Be a Good Example

Overview

Rev. Jon Ryan presents “Be a Good Example.” The teaching begins: Be a good example. It develops these biblical truths for faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.

Transcript

Understanding Be a Good Example

Be a good example. If you would turn to 1 Samuel chapter 14, please, it sounds like a good goal to have to be a good example. Certainly the world has got plenty of examples of men and women that are not so good or not so pure. But God wants us to show others His goodness, His riches. And so we're going to look at a few places today that give us that what to do to be a good example.

Here in 1 Samuel 14, the previous to the book of Samuels, the book of Judges, and God had risen up men and women to lead Israel as a judge, as a ruler, as one that would give them direction. But then Israel determined that they wanted a king like the nations around them had kings. God said that really wouldn't be the best, but He let them have their king. And the first king was Saul. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. And his son Jonathan would be certainly recognized as the prince.

And here we find that Israel led by Saul and Jonathan are under attack by the Philistines. And here look what it says in verse one of chapters of Samuel chapter 14. Now came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bear his armor come and let us go over to the Philistines garrison that is on the other side, but he told not his father. See, it goes on and Saul tarried in the outermost part of Gibbia under a pomegranate tree, which is in migrant. And the people that were with him were about 600 men.

And it goes on and they're in hiding. There's this enemy is is threatening them. And everybody's in hiding, but jumped down to verse eight. And Jonathan said to the young man that bear his armor, come let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us. For there's no restraint to the Lord to say by many or by few. And this was the uncircumcised because circumcision was something that God had his people do starting with Abraham.

And so they would all get circumcised, and the whole purpose of circumcision, dating back to when Abraham first did it was to show that you can't bring the promise of God to pass by your own works. And so he told me may as well cut off Abraham and Sarah wanted a child, and they weren't able to have one and Abraham's about 100 years old at this point. And God told me may as well cut off the force kind of your penis and throw it away. If you're just going to try and do it by your own ability.

The Biblical Foundation

It's going to be my grace that brings us to pass. And so from then on circumcision was a symbol of relying on God and his grace to move forward to prosper to to gain the promises that God had offered. And so here the the enemy was referred to as the uncircumcised they certainly didn't have any respect for God, the true God. And as I remember said unto him, this I remember said to Jonathan do all that is in my heart, turn thee behold I am with thee, according to thy heart.

Then said Jonathan behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. And if they say unto us, Terry until we come to you then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. And if they thus come up unto us, then we will go up for the Lord had delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they have hid themselves.

And as the garrison answered, Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, come up to us and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, come after me, come up after me for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel. So here's two men going against the whole army. And yet they're confident because they have God on their side. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew after him.

And after that, and that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men within as it were a half an acre of land, which the Yoke of oxen might plow. And there was a trembling in the host in the field and among all the people, the garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled in the earthquake. And so it was a very great trembling and the watchman of Saul and Gibbia of Benjamin looked and behold the multitude melted away.

And they went on beating down one another they were running away from these two men, as they were running back away from the two men. And the army and the army thinks they're being attacked. And so they began killing one another. And the more they killed one another, the more that the army fled back into the rest of the army and they just killed all themselves off. That's how God work. This is the example of these two men, really Jonathan, the King's son, and his armor bearer. So then this is chapter 14.

Examples and Spiritual Lessons

When you read the ensuing chapters 151617 you learn about David being the Prophet Samuel is told to go to the house of Jesse, and to get a new king. And he goes there and you can read the record and David, the youngest one wasn't invited to the meeting. The Prophet Samuel said, the one I'm looking for is not here. Are there any other children? They say, well, our youngest, he's out taking care of the sheep.

He says, we're not going to sit down till he's here and when David comes, the spirit of God is energized in the Prophet Samuel, and he annoys David as the new king. David's only 17 years old. So he doesn't just move in and take over Saul's place as a king. But the next chapter, chapter 17 tells about this giant of the Philistines that's coming day after day, threatening Israel, the armies of Israel to a man on man fight. And David rises up to be the one that's willing to take on this enemy. And he, he's just a young man.

