NEGLECTING THE SPIRITUAL GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN US
(I Tim. 4:14)
OVERVIEW OF I TIMOTHY 1:1 to 4:14
1:1-2 – Overview of Christian Faith based on His names and blessings.
1:3-4a False teaching in Ephesus and how humanistic philosophy effects us today.
1:4b-6 – Commanded to love. (Loving God, fellow Christians, the non-Christian world)
1:7-8 – The law’s deterrent, punitive and educative purposes
1:8-11 – “Whatever else …” The Gospel Ethic. (Law-Philia University)
1:11 – Our Relationship with “The Blessed God.” (Causing God pain or joy)
1:12-16 Why Paul considered himself the worst of sinners.
1:12-16 Conversion of the apostle Paul.
1:12-16 Paul’s call to ministry.
1:17 Paul’s doxology of praise for his conversion.
1:18-20 How to avoid shipwrecking our faith.
2:1-3 The Christian is to pray for all men.
2:4,6 Comparison of Calvinism & Armenianism.
2:5-6 The man, Christ Jesus, the only mediator.
2:1-7 The vision, the message, the means.
2:8-15 Treatment of women in the ancient world, the early church and the Bible.
2:8-15 Three key hermeneutic principles to follow when studying the Bible.
2:8 Praying Men with Peaceful Hearts
2:9-10 A First-Century Christian Woman’s Dress and Deeds
2:11-12 Does Submission Demand Silence?
2:13-15 Paul’s Logic for Requiring Women to Be Silent in The Ephesian House Churches.
3:1 Why Aspiring to Church Leadership Can Be a Good Thing.
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Teaching
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Hospitality
3:4-5 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder –Leadership
3:2-7 Ethical Demands of the NT and the Ethics Tests for Elders
3:2-7 Ethical Qualities Required of an Ephesian Elder
3:8-13 The Ever Present Danger of Ethical Disconnect in a Christian’s Life
3:8-13 The Ministry of Deacons in the Early Church
3:9 Keeping Hold of the Deep Truths of the Faith
3:11 An Official Deaconesses in the NT Church?
3:14 Results That are Better Than Answered Prayer
3:15 God’s New Community – The Church of the Living God
3:15 God’s New Community – God’s Household
3:15 God’s New Community – The Pillar & Foundation of the Truth
3:16a Introduction to the Hymn in I Tim. 3:15 – The Mystery of Godliness
3:16a The Mystery of Godliness – A Life Focused on Christ
3:16b The Incarnation – He Appeared in a Body
4:1-2 How False Teaching Enters the Church
4:3-5 Common Grace
4:6 Word of God in Life of the Believer
4:7a Godliness – Divine / Human Role
4:7b Train Yourself to be Godly
4:7c Spiritual Disciplines (The Word of God)
4:7d Spiritual Disciplines (Devotions, Worship)
4.7e Spiritual Disciplines (Church Attendance, Journaling, Practicing Presence of God)
4:8-9 Why Godliness Has Great Value
4:10 Putting Our Hope in the Living God
4:12 Setting an Example for Believers
4:13 What a Christian Worship Service Looked Like in the First Century
4:14 Neglecting the Spiritual Gift God has Given Us
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR GIFT, WHICH WAS GIVEN YOU THROUGH A PROPHETIC MESSAGE WHEN THE BODY OF ELDERS LAID THEIR HANDS ON YOU.
15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (I Tim. 4:12-5:2).
INTRODUCTION:
A. Breakdown of I Tim. 4:11-5:2
Vs. 11 refers back … command and teach these things.
Vs. 12 – The need to be a good example.
Vs. 13 – The key components of Timothy’s public ministry
Vs. 14 – The importance of using his spiritual gifts
Vs. 15,16 – The need of focus for success.
Vs. 5:1-2 – How to treat members of God’s family (Belongs with 4:12-16. I Tim. 5:3 starts a new section dealing with widows)
B. Focus of study in this text, I Tim. 4:13
1. God planned from eternity works of ministry He intended for us to do.
2. God created us with those “pre-planned” works in mind.
3. God gives us spiritual gifts:
a. At the time of our conversion God gives us spiritual gifts.
b. We are also encouraged to seek other spiritual gifts.
c. Gifts may come through the laying on of hands
4. We must not neglect using our spiritual gifts
5. Spiritual gifts need to be cultivated and developed.
I. GOD PLANNED FROM ETERNITY WORKS OF MINISTRY THAT HE INTENDS US TO DO.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (Eph. 1:4-5).
