Introduction: Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed and Spiritual Maturity

One of the most encouraging truths in the Christian message is, to use the words of Christ, God accepts “faith the size of a mustard seed.” That is, a small amount of saving faith is saving faith. The weakest true believer in Christ is a true believer. If he truly trusts in Christ as the Son of God and his Lord and Savior from sin, that saint, however imperfect their faith and walk, will be kept by Christ to the end; will be seen in glory.

But there’s another really encouraging truth that’s part of the Christian message. And it’s that God didn’t just come to save us so that we could check the “salvation box” on our life form, or so that God himself couldn’t just check the “I saved them” box on a form. God’s aim for us is restoration. His aim for us is maturation. He brings glory and praise to his name by showing us what his grace can do in our lives. His aim is to form Christ in us – to make us look more like our perfect, beautiful savior. God’s not just aiming for Spiritual life in us. He’s aiming for spiritual maturity in us.

And in our passage you see Paul is concerned that Timothy exhibits signs of maturity, signs of spiritual maturity as the pastor of this church in the city of Ephesus. He’s especially concerned for Timothy’s wellbeing because the spiritual health of a pastor is important for the impact it has on other people. We’ll see that throughout this passage.

But whatever stage of our Christian life we’re at, these commands (10 of them) are helpful reminders to us about what spiritual maturity looks like in every believer. As we follow Jesus we want our lives to be marked by spiritual maturity. Here are 4 signs of spiritual maturity in this passage.

Aiming for godly influence

Worshiping God’s way

Pursuing Progress

Striving for Salvation

Aiming for godly influence (11-12)

Paul calls Timothy in verses 11-12 to exercise his authority, his god-given influence in 2 ways. Through verbal proclamation and through his own visible life example.

Verbal Proclamation

Verse 11 “command and teach these things” Paul’s desire for Timothy is to exercise his authority as a shepherd, and authoritatively command and teach what Paul has been teaching him.

From what we can tell in 1 and 2 Timothy, Timothy seems to have possibly been a bit timid. He wasn’t likely a forceful individual. Paul didn’t need to hold Timothy back as much as propel him forward.

So he tells Timothy throughout this section: “put these things before the brothers” (4:6) “Command and teach these things” “Teach and urge these things” (6:2)

Timothy needs to exercise the God-given authority he has as a pastor, and to use his influence when it comes to verbal proclamation of truth. Command, teach.

Visible Life Example

Alongside verbal proclamation, visible life example. Timothy must exercise authority by commanding, teaching, exhorting (v13). But to back it up he needs to practice what he preaches, and be an example.

Paul tells Timothy to not let people look down on him for his youth. Timothy was probably in his 30s at this point.Timothy is a young pastor, with plenty of older, more experienced members in his congregation. But that’s not supposed to intimidate him. His job is to set an example. His authority in his commanding and teaching is backed up by his exemplary life.

In his speech and conduct – word and deed.

In his love, faith, and purity – fundamental characteristics of the Christian’s life. Love for others, trust in God, moral uprightness of life.

And as I said, this is especially true of a pastor, an elder – he ought to be characterized by the right use of authoritative speech, and an exemplary life. As we’re hoping as a church to move towards finding elders in the next year or so, this is one of the things we should be looking for. Men who are faithful examples of Christlike character.

Paul mentions this here to Timothy. He tells Titus in Titus 2:7 to be a “model of good works” and to show integrity and dignity in his teaching. And Peter says in 1 Peter 5:3 that elders – all elders, are supposed to live as “examples to the flock.”

But whoever you are, whatever stage in life you’re at — God wants you to use the influence you have in the lives of others in a godly way.

Paul says to the Romans “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves (talking to all believers there in Rome) are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14). We all have influence in each others lives as Christians, and we have a responsibility to minister God’s word to each other – to instruct each other.

And Peter says we are to keep our conduct among the Gentiles (unbelieving gentiles) honorable (1 Pet 2:12). We have a responsibility to use our influence well among non-Christians. In all our relationships as Christians we use our influence to bring honor to Christ.

Parents, you have influence in your children’s lives. Children of our church, you have influence in your siblings lives. In your friends lives. College students, your class mates, your team mates, your family back home, your teachers.

Use that influence – that position that God has given you in someone else’s lives to make God’s good news about Jesus known and to make God’s good news about Jesus look good on you. It’s not “use words or deeds”. It’s use both. Be an example in speech and conduct, in your love. In your trust, in your morally upright life.

And this is something to aim at. To seek to use whatever influence you have in people’s lives to make Jesus known and celebrated. Don’t bury the talent.

And don’t let others despise you. Speaking a good word for Jesus and living a good life for Jesus is worth forgetting about the social dynamics at play.