He's not even part of the army. But he heard this, the threat of the Goliath, and he saw everyone hiding as a result. And David decided he came and said, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that dares to defy the armies of the living God? See, David recognized that with God, there's no army big enough to defeat God's people or God's army. And so you can read the record where David comes to the king, tells the king, I'll take the man on. The king says, you're not even big enough to wear the armor. He says, I don't need the armor. He just picked up five stones.

Five is the number for grace. And he ran at the enemy, ran at Goliath, and he only needed one stone to kill him. And the number five represented God's grace that David wasn't going to kill him by his own ability. It was going to be with God. It was all about grace. And as a result, Israel won the battle. The Philistines shrank when they saw their big warrior that was killed. Let's go to chapter 18. First Samuel 18. It came to pass when he made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.

And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. See when this giant had come, you don't read about Jonathan saying, hey, we took on the whole army. I'll go and fight this guy. And then he saw his courage had been eroded by all the people that he was with. And then he sees this young man, David rise up and boldly take on the enemy. And he realized that he used to be like, that's what he used to do. And so he rises up and says, I'm going to get my soul with David and Jonathan and David were became like brothers.

Faith in Action

And then he sees the example of Jonathan, which he stood up on against the army and then took on the army and one and then he got eroded. And then he sees the example of this young man, David, and he says, I got to link or lock in with him. That's that's what we can do. We can be those examples for one another. Let's go to the New Testament. Go to 1st Timothy. 1st Timothy. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians. 1st Timothy, we're going to go to chapter four.

This is a letter that Paul is inspired to write to Timothy, who is another young man that that has been accompanying Paul and his trials and his grown up. As one of Paul's faithful men, and he's seen great things that are recorded in the book of Acts. And here at the end of Paul's life, he writes this letter addressed to Timothy and it becomes part of the scripture. And here it says if you go if you're in 1st Timothy chapter four. Verse 11, these things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth.

So don't let people talk down on you, Timothy, because you're a young man. But be thou an example of the believers in word, in the word of God that you speak and teach in conversation. Really the manner of life that you live. It's not just talking about your conversations that we would see this word conversation in the old, in the old English meant your manner of life the way you live your life.

Be an example and charity that's the love of God, and how you walk and manifest the love of God be an example in spirit spiritually just continue to to move forward with God's guidance. Be an example in faith in the faith of Jesus Christ it's not by your works that you're going to be able to do so much it's be the works of the one man that has gone before us that accomplish it all for us. And that that's by God's grace that we can go forward.

It's really impurity, and that's keeping yourself lustrous is the way it is defined, but pure uncontaminated from the theaters that can be so prevalent. So here God is inspiring Paul to write this to Timothy, to be an example of the believers in these categories to go forward like this. Let's go back to Matthew chapter five Jesus Christ also exhorted his followers to be examples to realize who they were as God's people came to call them out and to show them how tremendous they were.

Walking with Confidence

So we go off chapter five by saying a number of different groups, blessed are the poor spirit, blessed are they that mourn blessed to the meek blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness. And then he gets to verse 12. I'm sorry, Matthew chapter five verse 12 rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. We are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its savor, where will shall be felt salted.

It is therefore events forth good for nothing, but to be cast out to be trodden under foot of men. Had great properties and healing properties at preserving properties. It represented integrity. If a man was salted his words meant what he said said what he meant. And so he was crisis calling these people the south of the earth. And then he goes on to say verse 14 year the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do men put light or demand light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and a given light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is heaven. To you are the salt you are the light. So let your light shine. Let people see this in the way that you do those categories we looked at Timothy, and your purity where you stand contaminated, and your love that you walk with.

And you're, you know, in each of these categories, the conversation the manner of life that we have the way that we think and act. We are to be lights. We are to show people who God is. Look at Ephesians please. Matthew Mark John acts Romans Corinthians relations Ephesians and Ephesians chapter two. It says in verse seven Ephesians two verse seven. Well verse six and that raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places and Christ Jesus that in the ages to come. He God might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

And God was kind and kind vividly means to to be beneficent to those that are unworthy. It's doing nice things for those that don't deserve it. Certainly that is where we fall we don't deserve for God to have his only begotten son crucified just for us, but God went to that extent. And then it says, if you go to chapter four, chapter four of Ephesians at the very end of the chapter. It says, going to get chapter four verse 32 and be kind one to another tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake, have forgiven you.

