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Advent HOPE Florida

Kameron DeVasher

Because You Are Young

Just a second, let me see if I'm doing this correctly.

If you have your Bibles with you, please take them out.

1 verse of the Bible, but I think it has some very, very important implications for our lives today.

I'll read it first from the usual Bible that I use is the New King James Version, even though I like how the NIV renders it.

In fact, the title of this evening's sermon is called Because You Are Young, and it comes from the NIV reading.

But I want to read the First Timothy chapter 4, verse 12 to you from the New King James Version.

And it says, this again is Paul speaking to his young protege Timothy, and he gives him this counsel as he's leaving on his evangelistic work.

He says, "...let no 1 despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." And I appreciate how that renders it, but I really sincerely appreciate the way that NIV puts that text.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

These 5 areas to set an example for the believers.

Before we begin, let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you so much for this week, this work week that is coming to the close and the beginning of these Sabbath hours.

Thank you for this time that you've given us to come apart and be with you and to commune with believers.

And right now, Lord, as we study your word, please send your Holy Spirit to bless all that we do.

Help us to each receive a message from your word tonight that will make us the people you want us to be so that we can finish your work.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young.

What is the situation that Paul is addressing here?

Paul has been traveling all around, he's established many churches, He's trained up this young Timothy, and he gives him this parting advice.

Now, at first glance, look closely again, though, it says, who would be likely the people who would be looking down on him?

It says, don't let anyone, but then it says, but set an example for whom?

So likely, who are the people there could be looking down on young Timothy?

So he's not just saying the world's gonna, he said in the church, these people are going to look down on you because you're young.

Are the believers in the apostolic church, were they just inherently Mean?

It might be easy in our mindset to blithely pass that by and just say, Well, you know how old people are.

You know, typical, just looking down on young people, mean-spirited, cold-hearted old people.

But I think tonight we've got some lessons that we need to see in this text.

Because as we break apart what Paul's instruction to Timothy is, I think something should hit home with us as young, and I say us, as young people.

I see a sea of young faces here tonight, a rather shallow sea, not too broad and expansive, but I'm sure that's going to grow as the Spirit leads.

But still, young people all around, this advice is for us.

Let us consider the possibility, just the idea, the possibility that Paul's warning was not primarily against the mean old people or the malice of the believers, but perhaps a caution about the maturity of Timothy, his protege.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young, but do what?

Notice that Paul doesn't say, look when they look down on you, call them out for their mean spirit.

You're old and mean and I don't like you.

You're the reason the church is the problem.

When People look down on you, set an example.

Tonight we're going to explore the likely reason for that counsel.

And I pray, most importantly, we learn some lessons for our day to day.

What would lead the believers to have a sketchy opinion of young people?

I believe we're going to see that there are 2 reasons why they might have sketchy reasons, sketchy assumptions or presuppositions or opinions about young people.

First of all, there is some inevitable behind the 8 ball that comes with being a youth.

You've got some inherent disadvantages to youth.

Okay, I don't mean that in a derogatory sense, I mean that in just the factual sense.

You don't, You haven't been in as many classes, you don't have as many academic degrees.

It's not saying it's bad, it's just a fact.

For instance, let's look at Paul versus Timothy.

Paul was a multilingual Pharisee, trained by the eminent Rabbi Gamaliel.

He was an international evangelist, whose writing even his fellow Apostle Peter said, and I quote, it's hard to understand.

Paul had established a reputation as being a deep thinker and a prolific writer.

He was a church planner, a convincing Christian apologist, and a powerful speaker.

Timothy, on the other hand, was homeschooled.

He came into the church likely through a revival that Paul himself put on, and he was the apprentice to this Paul guy.

He was tagging along with Paul, learning at the feet of a guy who had learned at the feet of other guys.

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Because You Are Young

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