... we recognized that God is God and we are not. This means His way for us, is far above our way. Therefore, our only appropriate response to Him is to trust Him and His leading... regardless of the cost. Regardless of the criticism we may receive.
To no surprise, it bears mentioning that no one ever trusted the Father (in the midst of criticism) more than Jesus Christ Himself.
Parents, have you ever had to break up a fight between your children who we're upset because one was copying the other? I had a lot of fun with that game as a kid. To be honest... I terrorized my sister by copying her and mocking her incessantly. I am genuinely impressed that she is a normal human being.
One of my favorites was saying the names of her little school friends in ridiculous accents... I will spare you from those odd impersonations today...(although you can ask later)
You could also find me terrorizing my sister during her favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen children's movies. Interrupting songs... or singing along in an obnoxious voice... (which, you can forget the fact that I knew those songs also...)
Another way I "copied" my sister was by taking her Barbie's and Barbie car and ramping them down the basement steps... "I mean Imitation is the highest form of flattery right?"
Obviously all of my intentions were to drive my sister insane... you can ask her if I achieved my goal. But when people mock us or copy us, it doesn't typically make us happy.
This is the interesting thing though: Jesus copied God. He copied God. He imitated everything God did, and said everything God told him to say. This is how Jesus honored God. He was the perfect representation of a life lived fully in submission to God. And He didn't do this as some sort of a robot. He did what God did and said what God said, because He knew God loved Him, and because he trusted God's plan.
Listen to how God speaks of Jesus... Jesus submitted to God through the waters of baptism... And God audibly made sure Jesus understood how much He loved Him, and was pleased at His obedience He said... "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11b)
It was this great knowledge of God's love that led Jesus to do incredible things for God... Where there is trust, powerful things can occur... And make no mistake, Jesus genuinely lives this way... In John 5:19 we hear Jesus say "Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." Reading forward to John 12:49 Jesus says: "For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment--what to say and what to speak."
Jesus did what the Father did, and spoke the words the Father gave to Him, no matter what.
And boy, Jesus endured criticism. Here's the cliff-notes version of what we know Jesus went through...
- The village people from His hometown accused him of being an illegitimate child. I mean really who is born of a virgin?
- His own family though he was verifiably insane. They tried to wrangle Him in, to keep Him from continuing to teach what He was teaching... and Jesus proceeded to say... "My real family members are those who do the will of God..." wow.
- When Jesus revisited His home town as an adult... they rejected his teaching and tried to throw Him off the local cliff in town
- Jesus' own disciples rebuked Him when he said he needed to die (which was really important incidentally)... Jesus even had to tell one of his closest friends Peter "get behind Him," for opposing God's plan.
- Jesus went from crowd favorite to the scorn of Jerusalem... Jerusalem's people allowed a murderer named Barabbas to walk free instead of Jesus.
- He was spat on, mocked, shamed, tortured, and crucified... And even so, the Gospel of Luke fittingly describes the end of the scene in Jesus' own words... "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit."
In the midst of criticism and conflict Jesus always trusted God. He always and only did the things the Father told him to do, and said the things the Father told him to say... even unto death.
Jesus endured and overcame criticism by trusting the Father.
Now oftentimes we make a grave mistake at this very point. We rightly understand the atoning work of Christ on the Cross on our behalf... Yet in a strange way, we remain stricken with fear. Fearful of the criticisms of others and fearful of the path we ought to take moving forward... we freeze up with fear.
Fear of criticism topples our work for God's kingdom before we can even get our feet off the ground. And it's a shame. (If you've seen inside out recently... it's like we give the fear emotion complete control, and allow him to make a list of the 402 things we should be fearful of before we act to honor God with our lives
So perhaps Paul's most famous charge to Timothy meets us at our greatest point of fear. And it goes like this: "Don't let anyone despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)
Let's set the record straight: there is no JV squad in the kingdom of God... If we claim Jesus as Lord we are servants of the king... So instead of entrapping ourselves in fear, we have a better alternative: Pursue Godliness.
And Godliness is for everyone. Not just the young. Not just the old. Everyone. We all ought to be pursuing these virtues. They ought to be our roots for a Christ like character.
I like to consider myself young (Even though students made sure to point out my newly acquired grey hair in my beard this week). So I can remember what it was like to receive my first adult paycheck... I got the notification while I was in Florida...on vacation... at a shopping mall (haha). That first adult paycheck looks a lot bigger than reality. Because you don't realize that that money actually belongs to a number of insurance companies, your landlord, and the gas station... but those fleeting moments were great!
I could also remember starting my first real adult job. I was the youth minister at a church in a small town, 2 weeks off of college graduation... and I found myself sitting in my office thinking "What in the heck am I supposed to do?" "Shoot, Bible College trained me theologically...and we always talked about organizational leadership ... but what now?" I was paralyzed with fear.
What is it about human performance that leads to so much undue stress? Well... it seems like we've bought into the lie. We believe we are what we do... We are what we can produce.
God's "performance" metrics are different. The passage that always brings great encouragement to me, is the anointing of the young King David. We know he's the runt of his family... the ruddy shepherd boy who wasn't allowed to go off to war... But God had different ideas about David... and different ideas of what pleased Him. From 1 Samuel 16:7 we hear this: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
1 Timothy 4:13 goes on to say this: Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
In my first ministry, While I was freaking out at my desk, pondering the enormity of emerging adulthood, I forgot the most important thing... " Our focus ought to be leading others well, and proclaim God's word faithfully. And even though this is advice from a missionary to a pastor, this isn't just a pastor thing.
Will you give yourself permission to drop the mask of your fear... and be Holy as God has called you to be first and foremost? He wants your heart. And he wants your obedience. To Him. The King.
I want to give a charge to any young people who may be in the room today...but really I think it applies to everyone: You could be the greatest people person in the world, and miss the point by ignoring God's word in your relationships. Also, you could be the greatest theologian to ever live, and totally miss the point by keeping that all locked up in your brain.
Young people: Devote yourself to knowing God's word, and getting it out to everyone you know. At CIY we call this, being a kingdom worker. No... it's not what you do, or what you say... It's who you serve.
And when we're serving the king...there is no fear.
So a simple exercise would follow. We're going to throw the whole passage of 1 Timothy 4:12-13 on the screen again. This is my challenge to you. As we close out today, write down one of those virtues or practices that God is leading you to take up and focus on. Write in down on your bulletin... and bring that before the Lord in prayer this week. Make it a point to make it an intention of your heart to pursue that action.
We don't need to live in fear anymore. There is an answer to fear. Godliness. As I pray and as the band comes up, consider what you need to write down. Listen to the King as he leads. Let's pray.