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
“Do the good things He planned for us long ago” (NLT)
“The good works He has gotten ready for us to do” (Message)
“…spend our lives doing the things that God had pre-arranged (TCNT)
WHAT a joy to know that God has a wonderful and productive way for us to spend our lives!
II. GOD CREATED US WITH THOSE PRE-PLANNED WORKS IN MIND.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. … your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Ps. 139:13,16).
Since He prepared works for us to do He prepared us to do the works.
JEREMIAH: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:5). …. But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9).
JESUS: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sin” (Mt. 1:21) …”My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34) …”I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).
“When we see abilities of all kinds (spiritual, relational, technical) as gifts from God, we will be in a better position to see His hand at work through people’s efforts” (Life Application Bible Commentary, pg. 90).
QUESTION: What does mankind do with abilities woven into our innermost being by God at birth?
Our evil nature often distorts or sidetracks us so that God’s inborn gifts of nature are misused …. Thus a gifted writer writes novels that distort the truth; a gifted musician produces vile music; a gifted business person builds an empire for himself, becomes wasteful; a person with the gift of helps spends his life serving himself, etc.
When we become a Christian, we switch jerseys. The natural inborn abilities are often used and in fact re-energized by God’s Spirit and blossom in a new way.
GOOD NEWS! Our inborn abilities are enhanced and continue to blossom when we become a Christian.
The works God pre-arranged for us to do are sometimes revealed in our desires, desires that are often closely related to the inborn abilities God wove into our being.
ILLUSTRATION: When I realized I would not be able to go back to Indonesia as a missionary my heart was broken. It took two years before I could even listen to a missionary I was so distraught. The same week that I learned that I would not be going back to Indonesia I was memorizing a hymn by Jochin Neander, “Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation.”
Praise ye the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen, How thy desires have been Granted in what He ordaineth?
III. GOD GIVES US SPIRITUAL GIFTS
A. Spiritual gifts are given at the time of conversion.
Being born-again is a spiritual re-birth, and as with our physical birth we receive natural abilities, so with our spiritual birth we are endowed with spiritual abilities and often these spiritual abilities are enhancements of our natural abilities.
The word for a spiritual gift is “charisma” which can also be translated as a “gracious endowment.”
QUESTION: What are some of the spiritual gifts listed in the NT?
“Now to each one (Christian) is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good …. E.g. wisdom, knowledge, faith etc.” (I Cor. 12: 7-11).
Christian scholars feel there are 12-18 spiritual gifts identified in this passage, Ephesians 4, and Romans 12.
B. We can acquire added spiritual gifts subsequent to conversion and are in fact encouraged to do so.
“Eagerly desire the greater gifts …(I Cor. 12:31) “… eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy” (I Cor. 14:1).
C. It appears that spiritual gifts can be imparted by the Spirit through the church fellowship and prayer.
Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you (I Tim. 4:14).
QUESTION: Can you think of other places in the NT where people were set apart for ministry by the laying on of hands?
1. Paul and Barnabas were set apart for ministry in Acts 13:1-3 with the laying on of hands and prayer, similar to what we see in this verse.
2. Timothy may have experienced a similar “setting apart” at Lystra when he joined Paul’s missionary team (Acts 16:1-3).
3. Note: the “setting apart” was not done by one man (bishop / pope) but by a plurality of elders.
4. It appears that with the laying on of hands a spiritual gift was imparted and the imparting of a spiritual gift provides a significant object lesson in the divine-human co-operation in the early church.
5. In the light of the context (vs. 13 where teaching is mentioned) and the need for much teaching to combat all the false teaching in the Ephesian church, is seems that the “Gift of Teaching” would be the gift indicated here.
6. In fact teaching is mentioned in vs. 6, 11, 13 and 16 in this chapter alone. II Tim. 2:24-26 emphasizes the need for the gift of teaching:
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (II Tim. 2:24-26).
