I Timothy 1 - We all need a spiritual mentor

I Timothy 1:1-15

Thesis: We all need a spiritual mentor.

Yes, it�s Monday and I�m back. Now, I was told last week that I was too short� I�m sorry there are some things I just can�t help. I mean I could stand on the stage if it would help, were some cowboy boots, but as far as being short winded, we�ll just follow the Menefee theme, less is better.

Over the next seven weeks we are going to be looking at the book of I Timothy. If any of you are at a cross roads in your devotions and not sure where to go next, feel free to join me in this study for the next couple months.

I Timothy 1:1. Go ahead and turn there. This is a letter written by Paul just before he took his fourth and final Mission Trip. He�s writing it to his treasured friend Timothy. They had been through a lot together. Timothy respected Paul. It was a father-son type of relationship. Paul acted as Timothy�s mentor. My main point today is that We all need a spiritual mentor.

Mentor, where does the word mentor come from? It�s often used in the professional world as meaning a wise and trusted counselor, guiding one's career, preferably someone in the upper reaches of the organization.

But the word is first found in Homer�s Odyssey. This is Greek mythology. Mentor was the trusted friend of Odysseus, and he was left in charge of the household while Odysseus's away at battle. The goddess, Athena, disguised herself as Mentor to guide Odysseus's son Telemachus in his search for his father.

Now that is plainly pagan theology, so we can�t read too much into it. But each of us are on a spiritual journey to find our Father. We need God at times to take human form to guide us. And so�we all need a spiritual mentor, an adviser, a wise counselor.�

Let�s get back to I Timothy.

I Timothy 1:1-11

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Warning Against False Teachers of the Law

3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work�which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that law^[a] is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers�and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.� Let�s stop right there.

Paul discipled Timothy and planted him in this church at Ephesus to carry on the work there. So now it was time for Timothy to do the discipling, and he had a mess on his hands. The first and main thing Paul mentions is false teaching.

Timothy had a tough assignment (1-7)

With a study of I and II Timothy we find that the Ephesian church is dealing with:

Teaching false doctrines

Teaching Jewish myths

Wanting to be teachers of OT law

Building up endless far fetched, fictitious stories based on obscure genealogical points

Being conceited

Being argumentative

Using talk that was meaningless and foolish

Not knowing what they were talking about

Teaching ascetic practices

Using their positions of religious leadership for personal financial gain

And on top of all of that Timothy is a young guy. Without a good advisor, that would be overwhelming, but

Remember the sticky side of your brain? Post this one:

A spiritual mentor will help you deal with false teachings.

Now, if I can be transparent for a moment, I don�t think its any secret that I�m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but maybe some of you can relate. When I was younger, I didn�t want to go to seminary or any deep College level Bible courses because, among other reasons, I didn�t want to become indoctrinated by those professor�s opinions. I wanted to be a clean slate for God and come to my own conclusions about the Bible.

The Bible is a simple black and white instruction book�right.

I�ve got a couple stories for ya:

There was a time when migratory birds in the U.S. were tagged by the Department of the Interior with metal strips reading "Wash. Biol. Surv."--for Washington Biological Survey. The code was changed, so the story goes, after a farmer from Arkansas wrote to the department: "Dear Sirs, I shot one of your crows, My wife followed the cooking instructions attached--she washed it, boiled it and served it. It was the worst thing we ever ate."

Quote magazine.

Speaking of instructions:

A replacement hood for hair dryers came with this printed message (quoted here in its entirety): "Instructions for attaching the hair dryer hood--just clamp, plug, push, squeeze, or turn."

Bits & Pieces.

The Bible is our instruction book and it can be equally as misunderstood and confusing. So we all need a Spiritual mentor to help us sort through the gray and properly apply it to our lives.

Here�s you another point

A Spiritual mentor will help you stay on track

In verses 6&7, �6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.�

It�s easy to get distracted or think that you�ve got thinks figured out. Particularly in you teen years is where you�ll make this mistake, that you don�t want to be taught.

Let me share with you one of my biggest regrets of my teen years. My dad came to me to give some advice on an issue that I was faceing, and I stoped him. Each time he tried to talk I would cut him off and say don�t tell me. I wanted to figure it out on my own. He left hurt and frustrated. Needless to say, I failed terribly in the matter, and to this day, I still don�t know what he wanted to tell me. He dropped it and it was never brought up again.

Don�t ever miss an opportunity to learn from a trustworthy advisor.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

There is one other thing I want to point out here:

A spiritual Mentor will help you reach your goals by checking your motives.

Look at verse 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.�

Your mentor will also inevitably work as an accountability partner. If you have someone you�re meeting with on a regular basis for lunch or just to share thoughts and plans, they get to know you and your weaknesses. They can help you stay on track and check your motives. Don�t be afraid to be transparent with a godly counselor.