I’m not saying disrespect authority for Jesus. That’s not good conduct. I’m saying, the social pressure you have to think you can’t speak about Jesus with your professor because they’re the expert and you’re the student – that can go out the window here.

Kids, I want you especially to know this. You’re a part of this church right now. And you have an influence on others. When you’re playing after church on Sunday; when you’re with your brothers and sisters; when you’re with your parents – you can exhibit spiritual maturity. Don’t let others despise you, look down on you, because of your youth.

I can tell you, your parents don’t want you to show other kids up by showing off how smart you are. They don’t want you to show off how clever you are by talking back to them or your siblings. But if you were an example of love to other kids; if you’re an example of Christlike conduct, or of trust even to your parents; we’re happy with that kind of showing off, with that kind of example of humble godliness. You can show us up any day. It’s a prayer of mine that my kids will put me to shame with their faith and good deeds.

John Paton, 19th c. Scottish missionary tells the story of a little boy he ministered to while he was in Glasgow. John Sim. John Sim died of Tuberculosis when he was just 8 years old. Here’s what he says about John Sim:

His childish heart seemed to be filled with joy about seeing Jesus. His simple [talk] mingled with deep questionings, arrested not only his young companions, but pierced the hearts of some careless sinners who heard him, and greatly refreshed the faith of God’s dear people.

Shortly before his decease he said to his parents, “I am going soon to be with Jesus; but I some times fear that I may not see you there.”

“Why so, my child?” said his weeping mother.

“Because,” he answered, “if you were set upon going to heaven and seeing Jesus there, you would pray about it, and sing about it; you would talk about Jesus to others, and tell them of that happy meeting with Him in Glory. All this my dear Sabbath school teacher taught me, and she will meet me there. Now why did not you, my father and mother, tell me all these things about Jesus, if you are going to meet Him too?”

Their tears fell fast over their dying child; and he little knew, in his unthinking eighth year, what a message from God had pierced their souls through his innocent words.

That’s a dying 8 year old, not letting others despise him for his youth. Children, you’re not too young to set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Use your influence well, for God. There’s the first sign of Christian maturity.

Worshiping God’s way (13)

Paul turns from Timothy’s exercise of authority in his words and deeds in verses 11-12 to encourage him to continue to keep the right things central in his public ministry. So in verse 13 he mentions elements that are part of public worship that Timothy needs to prioritize.

This isn’t Paul laying out a whole worship service. He’s telling Timothy, these are your central responsibilities in leading the church in worship, so devote yourself to them.

Public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Quick note, this scripture is part of why as part of our morning service we have a reading of scripture apart from our sermon text. Paul values the public reading of scripture – just the reading – enough that he tells Timothy to devote himself to it. It’s God’s word. We just need to hear it read publicly.

And he also says, devote yourself to teaching and exhortation. Notice, these are probably not two different things, so much as two vital parts of what we call preaching. You need teaching and exhortation.

And again, this is why we make it our goal in our preaching to do 2 things: teach the faith, and apply it to you. That’s been done in different ways over the centuries of church history. We do it in a simple but proven way: we explain a text of scripture and then apply the teachings of that text. And if we haven’t done that: iIf we haven’t taught you the contents of the faith, the text and exhorted you to live according to this truth, we haven’t preach. We could do a number of things: entertain, scold, tell enthralling or tear-jerking stories, shout, scream, whisper, crack jokes, pull at your heart strings. We could be brash or talk sweet — sometimes preaching uses some of these things. But if we haven’t taught and applied God’s truth, we haven’t done what God calls us to.

Now as pastors we want to focus on leading you in worshipping God’s way, according to God’s word. And we want you to know and want to worship God’s way. If for some reason the space time continuum changed and you were all around tomorrow but this church was gone, we want you to have categories in your minds for what you’d desire in a church: Not looking for entertainment; not looking for someone to affirm everything about you.

You’re looking for a church that prioritizes the word of God: read and preached, and we’ll add, prayed, sung, touched and tasted in the sacraments of baptism and communion.

And we want you to want these things now. It’s a sign of maturity in Timothy that he devotes himself to these things. It’s a sign of maturity when members devote themselves to these things as well. 

That’s the second thing – worshiping God’s way.

Pursuing progress (14-15)

(v14 don’t neglect gift – ie gift of ordination. Instead v15)

Notice that in verse 15 Paul tells Timothy that as he’s carrying out these commands from Paul, he’s aiming at progress. “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” The church is supposed to see that over time Timothy is growing.

Timothy is not supposed to have mastered everything about ministry from the get-go. He starts where he’s at, and the goal is that other people will see growth in Timothy as a pastor.