7. Reminding Timothy that he has been specifically gifted for the task was Paul’s way of both challenging and encouraging him in his ministry.
IV WE MUST NOT NEGLECT USING OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Do not NEGLECT your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you (I Tim. 4:14).
WORD ASSOCIATION: When you hear the word “neglect” what other words come to your mind?
Definition: “neglect” is the Greek word Ameleo and is also translated as “careless with” and “paid not attention to,” or “made light of.” It conveys the idea of disregarding, being unconcerned about, ignoring, not caring about, a “so what” attitude.
The word for “neglect” (ameleo) is used to describe the people invited to the wedding in the “Parable of the Wedding Banquet” in Matthew 22:1-8. Read vs. 1-5 and especially vs. 5: But they paid no attention (ignored, made light of) and went off …”
When we neglect using our spiritual gifts we’re making light of God’s gifts to us.
QUESTION: What are some Biblical examples of neglect?
Some Biblical examples of neglect: (1) Five virgins failed to fill their lamps; (2) Wedding guests failed to wear wedding garments (Mt. 22:11); (3) Individual neglected to invest his talents.
God gave us spiritual gifts for “the common good” (I Cor. 12:7) of the church and He wants us to use them. The exhortation not to neglect the gift emphasizes human responsibility in Christian ministry.
People who neglect using their spiritual gifts do not provide the good works God intended for the church such as: public reading of Scriptures, preaching and teaching (vs. 13); prayer, bringing up children, hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble, all kinds of good deeds (4:5,10); helping financially (6:18).
Neglecting our spiritual gifts is certainly similar to not using talents as is taught in the parable of the talents. The man who did not invest / use his talent was called a wicked servant and what he had was taken from him (Lk. 19:22-23).
QUESTION: How do we feel about people who continually neglect things? (Locking house/car doors, personal hygiene, obeying traffic laws, turning off the lights in the house etc, etc?)
QUESTION / DISCUSSION: How do you feel about a person who consistently squanders his God-given abilities?
V. SPIRITUAL GIFTS NEED TO BE CULTIVATED
Do not NEGLECT your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you (I Tim. 4:14) …
For this reason I remind you to FAN INTO FLAME THE GIFT OF GOD, which is in you through the laying on of my hands (II Tim. 1:6).
“Fan into flame” means to kindle anew, rekindle, resuscitate. This is the only time the Greek term for “fan into flame” (anazopureo) is used in the NT. This verb is a metaphor for rekindling a waning fire.
What is unique is that even though believers are given spiritual gifts at conversion for the common good, yet the church needs to be equipped for ministry, so our gifts need to be developed.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11-12).
John Stott writes, “Charisma is not a static and permanent endowment from God; its human recipient must use it and develop it.” (Pg. 123)
ILLUSTRATION: Helped my sister burn up a large black berry bush, rubbish, wood etc about 12 feet in diameter. I used a pitch fork and kept rotating around the fire feeding the center with materials at the edges that had not burned. It was the only way to keep the fire burning. I had to keep feeding the flames.
ILLUSTRATION: I don’t have the gift of faith but attending one evening of the prayer conference at Word of Grace when Jim Cymbala spoke was a great help to me in that area.
3) Think of ways and or places where you might be able to start exercising your gift and get involved.
4) Do a long range study project in the Scriptures about your gift.
5) Take a course at a local community college related to your gift.
SO WHAT????
1. We feel we must be stewards of the environment, water, air, forests but what about being good stewards of God’s gifting, gifting that He wove into our being from the time of conception?
2. When we neglect using our spiritual gifts we hinder the growth of the church because the church lacks the input that our gifting would have supplied. It is not unlike a good defensive end missing a football game because he wanted to go fishing.
3. When we neglect using a ministry gift God has given us we could be classed as “wicked” and certainly “foolish.” We have little respect for people who squander abilities.
4. God’s gifts are not static. They can be cultivated and developed and so we need to constantly work at developing them.
5. Using our gifts fulfills the grand purpose of God planned for us from eternity. Using our gifts enables us to do the work he pre-arranged for us and thus to fit into His plan for our life, which of course makes life meaningful.