Now, I�m reading into it here, but I wouldn�t be surprised if Paul�s making this statement because he knows Timothy tends to be passionate about the Gospel. Perhaps, Timothy has a tendency to attack the false teachers instead of the false teachings. Paul�s reinforcing the fact that our goal is always love. Love God, love others.

Rockford College conducted a three-phase experiment, and used over 100 college graduates who were preparing for youth ministry.

In the first phase: They took a young volunteer from the room and blindfolded him. They simply told him that when he returned, he could do anything he wished. He remained outside the room while they instructed each audience member to think of a simple task for the volunteer to do. When the volunteer returned, they were to shout their individual instructions at him from where they sat. Prior to this, they privately instructed another person to shout a very specific task at the blindfolded volunteer as though it were a matter of life and death. This person was to attempt to persuade the blindfolded volunteer to climb the steps at the back of the auditorium and embrace an instructor who was standing at the door; he had to shout this vital message from where he sat in the audience. The volunteer was oblivious to all instructions and previous arrangements.

The volunteer represented our young people, the audience represented the world of voices screaming for their attention, and the person with the vital message represented those of us who bring the message of the Gospel to youth. The blindfolded student was led back into the room. The lecture room exploded in a din of shouting. Each person tried to get the volunteer to follow his or her unique instructions. In the midst of the crowd, the voice of the person with the vital message was lost; no single message stood out. The blindfolded student stood paralyzed by confusion and indecision. He moved randomly and without purpose as he sought to discern a clear and unmistakable voice in the crowd.

The second phase: They told the audience about the person attempting to get the volunteer to accomplish the vital task. At this point we chose another person from the audience to add a new dimension. This person's goal was to, at all costs, keep the volunteer from doing the vital task. While the rest of the audience was to remain in their seats, these two people were allowed to stand next to the volunteer and shout their opposing messages. They could get as close as they wished; however, they were not allowed to touch the volunteer. As the blindfolded volunteer was led back into the room, the shouting began again. This time, because the two messengers were standing so close, the volunteer could hear both messages; but because the messages were opposed to each other, he vacillated. He followed one for a bit, then was convinced by the other to go the opposite direction.

In order for you to clearly hear the message, you have to get close to the messenger. Even then, there are others with opposing messages who also are close enough to make their messages clear. Sometimes they are peers or relatives...The main lesson: only the close voices could be heard. Even though the volunteer took no decisive action, at least he heard the message.

The third phase: The response to the third phase was startling. In this phase everything remained the same except the one with the vital message was allowed to touch the volunteer. He could not pull, push or in any way force the volunteer to do his bidding; but he could touch him, and in that way encourage him to follow. The blindfolded volunteer was led into the room. When he appeared, the silence erupted into an earsplitting roar. The two messengers stood close, shouting their opposing words. Then, the one with the vital message put his arm gently around the volunteer's shoulder and leaned very close to speak directly into his ear. Almost without hesitation, the volunteer began to yield to his instruction. Occasionally he paused to listen as the opposition frantically tried to convince him to turn around. But then, by the gentle guidance of touch, the one with the vital message led him on. A moment of frightening realism occurred spontaneously in the crowd as the one with the vital message drew close to the goal. All those in the audience, who up to this point had been shouting their own individual instruction, suddenly joined in unison to keep the volunteer from taking those final steps. Goose bumps appeared all over my body as students began to chant together, "Don't go!" "Don't go!" "Don't go!"

So many times I've seen the forces that pull our youth in different directions join together to dissuade them from a serious commitment to Christ. The chant grew to a pulsing crescendo, "Don't go!" "Don't go!" But the guiding arm of the one with the vital message never left the volunteer's shoulder. At the top of the stairs in the back of the lectrure hall, the one with the vital message leaned one last time to whisper in the ear of the volunteer. There was a moment of hesitation, then the volunteer threw his arms around the instructor and the auditorium erupted in cheers and applause.

My lesson here to the faculty, future pastors and ministers is that, if our message is to be heard, we cannot simply shout it from the cavernous confines of our church buildings or from where I�m standing here. We must draw close to those with whom we wish to communicate. If we really seek a life-changing commitment from our young people, we also must reach out to where they are and in love, gently touch their hearts and lead them to that commitment.

They asked the volunteer why he followed the one with the vital message, the one who touched him. After a few moments he said, "Because it felt like he was the only one who really cared."

And the lesson here for everyone who wishes to grow, there are a lot of voices pulling at you. There always will be, sometimes more than others. Ask your pastor for a mentor to follow and follow them closely.

Conclusion: Timothy and Paul had a relationship of trust. Timothy submitted to the leadership and teaching of Paul enough, that he was ready to confront the problems around him. As you practice your faith, you will face many problems and confusing debates. That�s why we all need a spiritual mentor to lean on.

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