That growth in Timothy would be a source of mutual encouragement for the people in the church and for Timothy. Seeing growth in godliness and maturity in a pastor encourages the church as they pursue the Christian life. And in the body of Christ, they could encourage Timothy by telling him of his growth.

Now, I think this is also helpful for us as we think about spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity, as I said at the outset, doesn’t mean that someone plateaus or “arrives” on a plane of holiness where you are officially “mature” and don’t need to grow. But you can be described as showing “maturity” and still continue to “mature”.

People ferment beer or wine over the course of 7-10 days. After that, what you have is wine, but then you take months, or even years to age that wine in a barrel. You can test that wine immediately after fermentation, and it is wine. But there’s room for improvement.

You can put that wine in a barrel, and then test it at 1 month. It is wine. It’s now aged some – 1 month. But there’s room for developing flavor. Test that wine at 2 months, 3 months, 6 months. It is wine, it has aged – and there’s room for improvement.

And Christians are like that. You “test” a Christian right after they come to Christ? They’re a Christian. But there’s room for improvement. Flavor has to develop. You test a Christian after a couple of years of walking with Christ. They’re a Christian. They’ve grown, matured. And there is room for improvement. Wine is aged for a year. Christians are aged, developed our whole life.

And the good news is that this is what God expects of Christians in their life with Christ. Maturation, with room for progress. God knows our frames. He knows our frailty. And he grows us at different rates at different times. And growth can be uneven, and if we turn from him, we can back slide, slide back, lose progress in our sanctification. But there is still this general principle: we mature over time; Christians get better with age.

And like Timothy, we should desire for others to see progress in others. And we should as Christians encourage each other with the progress we see. You can do such good to a fellow believer by telling them of the progress in godliness that you’ve seen in them. Or if you haven’t been around them long enough to note progress, you can still note signs of God’s grace; the fruit of the Spirit, in their lives.“I noticed that you request prayer in small group for more significant things. I really appreciate that.” “I’ve noticed that you’re very kind to visitors.”

God desires us to pursue progress. Progress, and continual progress, is a sign of maturity.

Striving for Salvation (16)

Lastly, I want you to see what Paul tells Timothy in v16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Paul calls Timothy to watch over himself. To be vigilant in observing the general direction of his life, and the solidity of his doctrine. To make sure he is not hiding, fostering, growing sin in his heart. Not letting a false view about God or humanity or how we’re saved take root in our minds. 

And he is supposed to persist in this for a specific reason: by doing so he will save himself and his hearers. Timothy’s own salvation and the salvation of those in the church at Ephesus depend on Timothy’s watch over himself.

Now at face value that should surprise you. The basic view of scripture is that God alone saves. But God so clearly unites his salvation to the human ministry of the gospel  in the church, that Paul says that Timothy saves his hearers by his watch over himself and his doctrine.

And scripture makes clear that we by our perseverance in our faith “work out our salvation” (Phil 2:12) and “make our calling and election sure” (2 Pet 1:10), so Paul tells Timothy that he saves himself by his self-watch.

Now again, this is especially true of pastors. The influence of church leaders is tremendous. The failure of church leaders in their life and doctrine can lead many away from the church and from Christ. There are many people who won’t even consider the teachings of Christianity because of the misuse of pastoral authority, grievous sin of a pastor, abuse from a pastor. And they are responsible for their part in turning away from Christ.

But again, all Christians have this responsibility – to make your calling and election sure; to work out your salvation. To keep a watch – not just on what you believe, but also on your life. Watch against temptation. For your own sake.

But also for the sake of others. How many rude comments from the pews have turned people away from the doors of churches? How many children have a bitter taste in their mouths from being belittled by the other boys and girls at church? Your watch over your life and doctrine matters. It can do great harm.

And it can do great good. Your life, your faithfulness to God’s word, can be the means that God uses to lead to save other men and women. Other boys and girls. You may be part of the testimony of someone in this room. Even if you’re a small part of their testimony.

I know a guy who became a Christian in the late 30s. Testimony involves two Christians. One was his next-door neighbor who growing up, he just knew this older man was a really upstanding guy. and knew that he went to such and such a church. The other guy was a guy who played high school football with him, who went to the same church as his neighbor. And he was an upstanding guy. … guy’s a big part of his testimony. But the football player is also part of his testimony. Just by being a good teammate who was different from others.

God used both people. You could be either of those people. And it’d be worth it. So watch your life and your doctrine.

What does Spiritual maturity look like? Aiming to make a godly influence on others; valuing God’s appointed gifts; pursuing progress in our Christian walk; and striving for the salvation of ourselves and others.

That’s what you want to see in your leaders. And it’s what your leaders want to see in you.