“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
A few weeks ago we started our 5 part series on a VBS that I'm working on. Today we'll look at the fifth and final step in Training Up in Christ. But first let's review steps one through four.
Step 1: Listen to Him
Step 2: Obey Him
Step 3: Submit to Him
Step 4: Serve Him
Our fifth step in Training up comes from the book of 2 Timothy. "Share Him." Timothy is wonderful for teaching this step because everyone can relate in some way. He was a young minister just getting started, not knowing what to do next. Many of us are young in age, young in our relationship with Christ, or just getting started with sharing Christ with others.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
In this final passage Paul shares the importance of sharing Christ with others. It's important to notice that "preach the Word" in verse 2 doesn't mean you have to be a minister who stands up before a church. The word "preach" here means "to share." Literally this verse means "Share the Word." This is a mission for everyone. We are to be ready all the time, "in season and out of season." We are to convince, rebuke, and exhort, IN LOVE. When we don't share Him, it reflects a sense of shame. Ofcourse none of us are ashamed, but that's how God sees it. When we are ashamed of Him before men, He will be ashamed of us. We can't grow in a relationship we are ashamed of.
Our fifth step in Training up comes from the book of 2 Timothy. "Share Him." Timothy is wonderful for teaching this step because everyone can relate in some way. He was a young minister just getting started, not knowing what to do next. Many of us are young in age, young in our relationship with Christ, or just getting started with sharing Christ with others.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
In this final passage Paul shares the importance of sharing Christ with others. It's important to notice that "preach the Word" in verse 2 doesn't mean you have to be a minister who stands up before a church. The word "preach" here means "to share." Literally this verse means "Share the Word." This is a mission for everyone. We are to be ready all the time, "in season and out of season." We are to convince, rebuke, and exhort, IN LOVE. When we don't share Him, it reflects a sense of shame. Ofcourse none of us are ashamed, but that's how God sees it. When we are ashamed of Him before men, He will be ashamed of us. We can't grow in a relationship we are ashamed of.
These are the 5 steps I found in my studies. Obviously their's more to Christ and a growing relationship with Him. Each of these steps can be broken down into more steps, but these are a great place to start. Use these, build on these, find more steps and have a hunger to grow closer to God. When we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4).
God Bless,
Bro. Austin
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