A Commencement address from the Apostle Paul

What this episode covers

1 Timothy 4:7-12 Blank Outline Completed Outline 1 Timothy 4:7-16 We’re going to read some scripture. This is 1st Timothy 4, 7 through 12. Paul writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, and let me read verses 7 through 12. I have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales. Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. This is why we labor and strive, because we put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in conduct, in speech, in love, in faith, in purity. Well, last week we gave an introductory message to the book of 1st Thessalonians, and we’re going to put that on pause for a couple weeks because I wanted to give a message focused on the graduates today, but really, it’s a message that’s focused for all of us from 1st Timothy 4, verses 7 through 16. I’ve sat through three commencement exercises. 1973, when I graduated from high school at Orange Christian Academy in Cleveland, Ohio. 1977, sat through a commencement exercise at Cedarville University. 1981, sat through a commencement ceremony in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Grand Rapids Seminary. I have to admit this morning, and maybe you can relate to this, I do not remember the name of the commencement speaker, nor do I remember anything they said. So, commencement speeches, the shorter the better. I’m always fascinated by who is chosen to speak at a commencement. Usually, it’s the elite and the rich. University of Michigan this last year, I looked it up, their commencement speaker was Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hall of Fame shortstop for the New York Yankees, and he was the graduation speaker at the University of Michigan. There was one graduation speaker that caught my attention this year, and I don’t know if anybody knows who this might be, but does anybody know who was the graduation speaker this past year at the University of Maryland? Anybody follow this story? Who is it? Kermit the Frog, you’re right. Kermit the Frog was the graduation speaker at the University of Maryland. I almost showed a clip of his graduation speech; you can look it up on YouTube. Jim Henson, the man who invented the Muppets, graduated from the University of Maryland, so that’s a little bit of a connection there, and Kermit said that Jim had a hand in everything he did. I’m glad I got some laughter on that one. But I thought this morning, what if we invited the Apostle Paul to give a commencement speech to graduating seniors, and what would the Apostle Paul say? As I thought about that, I landed on 1st Timothy chapter 4, and we’re going to very quickly go through six truths that I think the Apostle Paul would share with graduates on 2025, but also with all of us. So, this is from 1st Timothy chapter 4, and we’re going to jump into this and run through this rather quickly, but here are six truths if the Apostle Paul was sharing a commencement speech. 1. Train yourself to be godly Here’s truth number one that Paul would share with 2025 graduates. Train yourself to be godly. That’s right out of verse 7. We read it in a scripture reading, and so let me paraphrase verse 7 quickly here, if you’ll give me some lead way here for 2025. Paul writes, have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales, have nothing to do with TikTok or Snapchat or whatever that’s called, but train yourself to be godly. Train yourself to be godly. The word there, train, is the Greek word gymnós, from which we get the word gymnasium, and so the Apostle Paul is telling us that we need to focus on spiritual training. We hear a lot about physical workout plans, but we

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