Applying the Teaching in Daily Life

And then let's read the next verse they didn't have chapters in the Old Testament in the 2000 years ago that. So this chapter would not have been there and be therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling saver. And where to be kind and tenderhearted and forgiving and walk in love. This is what it is to be a good example.

And, you know, it's not always easy to to to walk this way, because there are things up in life where we can be challenged. It can be difficult for us to do or say the right thing. You know, you can see this even in traffic, you know traffic as people move around on the highways on the roadways. At times they get irritated one another and so to accommodate that they put horns into our cars. You know, sometimes they're used just to express this pleasure. Now, sometimes they may be used to warn somebody that hey you're coming over into my lane.

But too often I think they're used to to be a punishment of sorts for, you know, especially when you see someone they're here somebody laying on the horn they're so irritated with what was going on that they're just laying on their horn trying to bring attention to that person. Well, see that's not the way we're to walk. You know, I went time and I've told this before but this was oh gosh, 35 years ago I was with someone that I respected from the in the ministry, and we were traveling on a highway in Oklahoma.

And he was driving, and all of a sudden this one car just cut right in front of him. And really was this courteous. And I'm thinking what a jerk this guy is, you know, and I would have been laying on the horn but I'd never horned a passenger side. And the man that was driving his immediate responses. Oh this man must really need to be in a hurry. He's probably a get somebody play get someplace really quickly. And it taught me a lesson, because that's not what I was thinking at all. But that's being kind. We don't immediately jump to the negative.

So here, it says in Ephesians that be kind be tenderhearted be forgiving. This is letting your light shine. This is how we can walk. Let's look at Colossians two books further on Ephesians Philippians Colossians. Colossians chapter three and verse 12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. So this is, we have to see ourselves as we are the elect of God, we are the ones that God chose. We are holy. We are beloved of God. So that's where we start with our thinking, especially when we're tempted to be unkind. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved.

A Life Shaped by God’s Word

Bowels of mercies. It starts with being merciful. We're not doling out punishment. That's even deserved. Instead you're doling out mercy. Bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering. That's patience. We've got to be very patient with one another for bearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Just like we saw in Ephesians to see the example of Jesus Christ and to walk like that.

And then above all that says in verse 14 above all these things put on charity, which is the love of God, which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God ruin your heart to the which you're also called in one body and be thankful. That's the example that we want to set where we hear news coming at us, maybe news about our health or somebody else's health or a situation that's going on. And we respond with love we respond with for bearing one another where we're willing to help carry the load. That's what that means. We respond with kindness.

That's the example that we want to set as we go forward. And we'll close in Matthew chapter seven. Matthew chapter seven. Jesus Christ certainly was in favor of this kind of action and thinking. And he showed men and women how to walk like this. And he taught. And in Matthew chapter seven and verse 12. Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you. Do you even so to them for this is the law and the prophets do want to others that you would have them do unto you. You've been forgiven for things.

You've been given space and mercy when you've deserved consequence will be the same to give out that love and that grace and that mercy as you go forward. Then you become a sterling example that your light is shining. Scripture references 1 Samuel 14; Samuel 18

Key Takeaways

• If you would turn to 1 Samuel chapter 14, please, it sounds like a good goal to have to be a good example.
• Certainly the world has got plenty of examples of men and women that are not so good or not so pure.
• But God wants us to show others His goodness, His riches.
• And so we're going to look at a few places today that give us that what to do to be a good example.
• But then Israel determined that they wanted a king like the nations around them had kings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main message of “Be a Good Example”?

Rev. Jon Ryan presents “Be a Good Example.” The teaching begins: Be a good example. It develops these biblical truths for faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.

Which scriptures are central to this teaching?

The teaching draws especially from 1 Samuel 14, Samuel 18.

How can believers apply this teaching?

But then Israel determined that they wanted a king like the nations around them had kings.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 14; Samuel 18

This text was prepared from the source document. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.